Sometimes cool pieces just fall into your lap, which is exactly what happened when Hells Headbangers announced they were going to reissue the “Halloween Metal” classic debut from Acid Witch, called Witchtanic Hellucinations, on October 23rd right in time for the spookiest time of the year. The group is a bit of a mysterious bunch of ghouls that mash death metal, doom and all kinds of horrific sounds and images together to make up some highly entertaining and hellish music.
Listening to this album is better than any haunted hayride or scary prison tour. After all, who wouldn’t be horrified by the “Witches Tits”:
“Saggy and green / Dried out flaps of rotting flesh /Under these skin curtains /Spiders breed /A horrid sight to see indeed!
Covered in boils and sores / Crusted over popped pimples / Discharging pus / with warts for nipples.”
And I certainly would never want to meet the “Rabid Werewitch” at night:
“She was never content /With the rest of the coven / She mated with wolves / For their blood and some lovin’ / Cast a spell on herself / Against the laws of her cult /She transformed at the full moon / By the power of the occult!
She’s a rabid werewitch! / Blood-crazed, she casts her spell / She’s a rabid werewitch! / She feasts then sends you to hell.”
Now, in terms of Halloween we all have had those moments where some sixteen year old fat kid puts on his football helmet and calls it a costume because he wants to impress the girl dressed like a slutty cheerleader, even though she laughs behind his back. This is the dude that comes up to your door when the lights are out and won’t stop ringing the bell. Meanwhile, you’re sitting on the couch with one hand down your pants and the other holding some cheap swill ignoring him and wishing he would fuck off at the same time. This year, I’m going to pop a stereo in my window and have it running through a bunch of tracks that are bound to make that kid run off with pee trickling down his leg. A treat, it is not.
So I asked Acid Witch to tell me the five records that would scare the hell out of trick or treaters this Halloween and band member Slasher Dave seemed stoked to do it. Below is what Slasher told me he personally thinks would scare the piss out of kids this year and I’m going for it. A big thanks to him for being down with this.
In order of favoritism:
1. Halloween III: Season of the Witch soundtrack (1982)
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2. Halloween II soundtrack (1981)
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3. Halloween soundtrack (1978)
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4. Suspiria soundtrack (1977) (creepiest theme EVER)
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5. Fastway, Trick or Treat soundtrack (1987)
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“As much as I love (and collect) old Halloween spooky sounds/song/story records, the kids today would laugh at that stuff. Chains rattling and monsters puking (yes, I have multiple Halloween cassettes and vinyl with puking sounds, haha). I’m going for the GOLD with this list!
Halloween III OST is a weird and underrated creepy gem. John Carpenter’s music produces horrific audio images that will scare the crap out of any Trick or Treater on Halloween night! Halloween II soundtrack is above the original Halloween because of the synth factor. 1978’s original is mostly piano, accented by synthesizers. Suspiria’s soundtrack is the creepiest music ever written as far as I’m concerned. A true masterpiece. Trick or Treat is one of my favorite Horror/Heavy Metal movies, and Fastway’s soundtrack rocks! Nothing like some loud 80s metal to get the ears bleeding on All Hallows’ Eve.
I just want to add that if there ever was a Witch’s Night Out soundtrack (the absolute BEST made for T.V. Halloween special aside from The Halloween That Almost Wasn’t) that would be #1 on my list! I recommend listening to ALL these on vinyl. The ice cold touch of digitalization will kill their old school feel.
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