Some Halloween enjoyers are content with watching scary movies, trick-or-treating in costumes, or simply carving pumpkins. If you enjoy diving so deep into the atmosphere of Halloween that you wish to experience it in musical form, these three spine-chilling and adrenaline-rushing albums are perfect for the dark season.
#1: “TURN OFF THE LIGHT” by Kim Petras
Thrilling, twisted, and sardonic, “Turn Off the Light” is a Halloween-themed synth-pop album released in 2019 by German pop singer Kim Petras. Full of beat drops, eerie sound effects, and hypnotic vocals combined with sadistic lyrics, Petras creates an exhilarating album that is perfect for a mysterious stroll or dance through the streets at night. From “Purgatory” to “There Will Be Blood” and “Party Till I Die,” Petras creates an electrifying album experience that takes listeners through the perspectives of a vampire, succubus, and other creatures during its 18 tracks. “Turn Off the Light” is an unparalleled concept album that places you in a lively club in the form of any monster that you would like to be.
#2: “The Maze To Nowhere” by Lorn
“The Maze To Nowhere,” released in 2014 by American electronic musician Lorn, will transport you into a world of nightmares. The album embodies Lorn’s fascination with smooth and frightening layers of beats along with synthesizers, combined with otherworldly vocals such as in “Acid Rain.” The 12 tracks force the listener to ponder what they are meant to visualize when listening to the horrifying — yet fascinating — sounds within this album. Whether you enjoy the feeling of being watched by something evil or getting lost at night, “The Maze To Nowhere” offers a shiver-inducing ambience perfect for any Halloween playlist or party.
#3: “Hypnic Jerks” by The Spirit of the Beehive
If you loved the eerie yet comforting themes of a retro group of friends surviving horrifying supernatural forces, found in films such as “IT” and shows such as “Stranger Things,” the 2018-released “Hypnic Jerks” is the perfect experience for you. Created by American indie rock band The Spirit of the Beehive, this album provides a soothingly trippy and erratically psychedelic album that highlights the feeling of being lost with friends in a dark forest with only a flashlight. The Spirit of the Beehive takes you through a seamlessly chaotic journey through the album’s 10 tracks, mixing sinister voice recordings and sound effects with powerful vocals and lo-fi production. The album creates the atmosphere of a dream you would like to conjure in your head while perfectly blending harsh rock and pleasant pop sounds with songs like “fell asleep with a vision,” “monumental shame,” and “mantra is repeated.” This album might feel like a fever dream on the first listen, but it quickly transitions into a pleasantly uncanny listening experience that will certainly bring comfort when traveling through a neighborhood decorated for Halloween.
