(Because Monster Mash just doesn’t cut it anymore, mun)
1. Black Sabbath – “Black Sabbath”
The OG horror riff. Rain, thunder, Satanic panic. The track that launched a genre and gave us nightmares since 1970.
🕯️Sounds like: Lucifer doing yoga in a graveyard.
2. Iron Maiden – “Fear of the Dark”
Classic Maiden anthem that’ll make you check under your bed… twice.
👻Fun fact: Bruce screams harder than your mate who saw a spider in the portaloo.
3. King Diamond – “Welcome Home”
Granny’s back from the dead and she’s NOT happy. Creepy falsettos, horror movie vibes, and riffs from the crypt.
🦴Warning: You may never trust a rocking chair again.
4. Rob Zombie – “Dragula”
If Halloween had a house DJ, it’d be Rob. This is pure spooky party fuel, soaked in gasoline and grave dirt.
🚗💀Banger Level: Set fire to your broomstick.
5. Ghost – “Year Zero”
Hail Satan… but make it catchy. Ghost serves up Satanic pop metal with a side of Latin chanting.
👑For fans of: Black Mass with a glitter ball.
6. Alice Cooper – “Feed My Frankenstein”
Campy, creepy, and catchy as hell. Coop’s horror rock anthem belongs on every haunted house playlist.
⚡Bonus points: Wayne’s World approved.
7. Slayer – “Dead Skin Mask”
Inspired by real-life horror show Ed Gein. Disturbing lyrics and a sinister groove that’ll make your skin crawl.
🔪Mood: Skin-suit couture.
8. Marilyn Manson – “This Is Halloween”
Yes, the Nightmare Before Christmas cover. Yes, it slaps. Goths rejoice.
🎃For when: You’re decorating the crypt with fairy lights.
9. Type O Negative – “Black No. 1”
Peter Steele’s vampire baritone oozes over a gothic anthem dedicated to every goth girl you ever crushed on.
🧛♀️Vibe: Coffin cuddles and hair dye.
10. Danzig – “Mother”
Evil Elvis shouts at your mam. It’s brooding, bluesy, and made for moonlit graveyard struts.
🦇Shirt optional. (Danzig never wears one anyway.)
11. Slipknot – “The Devil in I”
Dark, melodic chaos from the masked maniacs. It’s brutal but haunting—perfect for a Halloween rage.
🎭Vibes: Clowns in your nightmares.
12. Avenged Sevenfold – “A Little Piece of Heaven”
Necrophilia. Murder. Musical theatre. This song is twisted in all the best (and worst) ways.
💀Warning: Not one for your nan’s Halloween playlist.
13. Mercyful Fate – “Come to the Sabbath”
King Diamond strikes again. Straight-up Satanic ceremony in audio form.
🔮Good for: Summoning demons before supper.
14. Cradle of Filth – “Her Ghost in the Fog”
Gothic horror poetry with Dani Filth screaming like a banshee in a blender.
🌫️Atmosphere: Castle ruins and full moons.
15. Ministry – “Every Day Is Halloween”
Industrial goth anthem with zero subtlety and maximum eyeliner.
🕶️Lyric that hits: “I dress this way just to keep them at bay.”
16. White Zombie – “Thunder Kiss ‘65”
Fuzzed-out, B-movie riffage from Rob Zombie’s early chaos.
🧟Perfect for: Headbanging with the undead.
17. Behemoth – “Ov Fire and the Void”
Need something heavier than a bag of cursed bricks? Behemoth’s got you. Ritualistic, blasphemous brilliance.
🔥Metal Level: Unholy.
18. Bathory – “Call from the Grave”
Early black metal doom and gloom. Echoing screams, sinister riffs, and just a bit terrifying.
🪦Mood: Graveyard shift on All Hallows’ Eve.
19. Gwar – “Saddam a Go-Go”
Blood, latex, chaos. This one’s here purely for the mosh mayhem.
🎭Stage presence: Like your worst acid trip during a zombie apocalypse.
20. Korn – “Freak on a Leash”
Distorted vocals, disturbing energy, and that weird scat-scream bit. Haunting and heavy.
🔄Loop it while: Spooking trick-or-treaters with your speaker in the window.
21. Pantera – “Cemetery Gates”
Power ballad meets graveyard meditation. Heavy, emotional, and fit for a haunted Texas showdown.
⚰️Respect the riff.
22. Nine Inch Nails – “Closer”
Okay, not metal. But dark, disturbing, and sexy in a weird haunted dollhouse kinda way.
🔒Best used during: That 3am haunted mirror ritual you shouldn’t be doing.
👻 Honourable Mentions:
- Metallica – “Enter Sandman” (bedtime terror fuel)
- Motionless In White – “Voices” (modern gothic perfection)
- Rammstein – “Mein Teil” (based on real cannibalism. Yep.)
- Parkway Drive – “Dark Days” (eco-horror but with breakdowns)
- *The Misfits – Literally their whole discography
🧛♂️ Final Word from the Crypt…
Whether you’re summoning spirits, headbanging with skeletons, or just sipping pumpkin spiced blood, this playlist has you sorted. Metal and Halloween go together like bats and belfries, c’mon butt! So throw on your corpse paint, grab your goblet, and blast these through the fog.
Got more suggestions? Hit us up. Diolch and stay spooky! 🎃🔥
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene special—from legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether he’s battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, he’s always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When he’s not writing or interviewing artists, you’ll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than music—they’re about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. That’s exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. 🤘
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