6 Albums to Update Your Halloween Playlist
Are you near the point of becoming tired of “This Is Halloween”? Do you need to find some buffer time before “The Monster Mash” loops around for the 5th time in the evening? Or are you simply wanting to infuse your spooky festivities with a few more genres? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, I empathize. Halloween music can often suffer the same effect as Christmas music, where the same handful of songs gets played over and over everywhere you go, until they sadly lose their novelty. That’s not to say that they’re bad songs of course, simply that they need some company. So here are some horror-inspired albums from the past five years to beef up your Halloween tidings, and make “Spooky Scary Skeletons” feel comfortable amongst younger, more musically diverse peers.
The Creepier EP…er by Relient K (2016)
This 3-song EP features the Christian punks shamelessly indulging in the Halloween spirit, with a piano-stomping autumnal ballad (“Halloween Blues”), a love song to their favorite candy (“The Cup”) and a rip-roaring jam from the perspective of a slasher film villain (“Halloween in Owotanna”). A witty ode to the spooky holiday spirit.
The Much Much How How and I by Cosmo Sheldrake (2018)
While not inherently a Halloween album, the strange instrumentation and whimsical lyrics hold the same creeping forest energy to that of “Teddy Bear Picnic” (think “If you go out in the woods today…”) as well as the soundtrack for Over the Garden Wall. In either case, Sheldrake’s unique “orchestral pop” sound will fit right in with your other ominous tunes while providing its own bizarre flavor. Notable songs: Come Along, Wriggle, Birthday Suit.
I Disagree by Poppy (2020)
If you’ve ever wanted an album that succinctly expresses the chaos, frustration, and tongue-in-cheek nihilism that seems to have dominated 2020, look no further than this hybrid metal/pop album, which brilliantly contrasts Poppy’s pleasant and versatile vocals with hard-hitting dubstep and hard rock drops. Notable Songs: Concrete, I Disagree, Anything Like Me.
My Agenda by Dorian Electra (2020)
Similarly to I Disagree, the latest album from non-binary icon Dorian Electra holds absolutely no punches as they analyze incel culture with their own trademark mix of electronic music and metal. The record also features some truly staggering feature performances, including but not limited to Rebecca Black and Village People. Notable songs: My Agenda (feat. Village People), Gentleman, Edgelord (feat. Rebecca Black).
Phantoms by Marianas Trench (2019)
A tad more accessible than the previous 3 albums I’ve listed, the Vancouver pop-rockers have put together an impressive concept album inspired by works of horror such as It and The Haunting of Hill House, saturated with bouncy pop jams and infused with the dread of the past returning to haunt you. Notable songs: Only the Lonely Survive, Echoes of You (feat. Roger Joseph Manning Jr.), The Killing Kind.
WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? by Billie Eilish (2019)
Easily the most well-known album on this list, Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas have crafted a wonderfully minimalistic album that delves into Eilish’s darker tastes, from environmentally-conscious laments that have been mistaken for Satanism to chronicles of her struggles with sleep paralysis. I don’t care how overplayed “bad guy” may be, these spooky bops are sticking around. Notable songs: bad guy, you should see me in a crown, all the good girls go to hell.
Any other albums from the late 2010s that deserve to be on this list? Let me know in the comments! Otherwise, I wish you a safe and fun Halloween!
