When someone asks what the first thing is that comes to your mind when you think of Halloween, you are not supposed to say The Misfits. At least that is the idea I got after I was greeted with a classroom full of blank stares when I said The Misfits are in fact the first thing I think of when it comes to Halloween.
It's rather disheartening when people look at you like you're crazy for making what is actually a very obvious association. Imagine a classroom full of people looking at you expressionless after you tell them Jesus Christ is the first thing you associate with Christmas. Yeah. That's pretty much exactly how I felt. Except I'm hoping no one would break the awkward silence with, “Who is Jesus Christ?”(I do realize the irony of equating The Misfits with Jesus in that analogy).
Granted, the fact that no one seemed to realize who The Misfits were lets me give them the benefit of the doubt that if they did know, the blank what-the-bloody-hell looks would change to oh-that-makes-perfect-goddamn-sense looks. I guess I can also concede that when everyone else is naming things like candy, scary movies, and costumes, it is a little different to name a band.
Now I suppose the thing would be to explain why I immediately think of The Misfits when I think of Halloween. Halloween is a time of rituals and traditions, and like many people, I had a tradition of my own. Was it trick-or-treating? Having a party? Toilet papering people's houses? Nope. I spent every Halloween since middle school at my friend's house playing Super Smash Bros and listening to horror punk.
Looking back, this seems horribly nerdy and antisocial, but I wouldn't change it for anything. I have great memories from it and I probably had a lot more fun playing Super Smash Bros than dressing up and walking around in the cold all night.
Each Halloween we would listen to a lot of bands, but there were certain bands we made sure to include, and to whom we devoted most of our listening time. Therefore, I would like to provide my short list of favorite bands to listen to on Halloween. Normally, I would do this Cracked.com style and count down, but I feel like any conversation about Halloween bands must begin with The Misfits.
1. The Misfits
They formed in 1977, headed by Glenn Danzig, and pretty much defined the genre of horror punk. Horror punk, one of the many subgenres of punk, combines the fast playing style of punk with the themes and imagery of horror movies. The lyrics are often a mixture of gore, vulgarity, and tongue in cheek humor. Many songs tell a kind of story and draw inspiration from horror and sci-fi movies.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
it lasts longer and it doesn't make you sick to your stomach when you have too much of it...
A matter of opinion depending on who's listening I'm sure. Nice, timely article though.
-Glen
2 - Jet Gardner
GLEN-you little brat, watch how you word your comments, I clicked over on that first sentence thinking you were talking about something you'd grown from seed and was going to ask you to share.
you big tease
3 - Glen Boyd
What can I say? I do my best to entertain the masses Jet.
-Glen
4 - Kevin Gustafson
For Psychobilly bands, you need to also mention Nekromantix. Their bassist plays a stand-up bass shaped like a coffin.
5 - Jackie Gustov
you should also consider
the other
calabrese
the young werewolves
mad sin
6 - Drew
This is a very boring list. TA and AFI are very far from anything horror related music has ever been. Romantic lyrics with talk of darkness does not equate horror. Balzac is good. Go here myspace.com/drivenbymidnight for some real horrorpunk, hahahhaah.