Misfits, Monsters, and Mummies lie ahead.
As you know from my previous posts, I'm a big music fan – especially Halloween music. To explore some of that music further, I'm starting a new segment (Category? Recurring set of posts?) called Macabre Music where I look into the history, culture, and impact of some spooky tunes.
To kick off Macabre Music, I'm learning about a genre of music I hadn't heard of before: Horror Punk. Now, you've probably heard of punk music, but unless you're a devoted punk, you may not know all of its sub-genres. There are many: Crust Punk, Anarcho Punk, Cowpunk, Glam Punk, Skate Punk. Some of these sub-genres are defined by a specific political motivation, some by differences in the musical style, and some, like Afro-Punk or Queercore, by the culture of the people who created them. Horror Punk, which was invented in the 1970s by popular band The Misfits, is defined by a rockabilly-influenced sound, often apolitical lyrics, and the influence of the horror genre in the lyrics, videos, and music.
While The Misfits are credited with creating Horror Punk, another influential band on the genre was The Cramps. The Cramps had songs literally named after horror movies, like I Was A Teenage Werewolf or Human Fly. They even wrote a song, Surfin' Dead, for Return Of The Living Dead.
In the 1980s, Sacramento band The Groovie Ghoulies came onto the scene. While their sound was more pop punk than the rockabilly punk of The Misfits and The Cramps, The Groovie Ghoulies' music was just as heavily inspired by horror imagery. Songs like Zombie Crush, Do The Bat, and The Blob took inspiration from classic horror monsters. Instead of attempting to disturb the listener, these songs incorporated spooky themes in a fun, novelty way.
The Mummies were one of many bands to incorporate more horror sounds into their music, with instrumental song House On The Hill featuring screams and menacing laughter as the only vocals. Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 used growly vocals and screams to amp up the horror of their track Scary Song.
While Horror Punk comprised a large part of these bands' discographies, some bands wrote one or two horror songs amid a more varied body of work. Iconic punk band The Ramones wrote Pet Sematary for the movie of the same name.
Of course, many non-punk bands have also written songs referencing horror movies or other creepy things. From Bobby Pickett's 1962 hit Monster Mash to The Talking Heads' song Psycho Killer, artists of all genres have incorporated nods to the dark and spooky. However, punk stands out as a genre uniquely suited to horror themes. Both horror and punk (although, notably, not horror punk) are known for having social or political messages. Both are cathartic, extreme, and sometimes shocking. Both have a dark, grungy aesthetic (although this can vary). Both have a ton of sub-genres. It makes perfect sense that they would eventually be combined.
Do you like Horror Punk? What Macabre Music do you want to hear about next? Sound off in the comments down below.