Devil's Halloween Dozen Playlist: Frightful metal tracks inspired by horror films

Metal and horror have gone hand in hand since the early days of the genre. The sounds you hear in metal (distortion, rapid frequency and amplitude changes, low/bassy sounds) mimic instinctual animalistic fear. The instruments in metal evoke weapon imagery (the guitar as the “axe,” instruments looking metallic like weapons, etc). The lyrics in metal music are often inspired by dark themes, and the production in metal shows, such as costumes and lighting, add a scary, demonic effect.

Many metal artists are also diehard fans of the horror film genre and have written songs inspired by their favorite movies. With Halloween around the corner, Liquid Metal host Jose Mangin as dedicated this week’s Devil’s Dozen to songs directly inspired by these films.

The playlist will air on Liquid Metal (Ch. 40) on Monday, Oct. 31 at 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m. & 9 p.m. ET and Tuesday, Nov. 1 at 1 a.m. ET.