This IS Halloween

So, a while ago Rob Liz had asked for some ideas on great Halloween Music. It took me long enough, but I had come to the realization that there's nothing better than Danny Elfman's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" Soundtrack. Now, for me, this is the epitome of what Halloween is about, and even the Christmas songs have been 'tricked' out with ghoulish imagery. I think, though, for That Devil Music, you have to keep that Metal attitude and throw the devil horns into the mix of those amazingly well-written songs.

Now, I've been a fan of Danny Elfman back from his Oingo Boingo days, and I'll always love his voice and the way he injects his wicked personality into each song, but for this post, I'm going to have to take advantage of a re-working of the NB4Xmas soundtrack with "Nightmare Revisited".





Now, die-hard fans of Danny as well as NB4Xmas well know that there's a special edition of the soundtrack out there with some gems on it, though there's only a couple. Marilyn Manson's "This is Halloween" makes an appearance on both, and there's also treats from She Wants Revenge and Fallout Boy. I even enjoyed Fiona Apple's version of "Sally's Song", but none of those RAWKED as hard as the masterful Metal versions on Nightmare Revisited. Here's some of my recommendations:

As I mentioned before, Manson's "This Is Halloween" appears on both discs, and for good reason. It's pure, unadulterated Manson. He creeps you out even MORE than the original does, adding that touch that only he could.



The next monster on NR that you have to hear is Korn's version of "Kidnap the Sandy Claws". Hearing Jonathan Davis saying such things as "Because Mr. Oogy Boogy Man's the meanest guy in town, if I were on his Boogie list; I'd get out of town" can sound out of place on paper, but to hear it is another story. The song comes across so strange, but it totally works with Davis' voice being the real draw here more than the music from the rest of Korn. Alltogether the song shines, but Davis's craziness makes this one a keeper.



I really dig Rise Against, first hearing about them thanks to Guitar Hero. Tim McIlrath is another vocalist with a truly distinctive voice. The music here, unlike the Korn version, is really rocking and seems to stand out more than Sandy Claws does. At least, I think it's definitely harder hitting. You be the judge.



Being both a HUGE Evanescence and Amy Lee fan, I can't not talk about "Sally's Song". No, it's not metal. It doesn't sound like metal and shouldn't. What it has is that signature Amy Lee, seething with longing and heartbreak vocals permeating this song, portraying Sally's fear and sadness for her friend Jack, perfectly. This, I think it probably my favourite song on the album and I think one of Amy's best performances.



The rest of the cd has some great tracks from Plain White T's, Rodrigo y Gabriel and Shiny Toy Guns, but I really wanted to focus on the bands that really rock out on this one, any Amy Lee. :) You should definitely check it out, and add it to your library. Even better if you play Manson's version of "This is Halloween" at YOUR haunted house or Halloween party. It's the perfect decoration.

Enjoy and Happy Halloween!