My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance also known as MCR was formed in Newark, New Jersey by Gerard Way in the wake of the 9/11 disaster. After a long hiatus, they are back with Way being joined by his brother Mikey, Ray Toro and Frank Iero. They have released a new song and have just completed a reunion tour. A greatest hits album and a 10th-anniversary edition of their highly influential and critically acclaimed The Black Parade were released during the hiatus.
They are one of the most influential pop-punk and horror rock bands of the 2000s. Their first two albums, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love and Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge built their profile but it wasn’t until 2008’s rock opera The Black Parade that the group truly became a phenomenon. The lead song off of the album, Welcome To The Black Parade, is the sound of a generation and still to this day is played at rock clubs all over the world. This was followed up by their fourth studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys.
The Cramps
The Cramps have had a resurgence as of late thanks to their song, Goo-Goo Muck‘s appearance in a viral scene from the Netflix show Wednesday. The Cramps are pioneers of the psychobilly subgenre by mixing punk rock and rockabilly elements. If you hear a band after the late 70s making this kind of music, The Cramps are probably a huge influence on them.
Founded in 1976 and active until 2009 the only permanent members of the group have been husband and wife duo Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. Songs the Lord Taught Us was released in 1980 which includes I Was A Teenage Werewolf and Zombie Dance. Goo-Goo Muck, originally written and performed by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads, would appear on their follow-up album Psychedelic Jungle.
Ghost
Ghost is a Swedish rock band formed in 2006 in Linköping with their debut album Opus Eponymous being released in 2010. While Tobias Forge, the frontman and mastermind behind the band remained anonymous for the first three albums but was outed because of a lawsuit involving former band members. With each album Forge takes on a new persona of a satanic pope or a “demonic anti-pope, starting with Papa Emeritus I and passing the torch to his brother Papa Emeritus II with the release of Infetissumam.
A younger sexy Papa came forth in the form of Terzo with the release of their third studio album Meliora, which resulted in them earning a garmmy award for their song Cirice. Papa Emeritus III, Terzo, was dragged off stage towards the end of this cycle only to be replaced by the previous Papa’s father, Papa Nihil. With Prequelle we were introduced to Cardinal Copia, who had to earn his Papa status. This was achieved near the end of the album cycle when he ascended to Papa Emeritus IV before releasing Impera in 2022.
There is a lot of lore behind this band while their music has been described as Gothic Abba, which is quite funny but also slightly true. But the best way to describe Ghost’s music is that of a heavy metal, gothic rock sound tinged with 80’s anthem hits and some symphonic sounds. Their fans are some of the most passionate within the rock and metal community, even dressing up as different variations of the Papa’s, Unnamed Ghouls or Sister of Sin at their shows also known as Rituals.
Misfits
The Misfits are possibly one of the most influential punk rock bands of all time. Do you like horror punk? or punk in general? Do you like bands embracing the macabre and horror themes in their imagery and sound? then you have The Misfits to thank for that. inspiring bands as diverse as Metallica, Greenday, AFI and My Chemical Romance to name a few. They are one of the most iconic bands of the 80s and their logo is one of the most recognizable, even appearing on the jacket of the love interest to Taylor Swift in her music video for I Knew You Were Trouble.
Forming in New Jersey in 1977 the band had disbanded by 1983 yet most of their albums were released after this, continuing their mythos. Glenn Danzing, the original singer of the band went on to form both Danzig and Samhain, two other highly influential bands in the metal and punk genre. The band re-formed in 1995 with Michale Graves as their new singer releasing two more albums before disbanding again in 2000. Since then they have periodically released albums, with multiple different lineups but the original lineup, consisting of Glen Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle von Frankenstein has come together on multiple occasions since 2016.
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath is the kings of Heavy Metal, and one of the unholy trinity alongside Led Zepplin and Deep Purple, creating a sound all their own from the ironworks of Birmingham. Founded in 1968 and consisting of Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Geezer Butler and Ozzy Osbourne these four men pioneered the heavy metal sound with their first three albums, Black Sabbath, Paranoid and Master of Reality. Iommi has been the only consistent member of the group and many lineup changes followed after the departure of their singer, Ozzy Osborne in 1979.
They have influenced a whos who of metal and punk bands from Judas Priest to Foo Fighters. Other artists influenced by Sabbath include Slayer, Nirvana, Black Flag, Anthrax, Opeth, Pantera, Candlemass and Machine Head. Those are just a few while their work in helping create the Heavy Metal sound has helped create a whole host of subgenres including thrash metal, black metal, doom metal, alternative rock and grunge.
If anybody who plays heavy metal says that they weren’t influenced by Black Sabbath’s music, then I think that they’re lying to you. I think all heavy metal music was, in some way, influenced by what Black Sabbath did.
Lamb of God’s Chris Adler
10 Songs You Need To Add To Your Halloween Playlist
I Love The Darkness In You – The 69 Eyes
One Foot In The Grave – The Creepshow
Satan’s A Woman – Twin Temple
Hip To Be Scared – Ice Nine Kills
Further Than Forever – Creeper
Welcome To The Black Parade – My Chemical Romance
Goo Goo Muck – The Cramps
Year Zero – Ghost
Dig Up Her Bones – Misfits
War Pigs – Black Sabbath.
