# Rock that scares the crap out of you **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2006, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430 "2006-05-04T19:23:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/41 "2006-05-05T15:55:41Z")
I can’t figure out where the line between ‘normal/scary’ and ‘excessive to the point it’s funny’ is supposed to be with that kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/42 "2006-05-05T15:57:08Z")
I’m quite metal guy myself, and tend towards the more extreme examples of the genre from time to time, but a lot of the “Black” metal that comes out of Northern Europe doesn’t scare me too much based on the fact that I could probably beat up most of the practitioners. I’m not afraid of skinny little dudes who proclaim themselves “evil”, although the ultra satanic lyrics could freak a lot of other people out. What does scare me is what’s commonly known as NWOSBM (or new wave of socialist black metal), mostly thought to have been spawned by the band Burzum. Racism and fascism aren’t jokes to me, like satan worshipping is. That’s truly scary stuff. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/43 "2006-05-05T16:10:29Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I can’t figure out where the line between ‘normal/scary’ and ‘excessive to the point it’s funny’ is supposed to be with that kind of stuff. It’s been my experience that, except for a few unstable kids and the genuinely scary neo-Nazis, no one takes death metal and other extreme genres\* seriously. The music is either just a way to let off steam, a joke, or artistic. \*Discounting the hardcore punk bands, of course. Those guys got everyone else’s share of the serious fans. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/44 "2006-05-05T16:34:22Z")
Not sure if it counts as rock, but the Aphex Twins have some great scary songs. Come to Daddy especially. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/45 "2006-05-05T18:20:49Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Nobody has feared Rock n’ Roll since the 60’s. > > Sorry, but you should be fearing Hip-Hop nowadays. Get with the times man, sheesh. I’m afraid _you’re_ not with the times. Hip-hop artists nowadays are all jet-setting, cristal-sipping, red carpet & velvet-rope club-going, fashion moguls. They all have their own clothing lines and brands of cologne, and tend to hang out with the likes of the Hilton sisters. Yes, once upon a time, hip-hop artists (like rock & rollers before them) were the fearsome outlaws of pop culture, brazenly sticking it to ‘the man.’ Nowadays, much like the rock & rollers before them, they’ve bought into the system, care more about their latest stock investments than ''the Hood", and pretty much _are_ “the man.” Nothing frightening there. Anyway, **the Day the Devil Comes to Get You** by Laurie Anderson always seemed a little…well not outright ‘scary’ but certainly disturbing to me. **Silver Spoon** by Grace Slick (from “Sunfighter”, 1971) is a song about a bored housewife who sexually excites her husband by resorting to cannibalism. (Yes you read that right.) **John Barleycorn** by Traffic - another song from '71 about murder and cannibalism! ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/46 "2006-05-05T18:22:47Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Nothing frightening there. Depends on how you feel about the man. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/47 "2006-05-05T19:51:01Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > **John Barleycorn** by Traffic - another song from '71 about murder and cannibalism! and alcoholism! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![RogueRacer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RogueRacer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RogueRacer)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/48 "2006-05-05T20:38:27Z")
> [@Wee Bairn](#): > > Scandanavian death metal is scary in a bad bad way. And a lot of those bands are bad dudes “for real”, not in a pretend way like most bands of that ilk. Some of those guys have been institutionalized, murdered, burned chuches, etc. they are definitely **not** posers. Check out the Wikipedia articles on such bands as Mayhem, Emperor, Immortal, etc. and prepare to be freaked out. Thanks for that post! That shit is some awesome reading. Here’s an example: > [@Wiki article on Mayhem](#): > > Maniac has long been subject to nervousness on stage, and had resorted to alcohol abuse before concerts to combat this. It is rumoured that he was informed of his omission from the band when Necrobutcher kicked him down a flight of stairs, knocking him unconscious, after Maniac got drunk before going on stage that night and forgot the lyrics to most of the songs played. Bad dudes though? Look at these links and decide for yourself: (should be SFW, but has some Pit-worthy language) [Top 10 Most Ridiculous Black Metal Pics of All Time](http://ruthlessreviews.com/top10/10blackmetal.html) and [(The Other) Top 10 Most Ridiculous Black Metal Pics of All Time](http://ruthlessreviews.com/top10/10blackmetal2.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/49 "2006-05-05T21:49:00Z")
**RogueRacer** , that was hilarious. Thanks for those links. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/50 "2006-05-05T22:54:14Z")
Speaking as a black metal fan, it really is best consumed with no visuals. ---
**Author:** ![Gail](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Gail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gail)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/51 "2006-05-06T01:13:57Z")
Led Zeppelin’s _No Quarter_ always gave me the creeps. \*Walking side by side with death, The devil mocks their every step The snow drives back the foot that’s slow, The dogs of doom are howling more They carry news that must get through, To build a dream for me and you \* I’m not sure what this song is about, but the music is very slow and mysterious. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/52 "2006-05-06T01:26:42Z")
I’m rather surprised no one’s mentioned Black Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath”. One of the very, very few songs that will actually give me the chills every now and then. The imagery, when you actually look at it, is hokey–but Ozzy’s delivery makes all the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/53 "2006-05-06T06:26:12Z")
I don’t know if I’d call it scary, but Country Death Song by the Violent Femmes has a definitely creepy vibe to it. Spinal Meningitis by Ween is also pretty creepy and sad. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430/54 "2006-05-06T07:52:54Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > … **John Barleycorn** by Traffic - another song from '71 about murder and cannibalism! > > > [@NDP](#): > > > > and alcoholism! 😉 [Definitely more alcohol than cannibal!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barleycorn) CMC fnord! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rock-that-scares-the-crap-out-of-you/355430.md?page=2)