Listening to Halloween music doesn’t have to mean snapping along to that dorky Addam’s Family theme song. Luckily, there’s an entire subgenre of punk that’s morbid minus the cliches. I’m here to save you from hearing “Thriller” for the trillionth time this October. Check out these songs from three horror punk bands instead:

TSOL

“I don’t need your 666 pack…” / image:bandzoogle.com

True Sounds of Liberty is one of the very few highly-influencial hardcore punk bands from the ’80s punk scene still intact. Many of their songs have political messages (see: Abolish Government) unlike typical horror punk, but this style is an example of their how their sound varies with every album.

• Blackmagic
• Code Blue
• Dance With Me
• Come Into My Nightmare
• Sounds of Laughter

AFI

Deadly impulse seems so natural…/ image: rokpool.com

Hear me out! AFI wasn’t always what it was in the early 2000s. They started off with short, humorous songs with the 1995 album, “Answer That and Stay Fashionable” before they moved onto horrorpunk on “All Hallow’s EP” and “Black Sails In The Sunset.” These tracks sound nothing like songs such as Girls Not Grey that lack the band’s original attitude.

• The Prayer Position
• At A Glance
• Fall Children
• Totalimmortal

And, of course:

The Misfits

“I remember Halloween…” / image: rockpic.net

The Misfits are the epitome of New York horror punk, led by Glenn Danzig from the late ’70s to early ’80s. They pulled inspiration from horror movies into their music style, lyrics and dress. A new incarnation of The Misfits are on tour now, including Jerry Only, who has been the Misfits’ bassist since 1977, and former Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena.

• Halloween
• Last Caress
• Where Eagles Dare
• Bullet
• Night of the Living Dead
• I Turned Into a Martian
• Die, Die My Darling
• Horror Business
• Attitude

Listen to the mentioned tracks and more, and add your own favorites on the collaborative Spotify playlist.