The Origins of Horror Punk

By: Emily Eade 

During October, a certain style of music becomes more appealing. This genre happens to have a perfect combination of punk rock, rockabilly, and haunting imagery and lyrics. This punk genre's gothic, horror-obsessed, sub-genre horror punk would be founded in the late 1970s. 

Here are just some of the most famous bands that fall into this genre: 

Misfits are known for their heavy punk sound, morbid lyrics, and eerie symbolism. The band was founded in New Jersey, during the late 1970s by members; Glenn Danzig (vocalist), and Jerry Only (bassist), these two would be the only known original lineup of the band. The duo would go through multiple musicians, even at one point losing Danzig. Although there was a constant flow of band members the band never lost their sound. This legendary band would come out with an extremely influential discography consisting of seven studio albums. An example of their music falling under this genre is their album Famous Monsters. The band would have a profound influence on bands such as Metallica and AFI. 

The Damned are known for their fast-driven punk rock sound, fearful lyrics, and their electric stage presence. The band originated in London, England, during the late 1970s by members; Dave Vanian (vocalist), Brian James (guitarist), Raymond “Captain Sensible” Burns (bassist), and Christopher “Rat Scabies” Millar (drummer). The band would break up multiple times, until their latest reunion in 2022 when asked to go on tour with Blondie. Their discography would consist of eleven studio albums. The album that best fits this genre is Machine Gun Etiquette. 

The Cramps were known for their rockabilly twist on the genre, eerie emotion, and deviant behavior. The band would form in the United States, during the late 1970s by the husband-wife duo; Lux Interior (vocalist) and Poison Ivy (guitarist). The duo would be part of the CBGB punk movement in the late 1970s, playing the stage next to acts from Lou Reed and Iggy Pop to Blondie and Patti Smith. The band would eventually disband in 2009 due to the death of their lead singer. The album that best fits their style of music is Songs the Lord Taught Us. 

Although the true founders of horror punk are to be unknown. Many would speculate that the Misfits may have been the founders of this sub-genre. The Damned and the Cramps would be the first to incorporate horror elements into their image as well as their music. Horror punk is a sub-genre that is generally misunderstood, and unknown to the average listener. Unlike most punk bands, artists that fall under this sub-genre aren’t so interested in politics but are more interested in dark and deprived tropes.