In my opinion, one does not have to be affiliated only with the written word to be a horror writer. There are certain metal bands or frontmen of metal bands who are brilliant horror authors.

King Diamond, chief lyricist for both Mercyful Fate and the solo group under his name, is one of the most brilliant horror authors I’ve ever encountered. I used to think Fate was better, but certain recent solo albums like Give Me Your Soul Please, The Graveyard, and Abigail 2: the Revenge have smashed that theory. If you’re a churchgoer, try listening to his solo album House of God, and tell me you didn’t get spooked. I won’t write any spoilers here, but The Graveyard deals with a crime committed by a mentally-ill person, and Give Me Your Soul . . . Please tells the tale of an attempt to right a wrong when a little boy who’s been murdered is wrongly charged with suicide and is about to be the victim of damnation. King’s solo group tends to have one subject for the whole album–like a novel–while Mercyful Fate touches on a different subject on every song–like short stories. For decades, both groups have churned out eerie lyrics combined with eerie music, chilling souls all over the world.

Then there’s Cannibal Corpse, who’ve been setting horror stories to music for decades, also. Unlike King Diamond and Fate, different lyricists are involved, and all are brilliant. I would advise picking up any album done before Kill, which I mostly don’t care for, then pick back up, starting with Torture. “Bent Backwards and Broken,”  “Devoured by Vermin,” “Orgasm Through Torture,” “The Spine Splitter,” “Coffinfeeder,” “I Cum Blood,” “Meat Hook Sodomy” “Necropedophile,” and more are tattooed on my brain and will haunt me for years to come.

These tunes have inspired me, and half of my songs for my anonymous death-metal project are written about horror novels, horror films, or real-life events. But the original ideas are reserved for my stories.

But the CDs I’ve mentioned, and you won’t be sorry. If you are, you’re probably not a metalhead . . . or breathing.