Let’s get one thing straight here – nowhere else on the planet can do scary quite like Detroit. Those “I’m so bad I vacation in Detroit” shirts you can find in stores all over the city and its suburbs – there’s a reason. From the city that spawned Devil’s Night, Halloween is taken extremely seriously, a fact that’s reflected in much of the music the city has produced. Here are 10 songs that make Marilyn Manson sound like Justin Timberlake.
Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels: “Devil With a Blue Dress On”
Ryder’s devil isn’t actually a devil at all. In fact, she’s a rather beautiful woman whose only crime is to catch the legendary ‘60s Detroit rockers’ attention whilst wearing an alligator hat. She is, he says, “Not too skinny, she's not too fat, she’s a real humdinger and I like it like that.” Newsflash, Mitch: If you end up in Hell, chances are it won’t be populated with beautiful women wearing blue dresses. It’s far more likely that you’ll find Rosanne Barr there wearing only a thong.
Alice Cooper: “Welcome To My Nightmare”
Let’s face it – any feature on horror-themed songs from Detroit wouldn’t be complete without an appearance by the Coop. We’ve chosen “Welcome To My Nightmare” from the album of the same name, due to the fact that Alice never sounded so sinister and evil before or since (particularly in his hair metal-fuelled ‘80s era). When he sings, “We sweat and laugh and scream here, 'cuz life is just a dream here” it’s unclear whether he’s referring to his own psychotic nighttime imagination… or the City of Detroit.
Meatmen: “Evil In League with Satan”
There’s offensive, and then there’s the Meatmen. Fronted by the inimitable Tesco Vee, the Detroit hardcore merchants upset many in the ‘80s with hate songs about, well, pretty much everyone. They were often accused of racism, but they were actually not prejudice at all – there was nobody they didn’t detest. With this cheerful ditty, they decided to tell us that evil and Satan were in the same league. Really, guys? Who knew?
Halloween: “The Thing That Creeps”
Halloween (not to be confused with German power metal-lers Helloween) were part of the ‘80s heavy metal scene, one of Detroit’s few additions to that particular genre. They’re still soldiering on today, too, despite the fact that the hair’s a little thinner and the bellies are a little larger. The shock rockers included this song on their ‘91 album “No One Gets Out” and it featured such Byron-inspired lines as “Fires breathe from the darkness, black smoke fills the air. Warnings echo in your head, there’s something evil near” proving that they’ve spent some time on the Cass Corridor after dark.
Thrall: “Mommy and Daddy were Alien Gods”
Punk rockers Thrall were signed to Jello, the Dead Kennedy’s Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label in the ‘90s and they featured the talents of front-man Mike Hard and bassist Karen (Queen Bee) Neal, both of whom can now be found in They Never Sleep. This little gem, from ‘96’s excellent “Chemical Wedding” album, tells us that, not only were Hard’s parents aliens but alien gods, which goes some way to explaining his inhuman voice.
Michael Katon: “Till the Hounds of Hell Come Home”
Nobody around here plays blues rock like veteran guitarist and singer Michael Katon, currently (and appropriately) based in Hell, Michigan. He got particularly demonic on his 2006 album “Diablo Boogie (Blues Brewed in Hell)” from which this song is pulled. It’s a sexually satanic little beast of a tune, very obviously inspired by Robert Johnson. He never explains, however, whether Hell, Michigan is more or less depressing than Hell, the kingdom of the horned beast.
Gore Gore Girls: “Voodoo Doll”
With a name like the Gore Gore Girls, it would be disappointing to say the least if these seductive sexy little minxes didn’t have a song or two with a horror theme, and they didn’t let us down. This jam, from 2007’s “Get the Gore” album, is sang from the perspective of the voodoo doll itself. “Stronger than a potion baby, and my pins are shiny bright”… Where’s Raggedy Ann when you need her?
D12: “Devil’s Night”
From the album of the same name, “Devil’s Night” saw Eminem and friends exploring their sinister side with this gruesome tale about the infamous night before Halloween. Slim Shady proclaims that, “I make music to make you sick of fake music, hate music like devil worshippin’ Satan music” before Swifty McVay comes in with, “I'm a poltergeist, lyrically I'm supposed to strike” proving that rockers don’t have the monopoly on scary.
Crud: “Devil at the Wheel”
With their dark, industrial beats and even darker lyrics, Vinnie Dombroski’s Crud preach “decadence, depravity and debauchery” and so are well placed to provide a song for this feature. “Devil at the Wheel,” from the album of the same name, has the erstwhile Sponge singer telling us: “I had to make a deal with an evil man” before co-vocalist Danielle Arsenault chirps in with, “I did not want to kill you, if I can’t have you baby nobody can.” Mental note: do not cross these guys.
Broadzilla: “Hellbound”
Rachel May and her hard drinking, fast-living band mates are Hellbound apparently, so perhaps Mitch Ryder was right after all. Quite why May thinks she’s destined for eternal agony is something of a mystery. She hasn’t murdered anyone or kicked a dog. The only thing she’s guilty of is rocking out and if that’s worthy of torment and torture at the hands of Beelzebub, then I’d better get my asbestos suit on, too.
