It’s that time of year again, Halloween. Cold long October days, dark weather, stuck at home and lots of spooky things you can watch and listen to! Of course, you could get into some blankets and watch some great scary movies (pssst, I do have some recommendations you could try right here), or, if you don’t have that much time on hand, you could try the following music videos to get into the right mood.
To make sure everyone can enjoy the list, a rating has been added for each video on how scary or harsh the video is. This way you’ll be sure whether the video is for you or not.
💀 – Not scary but has spooky vibes
💀💀 – Could be slightly scary/provoking
💀💀💀 – Could contain scary/unsettling imagery
Without further ado, let’s get spookin’! 👻
ビバラッシュ (Vivarush) – (We)極
Not taking spooky too seriously? Then this is the music video for you! Vivarush made a fun Halloween experience with their new single (We)極. Not completely out of their character either as they are known for their fun take on the rock and visual kei genre since their start in 2016. 💀
Leetspeak monsters- Samhain
When thinking about Halloween and Visual Kei, most directly think of Leetspeak Monsters. Ever since their start in 2017, their way of dressing already screams Halloween costume, and their videos mostly involve some spooky antics. Halloween all year around, perfect for this list! 💀
Yukka – HALLOWEEN晩餐会
Cute animation? Look again! Plenty of spooky stuff to find here. And Yukka (formerly known as Yukika) manages to complete the whole Halloween aesthetic with her superb singing-songwriting abilities. Be it on her Youtube channel or on stage, this girl is to die for! 💀💀
NECRONOMIDOL – santa sangre
If there’s one idol group that couldn’t be missed on this list, it was NECRONOMIDOL. Inspired by Japanese horror and works of H.P. Lovecraft, these girls know how to make anything scary. It’s both stunning and chilling, not for the faint of heart. 💀💀💀
浦島坂田船 (Urashimasakatasen) – Bad Monster and SPOOKY MAGICAL NIGHT
Not one, but two videos on this list of Urashimasakatasen. For those that are looking for some spooky music that isn’t just rock and metal, these two entries are for you! Not one of the smallest entries on this list, as this four-man visual-based group has won plenty of awards already ever since their debut in 2013! 💀
和楽器バンド (WagakkiBand) – 日輪 (Sun Wheel)
Of course, there needs to be some traditional Japanese music on here as well, and who can do that better than WagakkiBand? Combining traditional Japanese sounds with breathtaking vocals already proved to be successful, and then adding such adrenaline to it as they did with 日輪 (Sun Wheel), will leave you with chills down your spine.💀
HYDE – HALLOWEEN PARTY-プペルVer.- (Poupelle version)
Who’s up for a theatre experience right on your very couch? Because that’s exactly what HALLOWEEN PARTY gives you. And who better to deliver it to you other than HYDE himself? Beautiful visuals, amazing choreography and a fun show, it has it all! 💀
tricot – 悪戯 (Itazura)
An ode to horror with lots of classic horror easter eggs hidden in their video. Can you find them all? tricot is a Kyoto based all-female alternative rock band that has been rocking for 10 years now and has been gradually broadening their reach outside of Japan with their unusual combination of emotional pop vocals and complex rhythms. 💀
PLASTICZOOMS – The Worm
This name is no stranger on AVO Magazine having organised two shows for them here in our Netherlands. And this mention on the list won’t be their last either I’m sure. Their new release The Worm was perfect though, with an edgy vibe throughout the video. Another one we can enjoy! 💀💀
Helsinki Lambda Club – ミツビシ・マキアート (Mitsubishi Macchiato)
If it’s spooky is up for debate, but fun it is for sure! There is also a pretty interesting story behind the release too, if you’re interested you can read more about it here. 💀
Amiliyah – Rondo
We all know of a story about a princess who’s locked up in a tower and rescued by her Prince Charming, but is that really always the case? The band Amiliyah depicts the story of the princess of the land of light, who was locked up in a tower to keep her out of reach for the corrupted people from the land of darkness. She waited years and years and finally got rescued, but by monsters?? Maybe they’re not all what they seem! 💀
Utsu-P – デスロウ (Death of the Law)
More into Vocaloid? We have you covered! Death of the Law, sung by our lovely Hatsune Miku, and composed by Utsu-P who’s done a lot of work for big artists and games since his debut in 2013. It’s dark, catchy and fits the spooky vibes perfectly! 💀
Ailiph Doepa – Cocoon
Uneasy, claustrophobic, basically everything that you would feel if you were in a Cocoon yourself. True horror indeed! Although their sound is rough, Ailiph Doepa is far from the harsh metal guys you’d normally expect. Their looks vary from simple attire to actual clown getups, and even a simple biography wasn’t good enough. Instead, you get a detailed history lesson. That might count as the real scary part though… 💀💀
Unlucky Morpheus – Unending Sorceress
That Fuki can sing is undoubtedly at this point. That she’s a dark queen we all knew too as they were in the United Kingdom not too long ago. But that she’s such a gorgeous demon as well? Absolutely stunning. And of course, earning them a place on this list. Another thrilling dark fairytale by Unlucky Morpheus. 💀
REVIVAL OF THE ERA – Nephthys feat. Cazqui
Cazqui went solo after leaving NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST not that long ago and can be found collaborating with lots of artists nowadays. One of those Collabs is this video right here. A dark and eerie atmosphere fitting of any church-based horror story. And of course, paired with splendid guitar work! 💀💀
CRYSTAL LAKE – Disobey
On to the heavy works with CRYSTAL LAKE! Now this video comes with a small disclaimer of lots of flashing lights, so keep that in mind, but it’s truly a bad trip from beginning to end (In this case in a good way). The video is dark, unsettling and just creepy throughout. Could you really Disobey after seeing this? 💀💀
BORIS with MERZBOW – Away From You
One word: UNSETTLING. Even though you see nature flow through the screen, the sounds behind it just give chills all the way down your spine. The sound is purely BORIS though, experimental and otherworldly. 💀💀💀
DOBE – Succubus
If the previous video was unsettling because of how the sounds interacted with the visuals, this one just has visuals that make you uneasy. DOBE has been around since 2018 and had some very interesting releases along the way. Unfortunately, they have announced their dissolution after their final show on November 19th. More reason to support them for now! 💀💀💀
キズ (KIZU) – 地獄 (Jigoku)
KIZU has never been shy with their music videos, and this one is no exception. Bloody, provoking and all-round dark is how you’d describe their typical release. Some even had to be censored for YouTube. All the more reasons to have them on our list to complete our spooky evening! 💀💀💀
With that, we conclude this year’s list. Did you have any favourites? Did you miss any entries on here? Let us know!
