The music that defines the spooky time of year can be split into two clear categories, in my view. One side offers playful, sometimes tongue‑in‑cheek tracks such as “The Monster Mash” and John Carpenter’s iconic “Halloween Theme.” The other side delves into pure dread, featuring acts like Throbbing Gristle, The Body, and the unsettling work of Scott Walker on his 2006 album “The Drift.”
“The Drift” is an unsettling listen from start to finish. Walker turns his lyrical focus toward death, illness, and catastrophe, refusing to keep the subject matter at a distance. He delivers graphic, almost cinematic portrayals of the 1945 execution of Benito Mussolini and his lover Clara Petacci. The album also references the September 11 attacks, his own stillborn twin brother, and the 1995 Srebrenica genocide. In terms of tone, the record is as bleak and foreboding as any album can be.
Read the full story at The Verge.