1 Mayhem
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in 1984 in Oslo, regarded as one of the pioneers of the Norwegian black metal scene. The band is also known for the infamous events surrounding them including the 1991 suicide of vocalist Dead (in which former guitarist Euronymous took pictures of Dead's... read more These guys are scary as hell.
- They used a picture of the lead singer's corpse as an album cover after he shot himself and slit his wrists.
- The guitarist killed another band member.
- They also burned down churches.
- The lead singer would bring animal heads on stage with him and cut himself on stage.
They are the definition of SCARY. Imagine being a fly on the wall in their recording studio house in the middle of the woods, where Dead blew his brains out.
Scary only in the history they had in the 90s.
2 GG Allin & The Murder Junkies
GG is the only act where you were constantly in danger of getting your ass beaten by the artist. Sorry guys, fake blood and crucifixes don't cut it.
They should be number one. GG Allin is literally the Charles Manson of punk rock.
3 Gorgoroth
Gorgoroth is a Norwegian black metal band based in Bergen. Formed in 1992 by Infernus, the band is named after the dead plateau of evil and darkness in the land of Mordor (a fictional location in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings).
4 Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson is an American rock band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Formed in 1989 by frontman Marilyn Manson and Daisy Berkowitz, the group was originally named Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids with their theatrical performances gathering a local cult following in the early 1990s... read more
5 Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is a American death metal band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1988. The band is known for their graphic album covers, explicitly violent lyrics and song titles like "I C** Blood" The group got into mainstream after performing the song "Hammer Smashed Face" in the 1994 film Ace Ventura:... read more
6 Slipknot
Slipknot is an American metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa in 1996. The band is best known as one of the pioneers of the New Wave of American Alternative Metal during the late 1990s - 2000s and are distinguishable by the band's clothing choices, consisting of black/red jumpsuits and horror inspired... read more The other groups are good and all, but Slipknot should at least be in the top 10 for crying out loud, and I'm not even that big of a Slipknot fan. These guys are horrifying. Have you even seen "The Devil in I" music video? It's horrifying. The guy bites his fingers off! -KS
Homemade masks, which they don't wash when touring, the most graphic album of all time (Iowa), a song called the Heretic Anthem, a clown in the band, a song that starts with "I wanna slit your throat, and f*** the wound", multiple broken bones from band members on stage, humping a severed goat head on stage, and an album where the lead singer (Corey Taylor) sings all the songs naked in a room, cutting himself up with glass, and vomiting everywhere. This band is worse than all the others combined if you knew who they were. They also used to keep a dead, rotting bird in a jar and huff it before a show, one time they threw it into the crowd and the fans started eating it. Even their fans are scary.
7 Korn
Korn is an American nu-metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup includes founding members Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, and Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, with the addition of Ray Luzier, who replaced the band's original member, David... read more Korn is the true definition of creepiness, especially in their older days. Albums such as Life Is Peachy, Issues, Follow The Leader, and their self-titled are some good examples. Look up their old imagery as well as their lyrics from then to now. Some songs by them are: Too Late I'm Dead, Lullaby For A Sadist, Good God, Daddy, Am I Going Crazy, and Blind.
8 Stalaggh & Gulaggh
Stalaggh comes from the German word "Stalag" which was a concentration camp in Germany in World War II; the g and the h following after Stalag mean "global holocaust." The band consists of many top musicians from the Dutch and Belgian Black Metal/Industrial scene. The screaming and yelling is from real mental institution patients.
Scary for the atmosphere and environment that the noises create.
9 Rammstein
Rammstein is a German Neue Deutsche Härte and Industrial Metal band consisting of Till Lindemann (vocals), Richard Kruspe (guitar), Paul Landers (guitar), Oliver Riedel (electric bass), Christoph Schneider (drums) and Christian Lorenz (keyboard), that formed in 1994 in Berlin ... read more
10 Sunn O)))
If you ever see them live, they come out on stage in black robes and hold a single chord for maybe up to 30 minutes, which basically constitutes most of their music, while they fill the entire room with smoke. Then the concert starts, and you'll be treated to at least four more songs.
Scary as the big riffs mixed with the vocals and other ambient sounds.
The Contenders
11 Slayer
Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. They rose to fame with their 1986 album Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the big four of thrash metal bands, the others being Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax... read more
12 Death
Death was an American death metal band formed in 1983 by Chuck Schuldiner. Death is considered to be one of the most influential bands in heavy metal and a pioneering force in death metal. Its debut album, Scream Bloody Gore, has been widely regarded as the first death metal record, while the band's... read more
13 Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath were a Heavy Metal band formed in Birmingham, England in 1968 by guitarist and songwriter Tony Iommi, singer John "Ozzy" Osbourne, bassist and main lyricist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward... read more
14 Anaal Nathrakh
Anaal Nathrakh are a British extreme metal band formed in 1999 in Birmingham, England. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. Easily one of the most horrifying black metal bands I've heard, and I love them for that.
15 Behemoth
Behemoth is a Polish blackened death metal band from Gdańsk, formed in 1991. They are considered to have played an important role in establishing the Polish extreme metal underground.
16 Cattle Decapitation
Cattle Decapitation is an American Deathgrind band from San Diego, California formed in 1996. Cattle Decapitation's songs protest the mistreatment and consumption of animals, the abuse of the environment and touch subjects such as misanthropy and genocide of the human race. Much of their music is based... read more
17 AC/DC
AC/DC are a Australian hard rock band, formed in November 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, who continued as members until Malcolm's illness and departure in 2014 . They were fronted by Bon Scott until his untimely death due to alcohol poisoning in 1979, after which they hired Brian Johnson... read more
18 Gwar
Gwar, often styled as GWAR, is an American heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984, composed of and operated by a frequently rotating line-up of musicians, artists and filmmakers collectively known as Slave Pit Inc.
19 Deicide
Deicide is an American death metal band formed in 1987 by bassist and vocalist Glen Benton and drummer Steve Asheim. They are known for their blasphemous and satanic lyrics which have resulted in bans, lawsuits and criticisms from religious groups and the public. Frontman Glen Benton is also known for... read more Scares for the album covers, lyrics, and speed of some songs and vocals.
20 Marduk
Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first album in 1992. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.
21 Portal
Portal is an Australian extreme metal band whose style is an unorthodox fusion of death metal, black metal, dark ambient and experimental music. Those costumes, this claustrophobic atmosphere, destructive wall of sound, and I want to kill somebody feeling. Stop adding Korn or Rammstein, because all that I can say about them is that they are funny. Portal and Sunn O))) ought to be in first place, pure catastrophe!
22 Venom
Venom are an English extreme metal band formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal—are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general.
23 Thy Art Is Murder
Thy Art Is Murder is an Australian deathcore band from Sydney that formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Chris "CJ" McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, drummer Lee Stanton and bassist Kevin Butler.
24 Kiss
Kiss, often styled as KISS, was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. The original members were Paul Stanley (vocals, rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar, vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, vocals)... read more
25 The Misfits
Misfits are an American Horror Punk band often recognized as the progenitors of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk rock and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery.