Terrified screams and ghostly moans are the sounds of the season, but you deserve some ear candy, too! The horror bands of Columbus are full of tricks, treats, and auditory sweets that’ll have you listening to their spooky tunes all year long.
What keeps me coming back to these horror bands and attending as many of their shows as possible is that they’re massively talented while also embracing their goofy and fun side on stage. These bands span genres and musical influences, but are all driven by a love of horror media—particularly films—and the broader culture surrounding the horror genre. With Columbus already being a destination for oddities between the traveling oddities shows that come to the fairgrounds and convention center, and the locally owned shops, the city’s horror film festival, and horror-themed music and event venues like Witchlab Lounge, the horror bands of Columbus are contributing music to an already thriving culture in our city.
Emmy Lazarus and the Recently Deceased by Melody Kay Photo
Emmy Lazarus and the Recently Deceased
If you love horror films, Emmy Lazarus and the Recently Deceased will be your new favorite band. The rock trio combines a ‘60s garage rock sound with lyrics about haunted houses, black cats, the depths of Crystal Lake, Frankenstein’s monster’s rude awakening, and how much it sucks to be a zombie. Frontwoman Emmy Lazarus is a film buff who has seen hundreds of scary movies, and she crafts her lyrics as cinematically as a classic horror flick. The band references timeless horror tropes that weave a sense of nostalgia throughout their songs. Listen to their songs “Cursed” and “Get Haunted,” and you’ll see: If the Universal monsters had started a band, it’d sound like Emmy Lazarus and the Recently Deceased.
Mummula by Joseph L. Harris
Mummula
What do you get when you cross Dracula with a mummy? A Mummula, of course. What started as a lighthearted conversation about monster mashups between friends evolved into a “totally tomb-ular” surf punk band with space-age quirkiness that’s equal parts humor and horror. With songs like “Hex Marks the Spot” and “My Baby’s Turnin’ Into a Wolfman,” audiences can’t help but bare their fangs—I mean smile—through their songs. The mummulas perform wrapped in bandages, each singing between strips of cloth, and deliver a high-energy show that’ll have you craving Midwest surf rock like Dracula craves blood.
The Lycan Bite by Laura Carter of Vanish Point Photography
The Lycan Bite
For a howl of a good time, don’t miss occulternative werewolf rock band, The Lycan Bite. Their first awwoooos cried out as a pandemic project—or “born under the full Covidian moon,” as they like to say—and they’re still going strong, not only in catchy, propulsive, high-energy tunes, but also in film. The music video for their song “Craters” has been making the rounds at horror film festivals around the country, racking up awards along the way. With a sound reminiscent of Rob Zombie and The White Stripes, lead singer and lead guitarist Scott Baker provides the audience with plenty to sink their teeth into—especially on songs like “Fangs” and “Rougarou,” the latter of which nods to the French and Cajun werewolf folk legend.
Johnny Zombie of Doomsdale High
Doomsdale High
In an alternative universe, it’s the late 1950s, and there’s a Slaydie Hawkins dance in the gym at the high school where all the leather jacket-donning and poodle skirt-wearing monster kids go. Those smooth, dulcet vocals from frontman Johnny Zombie set to boo-wop tunes wafting between the bobby socks and slicked-back hair is Doomsdale High. With songs based on beloved horror characters ranging from The Headless Horseman to Freddy Krueger, you’ll lose your head listening to Doomsdale High. Their EP, titled Deep Cuts From Chop Class, feels like time-traveling to the Stars Hollow of horror—and true to its youthful, nostalgic aesthetic, there’s plenty of wholesome romantic longing in songs like “Seance You Love Me,” “You’re the Maniac for Me,” and “Undertaker (Please Don’t Take Her).”
Catch Emmy Lazarus and the Recently Deceased, Mummula, The Lycan Bite, and Doomsdale High playing at venues like the Witchlab Lounge and Spacebar. They’re most active around spooky season, but also play out year-round at occult-themed events like the summer market Arcane Alley.
Find more spooky things to do in Columbus and share your scares with us using #yesColumbus.
