[WraithApe]

As a big horror film fan, I'm curious as to whether music alone is capable of creeping you out - to be able to switch the lights off, stick some headphones on, and listen to something that genuinely gives you the fear. I doubt it's something you could ever reach a consensus on, since music interpretation and the emotions it gives rise to is such a subjective thing; what might be scary to someone might be amusing for someone else. Personally, I find the genre that gets closest to having the fear factor is dark ambient - something like this for example:
 

 
Another one that spooks me out is Goblin's soundtrack for Suspiria - variations of the main theme can be heard throughout the film, but the scariest by far is when the music builds and builds to ear-splitting levels as the heroine is inching down the corridor past the crazy old woman and she can feel her projecting demonic vibes into her head - it's like a Velazquez painting come to life! That said though, divorced from the film, it loses some of its impact.
 
This one is more What than scary, but still freaks me out when listening to it in the dark:
 

 
If any fellow horror aficionados have any suggestions of scary music, I'd be interested to hear em!

 

[wuwhere]

Pink Floyd's 'Careful With That Axe Eugene' from their album Ummagumma in the horror movie 'The Shining'. The song predates the movie by 11 years (1969 & 1980).
 

 

[nightstand68]

Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. It was mentioned in the movie from 1986's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

 

[eyeresist]

Standout horror soundtracks to me are Goldenthal's Interview with the Vampire (just be sure to stop it before the GnR song), and Steve Jablonsky's two Texas Chainsaw Massacre OSTs. The latter are on the face of it not very different to other modern horror scores (scary Penderecki-style strings alternating with sad piano), but it's just done at a much higher level than most.

Earlier are of course Herrmann's Psycho and Vertigo scores.

I've been meaning to check out the Dark Ambient genre for a while. Like a lot of these apparently minor subgenres, it's actually huge when you look into it. I have a list of 244 artist names to investigate! I have listened to a bit of one - Lustmord, I think - who were fairly impressive.

On a related Classical note, Terterian's Symphony No. 4 get pretty damned creepy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kmcjYeY9uQ

 

[WraithApe]

Wow! Some disquieting discordance in that Terterian for sure, and the sudden changes in dynamics made me jump out of my skin! This is more what I had in mind with this thread; horror film score + soundtrack songs can be very good, but rarely scary pieces of music in their own right. That Terterian symphony gave me the fear!
 
I think contemporary classical, dark ambient and experimental music is where the fear factor is to be found away from OST. If you want to probe further into dark ambient, you've made a good start with Lustmord - he's one of the heavyweights of the scene. I particularly like his 'Stalker' collaboration with Robert Rich. Although there's some crossover with dub techno, I also dig anything Miles Whittaker is involved with: Demdike Stare, Pendle Coven, Slant Azymuth and the recordings under his own 'Miles' moniker, especially Facets. Some other worthy exponents of the genre I've found are Xela, Anduin and Raison d'etre.

 

[jackskelly]

This one is quite good, from the "Vertigo" soundtrack; Listen to it loud and intensely:
 

 

[KyPeN]

A scary music thread has no place being devoid of Devil Doll.  
 

 
Wikipedia Link
 
 
Mr. Doctor made a truly terrifying series of records that, after listening, make me feel both empty and fulfilled simultaneously.  After listening, other music sounds like it's missing an element of heart.  The symphony, the layers, the subtlety.  My LCD-3s will be delivered in a matter of hours and it is on my short list of what to listen to first.  Turn this on, close your eyes, and you're in the middle of Nosferatu or any other old classic horror movie.  It's about what's not played, what's missing that makes it scary.  You'll feel alone and yet, he's speaking directly to you.  I don't get it, but I love it.  Plus, some of his riffs were in Doom (yes, the original game).  
 
Enjoy!

 

[eyeresist]

Thanks, WraithApe; glad you enjoyed the Terterian. Looks like I will have to finally bite the bullet and buy a copy of Stalker!

 

[HarleyZH]

Different genres, purpose and style as others in this thread. The music in this thread has been absolutely superb, and well worth checking out. The Devil Doll stuff was making me think of something similar to a King Diamond style project - only in the vocals and theatrics though.
 
 
For something Electronic. More obtuse in its style.
 

 
If trance music was a favourite genre, then this is worth at least one listen for how dark and sinister the whole album is. Really DARK Psy-trance - from one of the originators.
 
 
I also like Darkspace albums a lot. Sun O))) is a band I enjoy too. 

 

[SoDoomed]

Hmm, music that creeps me out. I have a few that made that impression on me and they're mostly doom tracks, a bit different to what has been suggested.
 
This is the one I first thought of, Burning Witch - Stillborn.
 
Dark, unsettling. Loved it when I first heard it. I always forget there's more to the song and when the last few minutes kick in it gives me goosebumps.
 

 
 
 

 

[jackwess]

 

[WraithApe]

Yes! Aphex is a winner in the scary stakes - SAW II is still some of the creepiest ambient music I've heard. Some of the credit for this one has to go to Chris Cunningham of course: the guy makes the weirdest videos going. Come To Daddy is definitely the pick of the bunch, but I always found his video for Autechre's Second Bad Vilbel pretty creepy too.

 

[koshtramba]

I was recently reminded of this one - up till the third part, I was really, REALLY into the movie. Then it sort of lost me.

 
One and three are brilliant though, in my opinion.
 

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Excellent thread. I second Suspiria OST, Aphex, and Autechre. Boards of Canada's Geogaddi is worth looking at for any horror fan.

I really think you need to listen to the entire soundtrack to John Carpenter's The Thing; it is magnificent on hifi headphones. Others to look at are the soundtrack to the original Dawn of the Dead (also done by Goblin) and the soundtrack to the PC game System Shock 2 (especially the track Med Sci 2).

Soundtracks to The Thing and Dawn of the Dead should get you a long way.

 

[WraithApe]

Excellent thread. I second Suspiria OST, Aphex, and Autechre. Boards of Canada's Geogaddi is worth looking at for any horror fan.

I really think you need to listen to the entire soundtrack to John Carpenter's The Thing; it is magnificent on hifi headphones. Others to look at are the soundtrack to the original Dawn of the Dead (also done by Goblin) and the soundtrack to the PC game System Shock 2 (especially the track Med Sci 2).

Soundtracks to The Thing and Dawn of the Dead should get you a long way.

 
I would say Geogaddi is BOC's darkest hour - and close to being my favourite album, from what is an excellent body of work (hard to top Music Has the Right To Children tho!). As for the OST suggestions, The Thing and Dawn of the Dead are both stone cold classics that I've watched a bunch of times but never actually just listened to the soundtracks in isolation. Must give that a try, cheers!