The difference, by ear
Horror punk shares the imagery and keeps rock and roll's structures - Misfits songs are doo-wop with horror lyrics. Deathrock is post-punk-derived.
Both are sung cleanly, but horror punk is a little faster: 160 to 200 bpm against 140 to 180. Songs run longer in deathrock: usually 3 to 5 minutes, against 1½ to 2½ minutes in horror punk. To hear the difference, play Christian Death next to Misfits. They share a root in punk rock and arrived in the same year.
In figures
Deathrock
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Post-punk › Gothic rock › Deathrock
In short
The American version, more punk and more theatrical, with tribal drums and horror-movie imagery.
How it sounds
- Tribal drumming with heavy toms and bass up front.
- Guitar with tremolo and surf reverb, but in minor keys.
- Theatrical, near-recitative vocals with horror-film imagery.
Key acts
- Christian Death
- 45 Grave
- Kommunity FK
Start here
The pickChristian Death - Only Theatre of Pain. Rozz Williams was nineteen when he wrote it.
Full page →Horror punk
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Horror punk
In short
Punk with B-movie horror imagery, baritone vocals and mutant doo-wop choruses.
How it sounds
- Baritone vocals with vibrato, in a 1950s crooner style.
- Doo-wop vocal harmonies over punk guitars.
- Black-and-white horror-film imagery and lyrics.
Key acts
- Misfits
- Samhain
- The Damned
Start here
The pickMisfits - Walk Among Us. Thirteen horror songs in twenty-five minutes.
Full page →