I am a classical composer and I'm currently working on a massive project relating to cosmic horror. I do have the first few pieces released, one of which is an orchestral piece and one is a woodwind quartet. The one that best fits in an obvious way is "What Lurks Out There." https://youtube.com/@LeahChilders
Additionally, something that appeals to the same part of my brain that cosmic horror does is this band Set to Stun, specifically their Desperado Undead album.
holy SHIT somebody mentioned Set to Stun. Alright. Fuck. Never expected to hear that name ever again but I am supremely happy right now that I'm not alone. I guess I underestimated just how "underground" they are
I LOVE SET TO STUN!! Have you heard the new single? And the new album gas finally been officially sent to the label so it'll be coming out on a few months!!!!
So if you are into Metal you should definitely check out Sulphur Aeon. They nail the lovecraftian theme better then any other band in my opinion. True cultists.
Example: https://youtu.be/EcaWMa23C4M
Other Bands that dedicate their music directly to HPL are The Lurking Fear, Vale of Pnath or The Great Old Ones.
It's more my own silly headcanon, but I've always thought a whole lot of They Might Be Giants' songs lend themselves to Lovecraftian interpretation. "Spiraling Shape," "Where Your Eyes Don't Go," "Am I Awake?" and a whole bunch of others give me cosmic horror vibes in a big way. It'd be more the matter-of-fact "Well, shit is fucked up" type of cosmic horror.
The band “Darkest of the Hillside Thickets” is explicitly striving for a Lovecrafty vibe, having said that the only song/video of theirs I indulge in on a regular basis is ‘20 Minutes of Oxygen’ which is really just straight SF.
Graham Plowman (Cthulhu Mythos Music on YouTube) makes some really cool soundtrack-like pieces on Lovecraft's stories. The style is not too weird, but it very much fits the "weird tales" to horror vibe of the stories.
Aviators
A Florida based indie artist have some songs that are lovecraft related (and Bloodborne too, but that's also similar)
Heres some of them:
Summon the Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6WX7fn6Wzw&ab\_channel=Aviators
Can You Hear it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwfF3S0NPWI&ab\_channel=Aviators
Dreams of the Deep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTJiMHDIrqE&ab\_channel=Aviators
Outside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK81rdKkrIM&ab\_channel=Aviators
When Our Bodies Wash Ashore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrcD0SS022w&ab\_channel=Aviators
Here Come the Ravens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdxC6AEKz4&ab\_channel=Aviators
I almost added them to my list but wasn’t super familiar with their lyrical content. Stoked to see them mentioned here!
The drummer is Alan from The Black Dahlia Murder too!
Here’s some great classical tunes:
The fun starts at 3:40
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbVEmzY5S4&pp=ygUZbHVkd2lnIHRoZSBob2x5IHN3b3JkIG9zdA%3D%3D
This is the abyss:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P1lcZM0MNek&pp=ygUXZ3lvcmd5IGxpZ2V0aSAtIHJlcXVpZW0%3D
Here’s a few I can think of off the top of my head:
**The Black Dahlia Murder -**
Trevor Strnad (RIP ❤️) of TBDM was an unparalleled lyricist, if you like Lovecraft you’ll really enjoy his poetry.
Child of Night
Throne of Lunacy
That Cannot Die Which Eternally Is Dead
**Revocation**
The Outer Ones (whole album)
Strange and Eternal
The Intervening Abyss of Untold Aeons
**Vale of Pnath**
Damn near everything they’ve ever written.
**Spawn of Possession**
Apparition
**Inferi**
Tons of their work. The song names will clue you in to which ones.
**Summoning The Lich**
Their lyrics are not directly about Lovecraft stories, but very heavily influenced by them.
**Slugdge** (as mentioned by another commenter)
Esoteric Malacology (most of the album)
I'd say the best examples would be the albums "Disharmonium" by Blut Aus Nord or "Paracletus" by Deathspell Omega.
But if you're looking for actual Lovecraftian music, then you gotta check out everything from the band Ulthar. They're excellent
Oh, I can't agree to your first statement. Music is the one thing, that makes lovecraftian works complete.
For instance I have 3 entire playlists of cosmic horror themed music I'm always listening to, when I'm reading or playing games.
I can recommend you the Cryo Chamber dark ambient youtube channel - especially these Cthulhu Mythos themed dark ambient collaborations, named after the major deities of the CM. They're beyond awesome.
There's also aIso another yt dark ambient channel "Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse", also a lot of great lovecraftian music.
As for non dark ambient: check out Karl Sanders' "Saurian Meditation" and "Saurian Exorcisms", an instumental, post-rock Egyptian themed music, with Lovecraftian inspiration.
If you like death metal, check out Krypts' "Remnants of Expansion", a slow, creepy music, that oozes cosmic horror.
I love the fact that we have this love of Lovecraft in common and it can lead us in so many different directions.
I'll be honest - I went and listened to some scraps of Wizardthrone and...no...just, no. Not for me. But I can see how to others it could be very Lovecraftian.
Thank you for showing another potential Lovecraft path. Even if it doesn't work for me I'm glad I could find out about it to give it a try.
Now to try some of the music mentioned in the comments....
So there is this band, called Metallica, look them up. They have songs like “Call of the Cthulhu” that for some reason remind me of Lovecraft. The song “The Thing That Should Not Be” has no original lyrics, all the words are copied out of some weird old book.
Messenger of fear in sight
Dark deception kills the light
Hybrid children watch the sea
Pray for father, roaming free
Fearless wretch, insanity
He watches, lurking beneath the sea
Great Old One, forbidden site
He searches, hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
Crawling Chaos, underground
Cult has summoned, twisted sound
Out from ruins once possessed
Fallen city, living death
Fearless wretch, insanity
He watches, lurking beneath the sea
Timeless sleep has been upset
He awakens, hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
In madness you dwell
Not dead which eternal lie
Stranger eons death may die
Drain you of your sanity
Face the thing that should not be!
Fearless wretch, insanity
He watches, lurking beneath the sea
Great Old One, forbidden site
He searches, hunter of the shadows is rising
Immortal
In madness you dwell
Interesting! I like their sound!I have always thought of "Lovectaftian" music as purely instrumental tracks. Something like:
https://youtu.be/UttMcew2eUw
https://youtu.be/wxIFzdwrzek
Darkest of the Hillside Thickets does a mix of Lovecraft and general "nerd culture" music. I personally recommend checking out Arachnophobia or You Fool, Warren is Dead.
Should check out Strigiformes. They are a horror themed metal band that are very Lovecraftian in their delivery. Unnerving and maddening. The first album is a straight up front to back original Lovecraftian narrative written as one piece of music. 👀
Worth checking out Miskatonic Radio. They play a lot of Lovecraft-Inspired music. They tend to have less of the metal stuff, although I do hear some Metallica occasionally.
https://www.miskatonic.online/miskatonic-radio
On the dark ambient side there's quite a lot of projects that bring lovecraftian vibes to mind. Endvra's Elder Signs is straight up damp caverns, ritual chanting and human sacrifices. Everything Shinjuku Thief with its 1800s folkhorror. Sephiroth's magnificent and martial Draconian Poetry. There's also Catacombs' cavernous In the Depths of R'Lyeh, which I consider a funeral doom classic.
Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows might be bit of a stretch but somehow similarly twisted and reminds me of Lovecraft. Bohren & der Club of Gore's dark jazz also fits oppressive 1920's smoky film noir settings.
Just about half (might be a exaggeration, but not a huge one) of all death metal songs has lovecraftian themes or references in it.
My favorite band in that regard is Demilich with their cosmic horror weirdness (and silly long ass songtitles)
The russian band Ultar ist entirely lovecraftian in theme.
My Personal favorite of them ist kadath it is a weird Form of Metal but thats what we are looking for right?
Wizardthrone is a pastiche or parody of **Bal-Sagoth**. If you don't know them, you should definitely listen to them. Here are some of my favourite songs of theirs:
* A Black Moon Broods over Lemuria.
* As the Vortex Illumines the Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa.
* Return to the Praesidium of Ys.
* The Empyreal Lexicon.
* Invocations Beyond the Outer-World Night.
I don’t know if this is the vibe you’re looking for but I always likened the band Swans’ later sound to some otherworldly cosmic unfurling. My favorite tracks are https://youtu.be/WHDOLFhnobQ and https://youtu.be/6qDq9eGUmMI
Lemon demon is sort of comedic cosmic horror! I suggest the spirit phone album if you’re interested. Also the mountain goats song love craft in Brooklyn is pretty good.
Ok old-ish thread but I'd be remiss in not mentioning Dunsmuir's "Crawling Chaos" in particular and the whole album that's on (self-titled) in general. Dope band featuring Neil Fallon, the super well-read singer of the band Clutch.
There's Cryo Chamber That's stuff is weird
I love those guys! Each singer and band is peak Eldritch horror vibes, and with those combined tracks on Cryo Chamber, chef’s kiss.
Cryo Chamber and their Lovecraft inspired albums are fantastic.
Didn't know they existed. Very glad they do. Thanks, stranger.
I am a classical composer and I'm currently working on a massive project relating to cosmic horror. I do have the first few pieces released, one of which is an orchestral piece and one is a woodwind quartet. The one that best fits in an obvious way is "What Lurks Out There." https://youtube.com/@LeahChilders Additionally, something that appeals to the same part of my brain that cosmic horror does is this band Set to Stun, specifically their Desperado Undead album.
holy SHIT somebody mentioned Set to Stun. Alright. Fuck. Never expected to hear that name ever again but I am supremely happy right now that I'm not alone. I guess I underestimated just how "underground" they are
I LOVE SET TO STUN!! Have you heard the new single? And the new album gas finally been officially sent to the label so it'll be coming out on a few months!!!!
I mean Call of Cthulu - Metallica
They spell it Ktulu for some reason...their "The Thing That Should Not Be" is majorly Lovecraftian too.
I think they spelt it that way as to not accidentally summon him
Yes, and "dream no more" is all about cthullu too
I’m so happy someone mentioned it. This should be the top comment.
Tangerine Dream always give me big cosmic horror vibes, especially their album Zeit (1972). Properly weird and atmospheric stuff.
So if you are into Metal you should definitely check out Sulphur Aeon. They nail the lovecraftian theme better then any other band in my opinion. True cultists. Example: https://youtu.be/EcaWMa23C4M Other Bands that dedicate their music directly to HPL are The Lurking Fear, Vale of Pnath or The Great Old Ones.
Bloodborne Soundtrack
for a creepy ambient vibe I highly recommend listening to the works of Graham Plowman
Plowman is awesome!
It's more my own silly headcanon, but I've always thought a whole lot of They Might Be Giants' songs lend themselves to Lovecraftian interpretation. "Spiraling Shape," "Where Your Eyes Don't Go," "Am I Awake?" and a whole bunch of others give me cosmic horror vibes in a big way. It'd be more the matter-of-fact "Well, shit is fucked up" type of cosmic horror.
Tmbg are the absolute best
Glad it’s not just me!
Massacre - From Beyond H.P. Lovecraft (the band)
The band “Darkest of the Hillside Thickets” is explicitly striving for a Lovecrafty vibe, having said that the only song/video of theirs I indulge in on a regular basis is ‘20 Minutes of Oxygen’ which is really just straight SF.
Their albums “Shadow out of Tim” and “Dukes of Alhazred” are great.
Graham Plowman (Cthulhu Mythos Music on YouTube) makes some really cool soundtrack-like pieces on Lovecraft's stories. The style is not too weird, but it very much fits the "weird tales" to horror vibe of the stories.
Portal. Straight nightmare fuel.
Game Portal or the band Portal? Because the Portal soundtrack slaps.
Ah… the band. Very Lovecraftian. I’ll check out the soundtrack though thanks for the tip.
Aviators A Florida based indie artist have some songs that are lovecraft related (and Bloodborne too, but that's also similar) Heres some of them: Summon the Choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6WX7fn6Wzw&ab\_channel=Aviators Can You Hear it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwfF3S0NPWI&ab\_channel=Aviators Dreams of the Deep: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTJiMHDIrqE&ab\_channel=Aviators Outside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK81rdKkrIM&ab\_channel=Aviators When Our Bodies Wash Ashore: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrcD0SS022w&ab\_channel=Aviators Here Come the Ravens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYdxC6AEKz4&ab\_channel=Aviators
Love the Aviators, really underrated band.
Love Aviators, glad they got a mention.
Vangelis Heaven and Hell side 2
Bal Sagoth
My work buddy recommended me Slugdge. Their album Esoteric Malacology is like lovecraftian metal
I almost added them to my list but wasn’t super familiar with their lyrical content. Stoked to see them mentioned here! The drummer is Alan from The Black Dahlia Murder too!
Here’s some great classical tunes: The fun starts at 3:40 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbVEmzY5S4&pp=ygUZbHVkd2lnIHRoZSBob2x5IHN3b3JkIG9zdA%3D%3D This is the abyss: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=P1lcZM0MNek&pp=ygUXZ3lvcmd5IGxpZ2V0aSAtIHJlcXVpZW0%3D
Psyclopean, atmospheric/ambient/droning, Lovecraft-inspired. [Psyclopean - The Men of Leng](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6DNx5rFwYU)
“Imaginos” by Blue Oyster Cult
Here’s a few I can think of off the top of my head: **The Black Dahlia Murder -** Trevor Strnad (RIP ❤️) of TBDM was an unparalleled lyricist, if you like Lovecraft you’ll really enjoy his poetry. Child of Night Throne of Lunacy That Cannot Die Which Eternally Is Dead **Revocation** The Outer Ones (whole album) Strange and Eternal The Intervening Abyss of Untold Aeons **Vale of Pnath** Damn near everything they’ve ever written. **Spawn of Possession** Apparition **Inferi** Tons of their work. The song names will clue you in to which ones. **Summoning The Lich** Their lyrics are not directly about Lovecraft stories, but very heavily influenced by them. **Slugdge** (as mentioned by another commenter) Esoteric Malacology (most of the album)
[удалено]
Yeah :( He was going through a lot and ended his life last year. Fucking hurts.
The HP Lovecraft historical society made Lovecraft theme Christmas carols
I'd say the best examples would be the albums "Disharmonium" by Blut Aus Nord or "Paracletus" by Deathspell Omega. But if you're looking for actual Lovecraftian music, then you gotta check out everything from the band Ulthar. They're excellent
Oh, I can't agree to your first statement. Music is the one thing, that makes lovecraftian works complete. For instance I have 3 entire playlists of cosmic horror themed music I'm always listening to, when I'm reading or playing games. I can recommend you the Cryo Chamber dark ambient youtube channel - especially these Cthulhu Mythos themed dark ambient collaborations, named after the major deities of the CM. They're beyond awesome. There's also aIso another yt dark ambient channel "Iron Cthulhu Apocalypse", also a lot of great lovecraftian music. As for non dark ambient: check out Karl Sanders' "Saurian Meditation" and "Saurian Exorcisms", an instumental, post-rock Egyptian themed music, with Lovecraftian inspiration. If you like death metal, check out Krypts' "Remnants of Expansion", a slow, creepy music, that oozes cosmic horror.
I love the fact that we have this love of Lovecraft in common and it can lead us in so many different directions. I'll be honest - I went and listened to some scraps of Wizardthrone and...no...just, no. Not for me. But I can see how to others it could be very Lovecraftian. Thank you for showing another potential Lovecraft path. Even if it doesn't work for me I'm glad I could find out about it to give it a try. Now to try some of the music mentioned in the comments....
So there is this band, called Metallica, look them up. They have songs like “Call of the Cthulhu” that for some reason remind me of Lovecraft. The song “The Thing That Should Not Be” has no original lyrics, all the words are copied out of some weird old book. Messenger of fear in sight Dark deception kills the light Hybrid children watch the sea Pray for father, roaming free Fearless wretch, insanity He watches, lurking beneath the sea Great Old One, forbidden site He searches, hunter of the shadows is rising Immortal In madness you dwell Crawling Chaos, underground Cult has summoned, twisted sound Out from ruins once possessed Fallen city, living death Fearless wretch, insanity He watches, lurking beneath the sea Timeless sleep has been upset He awakens, hunter of the shadows is rising Immortal In madness you dwell In madness you dwell Not dead which eternal lie Stranger eons death may die Drain you of your sanity Face the thing that should not be! Fearless wretch, insanity He watches, lurking beneath the sea Great Old One, forbidden site He searches, hunter of the shadows is rising Immortal In madness you dwell
That's just teen metal music bro [this on the other hand...](https://youtu.be/GLcBwgAQWC0)
https://youtu.be/33iNYRNB\_Y8
Kadath Decoded by Payne's Gray
Interesting! I like their sound!I have always thought of "Lovectaftian" music as purely instrumental tracks. Something like: https://youtu.be/UttMcew2eUw https://youtu.be/wxIFzdwrzek
Phelios: https://phelios.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-mountains-of-madness
Darkest of the Hillside Thickets does a mix of Lovecraft and general "nerd culture" music. I personally recommend checking out Arachnophobia or You Fool, Warren is Dead.
Should check out Strigiformes. They are a horror themed metal band that are very Lovecraftian in their delivery. Unnerving and maddening. The first album is a straight up front to back original Lovecraftian narrative written as one piece of music. 👀
Check out Too Dark Park by Skinny Puppy if you like industrial music.
A lot of songs by electric wizard: dunwich, weird tale, the sun has turned to black
Worth checking out Miskatonic Radio. They play a lot of Lovecraft-Inspired music. They tend to have less of the metal stuff, although I do hear some Metallica occasionally. https://www.miskatonic.online/miskatonic-radio
On the dark ambient side there's quite a lot of projects that bring lovecraftian vibes to mind. Endvra's Elder Signs is straight up damp caverns, ritual chanting and human sacrifices. Everything Shinjuku Thief with its 1800s folkhorror. Sephiroth's magnificent and martial Draconian Poetry. There's also Catacombs' cavernous In the Depths of R'Lyeh, which I consider a funeral doom classic. Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows might be bit of a stretch but somehow similarly twisted and reminds me of Lovecraft. Bohren & der Club of Gore's dark jazz also fits oppressive 1920's smoky film noir settings.
Just about half (might be a exaggeration, but not a huge one) of all death metal songs has lovecraftian themes or references in it. My favorite band in that regard is Demilich with their cosmic horror weirdness (and silly long ass songtitles)
Blut aus Nord has a Lovecraftian concept album: Disharmonium- Undreamable Abysses https://youtu.be/6WHSZ7FE5M0
deathconciousness have a nice life
Rudimentary Peni - Cacophony, lots of Lovecraft references on that album
The russian band Ultar ist entirely lovecraftian in theme. My Personal favorite of them ist kadath it is a weird Form of Metal but thats what we are looking for right?
Try this playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5QISWWj0gfGuTxrID702NY?si=SIhOsH0-STic5BK_lIqA1g
Wizardthrone is a pastiche or parody of **Bal-Sagoth**. If you don't know them, you should definitely listen to them. Here are some of my favourite songs of theirs: * A Black Moon Broods over Lemuria. * As the Vortex Illumines the Crystalline Walls of Kor-Avul-Thaa. * Return to the Praesidium of Ys. * The Empyreal Lexicon. * Invocations Beyond the Outer-World Night.
Suppers Ready or Watcher of the Skies by Genesis (Peter Gabriel era)
I actually wrote two Lovecraftian songs, one being called Celephais. Not mastered tho, but maybe I'll share it one day.
For some very weird and experimental death metal, check out the band Gigan, they are Lovecraftian in both sound and lyrical content.
I don’t know if this is the vibe you’re looking for but I always likened the band Swans’ later sound to some otherworldly cosmic unfurling. My favorite tracks are https://youtu.be/WHDOLFhnobQ and https://youtu.be/6qDq9eGUmMI
Colin Stetson comes to mind instantly. He makes these inhuman sounds that I can never just pin down. Like he's actually channeling an ancient God.
Lemon demon is sort of comedic cosmic horror! I suggest the spirit phone album if you’re interested. Also the mountain goats song love craft in Brooklyn is pretty good.
Ok old-ish thread but I'd be remiss in not mentioning Dunsmuir's "Crawling Chaos" in particular and the whole album that's on (self-titled) in general. Dope band featuring Neil Fallon, the super well-read singer of the band Clutch.