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“11 Songs About Painful, Torturous, or Troubling Ways to Die” features music from Aberrant Construct, Madonna, Marilyn Manson & Slayer.

Cutting straight to the chase, we’ve totally gone to the dark side for this playlist.  Fair warning, it’s morbid from here on out on “11 Songs About Painful, Torturous, or Troubling Ways to Die.” Here, we’ve selected some truly unique songs that are associated with unfortunate means of death.  These include such horrid things such as dismemberment, parricide, and scaphism. As depressing as it is, perhaps this dark little list will be informative, but also urge you to cherish every second of life.  Artists appearing on this quirky list include Aberrant Construct, Madonna, Marilyn Manson, Serj Tankian, and Slayer among others.  Seatbelts on!

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1. Aberrant Construct, “Scaphism”

Scaphism • Aberrant Construct • 2018

Method of Death: scaphism; gangrene

“Taking control of their life and the pain they feel. It’s under his control now. He will never let them go again. Chaining them to vats that boil blood of other victims. Drowning them with milk and honey letting them get eaten!” Ah, scaphism – definitely NOT an easy, pain-free way to go out.  According to Sick Chirpse, insects, drawn by the excrement of the person being executed, would “breed and feed on [the victim’s] living flesh.  Gangrene would set in as burrowing insects started to interrupt blood flow.”  What better way to cover this gruesome means of death than a death metal band?

Aberrant Construct characterize themselves as a “slamming death core band” from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  OKC isn’t exactly the hotbed for metal compared to say Sweden. Anyways, “Scaphism” serves as the title track and final song on their seven-track, 2018 EP. As expected from a death metal outfit, the songs on the project aren’t optimistic to say the least, with “Ripped in Fucking Half” and “Inconceivable Failure” preceding the morbid title track, sigh.

“Vats from wall to wall with barely walking room between each one of them with 
screaming victims wishing he would set them free or show them mercy, 
kill them quickly, stop this pain and suffering. 
He never stops he never will until the day he diiiiiiiiiiiies. 
Killing people till the day he dies!
…He brought you to his world so he can make you feel his pain; 
to see the pictures that are seeded fucking deep within his brain; 
to know the terror that’s inside of him and all that pent-up rage.
He knows you’ll never understand that’s why he digs your fucking grave.”

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2. Serj Tankian, “Harakiri”

Harakiri • Reprise • 2012

Method of Death: hara-kiri; seppuku

“We’re the day birds / Deciding to fly against the sky / Within our dreams, we all wake up / To kiss the ones who are born to die.”  Serj Tankian has a lot to say on “Harakiri,” the title track from his 2012 sophomore album.  First things first, hara-kiri is defined as “ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by Japanese samurai or formerly decreed by a court in lieu of the death penalty.” The key word is disembowelment, which is both disgusting and incredibly brutal and painful. Sometimes, rather than being called hara-kiri, it’s referred to as seppuku.

Tankian actually doesn’t get specific about the act of hara-kiri itself on “Harakiri.” He speaks figuratively and metaphorically about a number of the wrongs and questionable beliefs of the human race.  He specifically cites the 2010-11 mass animal deaths of drum fish and blackbirds in Arkansas, making a dual statement about how poorly humans treat mother nature, as well as how poor human nature is in general.  Expectedly, Tankian also criticizes overzealous religious beliefs.

“The drum fish
They bleached themselves in Harakiri
The blackbirds
They fell in thousands from the sky
Their red wings
Streaming down from the higher seas
Deflected by the ground
They crowned the sun.”

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3. Bloodbath, “Eaten”

Nightmares Made Flesh • Century Media • 2005

Method of Death: cannibalism; murder

“I always had the fantasy and, in the end, I fulfilled it.” Armin Meiwes, a native of Rotenberg, Germany, infamously killed and ate Bernd Brandes. Eating human flesh naturally earns Meiwes the title of a cannibal.  Killing, coupled with the sexual pleasure, creates a ‘new monster,’ vorarephilia. Making things even worse is that Brandes agreed to be eaten and killed. That’s certainly not in line with euthanasia, particularly considering Brandes wasn’t physically ill or near death. As far as what he was thinking mentally himself, well, that’s a totally different conversation.  While we’re just piling on the disgusting, both men wanted to eat Brandes’ penis, something Rammstein would capture in an entirely different song about Meiwes, “Mein Teil

Swedish death-metal band Bloodbath captures the disturbed Meiwes on “Eaten,” ranked the 34^th best metal song of the 21^st century by Loudwire. Notably, rather than coming from the perspective of the vorarephile himself, “Eaten” actually comes from the perspective of the victim, Brandes.

“I’ve had one desire since I was born
To see my body ripped and torn
To see my flesh devoured before my eyes
Only for you I volunteer as a human sacrifice.”

Wow.  If the desires weren’t captured on the verses and the pre-chorus section, Bloodbath lays it out there on the chorus.

“Eaten
My one desire, my only wish is to be
Eaten
The longer I live the more I’m dying to feel the pain…”

Fittingly, the music is as dark and disturbing as the lyrics.

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4. Saving Vice, “Euthanasia”

Ft. Rory Rodriguez

Colder Than Dark (EP) • Saving Vice • 2018

Method of Death: euthanasia; suicide; hanging

“Spite-ridden and I’m losing composure / My blood’s thinning as I’m searching for closure / I’ve had this dream before / You walking out the door.” That’s some serious angst… Saving Vice is a post-metalcore band from New England. On “Euthanasia,” a song from their 2018 debut EP, Colder Than Dark, the band is definitely morbid.

 

 

“They say that time heals all
But now it’s killing everything
And now I’m choking on the words
That I never got to say.”

Encyclopædia Britannica describes euthanasia (“mercy killing”) as the “act or practice of painlessly putting to death persons suffering from painful and incurable disease… or allowing them to die by withholding treatment or withdrawing artificial life support measures.” Naturally, euthanasia is controversial to the nth degree, with its share of proponents and opponents.  Jack Kevorkian was a huge proponent of course… In the context of the song, while the victim seems responsible for suicide outright – “The noose you tied, tighter and tighter / You took your life, and left me paralyzed” – there is some ‘assistance’:

“I dropped the dirt that made you one with the earth
Fading myself just to hide how much it hurts.”

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5. Shirley Caesar, “Mother Emanuel”

Fill This House • Entertainment One • 2016

Method of Death: hate crime; mass shooting

Pastor Shirley Caesar is a legend in the black gospel community. Now, you’re probably wondering how and why Caesar ended up on such a dark, foreboding, and trouble playlist? It all comes down to the best song off of her 2016 album, Fill This House.  Sure, Caesar and Anthony Hamilton have incredible vocal chemistry praising the lord on opener and standout “It’s Alright, It’s OK,” but “Mother Emanuel” is the tour de force. If the name sounds familiar, like ‘news headline familiar’ it should.

“Mother Emanuel” references the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church, nicknamed Mother Emanuel.  Why is the South Carolina Church significant beyond its history? It’s where the racially-driven mass shooting occurred in 2015, perpetrated by Dylann Roof, who murdered nine parishioners including pastor (and state senator) Clementa Pinckney. It’s rare to find a gospel song that digs deeper into current events or societal issues specifically. “Mother Emanuel,” hence, has a deeper resonance and significance.

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6. Marilyn Manson, “Lamb of God”

Holy Wood • Interscope • 2000

Method of Death: murder; assassination; crucifixion

“It took three days for him to die / So the born again could buy the serial rights.”  Arguably, the Marilyn Manson song “Lamb of God” focuses more on the victims of assassination – President John F. Kennedy, John Lennon, and Jesus Christ – rather than the assassins themselves.  Still, would “Lamb of God” have come about without the deadly cruelty of Lee Harvey Oswald or Mark David Chapman, let alone the Crucifixion of Christ? It should go without saying that the most famous victim of crucifixion, once a popular form of capital punishment, was Jesus Christ.

Although he went to Catholic school, Marilyn Manson isn’t the least bit Christian.  However, he paints society and the media’s perception of notable deaths such as Kennedy and Lennon as god-like – comparable to Jesus Christ himself.

“If you die when there’s no one watching
Then your ratings drop and you’re forgotten
But if they kill you on their TV
You’re a martyr and a lamb of god.”

Manson dedicates the first verse to Kennedy, while the second verse shifts to Lennon.  Manson actually names assassin Chapman on the final line of the verse (“We were looking for the lamb of god / We were looking for Mark David”)

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7. The Acacia Strain, “The Impaler”

Wormwood • Prosthetic • 2010

Method of Death: impalement

“I have stolen innocence of humanity / I can’t forgive myself for the things that I’ve done / I don’t feel the least bit bad / I won’t apologize / I’m not fucking sorry.” Metal collective The Acacia Strain has a knack for using dark, twisted people as inspiration for their music. The Acacia Strain have graced previous playlists on The Musical Hype (What can we say – dark is our thing).  Notably songs “Ramirez” (Chilling Songs About Serial Killers, Take 4), “Jonestown” (10 Songs About Cult Leader Jim Jones & Jonestown) and “Unabomber” (21 Songs Inspired by Assassins, Cult Leaders, and Murderers) all hailed from the album Wormwood.  Once more, Wormwood is the source for our song at hand, “The Impaler.”  

On “The Impaler,” The Acacia Strain paints a grim picture – the callous, cowardly, and purely evil stripping the lives of others.

“We are the wolves who starve close to dying
Cling to life for our actions to kill
Prey on the weak and we listen for crying
This is the closest we bring you to hell.”

At one point in the song, the band offers a smidgen of optimism, before bringing hell back into the picture: “You’ll survive but you won’t want to.” Author Gary Corby (Soho) expounds upon the historical background of anal impalement, stating “it was a popular means of state execution across the middle east.  The Hittites, Assyrians, Egyptians and Persians all practiced it.” Obviously, as the name suggests, torturers truly wanted to torture by opting for the anal region for this cruel act.  The most famous Impaler of course was none other than Romanian ruler Vlad the Impaler (Vlad III Dracula), partially the basis for the fictional County Dracula.

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8. Flotsam & Jetsam, “She Took an Axe”

Doomsday for the Deceiver • Metal Blade • 1986

Method of Death: parricide; patricide; matricide

Phoenix thrash metal band Flotsam & Jetsam definitely don’t have kind words to describe purported serial killer Lizzie Borden. In their 1986 song “She Took an Axe,” they characterize Borden as being twisted, deceptive, and in cahoots with the devil.

“A young maiden with a demon in her soul / A twisted mind with secrets to unfold / An innocent face, a deceiving smile / Under no suspicion, servant to Belial.”

An axe was the weapon of choice for Borden, who was acquitted of murdering her parents in 1892. The act of “murdering his or her father, mother, or close relative” is known as parricide. Borden is arguably the ‘flagship’ example of it historically.

“Lizzy Borden took an axe
Gave her mother forty whacks
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one
Now before the jury with a solemn face
These legendary murders, she left not a trace
Lizzy found it so simple to take their lives
Today she walks free with her axe by her side.”

With family-related murders, there are specific terms for each. In the case of Borden, she committed patricide (murdered her father) and matricide (murdered her mother). For example, biblically, Cain committed fratricide when he slew his brother Abel in Genesis 4.

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9. Madonna, “Joan of Arc”

Rebel Heart • Interscope • 2015

Method of Death: execution by burning; burned at the stake

When speaking about Rebel Heart, the 2015 studio album by Madonna, a couple of songs truly stand out.  The first is opener and promo single “Living for Love”, a feel-good, danceable, and super catchy number.  The second is the much more unapologetic “Bitch I’m Madonna”, featuring Nicki Minaj, produced by Diplo. Clearly, Madge is confident AF.  That leaves a more low-key number like “Joan of Arc” somewhat forgotten.

“Joan of Arc” does rightfully earn a spot on this playlist.  Expectedly, the record features clever lyrics referencing authentic ‘superhero’ Joan of Arc. Madonna asserts she’s “Not Joan of Arc, not yet.”  At least she’s honest.  That said, Madge definitely wouldn’t want to die the way Joan did.  According to History.com, she was “tried for witchcraft and heresy and burned at the stake in 1431, at the age of 19.”  Remember in American Horror Story: Coven when Myrtle Snow (Francis Conroy) was twice burned at the stake (and resurrected once)?

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10. Slayer, “Public Display of Dismemberment”

World Painted Blood • American • 2009

Method of Death: dismemberment

When it comes to dismemberment (amputation), it’s kind of a big deal in the worst way possible.  Legally, dismemberment plays a role in many lawsuits.  The Rottenstein Law Group has a subsection within its injury section dedicated solely to it.  The context that the law group references is surgically related.  Historically, however, when we think of dismemberment, we think of something much crueler, in the realm of capital punishment – a deadly demise. To sum up categorizing dismemberment, we’ll rely on a Meek Mill lyric: “It’s levels to this shit”.

Worth noting, there was once a barbaric Chinese torture method, slow slicing (lingchi), that’s now outlawed.

Veteran metal band Slayer tackles dismemberment nonspecifically on “Public Display of Dismemberment.” A brief record that just crosses the two-and-a-half-minute mark, Slayer speaks more about the problems in society as opposed to the physical dismemberment.

“Anarchy, disarray this is the world today
Justice is a lie for the followers to get by
No peace, only guns, can’t trust anyone
Live or die, it’s an eye for an eye...
Unrest, marshal law, society decays
And it’s safe to say there is no other way
With lawless arrogance and savage dissidents
Public display of dismemberment.”

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11. Breaking Benjamin, “Bury Me Alive”

Dark Before Dawn • Hollywood • 2015

Method of Death: live burial

“Light the way and let me go (suffocate inside!) / I will break and watch you crawl / Bury me alive!” Believe it or not, live burial really is a thing. Breaking Benjamin tackle the horrific form of execution on “Bury Me Alive,” the seventh track on their 2015 album, Dark Before Dawn. Hmm, wonder why frontman Benjamin Burnley would ever desire to be buried alive? Again, totally NOT a good way to die.

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Photo Credits: Aberrant Construct, American, Century Media, Entertainment One, Hollywood, Interscope, Metal Blade, Prosthetic, Reprise, Saving Vice

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