Top 10 Rock Cameos in Horror
The horror film genre and alternative metal music scene have always gone hand in hand over the years. The dark elements of rock music and the creepy elements of horror naturally intertwine, with both genres frequently borrowing from one another. Few bands have embraced that relationship more openly than ICE NINE KILLS, who have built much of their identity around incorporating classic horror tales into their lyrics, albums and, perhaps most notably, their music videos. Heavy metal and alternative rock have also frequently featured on horror soundtracks, so it is perhaps no surprise that some of the biggest names in rock and metal have eventually found themselves on the silver screen. OUT OF RAGE looks at 10 memorable appearances from rock and metal artists in the horror genre.
Joey Belladonna - Pledge Night
In the 1988 supernatural horror comedy Pledge Night, which was released in 1990. The lead singer of metal giants ANTHRAX, Joey Belladonna, plays Young Sid, the younger version of the character who eventually becomes the film’s vengeful killer, Acid Sid. His character is accidentally killed during a fraternity hazing ritual after being submerged in acid, setting up the events of the film years later. Belladonna’s appearance is small, but it is made even more interesting by the fact that ANTHRAX provided the film’s music. It is a very low-budget horror film and certainly isn’t one that has gone down as a classic, but there is something strangely enjoyable about its bizarre combination of fraternity comedy, gore and supernatural slasher elements. It may not hold up particularly well as a film, but having a genuine metal legend appear in it makes Pledge Night considerably more memorable for fans of the genre.
Corey Taylor - Bad Candy
SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor with his role in the 2021 horror anthology Bad Candy. Set in the fictional town of New Salem, the film follows local radio DJs Chilly Billy and Paul as they tell a collection of Halloween horror stories during their annual broadcast. Taylor plays Chilly Billy, with Gremlins star Zach Galligan appearing alongside him as Paul. Taylor is perfectly suited to the role, with his unmistakable voice giving the radio segments an appropriately sinister quality. Corey Taylor is one of the most recognisable and influential voices in metal since the turn of the millennium, which gives what is otherwise a fairly mediocre horror anthology an extra push. Bad Candy has some decent practical effects and plenty of gore, but the individual stories are inconsistent and the film never quite reaches its potential. Taylor, however, is one of its strongest selling points and provides exactly the sort of crossover appeal that horror and metal fans can appreciate.
Jon Bon Jovi - Cry Wolf
Up next next at is rock legend Jon Bon Jovi in the 2005 mystery thriller Cry Wolf. Bon Jovi plays Rich Walker; a creepy, sleazy character, in a film centred around a group of students who create a fictional story about a serial killer, before the game begins to take increasingly sinister turns. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s appearance is one of the more unusual pieces of early-2000s horror trivia, particularly because his public image is so far removed from the character and world of the film. Cry Wolf is very much a product of its era, with its glossy teenage cast, psychological twists and increasingly elaborate attempts to keep the audience guessing. It isn’t a perfect slasher and critics were hardly kind to it, but it is an entertaining enough ride if only for the twists alone.
Meat Loaf - The Rocky Horror Picture Show
At number seven is another Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the ever-flamboyant Meat Loaf, who played Eddie in the gothic, sexy horror-comedy musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. The cult classic has become one of the most recognisable musicals in cinema history, and Meat Loaf’s contribution remains one of its most memorable moments. Eddie is an early experiment of Dr Frank-N-Furter who bursts into the castle on his motorcycle before launching into the unforgettable Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul. Meat Loaf had already played Eddie on stage before reprising the role for the film, making his performance a genuine part of the character’s history rather than simply a celebrity cameo. It is camp, ridiculous, theatrical and completely committed to its own insanity, which is exactly why it works. The Rocky Horror Picture Show became a cult classic for a reason, and Meat Loaf’s performance is a small but unforgettable part of that legacy.
Ozzy Osbourne - Little Nicky
The Prince of Darkness himself and legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman has appeared in a number of films and television projects over the years, with the horror film Trick or Treat being one of his most notable genre appearances. However, OUT OF RAGE has opted for his wonderfully ridiculous appearance in horror comedy Little Nicky. Osbourne appears as himself and recreates one of the most infamous stories in heavy metal history when he bites the head off a bat, although this time the moment is played entirely for comedy. It is an obvious nod to Ozzy’s infamous on-stage reputation while simultaneously turning one of metal’s most notorious stories into a punchline. Little Nicky may not be high art, but it is a comedy built around the ridiculous, and Ozzy’s appearance fits perfectly into that world.
Andy Biersack - American Satan
Entering the top five is BLACK VEIL BRIDES' frontman Andy Biersack, who features in the 2017 supernatural thriller American Satan. Unlike several other artists on this list, Biersack isn’t simply making a cameo; he plays the lead character, Johnny Faust, the frontman of the fictional rock band THE RELENTLESS. The film follows the band as they move to Los Angeles in pursuit of success, only for their ambitions to bring them into contact with a mysterious figure offering them everything they want at a price. It is essentially a modern Faustian pact story transplanted into the world of the rock industry, dealing with fame, temptation, sex, drugs, money and the consequences of selling one’s soul for success. American Satan is far from a perfect film, but the concept is almost tailor-made for Biersack, taking on a major role within a supernatural horror story.
Mike Patton - I Am Legend
Arguably the most hidden yet coolest contribution on the list is Mike Patton, lead singer of FAITH NO MORE and one of alternative music’s most versatile vocalists, who provided the creature vocalisations for the Darkseekers in the 2007 post-apocalyptic horror film I Am Legend. Patton’s contribution is never seen on screen, but his voice can be heard behind the mutated humans hunting Will Smith’s character, Robert Neville. His ability to create disturbing and otherworldly sounds makes him an inspired choice for the creatures, particularly because the Darkseekers need to sound recognisably human while still being deeply unsettling. Patton’s work as a voice artist has extended far beyond film, with his distinctive vocal talents also being used across several video games. It is a brilliant Easter egg because most viewers would have absolutely no idea that one of alternative music’s most recognisable vocalists was responsible for some of the most disturbing sounds in the film.
Chester Bennington - Saw 3D
At number three is one of the most recognisable alternative rock artists to feature in one of the most iconic modern horror franchises: Chester Bennington from LINKIN PARK appearing in Saw 3D. Bennington plays Evan, the leader of a white- power skinhead group, who wakes up in a car junkyard trap alongside his girlfriend and friends. What makes the sequence particularly memorable is that Bennington is the focus of the entire trap. His performance is built around his physical reactions, fear, struggle and screams as the machinery surrounding him slowly begins to turn against him. The casting also works because Bennington possessed one of the most recognisable screams in alternative rock, and Saw 3D makes full use of it. Although the film itself is generally regarded as one of the weaker entries in the Saw franchise, this particular sequence remains one of its most memorable. For LINKIN PARK fans, seeing Chester Bennington thrown into the world of Jigsaw is bizarre enough, but his involvement in such an elaborate trap makes the appearance genuinely unforgettable.
Stevie Nicks - American Horror Story: Coven
The only television series to make the list, is the legendary Stevie Nicks. The iconic FLEETWOOD MAC frontwoman appeared as a fictionalised version of herself in the third season of American Horror Story, Coven. Coven is one of the most stylish seasons of the entire AHS franchise, combining witchcraft, gothic fantasy, black comedy, supernatural drama and plenty of camp rather than relying purely on conventional horror. Nicks’ appearance is particularly fitting because her real-life image already carries an almost mythical and mystical quality. The character Misty Day, played by Lily Rabe, idolises Nicks and her music, particularly RHIANNON, and Nicks appears within the season’s story while leaning into that witchy mythology. Her presence feels almost inevitable in a season built around witches and female power, with the real Stevie Nicks becoming part of the show’s own mythology. Nicks later reprised the role in the eighth season AHS: Apocalypse, the cameo a brief moment that showed the impact and influence Nicks has in alt-culture, with fans exhilarated to see the White Witch return. Coven remains one of the most memorable examples of a genuine music icon crossing directly into the world of modern television horror.
Jonathan Davis - Queen of the Damned
And at number one is Jonathan Davis, lead singer of KORN, and arguably the artist on this list who had the greatest creative influence over the project itself. Davis does appear in the 2002 horror film Queen of the Damned, playing a ticket scalper who attempts to sell Jesse tickets to Lestat’s concert, but the cameo itself isn’t the reason for his position at number one. Davis worked with composer Richard Gibbs to create the songs for Lestat’s fictional rock career and provided the uncredited singing voice for Stuart Townsend’s Lestat. Due to contractual restrictions, Davis’s vocals could not appear on the official soundtrack album, so other major names from the nu-metal and alternative scene recorded versions of the songs for the soundtrack such as STATIC X and LINKIN PARK. This gives Queen of the Damned a fascinating place in music and horror history, because the film became a snapshot of the nu-metal and alternative scene at the height of its cultural power. The film itself may be a bad-to-average vampire movie, but its musical identity is something completely different. Davis didn’t simply turn up for a small cameo; he helped create the musical world surrounding Lestat. Without his creative influence, Queen of the Damned would simply be another early-2000s vampire movie.
Horror and rock music will forever continue to influence one another. The relationship may not always develop simultaneously or completely hand in hand, but both genres continue to borrow from each other’s imagery, atmosphere and attitude. From BLACK SABBATH’s dark and occult imagery to ICE NINE KILLS’ cinematic approach to horror storytelling, the relationship continues to evolve. Sometimes the crossover produces something genuinely brilliant, sometimes it produces something completely ridiculous, and sometimes, as with Queen of the Damned, it produces something that is arguably far more interesting culturally than it is successful as a film. That is the appeal of the relationship. Horror and rock don’t always need each other, but when they collide they can create something that neither genre could have produced alone. As long as musicians continue to embrace the darker side of their art and filmmakers continue to embrace the power of rock music, there will always be another crossover waiting to happen.
Words: David Waites
Comments