This is my (zombie killing) jam!

October 12, 2009 4:49 PM

So you're fighting zombies. What are you listening to?

We just saw Zombieland and got to thinking, what would be the best zombie-ass-kicking playlist? We've thought of RATM, NIN, Rob Zombie (natch), but we're wondering...What songs might make you want to kick (zombie) ass, or otherwise energize you in such a situation?

Zombie theme is not mandatory, songs/artists which may inspire feelings of just general ass kickery and bad assedness also appreciated.

posted by heavenstobetsy to media & arts (68 comments total)

Anything by glenn danzig, especially early misfits!
posted by TheBones at 4:52 PM on October 12

Should it be a holiday bloodbath, I think Christmas Night of Zombies (MXPX) would be appropriate.
posted by chrisamiller at 4:59 PM on October 12

Rammstein. Sonne. I especially love that it's basically grade 3 German set to awesome metal music.

Also, you must fire your shotgun on the beat as they count down between chorus lines.
posted by GuyZero at 5:01 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Zombie by Fela Kuti - outstanding afrobeat.
posted by Paragon at 5:03 PM on October 12 [3 favorites has favorites]

"Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen. Obvs.
posted by flod at 5:05 PM on October 12 [3 favorites has favorites]

Petula Clark.

Or, you know, Voivod.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:06 PM on October 12

The Revolting Cocks' Beers Steers + Queers. Big Black's Songs About Fucking, especially the cover of Kraftwerk's "The Model." Swans.
posted by Merzbau at 5:06 PM on October 12

Astro Zombies!
posted by electroboy at 5:06 PM on October 12

Also, Ich will.
posted by GuyZero at 5:06 PM on October 12

This previous questions will also be helpful: Help make me angry
posted by chrisamiller at 5:10 PM on October 12

Dead Kennedys' Plastic Surgery Disasters and In God We Trust, Inc.
posted by Ironmouth at 5:10 PM on October 12

Rammstein - Hierate Mich & Rammstein
Muse - Assassin
A Perfect Circle - Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums
Tool - Triad
Bush - Chemicals Between Us
Prodigy - Firestarter
"Building the Deathcoaster" from the Army of Darkness OST. Short, but.... Go, Ash, Go!

I think killing zombies to Tia Carrere's "Ballroom Blitz" would be awesome.
posted by mostlybecky at 5:10 PM on October 12

These are people who died (including the singer)
posted by HuronBob at 5:12 PM on October 12

This.
posted by fire&wings at 5:13 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

You already mentioned Rob Zombie, but I would specifically call out "Dragula" to go on heavy rotation in my own zombie-holocaust playlist.
posted by madmethods at 5:13 PM on October 12

Ratatat

Mouse on Mars
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:14 PM on October 12

The Melvins.
posted by brundlefly at 5:14 PM on October 12

Huey Lewis and the News
posted by The World Famous at 5:15 PM on October 12

The Gonk!
posted by octothorpe at 5:15 PM on October 12

Mostly old-school Florida death metal and some grindcore, but High on Fire is also in heavy rotation.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 5:16 PM on October 12

Decidedly Zombie Nation.
posted by frwagon at 5:17 PM on October 12

The Paper Chase features prominently in my zombie-killing playlist.

"I'm Gonna Spend The Rest Of My Life Lying" seems particularly suited for your purposes, although a lot of their early stuff would be fitting.
posted by mmmbacon at 5:20 PM on October 12

I think this is what would pass as the most "authoritative source" you can find - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War! Here's a passage from p. 277-278, where a soldier describes the kind of music used to attract zombies (if you're serious about zombie eradication, you want to gather them in one place). At first, they send out dogs to start rounding up "Zack." Then:

We switched over to our Primary Enticement Mechanism. Every army had one by now. The Brits would use bagpipes, the Chinese used bugles, the Sou'fricans used to smack their rifles with their assegais* and belt out these Zulu war chants. For us, it wsa hard-core Iron Maiden. Now, personally, I've never been a metal fan. Straight classic rock's my thing, and Hendrix's "Driving South" is about as heavy as I get. But I had to admit, standing there in that desert wind, with "The Trooper" thumping in my chest, I got it. The PEM wasn't really for Zack's benefit. It was to psych us up, take away from of Zack's mojo, you know, "take the piss out," as the Brits say. Right about the time Dickinson was belting "As you plunge into a certain death, I was pumped, SIR** charged and ready, eyes fixed on this growing, closing horde. I was, like, "C'mon, Zack, let's fuckin' do this!"

Once the zombie horde arrived, the music got turned down (to make orders audible).

* An all-steel, multipurpose implement named after the traditional Zulu short spear.
** Standard infantry rifle.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 5:23 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

John Tesh.

That stuff definitely puts me in a killing mood.
posted by spinifex23 at 5:23 PM on October 12 [2 favorites has favorites]

Dope.
posted by tryniti at 5:23 PM on October 12

Supposed to be a close-quote after "into a certain death."
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 5:24 PM on October 12

My vote goes to Warren Zevon's "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner." Which, now that I think about it, is really more on the zombie side of the conflict. Oh well.
posted by sineala at 5:26 PM on October 12

Patsy Cline Walkin' After Midnight. I don't exactly know why. But I just think this would make it fun.
posted by dog food sugar at 5:30 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

IRON MAIDEN & BLACK SABBATH NATURALLY!
posted by turgid dahlia at 5:38 PM on October 12

Minor Threat
posted by Bigfoot Mandala at 5:48 PM on October 12

Earth. And anything from the Dead Man soundtrack.
posted by Benjamin Nushmutt at 5:50 PM on October 12

Gotta have some Ministry - Burning Inside, Stigmata are good.

I still remember playing Doom II mods that had Tool's Forty Six & 2 in the background. Perfect "music to slaughter cattle by" (and Zombies too.) Ænema would be good too, nice suspenseful rhythms in it.

And of course end it of with a classic chase song.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 5:54 PM on October 12

IT'S THE EYE OF THE TIGER, IT'S THE THRILL OF THE FIGHT! - appropriately, by the band Survivor.
posted by cobwebberies at 5:55 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Blur's Song Two
posted by PossumCupCake at 6:04 PM on October 12

Meshuggah
posted by Jon-o at 6:26 PM on October 12

You are listening to Melt Banana.
posted by whiskeyspider at 6:31 PM on October 12

Drowing Pool - Bodies (Let the Bodies Hit the Floor)
posted by nooneyouknow at 6:39 PM on October 12

If ever there were an ideal Slayer scenario, surely this is it.
posted by willpie at 6:47 PM on October 12

definitely Ministry. tha whole psalm 69 album. not a bad zombie killing tune on it
posted by Redhush at 7:02 PM on October 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Om - On the Mountain at Dawn

You don't want to get too high energy or you'll tired out too soon. You want a steady rhythm. This song will help you maintain the correct killing rhythm for 21:13. When that one's done, you'll want...Television's Marquee Moon.

I'd also probably want some crazy stuff in there like Warhammer 48k for the parts where things get hairy.
posted by schyler523 at 7:04 PM on October 12

Get Bodacious!
posted by schyler523 at 7:14 PM on October 12

Guitar Wolf! Jet! Go!
posted by Doublewhiskeycokenoice at 7:18 PM on October 12

The Bronx
posted by The World Famous at 7:26 PM on October 12

Zeppelin.
posted by adamrice at 7:31 PM on October 12

"A Butcher's Tale" by the Zombies
posted by hermitosis at 7:33 PM on October 12

Initial picks:
Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl
Andrew W.K. - Party Hard
Doom - e1m1
Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (Possibly an instrumental only version)
Europe - The Final Countdown
Nine Inch Nails – Just Like You Imagined (300 Theme)
Marilyn Manson - The Fight Song
Justice - Stress
E.S. Posthumus - Pompeii

These ones are more maybes:
System of a Down - Chop Suey!
Robots in Disguise - Turn It Up
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt. 2
Florence and the Macine - Kiss With A Fist
Snake River Conspiracy - Vulcan
Mindless Self Indulgence - Shut Me Up

Other possible bands that I couldn't find the right song for:
Zeromancer
DragonForce
Dresden Dolls
Imogen Heap

Personal favorites that might not work for everyone:
Nena - 99 Luftballons
Rammstein - Engel
posted by CheshireCat at 8:02 PM on October 12

Bjork - Army Of Me Remix (album: Telegram)
posted by moira at 8:20 PM on October 12

How to maximize your kill count
posted by stet at 8:22 PM on October 12

If you're up for a more cheerful, upbeat slaughter of the undead, you can't go wrong with Zombie Jamboree.
posted by Ghidorah at 8:41 PM on October 12

just to be surreal I would probably play some golden oldies, like "Blue Velvet" by Bobby Vinton, etc.
posted by selenized at 8:46 PM on October 12

Depends. Are you going for serious zombie-killing tunes, or for LOLz?

(Semi-)Serious:
Slayer - War Ensemble (You'll be wading in with a machete to this one)
NIN - Big Man With a Gun
NIN - this version of Fixed
NIN - Burn - Frankly, any NIN from '92-'98 works well
Bad Religion - Infected
Metallica - Take your pick
Metric - Gold Guns Girls
Metric - Monster Hospital
Monster Magnet - Powertrip
The Payolas - Bomb

Chuckles & Irony:
Anything by Richard Cheese
Nancy Sinatra - These Boots
The Headstones - Cemetery
TSOL - Code Blue
Grieg - Peer Gynt Suite - In the Hall of the Mountain King
Beethoven - Ode to Joy
Rick Astley vs. Nirvana - Never Gonna Give Up Your Teen Spirit
posted by Decimask at 9:02 PM on October 12

What? Look, metal is the only valid answer here. You get cute, start playing "Kids in America" or something, you're just gonna get bit, guys.
posted by furiousthought at 9:10 PM on October 12

Amendment: classical, but only once you've got it down to a science.
posted by furiousthought at 9:11 PM on October 12

Gah, how could I forget?

Zombie by The Cranberries.
posted by GuyZero at 9:37 PM on October 12

Roky Erickson - I walked with a Zombie.
posted by pianomover at 9:54 PM on October 12

Just about anything by Butthole Surfers
Mozart's Requiem includes Dies Irae, the Day of Wrath, which has a nice machete-swinging rhythm to it.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 10:06 PM on October 12

Mötorhead.
posted by nebulawindphone at 11:29 PM on October 12

Balzac...in particular "Wall" (technically a repeat since they're considered Japan's Misfits, but still, I could see myself lopping the heads off of zombies to this song or driving down a post-apocalyptic highway at full-speed in a modified zombie-kill-o-mobile with a cigar in my mouth and this blaring loud in the cab as I occasionally mow down a zombie and crack Death Race jokes to myself.)
posted by kkokkodalk at 12:14 AM on October 13

MJ's "Thriller"? You could distract them with your zombie dance moves.
posted by chronic sublime at 12:25 AM on October 13

Anything featured in ZOMBIEGRINDER 60000.
posted by milquetoast at 3:30 AM on October 13

Definitely have to go with Drowning Pool's "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor."
posted by Atreides at 6:34 AM on October 13

Megadeth Symphony of Destruction

or for something unexpected

Superbad by James Brown
posted by stormpooper at 7:01 AM on October 13

"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" by Sufjan Stevens.
posted by SebastianKnight at 8:44 AM on October 13

My list would consist of either the soundtrack to "Queen of the Damned" (which is 100x better than the movie itself), or an all-Disturbed playlist (the soundtrack introduced me to them):

Down with the Sickness

Indestructible

Prayer (from%20 300)

Stupify

Voices

Enemy

Ten Thousand Fists

Hell, even the playlist text is zombie-killin' inspirational.


Post Script: Most of my music library is jazz & blues, but somehow, Miles just doesn't seem to capture the mood in "A Night in Tunisia".
posted by IAmBroom at 2:28 PM on October 13

That should read:
Prayer (from the movie "300")
posted by IAmBroom at 2:29 PM on October 13

If you want to walk around with ice water in your veins, lopping off heads without botherin to make eye contact: Clutch - "Guild of Mute Assassins"

If you want to go crazy with a samurai sword: Dragonforce - "Fury of the Storm"
posted by Turkey Glue at 4:27 PM on October 13

Secret Chiefs 3
posted by occidental at 4:33 PM on October 13

Meshuggah - Bleed
Anaal Nathrakh - The Necrogeddon
Origin - Finite
Behemoth - Conquer All
Genghis Tron - Board Up the House
Slayer - Raining Blood
Led Zeppelin - When the Levee Breaks
posted by Demogorgon at 7:25 AM on October 14