10 Amazing Rock Albums That Will Scare You To Death

Rock and roll has always had a bit of a fascination with horror. For as long as rock has existed, it's always been about doing something that was a little bit more shocking than the norm, looking to cause outrage in parents who disapproved of what their kids were listening to. Most of that horror tends to end right after you hit stop on streaming, but The Downward Spiral is the kind of psychological thriller that will never fully go away.

Looking to take things that much further for Nine Inch Nails' second release, Trent Reznor looked deep within himself to create a concept album about the worst aspects of humanity, following Mr. Self Destruct as he succumbs to every single evil the world has to offer, from luring in unsuspecting people on songs like Piggy to wanting to satisfy himself in the more gruesome of ways on songs like Closer and Big Man With a Gun.

There's more to it than just a man who wants to see the world burn though, and the back half of the project really shows how far this man has fallen from decency, looking to be erased from existence and the title track concluding with him attempting suicide, complete with vocals in the background talking about the thrill that comes with playing with your own life. Hurt might be the calming song where the narrator finally sees the error of his ways, but given what we've been through on this past record, it's far too late to go back.