“The Exorcist” Possessed
“Unleashed men of sin
Hatred hell within
Sinners hate will die
The Exorcist
I can see the light
I don’t want to burn
Help me save my soul
Let me live”
In 1985, death metal band Possessed recorded and released their debut album, Seven Churches, while lead singer and bassist Jeff Becerra and guitarist Larry LaLonde were still juniors in high school. Producer Randy Burns took Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells” (the theme song from The Exorcist), arranged it, and performed it for the album’s opening track, “The Exorcist”.
The song has been covered by other death metal bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Cavalera Conspiracy, Human Compost, and Death,
“Communion Of The Curse” Ice Nine Kills
“So round and round I spin my head
Circulate the blood that I have shed
Pass the cup and drink from me instead
Savor the taste and quench your thirst
With the communion of the cursed
Get on your knees and prove your worth
Don’t raise your filth to me
I know you’re in there, Regan
Just continue to breathe.”
Ice Nine Kills took inspiration from literary classics for their fourth album, Every Trick In The Book. Released in 2015, the album hit the charts in the States, reaching #122 on the Billboard 200 and reaching #1 on Billboard Heatseekers Album.
In an interview with Metal Hammer, frontman Spencer Charnas told fans that, “We wanted this song to pay homage to the brilliantly twisted story, while exposing people to this time-tested literary gem.” The band also released a music video for this song which recreated some of the iconic scenes from the movie.
“Linda Blair” Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space
“You once really gave me the creeps
Endless nights I could not sleep
Seeing your head spinning around
Turned my whole world upside down”
Opens with sampling of Father Karras introducing himself to possessed Regan, who responds, “And I’m the Devil”.
Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space formed in 2002 in Vienna, Austria. To date, they have released nine albums, including an acoustic live album, a Christmas album, and a greatest hits compilation.
“Linda Blair” appears on their album Toxic Terror Trax and the song is a horror punk ballad to Linda Blair and her gruesome portrayal of a possessed girl.
“Nice Day For An Exorcism” Bloodsucking Zombies From Outer Space
“Can someone call me a priest
Cause i’m already down on my knees
I beg for mercy and salvation
It’s a nice day for an exorcism”
Taken from Regan’s line, “What an excellent day for an exorcism,” Bloosucking Zombies From Outer Space released “Nice Day For An Exorcism” as a single in 2018, complete with a Ouija board. The song was released ahead of their 2019 album All These Fiendish Things.
“Love At First Fright” The Murderdolls
“I’d love it if you’d spin your head for me
Or vomit a beautiful pea soup green
So beautifully”
And here we have another ballad for Linda Blair’s grotesque character.
Horror punk musician Wednesday 13, known for his solo work as well as his work with Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13, was approached by Slipknot’s drummer (at the time), Joey Jordison, to join a horror punk/metal band that he was putting together. That band became known as The Murderdolls.
The Murderdolls only released two albums, the first being Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls in 2002. The album featured fifteen tracks, including this ode to Linda Blair.
“The Exorcist” Primal Fear
“Strapped and gagged into my bed
An iron crown upon my head
Finger scratch upon the wall
Maggots on my skin – my eyes are red”
German power metal band Primal Fear formed in 1997 and are still going strong, with their most recent album, Metal Commando, being released in July 2020. Primal Fear are known for their lyrics about science fiction and fantasy and they occasionally delve into horror, as they did with “The Exorcist”.
“The Exorcist” appears on their eighth album, which was released in 2009, 16.6 (Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead).
Another One For The Fire 