Music

Nightmare - Avenged Sevenfold
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Bi1c9LmhU

"Nightmare" by Avenged Sevenfold is their interpretation of being stuck in a nightmare. It reflects their feelings about the death of their drummer, although it was written before his death. The lyrics show that this particular nightmare is unending and cannot be stopped. No help can reach the victim who is plagued by all sorts of horrors.

The Number of the Beast - Iron Maiden http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9kT37eIkaY

This song is about the number of the Devil, or 666. It plays towards humans fear and belief in some superstitions. The number 666 is regarded by many to be evil or associated with evil.

Not Afraid - Eminem

Not Afraid by Eminem, one of his most popular songs, reminds me of a revolutionary attitude. The chorus is perhaps the most interesting part. There, he says that he is "not afraid to take a stand". In other words, he doesn't fear the consequences of following the concepts and beliefs that he follows. The rest of the chorus seems to tell the audience to unite against that fear coming from suppression.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yp6A4YhaCug

Crawling - Linkin Park

Linkin Park is a popular band that many people might know of. One of their older songs, Crawling, may lead to many different interpretations based off of the lyrics. My interpretation is this. Throughout the song, the singer is desperate due to some kind of inner beast that is trying to take over and control hi,. The lyrics seems to show that the singer is afraid that he will eventually succumb to this inner demon, and in doing so, lose himself as a whole. Now what is he desperate for? It might be mercy or some kind of salvation to get him out of this no win situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCSdLtNZbaA

Behold the Darkness - Medwyn Goodall

Some songs don't have to have lyrics to provide a sense of fear. Starting at 0:34, the song seems to provide a feeling of dread. It makes us feel that we don't know anything, that the universe is vast and mysterious. This provides us with the fear of the unknown. This reminded me of how in Grapes of Wrath, the Okies were taking a risk by going to California. At first, they didn't know how it would end up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EWhjJb6iS0

Jaws Theme - John Williams

The theme from Jaws is probably one of the most popular themes from a movie due to the success of the actual movie. From the beginning to the climax at 0:53, John Williams does a fantastic job of building up tension in his audience. Now imagine the shark and the victim. The music begins and the shark is moving in for the victim. The fear and dread of the audience is building up as the song progresses. Finally at 0:53, the shark attacks; killing the victim and causing those around him to swim away in fear! After hearing this song, you might have second thoughts before swimming at a beach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWLO4acMTCM

Photos in Darkness - Two Steps From Hell

The song Photos in Darkness adds a creepy and insecure feeling while listening to the song. If you can imagine yourself in a horror film, this song would seem to enhance the experience. The softness of the piano in the beginning is the key to that scary feeling. As the song progress, the tension builds up as not only the piano part is present anymore.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaFu_bpRLZA

One Winged Angel - Nobuo Uematsu

The song, One Winged Angel, is from the soundtrack of a Japanese video game , Final Fantasy VII. Instead of having a creepy theme like some of the other songs, this song provides a tense feeling. Now, fear is caused by danger, and the feeling of danger is very present throughout the song. Imagine that you are struggling in a fight against a strong foe. Now as the song progresses, he is steadily gaining the advantage, and his strength is putting you against tremendous pressure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yn71hIsm0U8

Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nba3Tr_GLZU