In 1978, the world came to know of an indiscriminate force of evil in the shape of a man. The world came to learn of a town called Haddonfield, in which a young boy had viciously stabbed his older sister one Halloween night and came into the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis and Marion Chambers and was held in the city sanitarium, only breaking out to terrorize the town—particularly his unwittingly adopted little sister, Laurie Strode—fifteen years later…
Sike. This isn’t a film review. But it’s close.
We’re looking at a different spooky yet nostalgic piece this time, brought to us by the Sweden-based horror rock group “The Dahmers”, that channels the spirit of the genre that the iconic film had inspired: “Nightmare of ’78”. The band was reportedly formed in Bromölla after what was described as a “wild” Halloween party in 2011, achieving worldwide popularity and even touring in the United States last year. This track in particular is an homage to what I, at times, half-jokingly call “my culture”: Cult horror and slasher films. (It’s only half a joke because I can distinctly remember my mother telling me that she wished she could have Vincent Price for a babysitter while we watched Edward Scissorhands.)
The band’s signature garage-band sound shines through on this track, giving it a feel that my husband and I, upon listening, both consider fitting of an “end credits” song to the films that inspired it. We start on steady, crashing hi-hats as the intro builds up the song within seconds, with the addition of distorted guitar, until an explosion of sound sends a shot of adrenaline through the heart. While I fail to really determine every lyric precisely, the song seems to be written from the perspective of the slasher protagonist (colloquially known as the “Final Girl” in films adherent to the trope of the film’s sole survivor being a woman that has miraculously risen above the killer that walks among us—but, of course, at what cost?) as they recount their survival.
Nightmare of ’78 (x2)
I remember the night of Halloween 1978(?)
Outside, a cold wind blows on the night of Halloween
Alone in the night on the TV screen
Settled in(?), my blood runs cold when
I hear an eerie sound
(???), but I know you’re surely there(?)
Aside from the fact that John Carpenter’s Halloween debuted in 1978, the lyrics also lead me to believe the particular inspiration for this song comes from that film. When Laurie Strode is babysitting on Halloween night, just before the mysterious Michael Myers (credited in the film as only “The Shape”) returns to pursue his prey instead of merely stalking her, she elects to put on a movie to celebrate the holiday in the way befitting a teenage girl of her era. While the film, much like the films it would inspire in the years to come, brings its fans joy by keeping us held in uneasy suspense, The Dahmers instead manifest that joy in the sonic to bring it to the forefront. The ostinato on rhythm guitar reminds me somewhat of one of the band’s musical comparisons, or perhaps inspirations: The Ramones, particularly their riff in the ever-popular “Blitzkrieg Bop”. I can certainly hear the source of the band’s confidence that led to their quote about this track: “If the melody doesn’t stick after the first listen, something’s seriously wrong with you”.
(To their credit, I gave the track my first listen while horrifically sleep-deprived and miserable with indigestion from bad nachos, but it stuck the second time around. So they’re right.)
The song is a short one, focusing its efforts on fun instead of complexity, and to great effect, as it therefore leaves its impression effortlessly. Its lead vocalist’s crunchy, mid-register tenor fits the band’s aesthetic like a glove; the layering of vocals in the song’s triumphant outro gives that maliciously mirthful sound more depth than a fatal stab wound. Credit should also be given to the guest producers on this track, Johan Gustafsson and Christian Grahn (of The Hives, another one of The Dahmers’ comparison points and possible inspirations), who bring that aforementioned cinematic sound to embody its platonic ideal. This is something that should go directly into any and all Halloween playlists from its release date (October 24th of this year) onward.
We’re also told that a music video will be released alongside the track. My faith is fully placed in all four of these spooky hooligans to bring a cinematic masterpiece to rival that of Ice Nine Kills. This track is also the first single of the band’s next album, “Creature Feature”, set to release on Friday, January 13th, 2026. Personally, I’ll be sure to blast it on my way to our yearly trip to Camp Crystal Lake, an even lovelier place in the winter than in the autumn.
Written by Alexei Lee
