Johnbobb ranks user-nominated Villain Songs: Requiem - The Ranking

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11. Creeping Death
Source: Metallica
Villain: Angel of Death
Nominator: MarkS2222222222 (1 remaining)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaMySFc-Rec

Villainy: 8
Characterization: 7
Melody: 10
Total: 25/30

"I rule the midnight air, the destroyer / Born, I shall soon be there, deadly mass / I creep the steps and floor, final darkness / Blood, lamb's blood-painted door I shall pass"

MarkS2222222222 seems to have gone with the strategy of nominating great rock songs that just happen to also be about compelling and evil villains, and it's been working out for him! But Creeping Death falls just short of the top 10, making Bitto the only nominator to get two entries in the coveted top spots.

Honestly, nominating one of my favorite Metallica songs (or really any Metallica song) for a song ranking almost feels like cheating. I remember actually hoping someone would nominate Creeping Death the first time around, because it's one of the first I think of when I think of popular songs that can be interpreted as villain songs, and also because it fuckin rules. Metallica took a well-known story from the Old Testament, retold it from the perspective of Death itself being commanded to kill by God, and added some guitar solos. Perfect formula, no notes.

Ok, some notes. I feel like Death as an emodiment is usually portrayed as one of two ways: 1. A faceless and haunting being, possibly sinister but mostly mysterious or 2. As misunderstood, someone simply doing the role they serve in the universe but sympathetic as a being. This goes a third route, where Death is just hyped as fuck to kill some first-born sons. It is hard to figure out where the line is drawn between him doing it because it's his job and he's following orders and him doing it because excited to finally be set free to kill, but the backing vocal chants of Die! Die! Die! Die!" I think push it a little toward the latter.