Epic

Serial killers have long been a source of inspiration for musicians, especially those within genres such as metal and rock which frequently display an interest in dark subject matter and controversial topics. Think about Guns N’ Roses covering Charles Manson’s Look At Your Game, Girl, or Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds creating a record of fictional Murder Ballads. Then, of course, there’s the fact that practically the entire lyrical focus of genres such as death metal and grindcore are about morbid themes like killing, grotesque experiments and mass murder.

Most intriguingly and creepily, there have been hundreds and hundreds of songs by rock, metal and hip-hop artists that have gone one step further than merely exploring these issues. Instead, these songs are about real-life serial killers and, in the most horrifying and eerie examples, often involve the singer taking on the identity of the murderer. The...