Creeping Death

"Creeping Death" is a song by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released as the second single from their second album, Ride the Lightning. The song was written from the perspective of the angel of death, it describes the Plague of the Death of the Firstborn (Exodus 12:29). One of Metallica's most frequently performed songs (as of October 30, 2011, it has been played live 1,347 times, second only to "Master of Puppets", at 1,380), it has occasionally been used on various tours as the opening song of the band's set. It stands as a classic example of the band's thrash style, albeit slower than the material on their first album, Kill 'Em All. The song's middle section, based around ominous chants of "Die!" set to a phrygian mode chord progression, is a fan participation staple during Metallica shows.