Creeping Death
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"Creeping Death" is a song by Metallica on their album Ride the Lightning. It is written from the point of view of the Plague of the Firstborn (Ex. 12. 29), that is, the Angel of death. The song is 6 minutes and 36 seconds long. "Creeping Death" is also one of Metallica's most frequently played songs, and stands as a classic example of the band's "old school" style. The middle section, based around ominous chants of "Die!" set to a perilous phrygian-mode chord progression, is a fan participation staple during Metallica shows.
It was released as a single in 1984 on the Music for Nations label in the UK and France. The b-sides were the cover songs "Am I Evil?" (originally by Diamond Head) and "Blitzkrieg" (originally by Blitzkrieg). Together these covers were known as Garage Days Revisited, which set the stage for Metallica's next cover record, the Garage Days Re-Revisited EP.
The title comes from when the band was watching the Charlton Heston film The Ten Commandments. During the part where the Angel of Death is sent to take the first born children, bassist Cliff Burton stated "Whoa, that's like creeping death!" to which guitarist James Hetfield replied "Whoa, man, that's fucking poetry!"
Creeping Death has been covered by many bands, including Drowning Pool.