Laughter. Remember this in metal? I’m not talkin’ drunken, party-hardy, pull-yer-pants-down, she-gave-me-crabs-haha laughter (well, maybe a touch), but something diabolic and grim-eyed echoing the stench of evil and torment. Can’t remember the last time I heard this in a newer release, but I’m admittedly not the best person to talk to when it comes to post-2000 metal.

Got that ‘lil evil gleam in my eye the first time I heard Sodom’s Angel Ripper slow-roll a barrage of ‘em at the start of “Blasphemer”, brandishing a few more throughout only to punctuate the end with two more seemingly twined together? He seems to enjoy the end of “Witching Metal” as well. And if he is “Obsessed by Cruelty”, you can bet yer bottom dollar that he enjoys the hell out of it, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeAh1yjVRAA - Sodom - Blasphemer.

How about Tom Araya uncorking a full demon-breasted one to announce the end of the solo in “Chemical Warfare”? Then there’s “Evil Has No Boundaries” snagging some levity in the last chorus?

Cronos is a jolly ‘ol soul in “In Nomine Satanas”, “Blood Lust”, and “Leave Me in Hell”, ain’t he? Well, Venom does have a pretty prevalent sense of humor (hear: the jovial goofball “Teacher’s Pet”).

King Diamond is a fairly happy guy in the black mass intro of “The Oath” and the insane ward of “Nightmare”, and let’s not forget some giddiness floating by in “Family Ghost”.

Tom Warrior breaks character for the party version of “Return to the Eve”. Celtic Frost and party…do these words really go together?

Of course other vocalists are in this widow-peaked glee club as well, but these are benchmark examples from major players. Toss us some more examples of this seemingly old school atmospheric tactic for stuff after, say, 1997. Also, I wouldn’t mind hearing more about older slabs of laughter that I may have sneezed past over the years.

I was just thinking about this the other day when I heard an evil sounding chuckle come up in this Sale Freux song. Most of the time when I hear something like that I get a little smile on my face. It's just so maniacal. I think Mirai of Sigh also has some cackles that sound like the laughter of an insane man. I'm having trouble recalling a specific song where he does this, but there are plenty.

EDIT: Here's one from Sigh. Not the best example, but you get the idea. This laughter is littered all over Hangman's Hymn.
http://youtu.be/XaBYon1cFJ4?t=19s

I was gunna post 'Family Ghost' until I saw you did. That one stands out to me. To be honest, I find that part kind of painful to listen to. That's saying something when you consider how over-the-top King Diamond's vocals really are. It's a great song otherwise, though.

Hall of the Mountain King by Savatage comes to mind, during the bridge and near the end of the song. Nothing sinister or crazy, kind of reserved, but still adds a nice touch to the song I think.

The earliest crazy or evil laughter in metal that I know of is from Black Sabbath at the end of the song ''Am I going Insane''
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f40La6He3SU

There's one in the outro of the album ''O Agios Pethane'' from the group Blood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34rQJsPdmLg

Master of Puppets was the first thing that came to mind

Mike Patton throws a ha ha or two on "Surprise You're Dead"

Funny that two people have mentioned "The Family Ghost." I actually find the laugh in "The Trial" as King's best laugh moment, just another sinister delight in one of his most fascinating narrative songs.

Bruce Dickinson belted out a killer "evil madman laugh" at the end of Moonchild: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0Yn72QM-lg Starting at 5:21.

For some reason song titles are failing me, but I know Bobby Blitz has hysterical mocking laughter aplenty.

Mike Scalzi does it often in older slough feg/hammers of misfortune!

King Diamond in Abigail. First evil laugh in a metal song I remember hearing.

My favorite King Diamond laugh is at the end of "No Presents For Christmas" due to it being so high pitched and hilarious.

The earliest moment of mean laughter I can think of by a band on the archives is near the end of "Speed King" from Deep Purple's In Rock. I always liked that one.

As for post 1997...I'll have to think about that.

In one of my bands where I don't do the vocals, there are actually some at the end of the song. basically the trailing of the last 10 seconds of song on from there. He felt it kinda needed to be there, just sorta happened and worked out awesomely. Won't post it since any time I do something like that someone bitches that I'm promoting even if it applies.

There is a LOT of me laughing/going insane on the upcoming Eternium album. It's been viewed as silly, hilarious, maniacal, and sometimes down-right obscure.

Laughter is one of those little things that can enhance a song so nicely. On topic, Sigh's Mirai Kawashima laughs so often on record that I can't believe I didn't notice it until a few months ago.

ROTTEN!!!!!! TO! THE! CORE!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMJOd4sY43A

Maiden's 'Sanctuary'. The part where the lyrics go, "I can laugh at the wind, ha-ha". Best example is off of Beast Over Hammersmith.

Skip to 2:50.

Oh, how could I forget! Some of the funniest vocals ever. Skip to 0:48 for the classic laugh.

Master's Hammer cackle: http://youtu.be/o07Glvguryo?t=3m1s

I still think this is the best by far: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Nfj8wk-0Y
(Disturbing the Priest)

That Macabre song that starts with "HA HA HA HA, swear to Satan!" sounds wicked and nasty as, it must be from a movie?
SLK yeah man I heard that, I did a double take on it too

Anthrax's madhouse had on in the beginning of the song and gung ho at the end and blind guardian's guardian of the blind has one after the intro chant anthem like vocal intro.

But it was so fitting somehow wasn't it?

Attila's insane cackling at the end of "Key to the Storms" has to be part of this thread. That, coupled with the "haunted railroad crossing" cymbal clanging, makes for good times.

Speaking of Attila...

I bet you can hear a couple of maniacal laughs from Jim Sadist or Don of the Dead from Nunslaughter.

I've actually always found this to be really cheesy; black metal and laughter- not kvlt.

About 1:50, 3:50, 5:42 - 6:02, and and a little at 6:46 in Black Knight's Aaraigathor (Metal Anthem) from 1985. Very atmospheric laughter, not evil cackling. He also makes, "ooh's" and stuff like that too. It really works, it's a great song. In this particular song, their bass player, Glenn "The Hammer" Hoffman, did the vocals rather than their lead singer (who at the time, was a woman named Lori "The Scream Queen" Wilde). Mostly this band was 80s USPM (though Canadian), but Aaraigathor is in a whole other world. The guitar riff is slow and lumbering, kind of Sabbathian, sort of like Sign of the Southern Cross, but with single notes instead of power chords.

About 1:00 in, in Black Hole's Demoniac City, also from 1985. It's part of the intro, which is about 2 and half minutes (the whole intro, not the laughter). The whole intro is so eerie. This is great Italian occult doom from the 80s. The rest of the song is a lot more up tempo than most of the rest of their stuff, and it's good, but the intro is one of my all time favorite song intros ever, especially in doom metal. This laughter isn't really evil cackling either, more like haunting.

The laugh Baloff does in Exodus's "Piranaha" has always been my favourite. It is short with added effects but it fits the song so well and still to this day sounds fucking awesome.

Also Mike Browning does some laughing on the first Nocturnus album on "Jesus Wept" I think, the keyboards also join in with an effect to make the sounds of the androids laughing also which sounds pretty cool.

Sabathan does this great evil chuckle midway through 'Blacker than Black' in Enthroned's 'XES Haereticum' album. I laugh every time I hear it. Really adds to the song. That's from 2004.

Bobby Blitz is also hilarious and awesome, especially on 'Feel the Fire'.

I love the laughing that Eric Adams does at the end of the Manowar song "Burning".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAFLVQqu1ak

Enslaved's Grutle Kjellson's laughter in the end of 'Loke' is simply amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fhz8ztPD8U

Tormentor's- Trance is one of my favourites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PefXa67XH9g

Also at the end Bridge of Death: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzBbrXFiwNE

Nebular Moon's "flames" has a great epic & evil laughter at 3:40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Gc8AQZl9Y

Ah yes, I love a good laugh.

Korgul already mentioned Master's Hammer! Great one. Let's stick with Easwtern Europe then...

Several songs on Tormentor's Anno DOmini feature mad, evil laughter. This one, for instance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbWsPRKSFg0

Also, I am pretty sure Big Boss from Root lets out a sinister chuckle or cackle at least once on every record. he's a very mirthful demon, that Boss...

Also, the beginning of the song "Hemlock", by hemlock, has a nasty little chuckle that I've always loved. Damn, it doesn't seem to be on youtube...

I came here to mention Enslaved's "Loke", but juusokult beat me to it.
Another one is the sample off the classic Mummy movie in the opening track of Entombed's "Clandestine", really nice madman-style laughter.
About that Attila video clip---uhm, more embarrassing than inhuman. Pretty weak actually and reminding me of Nutscreamer's priceless nonsense recording where the guy yells "My dick! My goddamn dick fell off!! I lost my fucking dick!!!", which must not have been in Attila's mind when he uttered those wails..
(is anyone out there famliar with Nutscreamer/Pissed off orgasm?)

The newest I can think of is on Endstille's newest album Infektion 1813, in the opening track Anomie. It's short and hardly very maniacal, but quite recent.

Didn't some Manilla Road songs have Shelton pull off a veritable villain laughter?

Definately this one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb5ZQIiyF1k Gorgoroth - Profetens Åpenbaring

at about the 1:55 minute mark.

Good call!

Best demonic laughter - 1349 Hellfire


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24jrxonrsvQ#t=13m34s

Not really demonic, but kind of comes off as slightly psychotic is the laughter in Loved to Death by Megadeth.

Oh, the brief chortling at the beginning of "Chapel of Ghouls" -- how in the world did we forget that. It's almost literally a "mwa ha ha ha."