To the purists, Halloween isn’t about skanking it up in the club or dressing up as the newest Internet meme — it’s about scaring yourself beyond the point of coherence. There are a lot of events this weekend trying to blend the two approaches, but none are likely to come closer than Mix Hell’s DJ set at the Hifi on Thursday, October 29. A duo made up of Igor Cavalera (former drummer for Brazilian metal outfit Sepultura) and his wife, Laima Leyton, Mix Hell knows how to scare a crowd — just track down their Black Metal Soundsystem mixtape, which blends black metal shrieks with ghettotech beats, for proof.

Mix Hell isn’t the only outfit aiming to cash in on the weekend’s spooky atmosphere — everywhere you look, there’s another band hoping to crack open your wallet and feast on the gooey innards. On October 31, you can choose between Toronto roots outfit (and Polaris Prize longlisters) One Hundred Dollars at the Palomino (check out our interview at ffwdweekly.com), Winnipegan vegans and veteran punk rockers Propagandhi at MacEwan Hall and Edmonton dance-rock monsters Shout Out Out Out Out as part of the Voodoo Halloween Party at the Chinese Multicultural Centre. Or, check out the Rigormorticians, Sharp Ends and Extra Happy Ghost!!! at CJSW’s Masqueradio party at The Marquee Room — always-up-for-a-party theatre company Green Fools is helping out with the ambiance.

In other CJSW-related goings on, Local 522 will host Cash vs. Clash on Friday, October 30. Featuring Key to the City, Heat-Ray, Phil Withers and more, the event will see the more Johnny Cash-influenced bands cover Clash songs and vice versa.

If you’re feeling eerily wholesome, there’s always the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s Haunted Hollywood program on October 30 and 31 at the Jack Singer. It’s part of the Pops series, so expect themes from some of film and television’s ghastlier offerings — and the Spider-Man theme, for some reason.

Once the candy rush of Halloween leaves your system, there’s still plenty going on to keep you entertained. Take Tuesday, November 3, for example — Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo will play an intimate set at The Marquee Room. Odds are, this one will sell out quickly.

Lastly, on November 4, Montreal’s The Nymphets will be at Broken City, peddling their Buzzcocks-influenced punk. They’ve opened for the likes of Fucked Up, CPC Gangbangs and Jay Reatard (though their sound leans more towards the latter than the former), so expect them to know how to get a crowd moving.