[3] Subsequent bands formed in the Misfits' wake like Mourning Noise, the Undead and Samhain, solidifying horror punk's first wave.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s the genre gained attention through the reunion of the Misfits and success of groups like AFI, Son of Sam and the Murderdolls.

Although, death rock lacks horror punk's rockabilly and doo-wop influences, instead paying a greater attention to musical atmospheres.

In an article by Kerrang!, writer Chris Krovatin stated that "the two [genres] have become so accepting of one another, that to make the distinction feels like splitting hairs".

Additionally, teenage tragedy songs such as "Teen Angel", "Endless Sleep" and "Moody River", were a popular style of songwriting which emphasised horror during the 1950s and 1960s.

At the same time, they began using the titular character from the Crimson Ghost (1946) as their logo, wearing makeup, clothes with skeleton patterns during performances and employed a style of hair inspired by Eddie Munster that they came to term a "devilock".

AFI, who had previously been established as hardcore band, transitioned into a horror punk sound following their 1998 recruitment of guitarist Jade Puget.

[8] A 2022 article published by Metal Hammer credited their 1999 album Black Sails in the Sunset as having "reinvented the horror punk of the Misfits for a new generation".

In 2002 he formed the Murderdolls alongside Joey Jordison, which began writing by "cannibalising" the music of 13's prior band Frankenstein Drag Queens from Planet 13.

[20] At this same time, horror punk-influenced bands also gained notability, including My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio and Tiger Army.

During this same period, Blitzkid's merger of "goth's stretching shadow and pop-punk's teenage humanity" too gained notability alongside Calabrese.

This led Punktastic writer Tom Walsh to describe Gould as "on a crusade to single handedly revive the horror punk genre".