History Main / SinisterScrapingSound

* In Creator/DeanKoontz's ''Literature/ByTheLightOfTheMoon,'' Jillian follows Dylan into a house (he had gone off to prevent a woman's murderous grandson from carrying out his plans) and hears the sound of metallic scraping and pinging noises, mentally envisioning someone sliding knives against one another. [[spoiler: It's just a bird scraping its beak against its cage.]]

* The hospital scene in ''Film/TheCrazies'' shows one of the titular crazies scraping a pitchfork along the floor as he prepares to stab people who were [[StrappedToAnOperatingTable strapped down on gurneys]]. Later on, another crazy is seen scraping a carving knife across a wall in a deliberate attempt to scare Judy out of hiding.

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' inverts this with the scraping wheeze made by the TARDIS as it takes off (originally produced by scraping a door key against a piano string). Instead of HellIsThatNoise, the TARDIS's sound has become the SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound, both in-universe and out.
** Played with in "Before the Flood", when the MonsterOfTheWeek is stalking a deaf woman while dragging a fire axe, but she can't hear it. However [[RuleOfDrama when it gets close]] she picks up the vibrations in the floor in time to escape becoming a VictimOfTheWeek.

* ''Series/JonathanCreek'' - in the episode "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb", a subtle Sinister Scraping Sound can be heard drifting along an empty corridor as Jonathan and Joey explore the derelict convent, and again before someone is [[spoiler:nearly crushed by a falling statue]] at the same location. We eventually learn that the sound is caused by [[spoiler:a lurking hitman who habitually runs his thumb along the teeth of a metal comb]].
* ''Series/OrphanBlack'' has this as part of [[PsychopathicManchild Helena's]] {{Leitmotif}}.

** In "Hook Man", loud scraping sounds and deep gouges herald the arrival of a murderous ghost.

* In the episode "Prey" of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', The Governor chases Andrea into a warehouse, and [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this repeatedly while searching for her inside.

* ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock|1}}''

*** And again in ''VideoGame/{{Silent Hill Downpour}}''.

[[folder: Web Comics]]

* In ''Literature/TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe'': When Edmund has been tied to a tree by the White Witch, he can hear the sound of a knife being sharpened. Fortunately, Aslan's party rescues him before anything happens.

[[folder:Vanity Plate]]
[[Creator/AdultSwim "The Dawn Is Your Enemy"]]
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[[folder:Film]]

* The Judge zombie does this in ''WesternAnimation/{{Paranorman}}'' in Norman's late uncle's house while searching for him, slowly scraping his nail across the wall while chipping off the plaster.

* ''Series/JonathanCreek'' - in the episode "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb", a subtle SinisterScrapingSound can be heard drifting along an empty corridor as Jonathan and Joey explore the derelict convent, and again before someone is [[spoiler:nearly crushed by a falling statue]] at the same location. We eventually learn that the sound is caused by [[spoiler:a lurking hitman who habitually runs his thumb along the teeth of a metal comb]].

** Hellhounds, the invisible dogs that drag doomed souls to Hell, are accompanied by loud baying and a SinisterScrapingSound.

* ''Literature/FamousFive'': In ''Five on a Hike Together'', Dick sleeps in a barn, and is disturbed by a scratching sound, before somebody gives him a mysterious message.

* ''Film/ResidentEvil''. The arrival of the first zombie is preceded by the scraping noise made by the fire axe it's dragging along. Watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIeBp9RapcI here.]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' inverts this with the scraping wheeze made by the TARDIS as it takes off (originally produced by scraping a door key against a piano string). Instead of HellIsThatNoise, the TARDIS's sound has become the SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound, both in-universe and out.
** Played with in "Before the Flood", when the MonsterOfTheWeek is stalking a deaf woman while dragging a fire axe, but she can't hear it. However [[RuleOfDrama when it gets close]] she picks up the vibrations in the floor in time to escape becoming a VictimOfTheWeek.
* ''Series/JonathanCreek'' - in the episode "The Clue of the Savant's Thumb", a subtle SinisterScrapingSound can be heard drifting along an empty corridor as Jonathan and Joey explore the derelict convent, and again before someone is [[spoiler:nearly crushed by a falling statue]] at the same location. We eventually learn that the sound is caused by [[spoiler:a lurking hitman who habitually runs his thumb along the teeth of a metal comb]].
* ''Series/OrphanBlack'' has this as part of [[PsychopathicManchild Helena's]] {{Leitmotif}}.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' uses this trope a lot.
** In "Hook Man", loud scraping sounds and deep gouges herald the arrival of a murderous ghost.
** Hellhounds, the invisible dogs that drag doomed souls to Hell, are accompanied by loud baying and a SinisterScrapingSound.
* In the episode "Prey" of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', The Governor chases Andrea into a warehouse, and [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this repeatedly while searching for her inside.
[[/folder]]

* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'' uses this trope a lot. In, "Hook Man" loud scraping sounds and deep gouges herald the arrival of a murderous ghost.

--> '''Bluebottle:''' Captain, Capatain - I'm frighted, I'm frighted - I can hear someone in the ammunition hut - it sounds like a man sharpening a dirty big razor.

* Spider Splicers in ''VideoGame/{{Bioshock|1}}'' are known to do this when nearby, giving players an audible cue that bad news is coming their way.
** Thuggish splicers can do this with their weapons (mostly metals clubs, like pipes, wrenches, etc) as well, although if they're charging like that they're pobably screaming at you anyway.

* Done in ''Film/GetOut'' with a spoon scraping a ''teacup'', of all things. [[spoiler:[[EvilMatriarch Missy Armitage]] uses it to [[MindControl hypnotize and brainwash]] her victims]], making the otherwise innocuous sound downright ''terrifying''.

[[folder: Vanity Plate]]

[[folder: Fan Works]]

* In the Homestuck fan adventure ''Webcomic/AlabasterTheDoomedSession'', there is a Pyramid Head parody. No need to say, the monster is predated by the proverbial big knife sound.

* ''Film/ResidentEvil''. The arrival of the first zombie is preceded by the scraping noise made by the fire axe it's dragging along. Watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIeBp9RapcI here.]]
** The Executioner in ''Film/ResidentEvilAfterlife'' does this by dragging his axe.
* Pyramid Head in ''VideoGame/SilentHill2'' and [[Film/SilentHill the movie]] has this as his "signature" noise, created by dragging his [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Buster Sword]]-[[{{BFS}} sized]] rusty butcher knife.
* As pictured above, Freddy Krueger from the ''Franchise/ANightmareOnElmStreet'' series loves to scrape his finger blades along the nearest surface while stalking his latest victim. As well as creating sparks upon the impact of metal on metal, it echoes across the surroundings, screwing with his victims by freaking them out before they even get a chance to see him.
* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAys8oqAAV0 Waterphone]] is used to generate many scraping sounds in horror films and games, including the aforementioned ''Film/SilentHill''.
* In ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'', Sabretooth uses his nails to scratch Kayla's car before killing her.
* When some psycho is chasing one of the model girls in ''Film/TheRatman'', he scrapes his knife to a wall while walking.
* The Spanish-language slasher ''Pesadilla Fatal'' ("Fatal Nightmare") has a killer with a Freddy Krueger-style glove, who does this to torment a blind girl.

* In the second ''Film/AceVentura'' movie, he tortures a suspect into talking by sitting down to a table setting and running a knife back and forth over an empty plate, making a horrible screeching noise.
* The Judge zombie does this in ''WesternAnimation/{{Paranorman}}'' in Norman's late uncle's house while searching for him, slowly scraping his nail across the wall while chipping off the plaster.
* ''*scraaaaaape, clomp. scraaaaaape, clomp. scraaaaaape, clomp.* '''[[Film/YoungFrankenstein "Doctor Frankenstein???"]]'''''

* In [[Film/HotelRwanda Hotel Rwanda]] a member of the Hutu militia menacingly drags his machete across the pavement of the road.

* Done in ''Film/GetOut'' with a spoon scraping a ''teacup'', of all things. [[spoiler:[[EvilMatriarch Missy Armitage]] uses it to [[MindControl hypnotize and brainwash]] her victims]], making the otherwise innocuous sound downright ''terrifying''.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* ''Series/OrphanBlack'' has this as part of [[PsychopathicManchild Helena's]] {{Leitmotif}}.
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' inverts this with the scraping wheeze made by the TARDIS as it takes off (originally produced by scraping a door key against a piano string). Instead of HellIsThatNoise, the TARDIS's sound has become the SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound, both in-universe and out.
** Played with in "Before the Flood", when the MonsterOfTheWeek is stalking a deaf woman while dragging a fire axe, but she can't hear it. However [[RuleOfDrama when it gets close]] she picks up the vibrations in the floor in time to escape becoming a VictimOfTheWeek.

* In Creator/DeanKoontz's ''Literature/ByTheLightOfTheMoon,'' Jillian follows Dylan into a house (he had gone off to prevent a woman's murderous grandson from carrying out his plans) and hears the sound of metallic scraping and pinging noises, mentally envisioning someone sliding knives against one another. [[spoiler: It's just a bird scraping its beak against its cage.]]

* The Slayers from ''VideoGame/TheSuffering''.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', the guillotines in the Shadow Temple make a scraping sound as they rise and fall.
** The creepy repeating scritch-scritch-scritch-scritch-skrrrrrr... sound made by Gold Skulltulas. It's useful for finding them all to gain OneHundredPercentCompletion... and for keeping you awake at night.
** [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword The Flying Guardians in the Silent Realms]] scrape their swords together as they slowly but surely float towards your position.
* [[VideoGame/{{Persona 3}} "Be careful! I sense Death!"]] A second later, you hear chains dragging across the floor...
* In ''VideoGame/ClockTower'', the main antagonist (most of the time) Scissorman uses a giant pair of scissors which he scrapes together with each step.

* A bit of a sound motif in ''VideoGame/Condemned2Bloodshot''.
* One of the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3xvpAL13ww dungeon ambient musics]] in ''VideoGame/FalloutNewVegas'' has these sounds.
* In ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'', the Roivas mansion is full of [[HellIsThatNoise creepy sounds]] that [[ParanoiaFuel probably]] don't mean anything, but one of them is the scraping or sharpening of knives, followed by the sounds of someone being tortured on another floor...
** One of the lesser effects of low sanity is hearing knocks and scrapes.
** One of the terrifying effects of no sanity is hearing someone sharpening a metal instrument while a woman pleads desperately, before she starts screaming in agony.
* The titular scratching sounds in ''VideoGame/{{Scratches}}''.
* In ''VideoGame/SCPContainmentBreach'', the "stone-on-stone" scraping sounds that accompany [[LivingStatue SCP-173's]] movement.

[[folder:WebOriginal]]

* ''Series/DoctorWho'' inverts this with the scraping wheeze made by the TARDIS as it takes off (originally produced by scraping a door key against a piano string). Instead of HellIsThatNoise, the TARDIS's sound has become the MostWonderfulSound, both in-universe and out.

* The Slayers from ''TheSuffering''.

* In the indie horror game ''ThePath'', although nothing is explicitly shown, a sound of knives scraping is heard in the background of [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EhF1T5lQ2Q Scarlet's ending,]] leading some people to speculate that Scarlet...may have met a rather violent end.