"Horror At The Graveyard" Cassette

WARNING: This cassette is not to be listened to in the dark. Listen to this cassette at your own risk!

We are flying through October and it is already time for the third installment of Freebie Fridays, where I share a selection from my ever-growing collection of novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" vinyl records, cassette tapes, and CDs.

This week's offering is Horror At The Graveyard, a Canadian cassette most likely released in the mid- to late 90s. It was put out by Distribution Madacy Inc., the same company that put out Sounds of Halloween around the same time. And like Sounds of Halloween, this has a very similar cover with a fantastic comic-style illustration and the same over-the-top shock warning label.

Luckily, the cassettes' similarities end there. Horror At The Graveyard is a much better offering in that the first side of the cassette is a rather insane full story of a walk in a graveyard, while the flip side is a collection of standard "spooky sounds."

Side A: Full length story complete with sound effects. "It was a strange, eerie night. Heavy black clouds cast shadows over the full moon, making it dark and dreary. The leaves on the trees seemed to dance in fright to the mournful howling of the wind..."

So I have listened to this side at least three times and I just keep going back to it. It's so hyper dramatic in its descriptive delivery, with wild swings of sudden intensity throughout. The story plays out more like a fever dream, which makes it so weirdly good. Add to that the narrator's quirky, unidentifiable accent as he REALLY tries to deliver the drama, and the canned "spooky sounds" to add to the story's intensity, and you have 15 minutes of campy, hilarious, but totally great Halloween fun. This story alone makes the cassette a true gem.

Side B: "Spine Chilling"/"Hair Raising"/"Heart Pounding"/Sound Effects

After the greatness of the story on Side A, everything here is just gravy. A continuous, standard collection of "spooky sounds" that have appeared on countless other offerings, but with a few darker effects added in to give the whole thing that little bit extra. Definitely worth a listen just to check the "nostalgia" box, but on its own is still better than most.

Another "spooky sounds" cassette bought on a whim (I couldn't pass up that cover art!), but turns out to be a real surprise. This is definitely one to add to your collection and your October playlist!

DOWNLOAD "HORROR AT THE GRAVEYARD" HERE.

  

"Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape" Cassette

Welcome to the final Friday in October, and the last Freebie Friday of the year! It was well worth the wait, because I have definitely saved the best for last!

1980's Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape is an absolute classic from the golden age of the novelty Halloween "spooky sounds" releases. One of the first to be put out on cassette, this one really packs a punch at 30 minutes PER SIDE, offering a hefty hour of spookiness with only one flip of the tape.

And it is packed with all of the standard shrieks, screams, howls, clanks, clinks, moans, wails, cackles, meows, organs, and any and all other noises. 30 straight minutes of even terror, without any annoying callouts to ruin the flow.

Image courtesy of the Sweet Skulls blog/via Secret Fun Spot.

Since acquiring this gem, it has been at the top of the list for really great Halloween releases, and each time I hit play I'm instantly transported back to the trick-or-treat fun I had as a kid. Haunted Horror - Terror On Tape is a mandatory release for anyone in need of some Halloween nostalgia!

DOWNLOAD HAUNTED HORROR - TERROR ON TAPE HERE.

  

VANIK - "Entrails and Thrills"

I've REALLY been digging Entrails & Thrills, the latest Halloween metal release from Cleveland's VANIK! The cassette-only release has been on a near-constant rotation here at the Cemetery, flipping back and forth from side A's killer-riff-laden metal tracks to side B's original "spooky sounds" tracks. The perfect release for the Halloween season!!

I opted for the limited orange cassette version, which came in a custom spraypainted box and included a totally awesome numbered, one-of-a-kind framed drawing from VANIK himself. So worth it!! This one's going straight into my prized Halloween goodies collection.

The standout track for me is "Entrails And Thrills," where that riff just punches you right in the face. Enjoy!

If you're diggin' the sound, go grab yourself a copy (as well as a ton of other crazy swag) over at the VANIK Bandcamp page!

And if you're near the Northeast Ohio area, why not meet me this Saturday in Youngstown, Ohio for The Blackout Cookout 11, where Vanik plays guitar for another insanely killer Cleveland band, Midnight!!

 

"Halloween Horror - Scary Sounds From The Hex Files" Cassette

Well, here we are. Somehow, we have already come to the final Friday in October. Time for one last Freebie Friday, where I comb the depths of my vintage novelty Halloween record and tape collection and then share it with all of you. Luckily, we are finishing with a bang!

An array of screams, howls and spooky sound effects to greet trick-or-treaters or put chills down party goers' spines!

More than 73 minutes of continuous scary sounds.

And how! This tape is a monster (giggle, giggle) clocking in at a walloping 71 actual minutes of Halloween greatness. I was completely surprised when after flipping the tape to side two, I was rewarded with another side of sound effects! Usually I get the same exact recording on both sides, but K-Tel International's Halloween Horror - Scary Sounds From The Hex Files from 1997 really delivers the goods.

It's a great mix of new and old sound effects, flowing nicely through each effect throughout both sides of the cassette. Lots of monster growls and upchucks (listen for it, I'm not joking), howling winds, howling dogs, a few "borrowed" screams and moans, another pissed off cat, rattling chains, creaking doors, and racing heartbeats. But the best effect is the organ that shows up almost half way through side two (which now that I look at it, may actually be side one - I mislabelled the sides, although it doesn't REALLY matter, right??). A really great creepy sound that intensifies the other sound effects going on at the same time.

Overall, it's a great, high quality addition to anyone's Halloween soundtrack collection and one that I would seriously consider playing at my home haunt display. And it's a great way to cap off another October of Freebie Fridays! Enjoy, and Happy Halloween, 'ya creeps!!

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN HORROR - SCARY SOUNDS FROM THE HEX FILES" HERE.

  

"Halloween Howls" Cassette

An array of screams,  screeches, clanks and howls to greet trick-or-treaters

or put chills down a party-goer's spine.

Over 40 minutes of scary sounds!

It's time for another Freebie Friday segment, and we've got a great one today! Halloween Howls is a novelty Halloween cassette soundtrack that originally came out in 1988 on Gemstone Entertainment. Or was it Sterling Entertainment? The sleeve says one thing, and the cassette says another. Who knows. Maybe they are the same thing. Thus is the life of a novelty Halloween cassette...

Regardless, this cassette is actually better than most. A nice variety of high quality sound effects with some scattered, creepy vocals throughout create a really entertaining listen. It's nice to hear a collection of sound effects that weren't poorly recorded in someone's basement.

I have included both sides of the cassette, although it seems like it's the same collection of sounds on both sides, just in a different order. And hey, it adds up to almost 45 minutes of solid Halloween fun!

And unfortunately, if you listen closely, you can hear a slight static "clicking" in each track. That was something weird that was going on with my USB cassette player. Consider it added ambience, I guess?

Halloween Howls turned out to be a pleasant surprise from a blind purchase. I really like this collection of creepy sounds and I highly recommend it for some nostalgic Halloween fun.

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN HOWLS" HERE.

  

"Halloween Eerie Sounds" Cassette

It's time for our last Freebie Friday of 2017! One last, great novelty soundtrack to bring back all those fun seasonal memories from Halloweens long since past.

I have been doing the Freebie Fridays segments for a few years now, and one thing that I have quickly discovered is that the novelty Halloween cassette industry was a completely lawless wasteland during it's heyday of the 80s and 90s. Cheap cassettes with similar titles and labels filled store shelves. My collection of these cassettes has grown yearly and even I can't keep them all straight...

And so is the case of this week's offering, Planet Halloween's "Halloween Eerie Sounds." I acquired this cassette recently in a bulk buy, and it was the last one to be played and posted. The cartoony label with the standard jack-o-lanterns, bats, wrought iron fencing and tombstone held great promise for some serious nostalgic fun. And then I dropped it into the player and pressed play...

Ten seconds in and I knew I had been had. That instantly recognizable heart beat followed by the old witch's screams. I had heard it before. Repeatedly. The standard soundtrack, repackaged for the umpteenth time with a different label art and only slightly different name.

Dammit.

Halloween Eerie Sounds. The same as Halloween Sounds of Horror. Which is also the same as Halloween Spook Sounds. And which is only a slightly different mix to Horrible Sounds of Halloween. Were you able to keep up?

The standard soundtrack must have been licensed out to a whole slew of different companies, all of which released it with their own "Halloween Horrible Horror Spooky Eerie Haunted" names and label art.

It's a letdown to get a new cassette, only to find that it is just another variant of the old standby soundtrack.

Regardless, the 16-minute soundtrack itself isn't all too bad, with some nice echoing screams, barking wolf dogs and unidentifiable grinding sounds. And there's still that heartbeat that runs below the other sounds throughout the track.

It's still a worthwhile pickup if you don't already have it in one of the versions above or you are an absolute completist.

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN EERIE SOUNDS" HERE.

  

"Thriller/Chiller Sound Effects" Cassette

Time for the second round of Freebie Fridays for 2017, and we have a great one up for your listening pleasure!

Yes, I know this one has been posted from one end of the internets to the other, but it still has a cherished spot in my novelty Halloween record and cassette collection.

Thriller/Chiller Sound Effects was a Fun World novelty cassette that has been released, rereleased and then rereleased again. During the novelty cassette craze of the 80s and 90s, this one was everywhere. Mass-produced cheap Chinese plastic cassette, generic orange and black text labels and a rather bizarre, yet rather amazing soundtrack! This one hit all the targets to ensure its passage into Halloween legend.

Upon pressing play, we're somewhat confusingly dropped into some sort of Renaissance Faire in the forest with weird organ music, surrounded by the strange chirp of woodland creatures. 

It quickly takes a right turn into standard Halloween territory with a repeated scattering of screams and moans, thunder, wolf howls, breaking glass, various monster growls, rattling chains, a few vocal tracks, and most puzzling, a random rooster's call. 

And after a carousel of these repeated sounds, you think you have reached the end of the track, only to find yourself back at the Renaissance Faire! It's like the creators gathered up any sound effects that were remotely Halloween-themed, threw it all against the wall, and recorded the resulting mess.

But honestly, somehow it all works. The cheesiness and poor quality of this cassette is what makes it so darn endearing. This really is one of the classic novelty Halloween sound effect cassettes, and every time I hear it, I'm instantly filled with a warm nostalgia of the Halloweens of my youth. 

If, by some chance, you don't have this one yet, grab it. It really is a fun, nostalgic slice of Halloween!

DOWNLOAD "THRILLER/CHILLER SOUND EFFECTS" RIGHT HERE.


  

"Halloween Sounds of Horror" Cassette

Terrifying Sound Effects For Great Halloween Fun

If there is one thing that I have found over the years of doing Freebie Fridays, it's that the world of 80s and 90s novelty Halloween soundtracks could sometimes be a rather sneaky place. And thus is the case with this week's offering, Halloween Sounds of Horror. 

This cassette, which I believe is actually from 1995, is your standard cheap-label-with-hilarious-Halloween-graphics-and-quasi-spooky-font variety that came without a cover or case. I'm assuming it was originally sold in the common blister pack that could be picked up on the cheap at any drug or big box retail store of the era.

On its own, Halloween Sounds of Horror is another in a long line of great novelty soundtracks, complete with the standard sounds of racing heartbeats, demonic laughter and echoing shrieks, moans and screams. Unfortunately, after giving it a listen, I'm now 99% certain that this is the exact same soundtrack as the Halloween Spook Sounds cassette that I offered up last year! Same great Halloween soundtrack, just repackaged under a different name and label...

Regardless, Halloween Sounds of Horror is still one to add to your collection, if only for the cool "smiling reaper under the full moon" graphic. The soundtrack itself is worth the download too, for that cool demonic laughter and creepy echo throughout the 15 minute track.

DOWNLOAD "HALLOWEEN SOUNDS OF HORROR" HERE.

  

"Horror Sounds of the Night" Cassette

So for the first Freebie Friday of the year, I'm offering up an absolute classic. By now, I'm sure everyone has heard of Horror Sounds of the Night, but in case you haven't, it is THEE pinnacle of novelty sound effect cassettes that became the standard soundtrack for all 80s Halloween kids. This was the Halloween soundtrack that launched a thousand imitations.

I finally grabbed an original 1986 copy of this cassette, where the 20-plus minute sound track is repeated on side A and B. Upon pressing play, I was instantly transported back to those magical nights of being one of those 80s Halloween kids again. Enjoy the memories!

 DOWNLOAD "HORROR SOUNDS OF THE NIGHT" HERE.

  

"Horrible Sounds of Halloween" Cassette

Okay, here it is, the final (and late) Freebie Friday for 2015, and we're ending it with another gem! Another cassette picked up on a whim, Horrible Sounds of Halloween is a short blast of vintage, novelty Halloween greatness. Based on the blandness of the label, I assume this was released some time in the mid 80s. An unassuming orange label on both sides with a generic font. I know this thing was mass-produced on the cheap!!

But the greatness of this cassette lies not in the label, but in the audio. More low quality "Halloween" spook sounds with a quickening heartbeat underlying the entire 15 minute track (the audio is repeated on the second side, which is kind of a letdown...). And although the quality leaves much to be desired, there are honestly some cool, creepy sound effects scattered throughout. For a purchase on a whim, I'm really happy with this cassette!! Happy Halloween, everyone!!

DOWNLOAD "HORRIBLE SOUNDS OF HORROR" HERE.



The FINAL Halloween Weather Forecast Update:

It looks like we may be able to pull this off!! As long as those showers hold off, we should be able to get through trick-or-treat AND have everything put away before the rain comes. Keeping those fingers crossed for one more day!!!