"Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds!!" Record

Halloween!

Iciest night of the year (colder than Christmas!), when "undead" totter on legs unsteady from graves unready to keep their eternal sleep. "All hallows eve," when ghosts soar through moonlit skies, beasties feast on some poor prize, and other things go "bump!" in the night! (good lord deliver us!!)

Here you will hear the fear that you fear, geared for the weird, to vampires endeared (can you withstand the frantic antics of closet skeletons, belfry bats, demon cats, wolves and rats, ape men and wolf men and mad men and monsters galore?)!! Monsters galore and more! The score! Forever gore fills the score, spills the gore on the score to the core of monster lore! Eerie-played by ghostly maid on an organ made for Death's Arcade!!! (Hail the haunted organ! Purge the dirge!) Yes, Halloween! In "undead" vernacular, the devil's spectacular... A Halloween spooktacular!!! Come, if you care... come if you dare!!!

We have come to the final Friday of October, which means the last Freebie Friday for another year. But please do not be sad, because I'm finishing the season off with an absolute classic!

When I hear the words "spooky sounds," a few classic releases come to mind. The ones that have insanely cool illustrated covers with monsters, skeletons, haunted houses, jack-o-lanterns, and ghosts. The ones that have a continuous flow of the standard creepy sound effects essential to any great release. Howling winds, howling wolves, cackling witches, cracking thunder, mad laboratories and the monsters that they create, wailing organs, tolling bells, cats, bats, and bloodcurdling screams. And Verne Langdon's Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds has it all!

Side one is a straight collection of standard spooky sounds, flowing smoothly between each, making a nice, even 15 minute track. Howling wolves, a tolling bell, and thunder are always a classic segway into any good "spooky sounds" record! The guy getting whipped is an interesting sound clip, as well...

Side two is equally as good, with a creepy gothic organ track as the main sound throughout. It differentiates itself from the first side nicely, giving you two completely different tracks to choose from!

And I haven't even mentioned Ron Cobb's insanely cool cover art. The one-eyed green zombie face looks like it's emerging from the darkened pages of an old EC Comics cover. A real eye-grabber (see what I did there?), that looks great in any record collection!

This one is definitely a must-have in your spooky sounds stockpile, as it absolutely nails the old nostalgic Halloween vibe. Enjoy!

Download Horrific Halloween Spooktacular! Scary Scores & Sounds!! here.

  

Danny Elfman - "Sleepy Hollow" Soundtrack

So now that Halloween is over and everything has been put away for another year, I can finally get to a list of things I wasn't able to during the hectic haunt season.

First up is finally getting a chance to spin this absolutely gorgeous double-record soundtrack from Waxwork Records. Released 23 years ago this week, Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow is his wonderfully dark and gothic, yet witty retelling of the Washington Irving classic, The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow.

And as with any Burton/Depp collaboration, you simply MUST have Danny Elfman creating an iconic, grand soundtrack to help complete the story. And what a soundtrack THIS one is...

What really sold me on this one was the stunning cover art, and the way it matches perfectly to the colors chosen for the vinyl. "Headless Horseman" black, blood red, and skull white swirled vinyl to be exact. The entire package ties into the film so well. Waxwork did an exceptional job on this whole piece.

And once you eventually get past the beauty of the package, you still get to drop the needle on the vinyl...

Another Elfman classic to be sure, and definitely a release to add to your vinyl collection. Keep an eye on the Waxwork site as even though it is currently sold out, this should probably reappear at some point in the near future. Enjoy!

  

Kammarheit - "Thronal"

So here, finally, is the post that I really wanted to start the year off with! Brand new Kammarheit!!!

I was SUPER excited to hear that after 5 long years, a new Kammarheit dark ambient release entitled Thronal was in the works. And just before the end of 2020, it was released.

From the Kammarheit Bandcamp page:

Kammarheit finally returns with his fourth full-length album. In its 20 years since the formation of the project, Pär Boström has delivered time and time again some of the most compelling and dare we say authentic Dark Ambient music ever to grace our ears. Following up on his previous works (of which a special edition 20th Anniversary 3LP boxset has been released) he now presents Thronal, another profound and spellbinding journey and another meaningful chapter in Kammarheit’s indefinable story, from a true master of his craft. “I took the crown and the throne acted as a magnet, drawing the attention of distant stars…”

I snagged this one immediately (no way I was missing out on the limited colored vinyl version!). I put it on constant rotation here at the Cemetery, and I haven't stopped listening to it yet. Thronal picks up right where Boström's last release, The Nest, ended. Rich with cold, desolate, melancholic ambient perfection. Inspiring and oddly calming. To me, Kammarheit is still at the very top of the dark ambient genre, and on every listen to this release I find something new to enjoy and become completely enveloped by. I absolutely love this one and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the lush atmosphere of dark ambient.

But wait, there's more! Not only is there a brand new release to ingest, but Cyclic Law also dropped Triune, an incredible 3xLP 20th Anniversary box set of the first three Kammarheit releases on gorgeous colored vinyl. Another mandatory purchase for me!

If you want to learn more about Pär Boström, creative mastermind behind Kammarheit, please check out this great interview over at Unsafe But Sound. An in-depth look at his life, influences, and myriad of other projects. A quick, but fantastic read.

Douglas Pipes - Trick 'r Treat

Today's torrential downpours have really taken it out of me. Quite a few little things left to do before the big night, but tonight I think I'm just going to crawl under a blanket and watch my annual Halloween classic.

But until then, I think I'm going to fire up the trusty turntable and spin the amazing soundtrack to said annual Halloween classic...

Always wear a costume

Hand out treats

Never blow out a jack-o-lantern

Always check your candy

Justin Burning - "Songs Of The Thinned Veil"

What really gets you into the Halloween spirit? For me, it's a wonderfully creepy, nostalgic tune. Something to conjure up black cats, ghosts, and illuminated pumpkin faces. Something that when I just kick back and close my eyes, I dream of trick-or-treats gone by and orange and brown leaves dancing by as they glide through a crisp autumn wind. Magic!

I recently picked up a copy of Justin Burning's wonderful Songs Of The Thinned Veil, a really, really cool collaboration between the iconic, vintage Halloween illustration work of Sam Heimer, the Halloween club of Cryptocurium's Order Of The Thinned Veil, and Burning's new Veil-inspired October soundtrack.

I was lucky enough to snag a copy of the limited vinyl release before it quickly sold out (for those that don't know, I am a self-confessed vinyl record hoarder, and the beautiful orange-and-black swirled vinyl on this release, coupled with Heimer's fantastic cover illustration made it a no-brainer for me).

Upon first listen, I was immediately hooked. Eleven Halloween-soaked, synth-driven tracks that really nail the feel of the season and really encapsulate that Thinned Veil style.

I already know that this is going to be my soundtrack for the 2019 Halloween season and I highly recommend it to everyone looking for some really fun Halloween sounds.

And luckily for everyone, the release is still available on Burning's Bandcamp page! Go snag a copy and let the sounds of Halloween envelope you!!

Alan Howarth - "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers" Soundtrack

Like most Halloween fans, I'm all about the first three installments of the film franchise. But I recently picked up the Mondo Halloween box set, featuring the soundtracks to the first five films.

I have listened to the soundtracks to the first three films a million times each, but I was pleasantly surprised by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. This soundtrack was composed solely by Alan Howarth, who had worked previously in conjunction with John Carpenter on Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

Howarth takes the iconic 5/4 theme timing of the original, but adds a nice bit of ambient sound to give it a fresh update. And I love Mondo's new vinyl release version. It's slightly different than the 1988 original, but it still flows really well. And you gotta love that red-and-white clown costume split vinyl! This one has been on constant rotation at the Cemetery all weekend long...

"Ghostly Sounds" Soundtrack

Night falls...

The forest holds its breath...

Everything is still...

The blood red moon stares through the trees...

Welcome to the first Freebie Friday of 2017! Every Friday during the month of October, I share another gem from my ever-growing collection of old novelty Halloween records and cassettes. And today, I'm kicking it off with an absolute classic!

Peter Pan Records' 1975 release, Ghostly Sounds, is the complete package. The vibrant sleeve art was wonderfully illustrated by George Peed (giggle, giggle), who was well-known for his array of Holiday-themed covers done for the label. On this sleeve, he managed to strike a perfect balance between Halloween creepiness and child-friendly character illustration.

Side one of this record is the standout track. Twelve glorious minutes of nostalgic, standard studio "creepy" and "weird" sound effects with an incredible, off-time narrative "story/poem" delivered by Peter Waldron. I could listen to his line, "It is Halloween." over and over. The forceful and somewhat overacted manor in which the story is spoken makes this a really interesting, fun track well worth a listen.

Side two again relies on Waldron's off-time, forced narration, this time telling the most bizarre and random story I may have ever heard. Aliens from another world come to our planet to discover ghosts and Halloween. A meandering storyline and the silliest sound effects can't be taken seriously, but is still a hilariously fun track. Listen to this one for the ridiculous sound effects, for sure.

Enjoy!!


DOWNLOAD "GHOSTLY SOUNDS" RIGHT HERE.

 

"The Ride of the Headless Horseman" Soundtrack

Recorded live in the village of Sleepy Hollowville at the Ichabod Crane Studios. Ride along if you dare!

This week's Freebie Friday takes us to the dark, cold night of Sleepy Hollow! Haunted House Music Co.'s novelty Halloween record, Ride of the Headless Horseman, is a real treat! 

This is the third in a series released by Haunted House Music Co., from Eerie, USA. (The first, Night in a Graveyard, is available here and the second, Haunted House, is available here.)

Side one of this record is really great! A 15 minute rendition of the infamous tale of Ichabod Crane and his fateful meeting of the Headless Horseman at Sleepy Hollow. And it's all backed with great, creepy sound effects. Side two is your standard collection of sound effects, this time geared more toward the Sleepy Hollow story. Although, I think that some of the sounds have been recycled from their previous two releases. Regardless, this is a perfect addition to the series and makes for a wonderful nostalgia trip for your Halloween season. Enjoy!

But DO NOT listen to this recording alone. It may be hazardous to your health. Parental guidance suggested...

DOWNLOAD "RIDE OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN" HERE.


  

New Vinyl: "Twin Peaks" Original Score - Mondo

Available today is the vinyl reissue of what is perhaps the greatest score ever written - Angelo Badalamenti's soundtrack masterpiece for David Lynch's Twin Peaks. Released 25 years after the original, Mondo's gorgeous new version features a cool die-cut outer jacket, spot varnish and liner notes by composer Badalamenti himself. But perhaps the coolest feature of all? It's pressed on "Damn Fine Coffee" brown swirl vinyl...

Twin Peaks is available now over at Mondo. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy not only for the gorgeous new packaging, but for the stunning score contained within! It's a damn fine vinyl offering.