Ghost - "Cirice"

Ghost's new single "Cirice" from their upcoming third record, Meliora has released. Stream and download the new track here. Meliora releases August 21. With a sound that is supposed to be darker and more like Opus Eponymous, my countdown begins now!

MHC 2015 Costume Teaser

With mere hours to spare, my costume for MHC 2015 is finally done. I'm ready to pack it all up and head out for Columbus early in the morning. But not before a quick teaser photo in the garage...


Dr. Albertin Kyphosis was a wretch of a man if there ever was one. With a hideous spine and a cocked eye, the Doctor practiced a medicine that few could ascertain. Some say that he walked a fine line through the practice of Alchemy and wore vials of the Elixir of Life around his old, gnarled neck...

If you're at the Midwest Haunter's Convention this weekend, keep an eye out for old Dr. Kyphosis at the Saturday night Masquerade Ball. You'll be able to see the Doctor in his full regalia. Come up and say hello! I'm heading out tomorrow morning and will be back on Sunday night with a card full of photos and stories to share.
 

Umberto & Maiovvi - "Law Unit"

Available Tuesday, May 19 from Death Waltz Originals/Mondo. Law Unit is a repurposed and edited-down version of Umberto and Antoni Maiovvi’s previous Death Waltz Originals release,​ The Hook and Pull Gang, which was a modern rescore to the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Listen to the updated tracks now on the DWO Soundcloud page. Killer.


  

Help Resurrect The House of Shock

Last October, I had the fortunate luck to be in New Orleans and I was able to visit The House of Shock, consistently one of the country's best haunted houses, in it's final year. Without a doubt, it was the best haunted attraction that I have EVER been to. I was completely blown away by the show and walk-through that was presented (you can read my original write-up on The House of Shock here). I was glad that I was able to see it before they closed the doors for good...

But the story didn't end there. The owners have now decided to resurrect the House of Shock for 2015. And they need your help! After a loud public outcry, they have decided to start up a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the haunted attraction's reopening:

Visit their Kickstarter page and chip in to help support one of the best haunted houses in the country! #resurrecthouseofshock

And for some added fun, check out Goatwhore's killer video for "Baring Teeth For Revolt," which was filmed at The House of Shock!

A Lecture By Dr. Paul Koudounaris

Last night, I had the chance to hear a lecture by Dr. Paul Koudounaris, author of The Empire of Death: A Cultural History of Ossuaries and Charnel Houses, Heavenly Bodies: Cult Treasures and Spectacular Saints From The Catacombs, and his newest book, Memento Mori: The Dead Among Us, at Mac's Back Books In Cleveland.

"Dr. Paul Koudournaris" by Dragoionescu - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dr._Paul_Koudournaris.jpg#/media/File:Dr._Paul_Koudournaris.jpg

As someone who discovered Dr. Koudounaris' books by looking for photo references for Halloween prop display projects, I found the lecture remarkably fascinating. The historical and personal stories behind the photos gave substance to the art and gave me a deeper reference and connection to the Halloween projects themselves. And on a larger scale it gave me a new perspective, outside of our traditional Western custom, on death itself.

After the hour-long lecture, I was able to meet Dr. Koudounaris and discuss my pathway to discovering his work (his photos from the Santa Maria della Concezione in Rome, Italy were the inspiration for the talking skull cemetery greeter in my yard haunt). And after thanking him for the incredibly informative and interesting presentation, I geeked out a bit and had him sign my copy of The Empire of Death.

From the perspective of a Halloween prop builder, I cannot recommend Dr. Koudounaris' books enough. Each is filled with beautiful photography that is sure to inspire your next haunt project. But to seek out the books for photo reference only would be a disservice, as the rich amount of information supporting the photos is equally if not more interesting and inspiring.

Dr. Koudounaris' lecture tour continues and is highly recommended if it comes to your town. There are clips from his previous lectures on YouTube as well.

  

Goblin Rebirth

From the Relapse Records' Bandcamp page:

Relapse is beyond honored to present the debut album by Italy's Goblin Rebirth, the new band featuring the rhythm section from the original Goblin, Fabio Pignatelli and Agostino Marangolo! Goblin Rebirth mix the classic horror soundtrack sounds of their former band with a chillingly exciting drive that will thrill prog-heads and score-fiends alike. Goblin Rebirth is an instantly classic album that tells the tale of an imaginary film about the birth of an evil dwarf-like monster that sits confidently next to the classic Goblin scores like 'Suspiria', 'Profondo Rosso' and 'Tenebre'.

This sounds like it is going to be an incredible release, with one foot in the vein of Goblin's classic Italian horror scores and the other foot dipping into the current trend of synth-driven retro-horror scores. Their first release is available for pre-order now on Relapse Records!