HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy Halloween to all from Highbury Cemetery! May the Candy Corn gods look down upon you in favor on this day and grant you the opportunities to celebrate the high holiday in the manner you see fit. 

Another year's worth of planning, building, and most importantly celebrating, the season comes down to this. So go forth and revel in All Hallows Eve. Our Holiday. Carry on the traditions that make the season so great, for we are the anointed that keep the spirits alive, nurture them, and pass them on to future generations. We are Halloween.

  

Throbbing Gristle - "Hamburger Lady"

I couldn't go the entire month of October without posting one of my all-time favorite industrial audio tracks. Throbbing Gristle's "Hamburger Lady" is so dark, raw and visceral, and still just grinds on you even 47 years after its initial release.

Add to it the horrifying nature of the lyrics (less "lyrics" but more a reading of a grotesque account of a fictional burn victim - hence the "hamburger"...) and the reverberation and repetition in which they are recited just adds to the unsettling nature of this track.

But it's so good. Like an accident that you can't look away from, you'll just keep listening to the grating, repetitive dirge of this song. A perfect creepy element to round out another Halloween season.

Enjoy.

  

The 2024 Highbury Cemetery T-Shirt

The limited run of Highbury Cemetery t-shirts for 2024 are done! Every year, I take the annual haunt logo and create a t-shirt graphic. I then hand print a very limited run of shirts that I give out as a thank you to everyone who helps set up, run, and then tear down the Highbury Cemetery yard haunt.

For this year, I ended up going in a completely different direction with the art in that instead of traditional silkscreening with ink, I decided I wanted to try printing with BLEACH! And the results are amazing!!

I followed the detailed instructions from Pigskins and Pigtails (which made it super easy! Thanks, Jennifer!), and got a unique series of one-of-kind shirts. Each had a different level of logo bleaching brightness followed by a random spray or spatter of extra bleach across the front and back. I'm REALLY happy with the way these turned out and REALLY excited to hand these out! I think these are some of the best shirts to come out of the Cemetery the past 21 years...

But the best part of all? It looks like I'll have an extra shirt or two left over. Soooo...

Who wants to have a contest for a chance to win one? An extra little Halloween treat for those that have been hanging out at the blog all October long?

Next week (after all of the madness), I'll post up a little something. Nothing too crazy. Win it and the shirt is yours! Cool? Let's do this!

  

Thom Yorke - Suspirium

This is a waltz thinking about our bodies

What they mean for our salvation

With only the clothes that we stand up in

Just the ground on which we stand

Is the darkness ours to take?

Bathed in lightness, bathed in heat

All is well, as long as we keep spinning

Here and now, dancing behind a wall

When the old songs and laughter we do

Are forgiven always and never been true

When I arrive, will you come and find me?

Or in a crowd, be one of them?

Wore the wrong sign back beside her

Know tomorrow's at peace

It's the day after, and I am completely and utterly wrecked. Today is a day to recover and just veg on the couch, so just a quick post today.

I absolutely love this song by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke. It was featured in the 2018 Suspiria remake (which by remake standards was quite exceptional), and it perfectly envelops the malaise of day-after melancholy. A beautifully haunting and simple song from a man and his piano...

Enjoy.

  

The Creeps Are Creeping! The Spooks Are Spooking!

The undead have returned to Highbury Cemetery for tonight's trick-or-treat! (Yes, unfortunately it's tonight, not Halloween night like it should be...) But regardless, we have been hard at work getting the Cemetery ready to go for another year of creepy, crawly fun. The tombstones are out, the ghouls are gathered, the lights are in place...

One quick shot to whet your whistle, and then it's showtime for us. See you on the other side!

  

The Haunters - "In The Dark Mixtape"

Look, it grows dark! The positive peace of everything fills me with rage, with something that is the bitter aftertaste of the air I breathe. My soul aches... In the distance a slow ribbon of smoke rises and disperses... A restless tedium blocks all further thoughts of you...

— Fernando Pessoa, The Book of Disquiet

Thirty minutes of wonderfully discordant, ghostlike dark ambient for your Sunday morning. Just what the soul needs as we inch ever so close to All Hallows Eve.

Enjoy.

  

The Halloween Art Of Sam Heimer

Another shot of Halloween inspiration, courtesy of the reigning king of Halloween artists, Sam Heimer!

Sam continues to kill it with his vintage and creepy October aesthetic. A perfect union of organic and grotesque, each piece still hints at that vintage Halloween nostalgia albeit through a slightly fractured lens.

Heimer's illustrations just gush with total Halloween spirit, and I can't wait to add more pieces to my collection.

Be inspired and enjoy!

All images courtesy of Instagram/Sam Heimer.

    

"Horror Sounds Of Terror" Record

Yikes, here we are already at the last Friday of October, so it's the last chance for a Freebie Friday grab! Overall it has been a pretty solid list of cassette offerings, but we are going to finish the month off with a real classic served up on a vinyl platter!

Horror Sounds Of Terror is a 1978 release from HRB Music, and is actually part of a double-LP collection called Goofy Gold (it's more familiar name). The collection is split up on two separate records, the first (Goofy Gold) being a collection of fairly popular "novelty" Halloween-ish songs including Monster Mash, Purple People Eater, Alley Oop, Chantilly Lace, etc. And while I'm going to completely skip this half of the compilation, I DO want to show the insanely cool TV spot that was made for it. Enjoy this!

Now the part we ARE going to focus on is the second record of the compilation, called Horror Sounds Of Terror. This one is a mandatory addition, based simply on the incredible illustration on the cover. A green vampire face with some really cool hand painted horror fonts. I was totally sold!

The record itself is actually pretty great, too. There is no doubt that this is from the 70s with its standard "spooky sounds" cuts interspersed with small bits of dialog on both sides. And while some of the sounds have been heard on a handful of other releases produced around the same time, the dialog really stands out this time. Some goofy, some attempting to be more serious, but all are of a higher production quality making this entire record a lot of fun!

The only negative is that each side only clocks in at just over twelve minutes, making for a short offering. But even with that, Horror Sounds Of Terror is a wonderful slice of nostalgia and a quality release that still holds up today. And it makes for a really great way to close out the final Freebie Friday segment for this October...

DOWNLOAD "HORROR SOUNDS OF TERROR" HERE.

  

Samhain - "Unholy Passion" (Original Mix)

Three weeks into the Halloween season without so much of a mention of anything Glenn Danzig?? That should be illegal!

As I get older (and somewhat wiser), I have grown to really appreciate Glenn Danzig's lesser-known second band, Samhain. Much darker and more complex than The Misfits (whom I still love!), with a fuller goth/horror rock sound. It was the perfect mix of the raw, unproduced sound of The Misfits and the darker, more mature subjects of Danzig. Samhain is definitely my sweet spot come Halloween season.

And at the top of the Samhain list is the original mix of "Unholy Passion," the first song off of the Unholy Passion EP released in 1985. This mix was raw! Lots of reverb with a unique flat echo on both the drums and guitar. But the kicker are the chimes at the end, adding the prefect creepy element to complete yet another Glenn Danzig masterpiece.

(For reference, the entire EP was remixed for the later Samhain boxset, and this song was "cleaned up" removing all of that glorious rawness. Skip it and go for the original.)

Enjoy!

  

Home Depot 12 Ft. Skeleton Upgrade

Something that I have noticed this year is that EVERYONE around me has a Home Depot 12 Ft. Skeleton in their front yard now. Heck, some people have two or more! I was suffering from FOMO (fear of missing out) last year, so I ended up biting the bullet and buying one for my display, too. (Really I wanted to add one because I realized that my display was lacking in anything over 7 feet in height and I needed something to break the flat, limiting, horizontal feel of the cemetery setup...)

Immediately upon buying it, I already knew that there was no way that my display would have just another 12 ft. skeleton plopped into it. At this point, these skeletons have become so commonplace you almost ignore them in any display. (Personal opinion, of course...)

So to get mine to stand out, I decided that I wanted to have a 12 ft. corpsed, cloaked reaper!

I started with the basic assembly, but did a tried-and-true drop cloth and heatgun corpsing technique to the head and neck, the only features of the skeleton that would be visible.

After attaching the stained, dried flesh corpse head, I wrapped the entire figure in a black fabric hooded cloak, complete with creepy cloth to give it a few different black hues and to give it extra textured layers. After pinning all of the fabric sections together, it was time to drop him into the front yard.

He now sits at the beginning section of the cemetery display, the first thing you'll see as you come up the street for trick-or-treat. He guards over a coffin that will contain an old skeleton with internal lights and fog, and the entire scene is bathed in a new LED green strobe light. I'm running out of time for this year, but the next step will be to add some sort of wooden staff to his hand. I'm leaning toward some sort of illuminated lantern, but we'll see...

I'm super excited to see the new skeleton reaper in position, and with the simple upgrades will definitely bring a little something extra compared to the sea of out-of-the-box 12 ft. skeletons that everyone else has.

As my young neighbor says, "Uhh.. creepy cool?"

  

Slasher Dave - "Home Haunter"

Slasher Dave does it again with a brand new release, "deadicated" to people just like you and me! Home Haunter drops just in time for the Halloween season, featuring 12 new tracks of synthwave/horror/ambient audio goodness. And this time, he has even named tracks after a collection of inspiring and incredible home haunts throughout the country. (I guess Highbury Cemetery will be featured on Volume 2, eh Dave?) :)

We have one week to go, and this one has been powering me through some late nights in the garage. Rocket fuel for home haunters!! Let's go!!

Enjoy!      

  

Dead Ambient // Dark Ambient Mix by Atrium Carceri

Atrium Carceri, Metatron Omega, ProtoU, Cities Last Broadcast and Kammarheit. A literal who's who of the dark ambient genre and a perfect Monday playlist to focus the dark atmosphere for next week's Halloween celebrations. Cryo Chamber is again bringing the goods.

Enjoy!

    

Lowe's Haunted Living 48" Tombstone Upgrade

And another quick prop upgrade is finished and ready to go! 

So last month I wrote about a full schedule really hampering my prop-building time for this season. Luckily, the big box stores have been upping the quality of their offerings, allowing me to pick up a few of their pieces to add to this year's display.

Although as a dedicated home haunter, there would be no way that I could simply pull the prop from the box and put it straight into the yard without giving it at least a little extra touch-up...

So just like I did with the Home Depot Grim Reaper Statue and the Lowe's Haunted Living Cauldron, I grabbed this really cool matching Haunted Living 48" tombstone from Lowe's and went to work...

Out of the box, this tombstone had a really great texture and finish, but I wanted to give it a more naturally aged stone look. I dry-brushed a complete, thin coating of light grey to lighten the entire piece. I then went in with a green dry-brush in the recessed areas for a cool mossy look, followed by a black wash to give the piece an overall dark, grimy sheen.

After the updated painting, I wanted to take the customization one step further and decided to add some melted candles to the top section of the stone. I ended up cutting a few angled pieces of toilet paper roll, and then globbed hot glue around the base of each to attach it, followed by a thick drizzle around each to simulate melted wax. After all three candles were set, I simply gave each a full coat of off-white paint and they were done. Now on Halloween night, I'll simply drop an LED tea light into each for a completely realistic candle effect that will really take this tombstone to the next level.

The original prop from Lowe's.

Toilet paper roll and hot glue candles.

I placed the completed tombstone into my yard and I think it looks absolutely great! Another detailed piece that will sit at the front of the display to really draw the eye in.

And now on to the next project on the list!

  

Guest Acting At The Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory. Again!

I had another opportunity to do some guest acting last night at the world-famous Akron Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory. Every year, I indulge my inner haunt actor by taking a weekend and doing a stint as a queue line actor. And every year, it is a TOTAL blast! I absolutely love the freedom of roaming throughout the grounds, interacting with all of the patrons and taking photos everywhere I go. It really sharpens my "haunting" senses and gets me ready for my own big night in the Cemetery!

And as an added bonus, I will be working the queue line again TONIGHT!! So if anyone is in the Northeast Ohio area and looking for something to do, come down to the Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory. The newly renovated queue line area looks absolutely amazing, and I will be there waiting for you in the shadows. It is going to be packed tonight and it is guaranteed to be insane!

Thanks as always to Dave and the entire Schoolhouse crew for welcoming me and always making it so much fun!

  

Bradley Thomas Turner - "Baroque Haunt (In The Study)"

One part surf rock, one part retro film score, one part sound effects record: This is Bradley Thomas Turner’s recipe for a perfect Halloween party soundtrack.

Haunted House Party plays like a walking tour through the All Hallow’s Eve soiree of your dreams (or is it nightmares?). This record will make you feel like you’re in an episode of Scooby-Doo, but this time … the monsters are real.

Library of the Occult Records brings a release of a different vibe in Bradley Thomas Turner's Haunted House Party. A totally swinging set of tracks that would be right at home in your local haunted tiki bar. A perfect release for a chill Saturday morning during an otherwise hectic and dark October season. The full release of this groovy set drops on Halloween!

Enjoy this one!

  

"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.

  

The Halloween Art Of Austin Pardun

Another shot of Halloween inspiration, courtesy of another really great Halloween artist, Austin Pardun.

Austin continues to kill it with his vintage and creepy October aesthetic. One part unsettling horror, one part nostalgic Halloween advertising, but it all combines perfectly into a continuing series of distilled Halloween perfection!

Each piece just gushes with total Halloween spirit, and I can't wait to see what he continues to create throughout the season.

Be inspired and enjoy!

All images courtesy of Instagram/Austin Pardun.

  

Tröegs Brewing - Master Of Pumpkins Ale

FIFTEEN DAYS into October and not ONE pumpkin beer review!? How could I have let this happen? It's way past time to right this wrong!

Every October, I like to pick up a few six packs of whatever seasonal pumpkin beer is on the local grocer's shelves, bring them home and sample them, and then write a highly-scientific and accurate review, based on my highly scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale. So let's get to it!

First up is Troegs Brewing's Master of Pumpkins. I actually reviewed this 7.5% ABV limited seasonal pumpkin ale a couple of times in years past, but it's a treat to find on the shelf and has always ranked pretty high, so I immediately grabbed a 4-pack for the fridge.

Upon cracking the 16-ounce "tallboy" can open, the beer poured a nice rich copper hue with an earthy, nutty, and slight cinnamon-sweet note, all capped with a firm, foamy head.

On first taste, there was a slightly malty, dry, roasted nut spice flavor. But it was smooth and balanced, not at all overpowering.

As I continued to drink this beer, the flavors opened up a bit, releasing the dry maltiness and leaving a smoother, toasted nut flavor. 

It definitely sits on the opposite side of the pumpkin ale spectrum to the cinnamon-sweet, pumpkin pie-flavored ales. There's no real sweetness here, but it does have a really great earthy flavor (all those Pennsylvania pumpkins!), making this a perfect beer to drink on a chilly October night.

And because this beer really nails that "from the earth" nut flavor and remains very drinkable throughout, Troegs' Master of Pumpkins gets 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos. This one is highly recommended!