Shaw Cemetery - Bath, Ohio

It's the first Sunday in October, which means it's time for another installment of Cemetery Sundays, where I grab my camera and roam local cemeteries, documenting the richly ornate tombstones and epitaphs contained within.

As I continue to shoot this series, I have really begun to focus on tombstones from the 1800s (luckily, most cemeteries in the Northeast Ohio area have stones dating back that far). Their ornate shapes coupled with the detailed, calligraphic epitaphs make for beautiful photos, something that you just can't get with the traditional marble tombstones of today. 

I look forward to doing this each season, as I have really come to appreciate the time alone, quietly walking around a cemetery free from distraction. It has become a nice weekly escape to document something that isn't normally considered beautiful by the average person. 

So let's kick off a new season of Cemetery Sundays. Enjoy!


One of the cool things about moving to a new home, especially MY new home, is that there is a new, entirely unexplored expanse of cemeteries to photograph in the immediate area. A quick Google Maps search revealed an unexpectedly large list of cemeteries very close by, and on an initial scouting run I noticed that most were very small, local plots dating back to the 1800s. Perfect targets for this series!

The first cemetery I decided to shoot was Shaw Cemetery in Bath, Ohio. I had passed by frequently since moving and had noticed many older-looking tombstones within the grounds. I got up just before dawn, grabbed my camera and went to work.

The strange thing about this cemetery is that it also has a predominant sign attached at the entrance reading "Moore's Chapel." Yet, there was no structure outside of a small maintenance shed anywhere on the grounds. I couldn't figure out what this chapel was...

Luckily, a quick online search revealed that the original land was actually two separate plots. One was a plot originally acquired from the Shaw family (their daughter was thought to be the first person interred here) in 1836, and the other was a plot in which a Methodist chapel had been built, the major benefactor of the build being Oliver Moore, giving the cemetery its alias name.

So now the dual-name conundrum has been quickly solved and the only thing left to do is sit back and enjoy (and maybe even get inspired by) Shaw Cemetery. Or Moore's Chapel Cemetery. Whichever you prefer...

The cemetery grounds, just before dawn...

Shaw Cemetery. Or Moore's Chapel. Either or.

The marker of Nathan Thorp, soldier in the Revolutionary War.

The only reason that I took the photo above was to officially claim right here and now that the next band I'm in will DEFINITELY be called "Stoton & Philena."

Be sure to stop by again next Sunday (and every Sunday in October) to explore another cemetery in the Cemetery Sunday series!

  

Mark Korven & The Apprehension Engine - Horror Sounds for 2019

Toronto horror film composer Mark Korven (well-known for his unsettling scores to The VVitch as well as the upcoming The Lighthouse) and fine instrument builder Tony Duggan-Smith have devised and constructed an incredible, skin crawling invention called The Apprehension Engine.

A Frankenstein's Monster-like instrument roughly constructed with a sole purpose of creating wonderfully discordant, eerie, horror sounds...

Earlier this year, Korven recorded a quick live performance with the Apprehension Engine and produced some of the creepiest, coolest sounds I've ever heard! What I wouldn't give to play around on this thing!! Enjoy...

"Sounds To Haunt Your House" Cassette

It's the first Friday of October, and that can mean only one thing...

Freebie Fridays!

If you're new to the Cemetery, you've stumbled in at just the right time! Every Friday in October, I dig up one of the vintage novelty Halloween soundtrack cassettes or vinyl records from my ever-growing collection and share it with all of my "spooky sounds" junkies.

I've been doing this for quite a few years now, and I still absolutely love doing it. It's a great way to share the love during the Halloween season, and a great way to discover some really neat-and-or-hilarious old novelty soundtracks from Halloweens past.

So let's get down to business!!

Absolutely The Scariest, The Most Chilling, Blood Curdling, Hair Raising, Bone Chilling, Heart Stopping, Shocking, Terrifying And Daring Spooky Sounds Ever Recorded!

Welllllllllll, I might not go THAT far, but Dominion Entertainment/K-Tel's 1992 cassette release, Sounds To Haunt Your House, is actually not bad, even with a few shady practices thrown in...

I had picked this one up on the cheap, based solely on the silly graphics on the front of the sleeve. I wasn't expecting much, but I ended up being somewhat surprised...

Upon listening to the first side I noticed the overusage of the echo reverb voiceover that guides us along, but luckily there was a solid base of nice, high-quality "standard creepy" sound effects. And the effects were layered nicely, with a higher than average production quality.

But as I got half way through the first side, I started to hear sound clips that sounded a bit familiar... "We have such sights to show you..."

WAIT. WHAT? They LITERALLY ripped off audio directly from Hellraiser. The shady side of novelty Halloween soundtrack production rears its ugly head again. Hilarious!

But they weren't done there. As side one drew to a close, I also noticed more "borrowed" audio. This time, a few screams taken directly from the classic novelty cassette, Horror Sounds of the Night. It takes guts to lift audio from such a beloved and well-known release!

As I started side two, I was actually impressed. Another 20 minutes of different sound effects, which was nice. Most cassettes simply repeated the same track on both sides, but this was a continuation of the loose story (and sampling) from side one. More high-quality, "creepy" sound effects ending with the voiceover. 

But again, the same scream from Horror Sounds of the Night. And did I recognize the wolf howl from Night in a Graveyard? Hmmm.

As I continued on, I realized that this cassette was pretty much "borrowing" audio from many sources, now including audio directly from Texas Chainsaw Massacre II. Unreal.

But what can I say? Sounds To Haunt Your House is actually a fairly decent release (especially compared to some of the drivel released in this genre), even if it DOES directly rip off audio from other, well-known sources. I still have to give this one a recommendation for your collection, as I think you'll get a kick out of it too. Happy Friday!

DOWNLOAD "SOUNDS TO HAUNT YOUR HOUSE" HERE.

  

Market Garden Brewery - Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale

We're just getting started in the October season, but the annual, ever-increasing selections of pumpkin-flavored beers have been on the local grocery shelves for months already.

I'm actually a big fan of all things pumpkin beer, and a few years ago I came up with an idea to rate them all. Starting in October, I'd grab a different beer from the local grocery store shelf, bring it home, pop the top and see how it stacked up.

Thus, the HIGHLY scientific Drunken Jackos Rating Scale was born! Give a quick review of the beer, then give it a rating based on a 1-to-5 Drunken Jackos scale. Simple!

Today, I'm starting with a beer brewed right up the road from me in Cleveland, Ohio. Market Garden Brewery's "Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale" is a big hit for a few reasons.

First, being a lifelong Cleveland guy, I'm happy they named it after Franklin Castle, the legendary Victorian home reported to be one of the most haunted in Ohio. But winks to the city's haunted history aside, I wanted to pop the top on this one and rate it!

Upon first pour, I was met with a nice sweet, earthy spice note. Not overpowering, yet quite fragrant. It poured a nice rich, dark copper with just a slight foam head.

The beer had a crisp, smooth, sweet cinnamon spice flavor up front, followed by a surprising and different hint of vanilla. The sweetness gave way to a nice smooth, dry caramel aftertaste to round it all out.

I made quick work of this one, and I was really quite impressed. That little hint of vanilla was really quite unexpected, but made for a unique take on the pumpkin ale field. And because of that, Market Garden Brewery's Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale scores 4 out of 5 Drunken Jackos.

This is a really great beer to start the season off. Smooth and flavorful, and easily drinkable.

************

**And as an added bonus, I see that TONIGHT, October 3rd, Market Garden Brewery is holding their 8th Annual Pumpkin Beer Festival!!

From their event page:

Franklin Castle Pumpkin Spice Ale, Franklin Castle aged in rye whiskey barrels--CO2 and on nitro, Pumpkin Giant, and Franklin Castle poured from a pumpkin.

We'll also have a dozen guest pumpkin beers and ciders to round out the offerings.

We will be highlighting a special pumpernickel rye pretzel and sweet potato pie, as well as other fun seasonal dishes.

Corn hole, giant jenga and pumpkin painting will also be available...

Wow, that sound pretty cool!! If you're anywhere near the Cleveland area, it might be worth checking out. Unfortunately, I'm booked solid already so I'll be drinking my Franklin Castle from the couch...

  

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!!

Highbury Cemetery Logo, 2019

Welcome. Here we are again. October 1st...

IT'S OFFICIALLY HALLOWEEN SEASON! And it's time to start our annual Countdown to Halloween! An orange-and-black blitz of 31 posts in 31 days, all leading up to our high holiday of All Hallows Eve!! This is our 9th year celebrating all things creepy and cool with the Countdown to Halloween blog party, and we are going stronger than ever. Can you feel that crisp, electric excitement in the air!!??

We've got a long list of blog posts all lined up and ready to go. A full month stuffed with tricks and treats, so be sure to check back daily because this party is going nonstop through the 31st! And you don't want to miss out on the good candy, do you??

So let's get this thing started, shall we!?

Every year, I like to kick off the October countdown with some art. Since 2003, I have created an increasingly defined and prominent Highbury Cemetery haunt logo for the season. The logo is used on posters, stickers, and a very small batch of t-shirts. Each year, the t-shirts are hand printed here at the Cemetery and then given out as a thank you to everyone who helps put on the yard haunt on Halloween night. 

The logo is the perfect way to get the October creative juices flowing and a perfect symbol to kick off the haunt season. I'm really happy with the way this year's logo turned out and I'm really excited to reveal it now. 

So ladies and gentlemonsters, boils and ghouls, I proudly present the ghastly and gruesome logo for Highbury Cemetery, 2019:

This year, Highbury Cemetery is in a new location and after 15 years, it sure felt weird typing the word "Copley" instead of the word "Akron."

But really, it all lends itself to a new, nervous excitement. Year 16 is a blank page and a brand new chapter. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to set up in this year's display or how many people will even show up in this new neighborhood, but either way, I'm ready to shock my unsuspecting neighbors on the big night with a display unlike anything they have ever seen around here! I only get one chance to announce the arrival of Highbury Cemetery, so I had better get it right!


So here we are again.

One down and 30 more to go. The days will go by fast, so let's be sure to make the most of them. (And if you get a minute, please check out all of the other crazy and cool blogs participating in this year's Countdown to Halloween! Every year, the celebration gets bigger!) I hope to see you tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that for some more Halloween madness and fun! The 2019 Halloween countdown has begun!!