Gravedigger's Local 16 – Page 61 – "What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?"

Jul 17 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Stay Gold Media

By Front Office in Tuesday uEtsy

[For those who are searching for unique horror items, one can’t beat Etsy.com. Each Tuesday, Gravedigger’s Local 16 aims to highlight one seller. If you’re looking to spruce up your look, redecorate your sanctorum or get a gift for that special something in your life, Etsy.com is your place for spooky econo.]

Stay Gold Media
www.etsy.com/shop/StayGoldMedia

Repurposed Book Upcycled Dictionary Art Vintage Book Zombie Horror Worms

The goods of Stay Gold Media are, in a word, classy. Even with their most poppest of pop culture product, there’s an air of respect and quality that the people at Stay Gold have towards both their artwork and their choice of medium of upcycled, repurposed dictionary pages. With a plethora of horror related images (and non-horror) available, you can add a bit of upscale spooky to your abode.

It reminds us about a recent incident. Ant Muller, one of the latest hires at the Berneau Family Funeral Home, has been hanging around Quiet Side lately. His first client through his new employer was laid to rest, one Edward Stone.

“I used to work the morgue in a hospital, but got tired of the grind and wanted to settle down and raise a family,” said Ant. “One of my colleagues spoke highly about Leathbridge, probably due to the Mortuary Science department at the university. It was lucky that I could find a job with Berneau’s. I’ll also teach a class or two, but—”

Ant said he never met any of the groundskeepers at any of the cemeteries since he never knew where the bodies were going. His work was more diagnosis than decorative.

“I was worried I couldn’t do it. Working a funeral home is different than pulling the graveyard shift—no, uh, offense meant—at St. Catherine’s. Normally, I found out what killed the person, filled my report and passed the cleanup for others. But.”

There was another pause in his conversation.

The Human Hand Anatomy Antique IllustrationUpcled Collage Recycled Book Art

Stay Gold also offers antique illustrations from anatomy and nature books, proving that special gift for your doctor or mortician friend. Sometimes, one can’t simply afford to purchase an exploded skull or a gall bladder in a glass box. What better way to say “I respect your knowledge of the human machine” than with a lovely print of one of the finer inter-workings?

“I went to meet Ed Stone’s family,” continued Ant, “at his house. Eric—y’know, Eric Berneau? He’s the one that’ll take over the whole place. He had me go over to Ed’s home to get to know him better.

“I was ‘know him better?’ The idea is to keep it impersonal. It’s kind of a way to handle the fact that I deal in dead bodies, people that are no more. Eric talked about his family’s ethic about running the business, about getting to know the person in order to find the right way to present him to not just the public but, I guess, the dead. Or something like that. He said it was about respect and I guess I could get into that.”

The Visionary Dictionary Book Print Upcycled Book Art

Anyone can just take prints and put them on old pages of books, but it takes the skill and artful eye to frame the design accordingly with the type of page from a specific book. Anyone with lesser of a mind than Stay Gold might end up obfuscating the entirety of the dictionary page’s original type with an opaque design, rendering the whole point of printing on the upcycled paper moot. Know that when you buy from Stay Gold, you’ll be buying from people who know what they’re doing in making your purchase something special and distinct.

Ant continued to tell his story over the coffee supplied to him by the Intern. “We went over to Ed’s home and it turns out he was a librarian for forty years. He was sort of retired at the end, but he was still doing volunteer work up until the day his body gave out. When we got there, I didn’t know what to make of it. I’ve seen Hoarders but this was much different.

“When you hear someone say ‘wall to wall,’ they’re talking about Ed Stone’s place. The guy had books from one corner to another. They were shelved but there were shelves on wheels, just so he could move them around and put in more books. It was a library that was just as big as the public one in town, maybe even bigger than the university’s!

Repurposed Book Upcycled Dictionary Art Vintage Book Styling Sunglasses Skull

The pages you see advertised in these pictures are not those that will be in your print, as each print is uniquely run across a different page from a vintage dictionary or reference book. The combination of print subject matter and what random page leads to an exciting situation, as you don’t know what you just might wind up with–something fortuitous, hilarious or possibly prophetic.

“The place was kind of messy,” said Ant, as he remembered Ed Stone’s home. “His kitchen was kind of a wreck and his bedroom was trashed the way that old men living by themselves usually end up, right? I don’t do house calls but I’ve read enough police reports to get an idea. But seeing it firsthand was weird. It was even weirder because the rooms with the books were immaculate. Needed a good dusting but that’s probably because Ed hadn’t been around for a while.

“These books, and this is the strange thing, they all were from libraries. Not just the Leathbridge public one, but one from libraries two towns over. Was Ed stealing books? Was he checking them out and he had overdue fines? No! We checked into it and it turns out that these books were set for disposal – incineration, recycling, whatever. Either they had two copies and space for one or they were worthless but Ed came along, either took them for free or made a good purchase and kept them in his house.

Repurposed Book Upcycled Dictionary Art Vintage Book Print Recycled Vintage Frankenstein

The wide range of print subjects means you can decorate your home with the goods from Stay Gold Media, no matter what your style or scene may be. Horror. Happiness. Punk. Pixie. Stay Gold caters to all types and pursuing their store will incite temptation to click BUY on at least three items.

When asked to explain further, Ant said “Well, Ed’s will kind of was strange. He said he wanted to be taken care of in a way that was fitting to his life. He doesn’t have any living family – his parents are long gone, his wife died two years ago and he was an only child. No kids. I imagine he called these books ‘his children,’ but yeah—that’s creepy, I know.

“I don’t know how we got the legal ramifications for it. State laws, perhaps. I know some places would have a fit if this happened and both me and Eric would be in the jail. But let me tell you this. There’s a rare book room in the University, where there are twelve volumes of a thirteen volume set. We found this collection of the stories that Ed liked. Shakespeare. Milton. Mark Twain. It spans the centuries. You need special permission to see them, because there aren’t many books around anymore that have been bound in human skin. The final volume of that set? It sits in the head librarian’s office at the Leathbridge Public Library. I’m not entirely sure what stories were written into those pages. Eric wouldn’t tell me. I don’t think he knows, either.”

Aries Astrology Zodiac Ram Repurposed Upcycled Dictionary Print Recycled Vintage

Ant concluded that the remains of Edward Stone were buried underneath a trio of pine trees, the type of softwood often used in the manufacturing of paper.

You can find all the Stay Gold items on sale here, on their Etsy Store. Look, buy, frame. You win. And when you’re done, come back next week for another edition of Tuesday uEtsy.

Jul 16 2012

The Evil Streaks, TALK TO THE DEAD

By Strange Jason in Music, Rock, Surf

The Evil Streaks
Talk To The Dead
Band: Facebook, Store (Buy the CD here)

[Audio:http://www.gravediggerslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Devils-Mark.mp3]

Those attending the Friday the 13^th performance by the Evil Streaks were given a surprise as their first full length, ‘Talk To The Dead,’ was unleashed ahead of schedule. The album is a supernaturally fuelled collection of thirteen songs drenched in electric voodoo, blood-coated distortion coming from the haunted amp.

The Evil Streaks are the continuation of the Necro-Tone brand and ethos, one of no-bullshit rock and roll, dashed with surf, mixed a touch of punk and metal. John Kozik (The Crimson Ghosts, The Demon Seeds) and Myra (Ghoul’s Night Out, Gein and the Graverobbers) were in an early band called The Disconnect, but it lasted only a few performances before the ethereal energy maintaining its presence in this material world dispersed. Luckily, neither John nor Myra were deterred, and picking up Rev on bass and Jim on drums (a position once held in the band by Necro-Tone family member, Sloth) the Evil Streaks rose out of the premature tomb, tore away the shroud and gave the world a new way to rock.

Following up the ‘Go-Go To Hell’ ep, ‘Talk To The Dead’ is an organic blend of style, taking primary and secondary hereditary traits from prior Necro-Tone incarnations and giving everyone equal billing in spotlight. There are instrumental tracks (“Marble Orchard”, “Haunted Heart”) and straight garage-flavored singles-with-a-bullet (“Dirty Little Secret,” “Strike A Chord”) with plenty of horror (“Pumpkin Carving Party,” “Devil’s Mark.”) A cover of April March’s “Chick Habit” fits in better than it should; it’s a cover song that doesn’t sound like one.

A highly enjoyable kick to the pleasure center of the bran, ‘Talk To The Dead’ is a showcase of the past, the present and the future of both The Evil Streaks and rock and roll. Though they often play to scenes celebrating the days of yesteryear, the group doesn’t seem ready to idle on their own heydays. There definitely is the straining of sinews and the reaching of hands from behind the bed in displays of growth, all done in a way that doesn’t sound disjointed or at war with itself. This is a great album, one that mixes together like a fine, foamy drink served at Otto’s Shrunken Head right before you wander into the back room to watch the Evil Streaks perform.

The sound on the album is fuzzier than earlier releases, fitting for the subject matter; this is said in passing notice, as it is not a detriment to the overall sound or the miasma that wires through my ears. Perhaps I’m going deaf? Perhaps the record is haunted, and that what we’re hearing is the unreality seeping through the cracks. Maybe the Evil Streaks are earning their comparison to the Cramps by being the resurrection of that music which bore Lux and Ivy, the return of the sound breaking the seals set by the dying acts of unsung guitar slingers while charlatans and false prophets have paraded around.

The addition of the Farfisa (lent by the skillful Jenn Brunell) throughout the album was great and allowed for a new version of “All Good Things,” giving it a new flavor on one of the better songs from ‘Go-Go To Hell.’ If the organ becomes a permanent fixture in the sound, time will tell. If you need any clearer divination on the subject, you’re in luck. As the wonderful cover art, an original painting from Haig Demarjian (of Die You Zombie Bastard! fame, found online at www.artofhaig.com) showcases Myra in full use of the automatic spiritual conduit, the Ouija board. Each album comes with its own rendition, allowing you to talk to the dead yourself.

Jul 13 2012

TGIF13: 6′+ Episode 34 is up!

By Front Office in Holiday, Music, News

To quote the description given at the new listing:

“This episode is cursed. Blame it on Friday the 13th. We’ve got Monstermatt Minute. On the Metal Morgue, Dr. Gangrene talks to Dead Dick Hammer. Music from The Mephistos, Killer Barbies, Nekromatix and Dead Milkmen, with the returning 3ftDeep segment spotlighting Dead City Saints.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher . We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Jul 12 2012

Tales of the Frightened

By Weird Jon in Audio Drama

The backstory for the subject of today’s review is quite fascinating. In 1956, Michael Avallone created a magazine called Tales of the Frightened. The plan was that it would act as a promotional tie-in to a radio series starring Boris Karloff. Sadly, the magazine was short-lived and the radio series fell through. Thankfully, Mr. Avallone was able to reissue the stories as a book and the Karloff recordings became two classic LPs in 1961. In 2010, his son decided to do a modern take on the matter. As the original albums used electronic music, Avallone tapped Eban Schletter to compose while obtaining the services of Vernon Wells to narrate. Yes, that Vernon Wells.

The album’s 16 tracks are evenly split between instrumental numbers by Eban Schletter and the readings (with musical backing) by Vernon Wells. The aptly-titled “Prelude” is both creepy and effective, in addition the setting the tone for many of the music tracks. Of particular note are the theremin-style “Grave Robber” and the energetic and foreboding “Samba Of The Frightened.” In the tracks featuring the actual stories, its planned radio origins are apparent in how the narrator greets the listener at the beginning of each story and closes out with a spooky offhand comment. It’s also worth noting that the selection of stories are taken from both volumes of the original LPs.

“The Man in the Raincoat” tells the story of one Sylvester Dodge, who has a chance encounter with a strange man in a raincoat who follows him everywhere. Will he be able to evade him in order to leave for his dream vacation? In “Don’t Lose Your Head,” a traveling salesman visiting postwar Shanghai is woken up in his hotel room by a strange scratching sound. I won’t spoil it for you by telling you what he finds, but let’s just say that things only get stranger from there. The use of music in this story is great, as is the brief use of a sound effect to represent a character. That said, its similarity to a story from the comic book Hellboy implies this is based on an old Asian folk tale. “Never Kick A Black Cat” details what happens when a construction manager makes the mistake of kicking a back cat he encounters on his way to work. As was the case from the previous story, the use of music and a single sound effect work wonders when combined with Wells’ reading.

In “Just Inside The Cemetery,” a lawyer in a small town sees two men digging a fresh grave at the town graveyard. Thing is, nobody has died recently (even though the gravediggers insist otherwise). Overcome by curiosity, he makes the fateful decision to investigate the grave after midnight. “The Hand Of Fate” is a very interesting tale, where a servant returns to his employer’s mansion scared witless. Why? Because he saw Death in the marketplace and demands a horse in order to flee from him. The employer obeys, but is so upset over the matter that he goes into town to confront Death himself! The last surviving member of the Alexis family encounters a mysterious beautiful woman while hunting in the marshes. Instantly smitten, he proposes and has her move into the ancestral castle. But was has the once-healthy Count Alexis suddenly become sick while his new bride is healthy and never comes out during the day? Considering that the name of story is “The Vampire Sleeps,” the answer should be obvious. The final two tales should be very familiar for those who’ve read countless scary stories. With a title like “The Deadly Dress” and a plot about a poor girl getting a beautiful dress for a big party cheaply, do I really have to say more? I will give it credit for offering multiple explanations for the finale, though. “Call At Midnight” deals with a lonely man whose true love had died during WWII. But if she’s dead, then why does she call him one day to request that he call a special number at midnight?

Those going into this expecting an awesomely over-the-top, Bennett from Commando (aka the greatest movie ever made) performance from Vernon Wells will be disappointed. Instead, his deep voice is extremely effective and fits the stories perfectly (as is the occasional use of music). Although Wells occasionally adopts a different voice for a secondary character, the performance is more audio book than audio drama. While I personally felt that several of the stories are somewhat predictable, there are enough twists to make it interesting and they do admittedly have a simple, timeless feel to them. Speaking of time, the entire album clocks in at just under a hour.

Although a stripped-down, limited edition preview version was released for Comic Con, the official full release came out in 2010 in the form of both burn on demand CD-Rs and .mp3 downloads. Here’s hoping that sales are good enough to warrant a sequel (along with reissues of the original Karloff versions), as listening to this was a blast. Those who feel the same way can also write in to request such releases here. In the meantime, Eban Schletter also has an album full of tracks similar to his work on Tales of the Frightened.

Special thanks to Oglio Entertainment for the review copy!

Jul 10 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Deathany97

By Front Office in Tuesday uEtsy

Deathany97
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Deathany97

Teeth & Eyeball Bracelet – horror, macabre, death glam, oddities, zombie

This Friday is the sixth annual Psychobilly Luau. Poinsettia is upset that she can’t go and has been sulking around the offices. She’s been visiting since we needed Bernie to come by with some of his equipment for a large landscaping undertaking. A whole back wing of Quiet Side has been recommissioned. While working with the university and the relatives that could be located, the remains interred in this wing of the cemetery will be either relocated to a different section, held in waiting until they can be replaced or donated to the mortuary and biology science departments for what studies might be funded this upcoming semester.

Because Poinsettia is out of school, she decided to tag along with her father since Loretta has been bringing young Humphrey up at the Freakshow family home. It’s kind of amazing to think that Humphrey is almost a year old. Time does fly.

“It’s total bull!” was often repeated by Poinsettia when the Luau, taking place July 13-15th at three different venues in Brooklyn, NY, was brought up. “Bea’s uncle and aunt will let us stay with them.” The reason for her missing the act is that she’s still only fifteen and will be eligible to travel to New York City on her own next year.

“I’m going to be sixteen in October. It’s total bull!”

Strange Jason, who missed out on the festivities last year (as documented here) has shared his sympathies with Poinsettia but it hasn’t made her mood lighten. It’s a shame. She recently discovered Deathany97, the feature of this week’s Tuesday uEtsy spotlight and the accessories and clothing available would have made Poinsettia the big kahuna of the Luau.

Blue Tentacle Pendant

What makes this Deathany97 brand Tentacle Necklace (and the others available at the store) so special is the vibrant color choices. Rich blues, electric purples and putrid greens not just stand out but scream against a dark dress or black t-shirt, making these eye catching appendages even more inescapable.

Mini Brain Bracelet – Green – zombie, psychobilly, kandi kid, kawaii, horror

Wearing your heart on your sleeve is so 1995 Billy Corgan. These days, show off your smarts visually with a collection of brains around your wrists. Available in red, pink, rainbow and zombie, this Deathany97 bracelet allows you to give someone a piece of your mind while having plenty leftover for yourself.

SHE Monster Tank Top – B Movie, horror, sci-fi,

Dressing for a psychobilly event can go any which way, though there are standards and typical fashions that can do no wrong. Creepers. Rolled cuff jeans. Dresses from the fifties. Greaser pompadours, psycho spikes and bangs. These examples are heavy on the ‘billy, light on the psycho. You can switch it around with this style of tank top, showing your love for the horror on your clothing (if you haven’t already dyed your skin with some tattoos.) With a custom printed monster poster on the front, you won’t find this anywhere else.

Pink and Black Severed Zombie Finger Necklace

Giving the finger to someone has never been easier, and really, the gesture is one of the easiest to make as it is. Reduce the time and effort with this pink and black necklace, permanently giving the one-digit salute to whoever might catch sight of your neckline. After all, this is the ultimate form of freedom of expression.

Dress – Medium, meat, freddy krueger, psychobilly, halloween, horror, Lady Gaga

Luau’s, by their nature, have fire and meat cooking on said fire. But since the venues – Public Assembly on Friday, The Bell House on Saturday and Sunday – probably will discourage creating fire pits in the wrecking pit. But that’s no reason for you not to dress up like a tasty bit of meat yourself. Or, if you’re into the horror business, customize this with a fedora or a nice leather glove to accent the kind of nightmares you’re going to give all the kats and kittens when you show up.

Head over to Deathany97’s etsy store and follow @Deathany97 on Twitter. Pick up what you can. If you can’t make it to the 2012 Psychobilly Luau this year, at least you can be prepared for 2013. And be prepared to make it back here next week for another edition of Tuesday uEtsy.

bracelet, brains, Deathany97, dress, necklace, tank top, tentacles
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Jul 09 2012

The Madeira, TRIBAL FIRES

By Strange Jason in Surf

The Madeira
Tribal Fires

[audio:http://www.gravediggerslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Madeira-Tribal-Fury.mp3]

If you’re a fan of surf music, you more than likely already own ‘Tribal Fires’ by The Madeira. It’s forgivable if you don’t, but until you do, you’re going to get a stern look from everyone around you. RIGHTFULLY SO, I might add.

The prevalent theme of ‘travel’ among The Madeira’s oeuvre continues in ‘Tribal Fires.’ Placing the four releases together, a narrative forms of a band of men starting off in an unforgiving desert (‘Sandstorm’) that leads them through a desolate civilization of long ago (‘Ruins’) before night falls (‘Carpe Noctem’). Their journey leads them across a great ocean until they arrive in the deepest jungles of a dark nature, fires guiding their way down the African continent.

Similarly, I think that the members of The Madeira aren’t content with letting the grass grow under their feet musically. There is a noticeable difference between ‘Carpe Noctem’ and ‘Tribal Fires,’ a refinement that is near ungodly. The quality of surf music on this album is unreal. I literally had to stop the player after hearing the opening track ‘Tribal Fury’ so I could think about what I heard. I might be prone to hyperbole but this is honest. I had to stop and think about what I just heard, about the movement of fingers and the arrangement of sounds that happened.

As the name of the group is taken from the Madeira islands, a highly sought surfing location, caught in between the influences of Portugal, Spain and North Africa. I asked Ivan about the name and he spoke about how he identified with “this island that was its own thing, with ties to multiple places but separate.” This makes a whole lot of sense, as the music this group of musicians makes is connected to many sources and yet, they are their own self.

No one is slacking off on this album. Everyone is playing at a level that hadn’t been reached before on prior releases, albums that are by no means of the imagination products of half-hearted work. The guys in the band have been at this for a while and their efforts show, especially in ‘The Expedition’ and in the ‘Pre-Ritual’/’Ritual’ songs towards the end of the album.

The song arrangement is pretty smart, producing not a collection of songs but an overall experience that is lacking in a lot of modern ‘albums.’ After getting whalloped by ‘Tribal Fury,’ the following tracks ‘Cities of Gold’ and ‘Twilight’ allow my brain to return from the edge, as they display the grace of Patrick O’Connor and Ivan Pongracic’s respective guitar playing. Todd Fortier is great with the bass, too. It’s never a non-entity and that’s what is great about a lot of surf music bands. Schlubs (like myself) who only know three notes on the instrument, making us overqualified for most punk bands, can’t hold up towards guys like Fortier. Dane Carter, by the way? The drummer? When he’s fast, he’s a 50mm caliber machine gun. When he’s slow, he’s the heartbeat of the surf against your board. Together, these men have made definitely one of the best albums of the year.

Jul 05 2012

It’s Audio Month!

By Weird Jon in News

It’s no secret, I’ve love audio dramas. As long time readers of the site know, I’ve reviewed a LOT of audio dramas (and audio books) over the past few years. Judging from the Gravedigger’s Local 16 analytics page, many of you share my passion. In honor of this, I’ve decided to devote myself entirely to reviews of both audio dramas and audio books this month.

If you don’t care for this sort of thing, don’t fret. Strange Jason and company have other types of articles planned for the month. In fact, as of this review, all future music reviews on Gravedigger’s Local 16 should include a streaming sample track! It’s not the same type of “audio” I’ll be focusing on, but I doubt people will complain about free music. In the meantime, please enjoy the following compilation of my past reviews and free audio download collections:

Sticks
The Slide
Ghostly Tales
Special Order
Spine Chillers
The Price of Fear
Fear For Your Ears
Great Classic Horror
Appointment With Fear
Great Classic Suspense
More Fear For Your Ears
Batman: The Stone King
Great Classic Ghost Stories
The Shadow Over Innsmouth
Batman: The Lazarus Syndrome
Vincent Price Presents: Volume 1
H.P. Lovecraft Radio Hour Volume 1

audio, Audio Drama, News
1 comments

Jul 03 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Illinois Valley Custom

By Front Office in Tuesday uEtsy

ILLINOISVALLEYCUSTOM
www.etsy.com/shop/ILLINOISVALLEYCUSTOM

SKELETAL DINOSAUR Necklace Pendant Velvet Cord

Our ghosts usually start showing up around the middle of summer. Something about the humidity brings them out of the ground and the woods. There’s a few you might catch. Mr. Topper is seen around where a clocktower used to stand before it was torn down in the early 1900s. A trio of children can usually be heard or seen playing around the back alleys of Second street.

One of the college’s history professors had the longest encounter with them, when the three of them asked him to get a ball down from a nearby ledge. He took note of their odd style of dress, recognizing it from his studies. What’s unusual was that he noticed that two children were dressed of a particular decade at the start of the 19^th century, while the third was fashioned in finery from half-a-century later.

Ghosts are known to make friends around these parts. About a year ago, a nightclub called The Eye Scream opened in a renovated building where an old hospital once stood, probably in the time of Topper’s clock. Not much can be said of what caused the hospital’s closure or why a few of its old patients, youth renewed through death, appear occasionally during a particularly powerful song played through the Eye’s sound system. If you’ve ever seen a ghost, do your best to catch it under strobe lights. That’s just our opinion.

It might help to be wearing the wares of ILLINOISVALLEYCUSTOM, the fabricators of these acrylic materials that might either disguise you as one of the ghasts or ghouls. Or perhaps they’ll make you’re a more attractive human? These items will fit, depending on who or what you want to attract. We don’t judge.

WHITE COFFIN Earrings

Depending on your ghost, displaying a coffin might either be a sign of aggression or a mode of comfort. It’s a fifty-fifty shot, whether you’ll scare them away or draw them closer. You’ll likely remind the ghost that they’re dead and if that’s an unpleasant reality to them, you might end up in an unpleasant reality of your own. But the humans who see you wearing these will know that you have good taste and, more than likely, will want to hear all about your day.

Black ACRYLIC SKELETAL RIBCAGE Pendant Necklace Black Velvet

There is rarely a time you’re going to get to wear your ribcage outside your skin. You might be one of the lucky ones, but to ensure that you don’t miss out on the opportunity, get the next best thing with this acrylic skeletal ribcage pendant. This gorgeous piece of acrylic jewelry will make anyone’s heart beat out of their chest and long to be close to yours.

FANGS/TEETH SCENE Ring Sizes 5 through 16

Eyetooth. Your canine. Fingertooth. What you wear when you put this ring on. Have you had your wisdom teeth removed? Do you need more wisdom? Clearly, purchasing this ring will demonstrate fashion forward thinking and economic sense, making you particularly wise, fashionable and wealthy. Triple-play!

Black SKULL & CROSSBONES Wall Clock

IVC doesn’t just do wearables (and you should know, they do A LOT of wearables. We’re not even scratching the surface here. Head over and see the cornucopia of material they have available.) You can get some decore, like this black skull and crossbones clock. What time is it? Time to die. Tears in rain.

2PC BRASS D6 Omega Dice Set Warhammer Role Playing

One of the additional fabrications of IVC is the collection of unique dice they do for all types of gaming, though your RPG minded friend (or you) are the ones who will be setting the table on fire when they bust out one of the sets available at IVC’s etsy page.

Speaking of which, head over to the page and buy some of the low priced, high quality products available. You’ll be glad you did. It’ll keep you safe from ghosts, keep you on time and keep you rolling critical hits. We’re told that the last thing is a good thing. We don’t know. Let us look it up and meet you back here next week for another Tuesday uEtsy.

Jul 02 2012

The Bloodtypes, JUST YOUR TYPE

By Strange Jason in Punk

The Bloodtypes
Just Your Type
[Audio:http://www.gravediggerslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/The-Bloodtypes-Just-Your-Type.mp3]

Despite being type O-Negative (seriously. I have the card to prove it) I never was into slow trudge. I like my blood to be flowing freely, like the punk rock of the Bloodtypes on ‘Just Your Type.’

Glad in white that is liberally splattered with the stuff keeping you alive, the Bloodtypes aren’t vampires, aren’t ghouls but punks from the Northwest Portland. Having released their first full length album, they are a well needed infusion. They will get you moving.

“Anti-Social Media” is their punkest song. “Gotta Get Away” is a catchy anthem for warmer weather and “Kats R Punx” is just a fun song. The literal centerpiece of the album is the title track, “Just Your Type.” Highly recommended

Smartly, the album hooks you in with “Be A Man,” the song that really got me into this band. I.V. Frehley’s guitar and Jesse B Negative’s bass are the two hands that grip your shoulders while Matt O Demic’s drumming move your legs. All while this happens, you’re focused on the sound of Schneck Tourniquet’s vocals and synths.

The resurgence of the keyboard as a present member in the rock-lineup might bring a bit of wariness about the listener. I know that if I see a band I don’t know set up a keyboard, I preemptively wince. A lot of hipsters must have dug around the dollar Vinyl bin and suddenly think Fleetwood Mac was a good idea. The Bloodtypes weave the instrument masterfully into their music so that it never becomes a novelty. The music on ‘Just Your Type’ could be found anywhere in the last three decades; it would never be out of place and it will always be the same powerful record of quality punk that it is today.

Comparisons between the Bloodtypes and another Portland-snyth-fueled band are bound to be made, since both the Bloodtypes and The Epoxies are fronted by women who can kick your ass and sing circles around you. They also share a common member (Jess B Negative, transformed from his FM Static persona.) The Bloodtypes are dirtier, in a positive sense. The guitars are more rusty razors, the rock more garage surgery. The Epoxies were of an idea, an idea whose time has passed (and we are lucky for being around during that period.) The Bloodtypes are accessible by many. They’re the universal donors. Get them in your system and feel your pulse throb.

Blood, new wave, punk, The Bloodtypes
1 comments

Jun 30 2012

Orgy of the Living Dead

By Weird Jon in Video

Back when I was putting together material for Zombie Awareness Month 2012, I had originally been planning on sharing a 1972 trailer for a horror triple bill called “Orgy of the Living Dead,” which you can see below courtesy of one tommytoploader:

So why did I choose to hold onto it until now? Because there’s not a single zombie to be found in any of the movies! Revenge of the Living Dead is merely a retitled version of the early slasher The Murder Clinic, Fangs of the Living Dead is a vampire movie and Curse of the Living Dead is actually an edited version of Kill, Baby, Kill! with a new name!

The company behind the triple bill, Europix International, definitely pulled out all the stops for this promotion. In addition to the above trailer, they created multiple promotional posters, a pressbook and even providing “shock insurance.” While my source for that last gimmick claims that it’s a variation of a gimmick used for William Castle’s Macabre, my research has found a similar, earlier offer used in the promotion for The Screaming Skull.

Thanks to its appearance in numerous trailer compilations and wide availability online (which I suspect is due to the website Bleeding Skull having once offered it as a downloadable Quicktime file prior to the creation of Youtube), “Orgy of the Living Dead” is still popular to this day and is the subject of much discussion. The trailer’s claim of having driven the fictional John Austin Frazier insane still lives on, with some mistakenly thinking Night of the Living Dead drove a viewer mad!

Europix went on to create a similar trailer for their 1974 double bill of I Dismember Mama and The Blood Splattered Bride, which is even more NSFW than “Orgy of the Living Dead” and can be seen thanks to this upload by ranarchy666:

Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas has written an excellent article that not only chronicles the early days of Europix International, but also reveals the mastermind behind the “Orgy of the Living Dead” campaign (Alan Ormsby) and the actor playing Mr. Frazier (Victor Bumbalo)! It also reveals that cult film director Bob Clark was also involved in the filming of the “Orgy of the Living Dead” trailer. I have also heard rumors that he was involved in creation of the above double feature trailer, but I have yet to find any hard evidence for the claim at this time.

UPDATE: I’ve since found scans of the pressbook for the above double feature, which devotes entire pages to the Up-Chuck Cup and trailer!

Jun 29 2012

The Dead Want Women

By Weird Jon in Movies

The year is 1927. Silent film starlet Rose Pettigrew is celebrating the completion of her latest film. During a celebratory orgy with some of her closest celebrity friends, she gets the news that talkies are taking over and her voice has gotten her bounced from all the studios. Instead of doing the smart thing and forming her studio using her wealth, she gets upset and takes it out on her friends. With a gun. Then she kills herself. Flash forward to today, where two friends/business partners Reese and Dani are trying to get the mansion cleaned up to impress a wealthy potential buyer. Little do they know that Rose’s friends aren’t as dead as one might think…

I’ll admit it, this film fooled me. When I first saw the cover, The Dead Want Women I immediately assumed it was a zombie movie. After all, the makeup jobs on the cover looked like what you’d see in a zombie film and like the first two zombie films from Full Moon, the word “Dead” is featured in the title. However, watching the film shows that the villainous actors are clearly supposed to be ghosts. Granted, they’re zombie-looking ghosts (and are even referred to as such in the “Making Of” segment), but they are ghosts none the less and I had to completely rework my original introduction to this article. And while it wasn’t a completely awful film that existed only to feature nudity and sex scenes like I had first guessed, it was still incredibly bad and did go out of its way to show nude women. Seriously, one of the participants from the orgy who spends the majority of her screen time naked (and without the rotting makeup that the other ghosts have).

While the film thankfully drops the “the location the protagonists are currently in has been magically sealed shut” trope that has been used many times in recent Full Moon films, it unfortunately opts to have the two leads be simply too stupid to leave until it’s too late. Granted, I suppose this behavior makes sense for people who try to tidy up an entire mansion a few hours before the buyer is scheduled to arrive, but still. Would you stick around a mansion after a friend wakes you up screaming about being attacked by three men? Guess what Reese and Dani opt to do. It’s not a spoiler or anything, as their acting intelligent in any way would keep the movie from happening at all. I also found it hard to get into the movie since, despite all we hear about Rose’s voice keeping her out of the talkies, it isn’t bad. Considering her smoking habit in the film, they really should have gone for a much nastier raspy voice. The makeup and computer effects are both disappointingly bad. I know it’s a low budget movie, but I had never seen a Full Moon film where the skin around the actor’s eyes was clearly visible in a make-up job until I watched this. Thankfully, there are some enjoyable touches here and there. The horror film star character Erik Burke is an amusing reference to both the Phantom of the Opera and the Burke and Hare murders the character Tubby Fitzgerald is a reference to Fatty Arbuckle. That said, he acts like more of a Curly Howard clone than Arbuckle. Eric Roberts gives the film some much-needed class in his portrayal as a Western star, although his presence here is surprising. I know that films like DOA: Dead or Alive and Sharktopus aren’t quality cinema by any means, but this seems like a comedown for him. On the plus side, it barely runs over an hour not counting the credits. The audio’s great, but the video does suffer from some minor shimmering at points. Thankfully, the widescreen transfer doesn’t suffer from any other issues.

As usual, Full Moon has included chapter stops but left out a chapter menu of any kind. The special features include a trailer for the film, a Full Moon trailer collection and a behind-the-scenes featurette. The trailer for the film is widescreen and of excellent quality, while the other Full Moon trailers are a mixed bag. Said trailers consist of DevilDolls, Killjoy’s Revenge, Skull Heads, Evil Bong 3: The Wrath of Bong, Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt, Goobers, Shandar: The Shrunken City and the same fullscreen promo ad for Full Moon’s “Haunted Casino” line of merchandise featured on the DVD for the movie of the same name. DevilDolls appears to be a quickie anthology film made from stitching together footage from Ragdoll, Doll Graveyard and Demonic Toys with brief computer generated transition scenes. While widescreen, the quality of the footage depends on what scenes from what films are playing. Killjoy’s Revenge is simply Killjoy 3 with a new title and as you’d expect, the trailer is exactly the same as the Killjoy 3 trailer seen on countless Full Moon DVDs (save for the title). The trailers for Skull Heads, Evil Bong 3: The Wrath of Bong, Killer Eye: Halloween Haunt, are the same widescreen trailers that have been seen on many of the Full Moon DVDs reviewed here and are of the same quality. The trailer for Goobers is fullscreen, which makes sense as this simply the trailer for the 90’s kiddie film Mystery Monsters with a new title, as is the case with Shandar: The Shrunken City (really The Shrunken City). The age of the films is extremely obvious due to the image quality. I also noticed that playing the trailer for those films results in the trailer playing over and over again until the viewer hits their “Root Menu” button. Why all the retitlings? My best guess is that it has to do with Full Moon selling titles to Redbox. The new titles are needed either to make a sequel seem more like a standalone film and to quickly pump out “new” releases for kiosk services to snap up. I suspect this is also the reason for the creation of DevilDolls as well.

The behind-the-scenes featurette clocks in a little over 15 minutes and packs in a lot of bloopers and raw footage. Everyone but Eric Roberts is featured, although Roberts is discussed by the others. They also talk about Charles Band. A LOT. Although one of them jokes about the level of butt-kissing going on, it’s still incredibly blatant. When they aren’t discussing those two, they do offer some insights as to their performance and what got them into acting. Similar to the making of segment for Killoy 3, the actress who spent the bulk of the film without any clothes on gets to appear fully clothed to discuss the experience. Among the interesting things we learn are that she had to wear a merkin and is trying to break out of the adult film industry. Sadly, there are occasional audio glitches and the audio levels are either very soft or very loud depending on the segment. Similarly, several sequences are very grainy and the interviews have particularly soft image quality to them. There’s even some bad interference at the end as well.

Oddly enough, it turns out my assumption about the film being a zombie movie wasn’t too far off the mark. Why? Because Full Moon is preparing their third zombie movie: Zombies vs. Strippers. I’m not kidding…

Special thanks to Full Moon Features for the review copy!

Jun 29 2012

6’+ Episode 33 is up!

By Front Office in Podcast - 6'+

To quote the description given at the new listing:

“The second half of our showcase on the best of 2012 (so far-ther.) This time around, we have Demented Are Go!, the Avery Wolves, Dead Man’s Curse, Prelude To A Nightmare, Death Ray Cats and more. Monstermatt Patterson hits you dead-on with the Monstermatt Minute and Dr. Gangrene twists and turns with the hair metal man of the hour, Dee Snider.”

Remember to email 6′+ (contact at 6ftplus.com) or leave a comment below about the show, whether you liked it or not. Tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, but above all – enjoy.

You can find all episodes of 6′+ over at the official site as well as on iTunes and Stitcher . We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.

Jun 28 2012

Great Classic Ghost Stories

By Weird Jon in Audio Drama, Books

The term “ghost story” can have many meanings. The most obvious one is a scary story specifically about one or more ghosts, while others might use it to describe any scary story. Some might even go as far as to label any tale involving a ghost as a “ghost story,” even if the story isn’t scary at all. In creating Great Classic Ghost Stories, AudioGo has opted to embrace all three meanings. Their selection of tales consists of “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce, “The Empty House” by Algernon Blackwood, “The Consequences” by Willa Cather, “How It Happened” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “A Ghost” by Guy De Maupassant, “The Shell of Sense” by Olivia Howard Dunbar, “Ligeia” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Signal-Man” by Charles Dickens, “The Secret of the Growing Gold” by Bram Stoker, “The Fullness of Life” by Edith Wharton, “An Old Woman’s Tale” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “Playing with Fire” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” by Edgar Allan Poe, “My Platonic Sweetheart” by Mark Twain and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather)” by Washington Irving.

“The Damned Thing” is arguably one of Bierce’s most famous tales, which deals with an invisible monster. Despite being written in the late 1800’s, the ideas it presents are quite advanced. “The Empty House” details what happens when a man and his elderly aunt investigate a house said to be haunted by the spirits of a vengeful stableman and the servant girl he murdered. In “The Consequences,” (also simply known as “Consequences”) a resident of New York in the 1900’s wonders why an acquaintance of his is fearful of a strange old man in black. “How It Happened” has a medium relay the story of a most unusual meeting between two old friends. A man goes into an old friend’s room to fetch some papers in “A Ghost” and quickly learns why his friend was so fearful of going there himself (although for reasons one might not suspect). I should note that this version is an all-new translation and differs somewhat from the text editions that can be found online. In “The Shell of Sense,” the ghost of a recently deceased woman tries to use her minor influence on the real world to bring a special message to both her husband and sister. A man’s mourning of his first wife has an unexpected effect on his current wife in Poe’s classic tale “Ligeia.” In “The Signal-Man,” a man is haunted by both a phantom signal man and the sound of his bell, which only he can comprehend and whose appearance always heralds a horrible accident. A family feud turns deadly in “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” when a vengeful spirit offers two siblings a horrific method of recouping their diminished fortune. The Spirit of Life teaches a recently deceased woman about why her seemingly unsatisfying life wasn’t as bad as she once thought in “The Fullness of Life.” In “An Old Woman’s Tale,” we learn what two young lovers experienced when meet several odd people in a dream…or was it? A group of friends seeking entertainment learn that séances aren’t all fun and games in “Playing with Fire.” The story also features the unintentionally un-PC line “…the sounds of a fagot burning briskly on a frosty night.” A spirit haunting a house who seems to always hide everything but his hand (but still manages to terrify) in “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand.” Oddly enough, this is actually a selection from The House By The Churchyard whose full title is “Some Odd Facts About the Tiled House – Being an Authentic Narrative of the Ghost of a Hand.” I like how the explanation for the ghost is only touched upon, which makes for a more realistic experience. A hypnotist uses his abilities to hold the spirit of a dying man between two worlds in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” Thanks to the name, many people thought this surprisingly gory tale was an account of real events! Throughout his life, a man dreams of meeting with a young woman in a variety of locales in “My Platonic Sweetheart” (originally called “The Lost Sweetheart”). Although her physical features and name may change, he always knows it’s her. But is she just a dream or something far more real? Finally, “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather)” shows that a rowdy dragoon’s encounter with a ghost has amusing consequences

With so many tales to tell, AudioGo has wisely opted to use multiple narrators rather than saddle one with all 16 stories. Said narrators are Bronson Pinchot, John Lee, Jennifer Bradshaw and Gerard Doyle. Pinchot and Lee handle the bulk of the work, while Bradshaw only narrates two stories (“The Shell of Sense” and “The Fullness of Life”) and Doyle’s sole contribution is “Narrative of the Ghost of the Hand.” Jennifer Bradshaw’s stories were most likely selected due to their female protagonists, which are well suited to her calm, soothing voice and her ability to make each female character’s voice distinct (while using sternness for male voices). Although I know of at least one reviewer who has criticized her narration as being slow, I found no problem with it. Although Gerard Doyle has slight accent, I enjoyed it and thought it added flavor to his reading. As the story is all narration, he doesn’t have any opportunities to show how well he can handle multiple characters. John Lee handles “The Empty House,” “A Ghost,” “How It Happened,” “The Secret of the Growing Gold,” “The Signal-Man,” and “Playing With Fire.” His voice makes a great first impression in “The Empty House” and his handling of the introduction to “The Signal-Man” is fantastic. His voices for female characters nicely convey femininity without lapsing into falsetto and he gets to display his talent for accents in “A Ghost.”

But you’re probably most curious about Bronson Pinchot. To answer the most obvious question, I can guarantee you that he doesn’t do anything remotely resembling his “Balki” voice. Pinchot narrates “The Damned Thing,” “The Consequences,” “An Old Woman’s Tale,” “Ligeia,” “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar,” “My Platonic Sweetheart” and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather).” I personally feel that he’s better suited for narrating tales that don’t ooze horror from start to finish and that he’s better doing only one or two characters voices than attempting to handle numerous characters. In fact, his female characterizations are just him speaking softly. That said, he did handle the two Poe tales well due to their matter-of-fact, past tense nature. Although I didn’t care for his performance in “The Damned Thing,” I thought did an amazing job in “The Consequences” due to its fairly cheerful beginning and focus on an oddity in the city rather than true terror. He similarly hits it out of the park in lighter fare like “My Platonic Sweetheart” (in which he adopts a great Missouri accent) and “The Bold Dragoon (or The Adventure of My Grandfather).” Unlike the last story collection I reviewed, this does not feature any music at any point during the stories.

Similar to their other releases, AudioGo has packaged Great Classic Ghost Stories in a cardboard box with no liner notes. All 6 discs are packaged in a massive double-sided foldout cardboard slipcase and make for a total of 7 hours and 19 minutes worth of ghost stories. Purists will be happen to learn that this collection is unabridged; the reading of
“Ligeia” even includes the opening quote from another work!

Special thanks to AudioGo LTD for the review copy!

Jun 27 2012

Even More Free Horror Movie Commentaries

By Weird Jon in Free

It figures. Almost immediately after I posted “More Free Horror Movie Commentaries,” I kept finding more and more free downloadable commentaries. So much so that I’ve decided to do another article on the matter.

Although I linked to two commentaries from Icons of Fright in my first article on the subject, I still thought I should link to their numerous unofficial other “pirate” commentaries featuring people involved in the making of the films.

For a mix of great humor and great insights on less than great movies, look no further than the Film Pigs. Similarly, the Jerks in the Back Row hilariously eviscerate bad movies. Being a Head Injury Theater fan, I want to note that the creator of that site participated in the commentaries for The Dark Crystal and Mortuary.

In addition to their commentaries on various episodes of Doctor Who, the MMM Commentaries team has tackled films like The Omen and Jaws.

Those looking for a massive number of commentaries to pick from should look no further than Zarban’s House of Commentaries and DVDCommentaries.co.uk (which also has bonus extras and interviews). However, given how that last site is based in the UK, there’s a good chance the commentaries might not synch up with Region 1 DVDs due to censorship and the differences between the NTSC and PAL frame rates.

Fans of Harry Potter will definitely enjoy Wizard People, Dear Reader, which also might have some synchronization issues depending on where you live. Rather than a true commentary, it’s an alternate soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone written and performed by China, IL creator Brad Neely. Personally, I think it also works as a standalone audiobook.

As always, Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of downloading from any links given here. Attempt at your own discretion. Blah blah blah…

commentary, free, Freebie
2 comments

Jun 26 2012

Tuesday uEtsy: Zombie Fried Tees

By Front Office in Tuesday uEtsy

Zombie Fried Tees
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ZombieFriedTees

Mens T-Shirt Zombie Shark Tee Sizes S M L XL XXL XXXL

The summer means a lot more exposed body parts, for better (usually) or worse, in accommodation to the increased weather. Our Southern Hemisphere people are in the midst of winter, which is always a hard concept to grasp having been raised on the ‘dog days’ of August and being angry at the sun come July.

Perhaps when things get warmer for those down under, they can don some of the wares from Zombie Fried Tees, a wonderful shop with a collection of vivid t-shirts of interesting graphics. They definitely stand out and will help whoever wears one stand out as well.

Mens Pin Up T-shirt 1953 Vintage Zombie Pinup Sizes S M L XL XXL

Sex and death have never been so attractive as it is with this enchanting display of skin (and much more!) See the inner beauty of this provocative pose, as this show that true beauty is not skin deep. Redheads are known to be feisty, to have a lot of spunk. Find out where exactly inside the body that spunk comes from with this t-shirt.

Skeleton Womens T-shirt Lovely Bones Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL Center Design

Here is a classy silhouette that expresses elegance, poise and a natural grace, even when it comes to the dreadful act of dying. This women’s shirt places the cultivated design at the center, though varieties on the design place it either at the lower left or right. Showcase your own exquisite taste with this piece from Zombie Fried Tees.

F Bomb Mens T shirt Punk Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL

In a stylistic design that conveys sharp wit and power, this ‘F-Bomb’ shirt allows you to broadcast your attitude to the world without staying a single word. Rage silently against the dying of the light with this shirt, or simply tell whoever looks at you funny to “f-off.”

June Cleaver’s Gun T-shirt Retro Vintage Pinup Womens Tee Sizes S M L XL XXL

A good mother knows how to handle herself, both at work, at home and on the mean streets. Thankfully, St. June has always been a good role model to both girls and boys alike, showing that you always carry heat when you need to enter the kitchen.

Zombie Pinup Mens T -Shirt Nom Nom Puppies Tee Shirt Sizes S M L XL XXL

Who says there’s no such thing as a free lunch? This design clearly contracts that saying, as the model finds out that yes—there are some puppies cute enough to eat! And how! For dog lovers of all kinds, this shirt is perfect for walking your poodle to the park or wearing it next time you step in one of Rover’s little presents on the sidewalk.

Head over to Zombie Fried Tees etsy store and pick yourself up one of the designs here (or of the many they have on hand) in different styles and colors. When you’re done, head back here for another edition of Tuesday uEtsy.

Jun 25 2012

Music to Game By II

By Weird Jon in Music

Since Free RPG Day has me in a gaming sort of mood, I have decided to revisit the idea of reusing the albums from the previous year’s “Music to Haunt By” review series to use during RPG sessions.

For those new to this series, I’ll explain: Each of the synopses below are edited down and reworked versions of the reviews linked to on the left. For the full review (including tracks that I didn’t mention in this article), just click the link. I want to stress that the order of the albums below merely reflects the order in which I received them for use in “Music to Haunt By” and is not mean to be interpreted as a “best to worst” ranking. Also, please keep in mind that (for the most part) these albums were not made to be used during role-playing and as a result, some work better as gaming accessories than others.

Prelude to a Nightmare – While many tracks off the other albums in this article have a timeless feel to them, Carpe Noctem also features work that sounds like something from a modern day horror movie. No matter what feel the track has, all of them are well suited for looping. An opening door and footsteps start off “Time Forgotten,” which provides a sense of antiquity and horror. I can easily see this being used for when players enter a castle or ancient ruins. “The Terror Within” has a big opening, with tolling bells and a very spooky musical stinger that soon yields to industrial music. This would work well in haunted club, factory or boiler room, especially in a Vampire: The Masquerade session. “Playful Spirits” would work wonders in a “haunted nursery”-type scenario (such as in a game like Little Fears). The strong piano opening of “Phantoms In The Attic” leads to violins and wordless female vocals, which make it perfect for use in a haunted attic or any other spooky setting. The tolling bells and violin work in “Hallowed Grounds” are a great match, and its solemn, scary feel makes it perfect for a graveyard or crypt. The mix of soft music and sound effects (like distant voices and dripping) of “The Tormented” makes it perfect for use in a dungeon or torture chamber. The bonus track, “Subterranean Terror,” is an incredible soundscape that captures the feel of wandering through a dark cave. It’s perfect for any dungeon crawl.

Alex Otterlei – In Where Evil Lurks: Special Edition, the music is “happy” for large stretches, but the horror factor increases as time goes on. There’s also an “old west” feel, which allows for its use with Deadlands, Call of Cthulhu or any horror scenario involving a house with a nasty presence inside. Due to the lighter interludes, I imagine that most people using this will only play certain tracks rather than play the entire album as a loop. Things start off with “The House,” which uses its music to convey both age and grandeur (with a hint of something else). The orchestral sections seem to convey the players and violins help represent something unnatural. “Arrival of the Jeffersons” is a short track consisting of happy, peppy music and one can easily picture frolicking comedic characters . The pounding piano and violins of “Entering the House” create an eerie feeling. There’s definitely a sense of lurking thanks to the muted horns, which tones down as the “family” (players) excitedly explores. “Investigation” is calmer, but still has a sense of unease and snooping. In fact, the snooping notes seem almost comical at first, but gets calmer and serious as time passes. Faint moaning tones kick in as the players makes unpleasant discoveries. The soft, spooky notes of “The Basement” steadily grow, as if you’re going deeper and deeper into the basement (or any underground location). “Nausea” provides an appropriate sense of unease and not feeling well. “Manifestation of Evil” uses stab-like musical tones and pounding notes to create a sense of evil. One section gives the feel of rushing or running, which flows perfectly into the next track. It also allows one to use this in a chase scenario. “Evil Unbound” makes one think of little things running all over, so it could work well in a insect or spider-filled room.