Gravedigger's Local 16 – Page 85 – "What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter?"

Oct 31 2010

Halloween, Thor Style

By Weird Jon in Music

Over the last two countdowns, I’ve been closing things out with a music-themed Youtube video that ties into Halloween in some way. I didn’t originally intend to do it each year and I have no clue how long I’ll keep it up. All I do know is that this video was the perfect closer to the 2010 countdown:

To provide a little background on the video, the uploader has a Halloween tradition where he dresses up as a musician who has influenced him and plays a ukulele cover of one of their songs. In 2006, he chose to dress as Jon Mikl Thor.

But his dressing up for Halloween isn’t the only reason I chose this video. After all, Thor has been discussed here before due to his work in films like Zombie Nightmare and Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare and his live shows often feature him changing into a variety of cool Halloween masks over the course of the show. Also, many of Thor’s music videos (as seen in the 2005 An-THOR-logy DVD) involve him battling alien invaders and other evil forces. Although he’s not what you’d call a “horror rocker,” he has done his fair share of songs about vampires, ghosts, beast women and the like.

I suggest reading his official biography page or Wikipedia entry for the full details on his career, but here’s a brief summary: Jon Mikl Thor was originally a bodybuilder, eventually becoming the only Canadian ever to claim both the titles of “Mr. Canada” and “Mr. USA” in the 70’s. But the music bug bit Thor, and he formed a band. Although initially using names like “Mikl Body Rock” and “Thor and the Imps,” the name eventually became simply “Thor.” In between bouts of guitar playing, the singing strongman would perform feats of strength, like inflating hot water bottles (much harder than it sounds) and bending metal bars held between his teeth! Although the band drifted apart in the late 80’s as Thor branched out into more behind-the-scenes work and a few movie roles, Thor returned with a vengeance in the late 90’s and has been rocking to this day.

I’ve often said that Thor straddles the line between awesome and cheesy, and I love his music for it. Sure, the lyrics in songs like “Thunderhawk” can get pretty goofy at times, but the backing music is pretty damn good and others songs like “Intercessor,” “We Live to Rock,” “Thunder on the Tundra” and “Keep the Dogs Away” will rock your face off. You might smirk sometimes, but you will rock out. Stuff like Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and the Flames” and Hotshot’s “Always in My Heart,” make me laugh hysterically and aren’t terribly played, but I would never think for a second of buying one of their CDs. But that’s not the case with Thor.

I fully believe that this mix of serious and silly is fully intentional, too. I mean, do you really think he’d allow a cover like this on one of his albums if he was dead serious about his work? The plug for his VM Sports clothing line is a great touch.

In addition to the above linked most recent release, his 1985 album Only the Strong has been re-released. If you look at his output (especially the stuff mentioned here at the local), you’ll see he has one hell of an imagination. Hopefully, this will all mean more Thor in future.

Happy Halloween!

Oct 31 2010

Happy Halloween

By Front Office in Halloween

From all of us here at Gravediggers Local 16, we wish you a safe and happy Halloween.

Oct 31 2010

A bit early, but why not?

By Strange Jason in Halloween

Though the American Thanksgiving is next month, I would like to take today to thank each and every one of the readers we’ve had in the past year. GdL16 keeps growing and we’re still not sure how this little experiment is going to turn out. Everyone’s continual support here, on the twitter feed and over at Facebook is truly appreciated.

Thanks go out to every single shop on Etsy that allowed GdL16 to run a Tuesday uEtsy. They’ll return in November but thank you for helping us grow the site by having some spooky content every Tuesday. It also allows the Front Office to tell more about the GdL16 world.

Many, many thanks go to each and ever artist that has let us review their spooky, tiki and plain awesome bit of work here on the site. It’s been incredible how warm a reception we’ve received to offer our humble opinions and insights on another person’s art.

And personally, I want to thank Weird Jon, The Abominable N. Oremac, Atomic Mystery Monster and the Front Office. I am lucky to write for this site but I’m even luckier to have these guys writing, offering fun and hilarious reads.

Happy Halloween, everyone. Go out and get some candy!

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Oct 30 2010

Big Scream TV: The Boo Tube

By Weird Jon in Movies

As noted in my last review of a video decor DVD, although the concept (and commercially available) existed in the age of VHS, it wasn’t until DVD technology entered the picture that Halloween video decor really took off. One of the biggest and most influential titles to take advantage of the technology was the Big Scream TV series by Lightform Productions.

The concept behind the series is simple: a looping series of spooky talking heads that seem to float in nothingness that can easily be done at home. The DVD-R starts with a quick credits screen that notes the following performers: Bill Lae, Mike Ziemkowski, Tim Peyton and Teresa Shea. We then go to a graveyard-themed menu with looped scary music and wind effects. Three tombstones give us the following choices: “Here Lies the Untame,” “Here Lies the Tame,” and “Here Lies Scary Tips and Illusions.”

Choosing the “untame” option starts a fourteen minute and thirty-three second long video of numerous spooky faces. The faces, realized using a combination of makeup and computer generated effects, pop up onscreen for a few seconds to either growl, laugh menacingly or make some comments before vanishing. The transitions are very well done are aren’t just simple fade ins/outs. For example, the mouth monster shown on the cover is spat out and gobbled up by a giant disembodied mouth and demons appear and disappear in explosions of flame. The CGI effects also add extra touches to the fiendish faces. Frankenstein’s monster shoots sparks from his electrodes, a three-eyed monster wiggles its ears and shoots steam from his nose and lots of other neat little touches that I won’t spoil. Although there is some pretty creepy stuff here, it should be noted that several monsters ham it up for their performances and tell corny jokes. Also, despite the “Untame” name that implies use for teenagers and adults, several monsters makes references to children and candy, for reasons that will become clear in a bit. In a nice touch, the track loops automatically and each face has its own chapter stop (for a total of thirty).

Selecting the “Tame” plays most of the same material from the “Untame” loop. In fact, the only difference is that the demons, rotting corpse, mouth monster and exposed brain guy scenes have been removed, making the running time only seven minutes and 38 seconds before it automatically loops. It also cuts the chapter stops down to fourteen! Don’t be fooled, though. There’s still some material that will scare kids. Although I’m sure some of the jokes (especially the mummy that injures itself) will help them cope.

Selecting the “Tips” option will play a four minute video about the basic set-up, how to use the DVD in displays and decorating suggestions. There are a lot of great tips here, like how to adjust brightness and contrast to reduce light from TV (in order to hide the fact that a screen is being used). There’s also an explanation of using the DVD to create an amazing Pepper’s Ghost effect, which is clearly explained in simple terms and is actually very easy to set up using Plexiglass and household items. In a nice turn of events, the thinnest and cheapest type of Plexiglass is actually the type that works best for the effect! But even if you aren’t able to do that effect, you can still play it on a TV with decorations around it (I recommend putting a frame around the screen) or put it in a darkened window. If you have to go that route, might I suggest putting in a dark room that people can’t enter, thanks to the open doorway being blocked off? You can use stacked boxes, fake nailed-up boards or warning tape to both keep people from getting closer and to add to the effect.

Despite being a DVD-R, Big Scream TV: The Boo Tube has an excellent transfer. Sadly, there is no submenu for the individual chapter stops or loops for individual characters. Although somewhat understandable since this 2004 DVD was the first release in line, it would have been a welcome feature. It is possible, however, to program your DVD player to do that (or to make your own custom mix of characters). That might be the best course of action for those using it in a haunted house. The mad scientist segment alone would be a perfect introductory video to explain the rules of a mad scientist-themed haunted attraction. Depending on your tastes as to how the characters look and act, as some might not like the dialogue directly referencing Halloween if the haunt runs throughout October, then this might be the best option. Those using this on Halloween without a specific theme for their house should be easily satisfied, and use of the Pepper’s Ghost effect will almost guarantee that their house will be the talk of the neighborhood. That said, I wish the loops were longer in length. I know that trick-or-treaters probably won’t mind, seeing as how they’ll only see a few of the faces as they visit, but I can imagine that this could get old after awhile at a party. Having this on a factory-pressed DVD would have been nice, as those tend to be more durable than recordable media. In any case, I certainly know what will be making an appearance in one of my future Halloween displays…

The success of The Boo Tube led to two more installments in the series, Funny Bones and Crystal Ball. Lightform Productions has also gone on to release a how-to DVD called Xtreme Haunted Home Make-Over, along with more traditional video decor products like Halloween Scarols and Terror Eyes. I strongly suspect that the success of these titles is why several cheap video decor DVDs started flooding the market in the following years.

Special thanks to Lightform Productions for the review copy!

Oct 30 2010

Burn: Out and Up.

By Strange Jason in Music Video

I need to find an official ‘Gravediggers Local 16 Halloween Countdown Trophy’ and mail it to Weird Jon for this is the third consecutive year in a row that he’s maintained a straight countdown OR lasted longer than I have. The man is a machine.

I wouldn’t say I burn out easily but that the part of my mind that is reserved for Halloween is hardwired in a way that it can’t really stand repetition for long. I like spooky but I like spooky that’s different. This is a problem because spooky things (movies, books, music) usually, to me, end up sounding/being derivative, bland and somewhat dull.

So. A few days ago, I come across The Order of the Fly’s ‘Rot’:

I was generally excited because here is a band that had a song under two minutes. Ecstatic! Holy cow, here’s something new. A death punk band keeping it brief and heavy. Sort of different. The singer’s voice wasn’t trying to emulate Glenn Danzig, Peter Murphy or Elvis. Seemed something new.

Of course, the under two minute song was not the norm. Which, I can now see, makes sense. The Order of the Fly has two singers and two keyboards (keyboard + keytar) so it’s kind of hard to have a discography made up of solely two to three minute songs without half your band getting bored.

They’re still a good band. If you want to find a band that infuses punk, metal and new wave into something spooky, The Order of the Fly is there for you.

They’re not the only instances. Here’s Blitzkid.

Blitzkid has been around for years and I have kind of overlooked them, not out of any real reason. Similarly, I catch the above video and thing ‘what have I been ignoring all these years?’ A two minute song that’s catchy, angry and fast? Well, let’s see what they have.

Music to Haunt By: Michael Hedstrom

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Michael Hedstrom
Official Site
Midnight Circus, Hedstorm Productions 1999
Clive Manor, Hedstorm Productions 2001
Demagogue, Hedstorm Productions 2007

The haunted attraction/Halloween community is just as prone to fads and crazes as everyone else. Asylums, pirates and rednecks are only a few of the theme ideas (be it for a room or the entire haunt) that took the community by storm, both professional and home haunters. Sometimes it’s due to the success of a particular movie that sparks it (as was the case with the pirate and wizard crazes), but it’s hard to pin down what sparks the others. My personal theory is that the internet’s ability to share prop tutorials and theme ideas allows ideas to spread much faster than they could in the old days. So if one person’s setup is popular enough, then numerous people will set out to do their own version.

In the late 90’s, clowns were the big thing in haunt setups. The only problem was, there wasn’t any spooky circus music available. Countless numbers of people would post at haunt forums asking for where they could find such music, only to be told there really wasn’t any and they’d have to either snag a copy of the out-of-print Killer Klowns From Outer Space soundtrack or play scary sound effects over regular circus music. Thankfully, one home haunter took it upon himself to fill the void: Michael Hedstrom.

Oct 28 2010

Music to Haunt By: Hollywood Haunts

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Hollywood Haunts
Official Site
Monster Movie Haunts!, Introsound 2008

Those who browse through Halloween CDs each year may have noticed a mysterious newcomer to the field: Introsound. Initially debuting with the “Dr.Goodsound’s” line consisting of Twisted Circus of Horror Sounds, Creep Show and Halloween Haunt-O-Tron, Introsound’s newest line is Hollywood Haunts. Said line consists of albums designed to provide spooky dance music for parties (like the Halloween Chiller Dance Party! CD) and spooky music and sound effects, like the subject of today’s review. Why the name “Hollywood Haunts?” That’s because the company was started by Gary Gelfand, who has worked as both a sound editor and sound effects editor on numerous movies. Although the 2008 release Monster Movie Haunts! credits Jonathan Cooper and Ryan Teixeira with the composing duties, the reference to that work also being done by Introsound leads to believe that Mr. Gelfand also played a role in this.

Oct 28 2010

Ghoul Squad

By Strange Jason in Music

Ghoul Squad on MySpace and Facebook

Ain’t gonna front – I don’t know anything about this band except 1) They’re from Massachusetts 2) They’ve been in this game longer than most of the other death rock punk bands these days 3) they might be broken up and 4) the music is incredible.

Last March, they said a 7-song E.P. is coming out. Hopefully, we can drum up enough interest for them to reprint ‘The Witch Grows Up’ and ‘Dark Ride’ so I can purchase copies. Or maybe they can throw their stuff up on Amazon mp3 or iTunes. Either way, don’t go away, Ghoul Squad.

Oct 27 2010

Music to Haunt By: Dronolan’s Tower

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Dronolan’s Tower
Official Site
Journeys in Darkness Vol. 1: Those Who Dwell Beneath, Forever Young Music 2008

Although initially surprised by the idea of CDs designed for use while playing tabletop RPGs, I must admit that it’s not a bad idea. Remember, the whole point of a role-playing game is to immerse yourself in another world and what better way to do that than through music? That’s why music and sound effects are so important in haunted attractions!

I first became aware of the concept from a friend, who owned an “Introduction to Dungeons and Dragons”-type set that came with a CD. Apparently, it contained both music, sound effects and characters talking and my friend mainly used it to laugh at the goofy voices. Having never heard of any other such CDs since then, I assumed it was a one-off failed experiment. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the Midnight Syndicate released an official CD for use with Dungeons and Dragons in 2003! As it turns out, enough RPG fans were buying their CDs for use in gaming sessions to attract the Syndicate’s attention. This apparently led to the band setting up booths at gaming conventions, where they got in touch with the company that owns Dungeons and Dragons and, well, you know the rest. Interestingly enough, neither this nor the first CD I mentioned where the first musical projects associated with role-playing games, as shown at the following Wikipedia notations.

But they aren’t the only ones producing such CDs. Research reveals that soundtrack CDs are available for both the Cybernet RPG and the German edition of Little Fears. Spaceship Zero also inspired a CD, but it does not seem intended for use while gaming. The same band behind that release, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, also produced a compilation CD for use with the d20 version of Call of Cthulhu.

But what about music designed for fantasy adventures using any gaming system? That’s where Dronolan’s Tower comes in. Founded in 2006 by David Allen Young in Studio City, California, the motto of Dronolan’s Tower is “Music By Gamers For Gamers.” With the help of a choir and Hollywood studio orchestra, Dronolan’s Tower released Legends of Kitholan Vol. 1: Tales of the Long Forgotten in 2007 to immediate acclaim. The album netted three awards in that year’s Radio Rivendell Fantasy Awards: “Best Fantasy Album,” “Best Unsigned Artist,” and “Best Song by an Unsigned Artist.” This was followed up in 2008 with Journeys in Darkness Vol. 1: Those Who Dwell Beneath, which focuses on dungeon crawls and darker themes than the general fantasy-based Legends of Kitholan.

So if gamers can use spooky ambient music CDs for use in games, then why can’t Halloween enthusiasts and haunters do the reverse?

The light percussion of “Prelude – The Hand of Fate” leads to bells and heavy, epic fantasy-type backing music. The drums and horns toward the end add to the effect and give this track the feel of the opening credits sequence of a movie. In “Tomb of the Cursed,” soft, serious string work gets varied when the light drum pounds get involved. But as the pounding gets louder, the music gets scarier for awhile. Soft piano, deep, low horns and some brief male chanting give it a more mournful tone until the soft “fantasy touches” lightens things up a bit towards the end. The opening low strings of “City of the Ancients” transition well from the last song and have an epic, but subdued mood. Violins provide a lighter sense of ethereal unease via at times, while there is a spookier, heavier feel at others (especially near the end). “Where Men Dare Not Tread” starts with “tip toe”-like pianos and low, heavy horns that gradually build in volume. Drums pick things up, as do horns. It’s as if you have been spotted and are now on the run. Things slow down near the end, but the track still retains a feel of danger. In fact, the use of drums there makes me think a fight has broken out.

In “Those Who Dwell Beneath,” low string work builds somewhat in intensity and is occasionally joined by drums. It’s very moody and effective until the drums build up and team with deep horns to provide a feeling of danger and menace. “Glories Lost” has a feel of elegant sadness thanks to the softish, medium string work but once the drums come in and the violin work varies, you know there’s more than just sadness here. Horns and the return of musical tip-toeing are a nice touch. “Mysteries of the Deep” provides a low sense of danger in its soft intro, then soft horns, piano and plucking strings give it a more laid back feel. I think that pretty much every track on the disc is all well-suited toward creating the sense of exploring, but this one works especially well. “O Darkest Knight” is the spookiest of the tracks, thanks to the evil whispers, chanting and sinister strings that open it. However, it adopts an adventurous feel not long after and the violins get a real chance to shine here. The evil touches come back later, though. “Realm of Shadow” has a soft, low intro that sets tone for rest of track. The mix of strings, drums and what seems to be soft chanting in “Escape from the Depths” make for rousing opening. The drums are very pounding here, although the music later becomes slower (but is still energetic). I can easily imagine flight from some underground realm, fighting at some times and hiding at others.

Writer/composer David Allen Young has put together an amazing CD that could easily be the soundtrack for a big budget, major Hollywood motion picture. Although darker in nature than the first release by Dronolan’s Tower, this is not a scarefest. Instead, the music immediate brings fantasy films like the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings series to mind and also creates sense of guarded wonder with some elements of chills and excitement…the exact same emotions felt by countless children on Halloween upon finding a house that has gone all-out in its choice of decorations. So if you have a castle or wizard-themed setup and want music that will draw everyone into the mood of the realm you have created without overwhelming the little ones, definitely use this album.

Given that the average track length is about six or seven minutes, all but the first track are ideal for individual looping. In my opinion, however, the CD works best in its original intended form in which the album is played from start to finish and looped again. The tracks all flow into each other quite nicely and succeed in their intended goal of being long enough to act as a backdrop for players’ characters to explore, fight and (hopefully) emerge triumphant and have it more or less synch up with the music at some point. Perhaps things will get darker and scarier in tone for the second volume. Only time will tell…

Special thanks to Dronolan’s Tower for the review copy!

Gravedigger’s Local 16 is not to be held responsible for the content on or anything that may occur (be it good or bad) as a result of visiting any links on the above sites (or constructing a project that’s detailed on them). This also applies to the suggestions made here. Attempt at your own discretion.

Oct 27 2010

The Meteors

By Strange Jason in Music

Thirty years ago, three lads from the isle of England put together a band called The Meteors and from there, some say, the genre of psychobilly was born. Punk rock and rockabilly mixing together, with elements of horror mixed in with classic roots rock country.

Thirty years as a band is pretty impressive, even more so when you see the Meteor’s prolific discography (including front-man and original member P. Paul Fenech solo and side projects.)

They’re really catchy and much more high-energy than some of the other bands who utilize the upright bass. More electricity fueled speed. It’s no wonder why Meteors fans have adopted the name ‘the Wrecking Crew.’ It’s like this band is out to demolish everything in its path. Seems like they would be a fun show.

You can find them at the modest website of KingsOfPsychobilly.com to check out news and tour dates, though the only ones on the books so far are off in Germany (the Germans sure do love themselves some psychobilly and death rock.)

Oct 26 2010

Music to Haunt By: Buzz Works

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Buzz Works
Official Site
Zombie Influx, Monolith Graphics 2009

If you read yesterday’s installment about Nox Arcana, you might remember how I teased about another new release of sorts from them. That’s due to their involvement with Buzz Works…

Buzz Works’ origins lie in an Ohio-based store of the same name that’s devoted to all kinds of spooky decor and merchandise. Although established in 1997, it wasn’t until relatively recent times that founder Jeff Hartz decided to start a music project under the same name. Teaming up with Joseph Vargo of Nox Arcana to fill out the group’s ranks, Zombie Influx was their first release in 2009.

Although William Piotrowski did handle the engineering duties, only Hartz and Vargo shared the songwriting and performing duties (while Hartz also wrote the dialogue and provided the vocals). This isn’t merely a Nox Arcana album under a different name, although there are some of their trademark touches in it. There are, however no bonus tracks or opening narration that are standard in Nox Arcana albums. As a special treat, the liner notes contain the text used in the broadcasts scattered throughout the disc and pictures of Rich Klink’s awesome zombie sculptures (which are also used on the disc art).

“Ground Zero” starts things off with a kinda dreamy synth opening, but its later tone, drums and a variety of sounds of zombies make this more of a nightmare. There are some lighter touches with little to no zombies, but track still creepy. The title of “Satellite Radiation” comes from the theorized cause of the dead rising in Night of the Living Dead and the use of beeping satellite noises that go in and out of the music (and other technological sounds) both reflects that and goes well with the drums and synthesizer work. In “Defcon Six,” a crackling broadcast tells of the raised danger level due to a virus and provides instructions on what to do. “Creeping Death” uses slow and creepy heavy synth work and other spooky touches to great effect. These include occasional female vocals, a vaguely tribal drums effect and a zombie groan. “Echoes of the Living” has lots of eerie synth work with lots of twists and turns, along with some light guitar and an almost bubbling-like sound. “Doomsday” is aptly named thanks to its heavy, pounding drums and bells. Light vocals and increasing piano use adds to the exciting, but hopeless, feel.

“The Feeding” opens with an odd horn effect, heavy synth open and other creepy touches (such as a heartbeat-like drum). I can imagine a few scattered zombies creeping out to a source of food, which in turn attracts more and more of the undead. Perhaps that’s why we hear machine guns at the end. “Warning Signs” is a short broadcast (with brief synth work) about the signs of infection. “The Dawn” is clearly a reference to Dawn of the Dead. The use of low zombie effects under synth work is very unnerving and somewhat otherworldly. “Dead Run” uses bells, pounding synth and fast, frantic piano work to create the effect of running in a panic. Light synth work and what seems to be thunder effects kick off “Post Mortem,” which are soon joined wailing vocals (or are they notes?) and a slow, soft guitar that eventually fades away before the zombie groans enter the picture. “The Panic Spreads” blares a short siren before a broadcast usual broadcast about the zombies overwhelming defense forces. The comparison to the gates of hell opening is definitely a reference to the tagline for Dawn of the Dead or possibly even a reference to the alternate title for this film.

Speaking of which, “Transmutation” uses light, but pounding, synth, bells, guitar and heavy piano work to create something that reminds me of Dawn of the Dead. to some degree (especially the drum effects). “The Pain of Dying” is also a reference, this time to a line from Return of the Living Dead. Light, dreamy music and some crackling gives way to slams wailing notes and scary synth work. The fast-paced percussion and bells that open for “Armageddon” helps build a sense of dread and hopelessness. Some organ and keyboard work give this an 80’s horror-style feel that only lets up to the sounds of jets soaring and bomb blasts. “Dead Life” uses strange, disturbing synth music and vocals that I can’t place (and which brings strange life forms to mind). I can see this track working in an alien-based scene as well as a zombie-based one. “Flesh Eaters” could refer to a wide variety of zombie movies, including the original title intended for Night of the Living Dead. A guitar and slow, low sirens blare as a hoard of zombies is heard. Said hoard is eventually overwhelm guitars and other musical touches for awhile. A snippet of the earlier news report on zombies plays later, as do odd synth effects that seem out of place to me. “Ravenous” mixes a fast piano with drums, electric guitar, synth hand claps, bells, harpsichord and samples from previous bulletins mixed in. The titular “Zombie Influx” uses creepy opening music and mournful strings with samples of a man talking about his dead wife and seeing things in the nearby woods. One part seems to imply that he’s the cause of this. News bulletin samples and what seem to be samples from Night of the Living Dead play us out over synth work.

A few minor quibbles over some of the sound effect choices aside, Zombie Influx is an amazing album that makes the listener feel like they’re inside an 80’s zombie epic. The majority of tracks are loop-friendly and the album played in its entirety will compliment any zombie-based setup. In fact, some people were so taken by it that they started a haunted house in Sweetwater, Tennessee based on it (and using it as a soundtrack) called “Defcon 6.” As for Buzz Works, they’ve recently unleashed their second album, House of Nightmares. If it’s anything like Zombie Influx, then we’re in for a treat.

Special thanks to Monolith Graphics for the review copy!

Oct 26 2010

Dissecting “Alien Autopsy”

By Atomic Mystery Monster in Links, Video

While going through some videos made by the company responsible for that King Kong-inspired birthday party that I used in my last article, I noticed that they had done a video inspired by the infamous Alien Autopsy: Fact or Fiction? TV special. Although the slightly gory video was done as a tongue-in-cheek promotion of their Alien Autopsy party package, the fact that they almost nailed the look of the alien inspired me to look up more on the matter in order to see if any other recreation-type deals had been done. What I found was far more interesting…

Alien Autopsy, Area 51, Crash, extraterrestrial, flying saucer, hoax, Roswell, UFO
1 comments

Oct 26 2010

Had a wife. Couldn’t feed her.

By Strange Jason in Halloween, Photos

When I think to myself “I better go down to the basement. I have two that I need to take the knives to, today,” I realize it’s thoughts like those are why I wouldn’t be a good schoolteacher, but a great one.

Oct 25 2010

Music to Haunt By: Nox Arcana

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Nox Arcana
Official Site
Blackthorn Asylum, Monolith Graphics 2009

For years, I had thought the Midnight Syndicate was the only group out there doing spooky ambient albums based around a single theme. So as you can imagine, I was pretty blown away with I stumbled across the Wikipedia entry for Nox Arcana. Elated by the idea of even more cool haunt music being out there, I immediately started researching Nox Arcana.

Formed in Cleveland, Ohio by Joseph Vargo, the name “Nox Arcana” is Latin for “mysteries of the night.” Since 2003, the famed horror artist and his bandmate William Piotrowski have been cranking out albums devoted to everything from horror authors to ghost pirates.

Given that Mr. Vargo used to be a part of the Midnight Syndicate, it might be tempting for some to label Nox Arcana as a Midnight Syndicate clone. However, that is just not the case. If you go read my history of the band, you’ll find that Vargo was huge part of the reason the Syndicate adopted that style (so Nox Arcana is merely doing more of the kind of music he’s always been doing). Besides, Nox Arcana includes lots of extra bonuses with their albums, such as opening narration, bonus tracks and lengthy liner notes filled with details to help draw draw listeners further into the world the album’s music has located. They’re often filled with puzzles and injokes, too. How can you not love a group that would name a song after an obscurity like this?

Oct 25 2010

The Trail of Terror

By Strange Jason in Photos

Photos by Jonathan Matthews, jon (at) krative.com.

Located in Wallingford, Connecticut, The Trail of Terror (www.TrailofTerror.com) celebrates its 16th year of operation in 2010. Thankfully, haunt expert Bertram Bertram invited me to come visit and partake of the Trail’s spookiness.

This year celebrates ‘Sweet 16,’ marking the anniversary of the Central Valley Hospital massacre that saw the gruesome results of what happenes when you combine madness and teenage girls.

Oct 24 2010

Music to Haunt By: Midnight Syndicate

By Weird Jon in Music, Music To Haunt By

Midnight Syndicate
Official Site
The 13th Hour, Entity Productions 2005
The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates, Entity Productions 2008

If you hang out in forums devoted to Halloween and/or haunted attractions, then you’ve probably heard of the Midnight Syndicate. Their music is held in very high regard and always comes up in discussions over what makes for the best spooky soundtrack. Their music has appeared in TV shows, numerous movies and professional haunted attractions. But who are they?

Formed in Chardon, Ohio in 1995 by Edward Douglas, the original Midnight Syndicate was a very different animal than it is today. Although Edward Douglas composed the music and the trademark “soundtracks to movies that don’t exist” theme was there, the 1997 debut album didn’t only feature the scary instrumental music like their work does now. Instead, it also included music from the following genres: “rock, rock-a-billy, techno, rap, new age, humor-pop, jazz, and space [music].” As you can see from that link, they also used to have a much larger lineup. Things got a little more familiar for modern fans in 1998, when the lineup was cut down to Douglas, Gavin Goszka, and artist Joseph Vargo. Opting to do an album consisting solely of the music the Midnight Syndicate would become famous for: dark ambient music. The resulting Born of the Night (for which Vargo provided the name, cover art, vocals and creative direction) was a smash hit and forever cemented the Syndicate’s style. Although he left the group in 2000 to work on a book (and eventually start his own band), Goszka and Douglas kept things going and have continued to release albums to this day.

Halloween, Thor Style

Happy Halloween

A bit early, but why not?

Big Scream TV: The Boo Tube

Burn: Out and Up.

Music to Haunt By: Michael Hedstrom

Music to Haunt By: Hollywood Haunts

Ghoul Squad

Music to Haunt By: Dronolan’s Tower

The Meteors

Music to Haunt By: Buzz Works

Dissecting “Alien Autopsy”

Had a wife. Couldn’t feed her.

Music to Haunt By: Nox Arcana

The Trail of Terror

Music to Haunt By: Midnight Syndicate

GdL16 Union Fellows

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