From Cosmic Hearse (extinct 2012)...
Dennis Dread has put together a thoroughly morbid mix tape for you to geek out on this Halloween. Dennis, besides having great taste in music, is also an accomplished illustrator best known for his work on recent Darkthrone albums. He also runs a great art zine called Destroying Angels. Thanks, Dennis, for taking the reins in my absence...
Arkham House ~ Into The Witch House
Not much to say about this mysteriously shrouded demo except that it was recorded in 1994, long before the term "basement black metal" had entered popular lexicon, and while it never really enters the metal realm this tape manages to cast a capable spell of macabre lo-fi eldritch atmospheres.
Exorcist ~ Black Mass
The opening track from their sole recording, Nightmare Theater, released in 1986 by Cobra Records who also delivered Piledriver to the world. Exorcist was a short-lived horror oriented project with late NWOBHM leanings formed by Dave "Dionysus" DeFeis of Virgin Steele fame.
English Dogs ~ Nosferatu
This is where I imagine many Cosmic Hearse riders will jump shark...er...ship. Good riddance. By the time these mad punx had released their second full-length LP in 1985, Forward Into Battle (with unapologetically stolen Boris cover art), they already had several releases under their bullet belts and were in the throes of a total metalmorphosis!
Attak ~ Zombies
More UK madness with the title track from Attak's only full-length LP. The lyrics could've been penned by an autistic third grader with a tube of glue shoved up his nose. But instead they were written by a grown man who probably had an Oi! pin on his jacket and a headband that matched his mustache.
Black Uniforms ~ City Of The Dead
Sweden's favorite Splatter Punx open this little gem with a Fabio Frizzi sample before launching into the sloppy d-beat assault that made Faces of Death (1989) such a fun record. If you listen closely you can hear Metallica bleeding through the tape during the intro!
Zombie
No, not the Relapse duo (spelled Zombi) but an extended homemade sample from Lucio Fulci's masterpiece, otherwise known as Zombie Flesh Eaters! Yes, I held the tape recorder up to my TV and created this just for you, Dear Listener. After all, it's Halloween.
Lebenden Toten ~ Near Dark
Uncharacteristically slow and catchy blast from my favorite Northwest crasher-crusties that takes its name from the brilliant 80's vampire re-imagining starring Lance Henriksen! Swirling psychedelic walls of distortion and abrasive death rattles that fuse the best of Antisect and Confuse.
Broken Bones ~ Dem Bones
Playful "outro" from the 1984 debut full-length. If you think this song is absurd you should see the cover art by guitarist Bones' little brother Tezz!
Screamin' Jay Hawkins ~ I Hear Voices
1962 alternate version of Mr. Hawkins' schizo love-song-turned-haunted-house-of-broken-hearts! The liner notes explain that an engineer for this recording instructed him to moan over the music so he simply enunciated the word "moan" over and over again to great effect.
The Meteors ~ Johnny Remember Me
The kings of psychobilly hit the UK charts in 1983 with this rendition of producer Joe Meek's 1961 hit, originally performed by John Leyton and The Outlaws. None of the greasy-haired impostors that followed in The Meteors' wake could touch this beautiful ghost story from their sophomore outing Wreckin' Crew.
Roky Erickson ~ Burn The Flame
Roky is hipster pay dirt these days but here's one you don't hear often. This is his contribution to Dan O'Bannon's 1984 Return of the Living Dead soundtrack. There's nothing funny or ironic about these lyrics. Roky thinks of demons for you.
Sam Gopal ~ Season Of The Witch
Malaysian-born tabla player Sam Gopal's Donovan cover featuring sexy backup singers and a very young pre-Hawkwind/Motorhead Lemmy Kilmister on vocals and bass. This could be the soundtrack to a really good episode of Scooby Doo. Check out George Romero's weird suburban witchcraft film of the same title.
Goblin ~ Susperia
The Italian prog-masters at their best! This is of course the title track to Dario Argento's 1977 supernatural mindfuck and the original cover art to this LP was blatantly stolen from Coven's Blood On The Snow which was released three years earlier.
Deadmask ~ No Rest For The Wicked
A relatively new duet from Spain featuring Dopi of Machetazo on all instruments and a gal named Nuria Otero on vocals. Worshipping at the altar of occult 70's rock, here they pay tribute to Sweden's Coffinshakers with this beautifully sparse ballad.
Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind ~ The Shining
Brooding theme to Stanley Kubrick's classic Stephen King adaptation. A disturbing descent into the madness of isolation and the insidious evil of domestic violence, partially filmed at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood.
Pino Donaggio School ~ In Flames
The only reason to rescue Donaggio's Carrie score from the discount bins is the second song on side two. This one gives Taint a run for his money for sheer malevolent vibes and oppressive textures. I like to play this track at 3am when I'm drawing alone in my basement and it never fails to make me look over my shoulder.
Aghast ~ Enter The Hall Of Ice
Aghast was Tania Stene and Andrea Haugen, both closely affiliated at the time with the emerging Norwegian Black Metal scene, and this is basically the "hit" from their 1995 LP Hexerei Im Zwielicht Der Finsternis. Dark shamanistic chants in the cold norse tradition. This is recorded from the picture disc so pardon the extra hiss in the mix.
Howard Shore ~ Welcome to Videodrome
Here's one for the bleepy-bloop electronic enthusiasts and it comes from one of my favorite David Cronenberg flicks! This actually gets more disturbing with extended exposure. Listen closely and you can hear Debbie Harry breathing through the TV screen. "Long Live The New Flesh!"
Extra Hot Sauce
This is really just the intro sample to the EHS song Extreme Hatred but it's so damn awesome I wanted to give credit where it's due. This was my answering machine message (remember them?) years ago and it freaked my girlfriend's parents out so bad they almost had the operator interrupt the line to make sure she was ok.
The Sonics ~ Psycho
Hailing from the wetlands of Tacoma, Washington, The Sonics are credited with forging the punk rock template way back in the 60's with their simple cord progressions, feral instrumental hijinx and antisocial lyrical content. This 1965 classic is one of the most satisfying moments in rock 'n' roll. Order a Coca-Cola at the drive-in and kill something!
The Misfits ~ Horror Business
Obvious, yes, but you didn't seriously think I would exclude the greatest horror-punk band in the world from this Halloween mix tape did you? This version of the title track of their third 7" is culled from Evil Live, a recording that ranks right up there with Unleashed In The East, Live After Death and Space Ritual. "One more fucking time you asshole and you DIE!!!!"
Hasil Adkins ~ We Got A Date
Hasil "The Haze" Adkins is the legendary One-Man-Band of West Virgina. As the story goes, his musical career began as a barefoot rugrat when he misread a Hank Williams record and figured he had to learn to play all the instruments himself...at once. Many of his primitive trailer park stomps feature him on guitar, drums, vocals, and occasionally harmonica. This little ditty, an alternate version of his single No More Hot Dogs, was probably recorded around 1965.
Black Mass ~ Lucifer ESP
There was a glut of "exciting" synthesizer records in the late 60's and early 70's. This is one of the stranger of the lot, especially when you consider that a pentagram was still pretty shocking in 1971. "This brief musical interpretation of ESP concerns telepathy in which the thoughts of two individuals, after transference from the senders, combine with each other in the mind of you the listener." So say the liner notes.
Salem Mass ~ Witch Burning
We return to the Northwest with Salem Mass, a third tier "prog rock" band that has been lost to time and dust largely due to their self-indulgent and mostly flaccid jams. Initially from Idaho, they frequently landed in Portland, Oregon throughout their career and still reside just a few hours away. This 10 minute epic is by far their best work so roll a doobie and relax knowing you don't need to ferret out their entire back catalog.
Arkham Hearse Astral Rape Procession/Wolves In The Walls
Reprise. With song titles like that, who needs a recording studio?
Gnome ~ Canis Lupus Hodophilax
A gross abuse of Robert Redford's Language and Music Of Wolves LP, this crazy manga mayhem makes Sigh sound downright pedestrian in comparison. From the 1999 split demo with Japan's equally bizarre Nyarlathotep (who would go on to produce Gallhammer).
Clara Rockmore ~ Berceuse
Hopefully you've already heard this haunting 1977 masterpiece featuring Clara Rockmore on theremin and Nadia Reisenberg on piano but, in case you haven't, I feel compelled to expand your horizons. The perfect quivering accompaniment to a candlelit Hallow's Eve.
The Munsters Theme
Just be thankful the tape wasn't 120 minutes or you would've got the extended version with vocals. Happy Halloween!
Last Halloween I turned the reins over to Mr. Dennis Dread and he did a smashing job with a great Halloween mix tape. We decided to make it a tradition and bring him back for another potpourri of creepy cantos. For those of you who so foolishly doubt Dennis' credentials, besides having great taste in music, he is also an accomplished illustrator best known for his work on recent Darkthrone albums. He also runs a great art zine called Destroying Angels. Once again, a tip of the ol' witch hat to Mr. Dread for all that he does...
Intro ~ Alfred Hitchcock
The disembodied voice of Alfred Hitchcock presides over our All Hallows ritual. I listened to this record hundreds of times when I was a kid and the hastily painted cover art still takes me right back to wild nights with jack-o-lanterns on every porch. "Now that we're all here, we can begin..."
Phantasm Intro/Main Theme ~ Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave
If you haven't spent time in a dark room with the 1979 Phantasm soundtrack coursing through the headphones like a silver sphere aimed straight at your soul, you are truly missing out on one of life's simplest pleasures.
One Step Into Oblivion ~ Blizaro
Blizaro is the brainchild of Rochester, New York doom enthusiast John Gallo. I've considered myself a fan ever since I scored the Horror Rock demo back in 2006, lured by Lucio Fulci graphics and the promise of, well, horror rock. John plays in a bunch of metal bands but Blizaro is his psych/prog project that pays homage to the great esoteric horror scores of the 70's and early 80's. This mesmerizing track comes from the Orne split 7" which was recently released in a limited pressing of 400 by Svart Records.
Mount Meru Is Tall ~ Saturnalia Temple
Perhaps you will challenge my choice to place this gateway to Saturn's Temple on a Halloween mix tape. Perhaps you will debate the appropriateness of a Saturnalian celebration in the heart of autumn. You will of course be sadly mistaken. Few hymns will clear a room of unwanted influence and open the veil to the dark forces waiting beyond as effectively as this hypnotic offering from the Stockholm trio that has restored my faith in the magic of sound and all things heavy. The gate is open...
Sister Devil ~ Sixx
I'm a relatively recent convert to Sixx since I didn't even know this band existed until I heard about the lush vinyl reissue last year. This is the Von dudes apparently after they traded in their bloody skull-crowns for ruffled silk shirts. I've never been a fan of Christian Death or bands of their shockingly pretentious ilk but this really works for me. I'm glad it's Halloween because now I can play this record loud without blushing. Bela Lugosi is dead indeed.
Hangman ~ Deathcharge
One of Portland, Oregon's best kept secrets is also one of the city's longest running punk outfits. Deathcharge has had a revolving line-up for over a decade now but they seem to have a solid core at the moment and have been playing local shows relatively consistently in the past year. So far their few recordings haven't done their unique brand of Discharge cum Killing Joke death noise the justice it deserves but the forthcoming debut LP is very eagerly awaited. No mosh. No fun.
Recognition ~ H.P. Lovecraft
These terse H.P. Lovecraft readings by John Arthur and Mike Olsen were lovingly reassembled from out-of-print recordings and released as a limited 7" over a decade ago by someone who clearly wished to remain anonymous (let's call him "He Who Cannot Be Named", eh?) and they very quickly became as difficult to find as the original vinyl. My copy is 179 out of 300. Behold the muted terror of a doomed cosmos.
Necronomicon ~ Sacrifice
Our brothers to the north really excelled at this kind of ferocious speed metal during the 80's. No, I'm not talking about Scandinavia this time. This is CANADIAN METAL and Sacrifice was one of the most promising harbingers of the bunch. A class act with the kind of satanic lyrics that got you into trouble with teachers back in the day. Seriously. I think these dudes were still in high school when they recorded Torment in Fire which is really remarkable when you consider their complex song structures and absolutely relentless shredding.
Stirring The Cauldron ~ Whiplash
Whiplash's debut LP Power & Pain is one of the most grossly under-appreciated thrash albums of 1985 (and if you like fast pissed-off music you know 1985 wasn't a shabby year). This came out around the same time as Bonded By Blood but how often do you see kids air guitaring Spit On Your Grave? Well, actually, I see that a lot at my house but you get the point. This is the sound of three Passaic barbarians named Tony dragging Kreator through the meanstreets of New York Hard Core. Total schism.
Horrorshow/The Mansion ~ Hallows Eve
Long ago, before metal came to be personified by sensitive men with beards, heavy metal was a hooded executioner rendered in discount paints with the anatomy of Popeye the Sailor Man. Atlanta, Georgia's Hallows Eve was that hooded executioner and they delivered the fucking goods. Take this selection for instance from their debut LP, which is really two distinct songs that form a mini-cycle of sorts. They went on to score a cameo on the River's Edge soundtrack before disappearing into a fog of nihilism and madness (i.e., short hair and day jobs).
Lycanthropy ~ G.B.H.
These collectible British Punk action figures come complete with leather, bristles, studs and acne! Of course these quintessential street urchins also ripped this chorus straight out of Lon Chaney Jr.'s quivering lips: "Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers at night can become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright!" Death Breath did a killer cover of this snotty classic but for my money nothing beats the original source. This just sounds like nothing else!
Till' The Following Night ~ Screaming Lord Sutch and The Savages
English audio pioneer Joe Meek recorded this killer debut single for the "monster in black tights" known as Screaming Lord Sutch in 1961. It was swiftly banned by the BBC. No wonder the Brits had to invent punk rock and smash the system (see above). What an incredibly uptight society. Sutch's early stage show included coffins and skulls and is widely recognized nowadays as a precursor to the horror shock antics of Alice Cooper and probably Black Widow and Death SS as well. Ritchie Blackmore was one of the original Savages and he left the fold in the late 60's to form Deep Purple!
Night of the Vampire ~ Entombed
To be perfectly honest, these dudes lost me after Clandestine but I do appreciate their noble stab at this Roky Erickson favorite. Sure, it's stilted and crunchy to a fault but I like the emotive Danzig flair on the vocals and the totally rockin' part at the end. This was a split 7" with Ohio punks the New Bomb Turks which was a weird pairing at the time. In hindsight I guess it makes sense.
The Tell Tale Heart ~ Beyond Possession
Who knew skating and gothic literature could live together in such beautiful harmony? This is the title track from Calgary skate rockers Beyond Possession's 1985 debut 7" The Tell Tale Heart. This is sorta like Suicidal Tendencies without all the bandanas and messy circle pit stabbings. As a general rule it's not a great idea to rhyme 'house' with 'mouse' in a hardcore song unless you're Ludichrist but this particular ditty is about Edgar Allan Poe so fuck your rules, man!
Intermission ~ Vincent Price
"We have much studying to do, there are many ancient mystic texts to guide us..."
Deathknell ~ Ghost (Sweden)
The b-side of the debut 7" from these mysteriously shrouded satanic messengers from Sweden is absolutely enthralling. The clean Blue Oyster Cult influences evidenced by such bands as The Devil's Blood become even more pronounced in the capable hands of these earnest rockers. E. Danielsson of Watain has provided their stark and provocative imagery thus far. Perhaps he is himself one of the six nameless ghouls? I have no idea, but I can't wait for the full-length!
At The Sound of The Demon Bell ~ Mercyful Fate
I couldn't resist. I'm running on a bells theme here, folks.
Cloven Hoof ~ Cloven Hoof
The debut LP from these champions of NWOBHM is a galloping occult adventure of epic proportions! The cover is directly inspired by the old Coven record but they've incorporated crude stenciled flames and a serpent demon mascot that makes those Grim Reaper covers look really fancy. For fans of Pagan Altar and 'EAVY METAL only. And if you're not a fan of 'eavy metal, why are you here? "Seek not to envoke demonic entities beyond the living, unseen forces mankind can never hope to understand, in satanic pact a soul giving, unto hell, when time relents to death's command." Huh?
Halloween III Montage ~ John Carpenter & Alan Howarth
This is really loud in the mix for some reason but don't forget to wear your Silver Shamrock masks anyway.
Re-Animator ~ Rigor Mortis
Here's an obvious choice given the horror thrash leanings of this mix tape but I just love this catchy chorus that you can sing along to even when you're drunk. Which is fortuitous because when I finally saw them play a few years ago Bruce Corbitt stuck the microphone in my face while I was thrashing up front and if the lyrics were more complicated that would've been an embarrassing moment of silence. This is from their debut 1988 LP which boasts absolutely perfect cover art by a guy name Cort Johnson who did skateboard graphics back in the day. Incidentally, Mark Ryden did the fantastic cover art for their follow-up EP Freaks and he has since gone on to become a hugely successful fine artist.
Werewolf's Life ~ Fear Itself
I don't know much about this band from Anchorage, Alaska so I'll spare you my snide commentary except to say that this 57 second blast is culled from the 1988 Attack Is Now Suicide compilation, which also features one of my favorite R.K. Sloane drawings of all time, and it's about a werewolf. The life of a werewolf is not easy.
Violence Is Golden ~ Gargoyle
What?!? You've never hear of Gargoyle from New Jersey??? Poser. Actually, in this case the correct answer is, "Who the fuck is Gargoyle from New Jersey?" These dudes only released two demos in their very brief tour of duty so unless you were lucky enough to stumble into Bleecker Bob's at precisely the right moment in 1986, chances are you're probably not familiar with their ripping thrash. Do I really need to explain why a band called Gargoyle deserves to be on a Halloween mix tape?
Sendero Siniestro ~ Anal Vomit
"Bestial" is a dumb adjective that gets passed around like chlamydia by message board lurkers these days. But when you really think about it, how many of these frowners are truly bestial? Peru's Anal Vomit is the real deal, as proven by this raging invocation from their 2004 Demoniac Flagellations LP. Misleading name aside, their songs of satan, pussy and death are delivered with such psychotic devotion that they make their underground counterparts sound like doughy pacifists in comparison. They're even willing to let it all hang out on their albums and that's pretty bestial (i.e., "of or relating to beasts; resembling a beast; lacking intelligence or reason; marked by base or inhuman instincts or desires").
Twisted Darkness ~ Yellow Cross
I don't want to be accused of ignorantly wallowing in nostalgia so here's a track by Olympia, Washington's very promising Yellow Cross from their 2009 demo. It sounds like Blue Cheer hanging out with Paul Chain at a pizza shop. Black Virgin part II is the real gem on this demo but it was too long for our purposes and I really couldn't justify it on a Halloween mix tape. But twisted darkness? That's spooky.
They're Creeping Up On You ~ Engorged
I love this little gem from the Engorged/Gruesome Stuff Relish split. This was originally intended to be a 7" but the Engorged dudes wisely included 4 minutes worth of Creepshow samples so it became a 12" 45 (which worked out well for my crude cover art). This isn't necessarily characteristic of the Engorged sound but it definitely conveys their essential underground ethos and approach. Hopefully these guys will return from Yuggoth soon and finally finish recording the House of Cthulhu LP. Ahem. Guys?
Necronomicon ~ Les Dexter
My favorite track from one of the greatest cinematic scores of all time. The Dunwich Horror is actually a pretty dull flick but we can all learn a thing or two about dynamics from a laid-back cool cat like Les Dexter. Just listen to how these exotic sounds swagger & boom like an ethereal procession sent straight from R'lyeh with all the time in the world to fuck you up. THE STARS ARE RIGHT!
Mineshaft Chase ~ Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave
Phantasm reprise.
Der Henker Von Dartmoore ~ The Vampires of Dartmoore
The Vampires of Dartmoore was an imaginary West German pop group providing the soundtrack to an imaginary Euro-trash horror flick circa 1969. Metronome and Mercury Records basically wrangled together these session jazz musicians in an attempt to cash in on the popularity of adult-oriented monster novelty records and they produced two LP's, Psychedelic Dance Party and Dracula's Music Cabinet. Exploitation director Jess Franco actually discovered this LP and licensed it to score one of his 70's tits 'n' terror romps. The rest is history. Very confusing history. Recently repressed on gatefold vinyl by Finders Keepers.
Outro ~ Alfred Hitchcock
"This concludes our danse macabre..." Happy Halloween.
