Dennis Dread's Halloween Mix Tape 2

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.

Side Trick

Side Treat

Also on a side note. Cosmic Hearse is taking a few days off to get caught up on all the unglamorous behind the scenes work that goes on here. Don't take it personally, use the time to talk to your kids about drugs or something.