Romance of Mystery

Good evening, monstrous maniacs.
Tonight I have something special in store for you. Instead of reviewing some movie or a dusty ol' book, I thought that I would invite you to kick back, turn up the radio, and allow the tunes of Rue Morgue Magazine's first album to lull you into a deep and deeply disturbed sleep. You've heard right. Rue Morgue, a magazine that is fast in becoming my favorite genre-based periodical ever, has compiled a gathering of some of the sickest and most talented minds in the horror music department to rock out some songs that are guaranteed to get your hearts beating and your big toes tapping.
This album really is a treat and a definite labor of love from all the creative minds that worked behind it. These songs will crawl into the dank recesses of your gray matter and cause you to rock your head at completely inappropriate times to beats that only you can hear. At times I become disheartened by the availability of horror-themed bands and groups, so to have a weighty compilation composed of nothing BUT terror fanatics of the musical persuasion is a great gift to horror fans everywhere.
And did I mention that this gift is FREE?! That's right, completely open for the taking. You can download it (along with the great artwork that adorns the album) HERE at the Rue Morgue Magazine site. But hurry! This opportunity only lasts till the end of July. Get your copy before the zombie apocalypse breaks out!
Without going on for too long and spoiling anything, I do have some shout outs to make for some of my own personal favorites from the album:

RUE MORGUE RADIO- THE CREEPSHOW
This awesomely-named group gets the ball rolling with an ode to Rue Morgue's weekly music broadcasts headed by DJ Tomb Dragomir. Sarah Blackwood's pure vocals sail beautifully over the demonic chants of her band mates. Something you can definitely thrash your body to in Exorcist-like fashion.

INTO THE CAULDRON- CAULDRON
There are a few bands on here that I haven't had the pleasure of encountering, Cauldron being one of them. Here they deliver an anthem-like tune set to a fantastic and infectious guitar riff with groovy, growling lines by the lead singer.

BLACK DREAM- THE INDEPENDENTS
Ahh, psychobilly! Just the stuff to get my hips shaking and give me a powerful yearning to croon into a microphone. The Independents give a head-boppin' good time that always manages to put a wicked grin on my face everytime I hear it.
IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD- HARLEY POE
No, it's not a rip-off of that song by those other fellers. Harley Poe's song sounds like a drunken jig performed by a group of pessimistic survivors during the complete obliteration of the planet as we know it. As downbeat as that may sound, the band makes the Apocalypse sound like a rootin-tootin good time! Woohoo!

MY BODY'S A ZOMBIE FOR YOU- DEAD MAN'S BONES
This slow dirge sounds like a mix of tearful doo-wop and "Kids" by MGMT. Weird combination? But it works! And effectively so. Between the lead singer's soulful, choked voice and the chant of children screaming "My body's a zombie for you!", it actually makes for a rather sweet and heartfelt track amidst of den of debauchery. Don't be surprised if those pupils get a little wet.

SOMETHING WEIRD- ZOMBINA AND THE SKELETONES
Totally loony and kooky in every way. The chorus sounds like it's made up of rejected cast members from "The Muppet Show" and there's a line referring to a dancing chicken. It's very easy for me to picture a music video of this song featuring psychedelic whirlpools and angry, evil sock puppets.

GRAVE ROBBER AT LARGE- CREATURE FEATURE
The minute I heard these boys were debuting a new song on this CD, it became all the reason I needed to download the entire thing. Curtis Rx and Erik X are back in all their keyboarding, spooky glory. And what better than to sing about body snatching. Catchy and delightfully morbid as they always are, this is the bloody icing on my horror shortcake. You can see my review for their debut album HERE.

SAINT OF KILLERS- DAMN LASER VAMPIRES
Even with the addition of the flawless Creature Feature, I think I have to say that this is my favorite track from the album. I had never heard of Damn Laser Vampires (great name!) before, but after this I'm determined to seek out more of their material. Ironically this is the hardest one for me to explain my admiration for. It's got a great rocking electric guitar, the lead singer has a deep, wavering and completely intoxicating voice, and it all blends together to sound like some twisted tune that I envision accompanying a zombie surfer as he glides through a blood-red wave. Yeah, I'm as confused by that as you are.
These are just a few of the absolutely fantastic songs that make up this album. This should not be missed by any horror fan whatsoever. One can only wish that Rue Morgue will make this a regular, ongoing project and give these deadicated bands the exposure they need. In the meantime, the rest of the world can plug in their dread-phones and dig this sumptuous spookshow like a six foot grave.

Labels: 2010S, Band, Creature Feature, Damn Laser Vampires, Horror Music, Monstrous Medleys, Rue Morgue

A few years ago, I started becoming interested in horror punk. I had never listened to any of the music (I only heard of the Misfits up until that point) so, like any young fellow looking to find some accurate information and facts, I went to Wikipedia. Long story short, a few clicks and multiple links later, I stumbled upon a page talking of a band named Creature Feature. They were fairly new at the time and, as luck would have it, I was able to get a hold of some of their tunes.
Thank the Sweet Virgin Mary for Wikipedia.
While the page from the online encyclopedia may be gone, my immense love and admiration for this band has not diminished one iota over all these years. Creature Feature is exactly what it sounds like it is... a collection of devious fiends who offer up wonderfully nostalgic and gruesome songs reminiscent of the horror movies they grew up on. The great thing about them is that their songs, while ghoulish, don't have unnecessary cursing or anything cheaply vulgar. They're the perfect band to invite over for a Halloween party... you can even bring the wee ones! I look forward to the day I'll finally be able to see them live. Their debut album is a spectacular collection of twisted tunes that'll make your black heart thump with hideous delight. Let's take a look at them, shall we...?
The Greatest Show Unearthed- The title song (and what a grimly punny one at that!) A dark carnival that recalls the tales of Bradbury. A nice way to get the pumpkin rolling.
Buried Alive- Probably my favorite track from the album. The song is an amalgam of Poe's works, the titles and themes from his greatest stories chanted over a haunting keyboard theme and awesome guitar riff. Think "We Didn't Start The Fire" except a HELLUVA lot cooler. A Gothic masterpiece.
Aim For The Head- Romero fans rejoice! The boys give their take on how to survive a zombie invasion... by blowing undead brains out, of course! The sound clips taken from actual zombie films are a very nice touch.
Six Foot Deep- Maybe this one should've been called "Gravedigger's Delight." A toe-tapping good time filled with haunted houses, skeletons, and the prerequisite death by burial.
A Gorey Demise- Obituary tea party, anyone? A bone-tickling ghastly song that recounts the messy deaths of all the party members in Dr. Seuss fashion. Guitarist and lead singer Curtis Rx provides all the voices for the reanimated devils. Based on the marvelously dark art of master Edward Gorey.
Look To The Skies- The legendary warning given to the people of Earth telling of an invasion from outer space. "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" was the clear inspiration for this song of carbon copies and master alien plans.
How To Serve Man- The references just keep coming, don't they? Half the fun is pinpointing the source of the band's ideas. This one comes from the ultra-creepy episode of "The Twilight Zone" about flesh-hungry aliens. Not so much about extraterrestrials, more of a Martha Stewart-esque guide on how to cook a roast ala homo sapien. Written specifically for the film Cannibal Flesh Riot by Gris Grimly (also the artist for the CD cover).
Bound and Gagged- Probably the most hardcore of all the songs. This one tells the story of an insane kidnapper who warns the parents of the girl he snatched to comply with his demands... or meet the consequences. Some pretty demented stuff that you may have to cover the kiddies' ears for. I really love the keyboard in this song though... as sick as that may sound.
The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth- The title sounds inspiring and heart-warming, maybe like the name of a whimsical Christmas special about little forest critters standing up for their rights against greedy land developers. Too bad this song's just about hideous mutants rising from the sewage system of Los Angeles to exterminate the human race and rule the world. Now that's my cup of Yuletide cheer.
A Corpse In My Bed- Don't worry, nothing too blasphemous here. A fun song that you could dance to in a club with your partner, however stiff they may be.
Such Horrible Things- A naughty little boy narrates the story of his turgid life and all the bad, bad things he did to people. It's kind of weird to catch yourself bobbing your head to lyrics about a small child stalking his family members with a knife. Such is the charm of Creature Feature. "Aw hell, it's exactly what it seems!"
What, you're still here? How could you have read through this entire entry without having the immediate urge to seek out this band's music and listen to it with the fervor of a vampire suffering from withdrawal? Go, now! If you've been searching for a band that completely gets the horror genre, you have just discovered your latest and greatest fix.

Labels: 2000S, Band, Creature Feature, Horror Music, Monstrous Medleys