Sounds of Darkness

Rue Morgue Radio is a fun website featuring a weekly music radio show and horror news. This is their second horror music compilation, and it doesn’t deviate much from the pattern set by last year’s tracks. Some heavy metal, some psychobilly, some garage rock, and some stuff that’s just plain hard to categorize. I’ve never heard of any of the artists except GWAR (thanks to Beavis and Butthead). It’s mostly guitar-driven melodies ...

Here’s another compilation of real old-timey big band Halloween music, similar to “The Haunted House - 20 Tracks to Make You Jump in the Night”. So similar, in fact, that they start with the same track … “The Haunted House” by the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra … a classic with an introduction that can’t be beat.

Much of the disc is just as terrific. Most tracks have vocals, but every 3rd or 4th one is an instrumental. ...

I hadn’t heard of Jill Tracy or her music until a couple of her songs were featured on an edition of the NPR radio show “Hearts of Space”. Almost every October, HOS comes up with a new show of spookiness, and they generally introduce me to an artist, compilation, or genre that I’d never heard of. HOS Halloween shows have introduced me to Raison d’Etre, Richard Bone, “Funeral Songs”, “Stalker”, so much more. Show #711, titled ...

Dartman has had really fun Halloween mixes the past few years.

2006: 12 tracks. A good start. One movie trailer, some sound effects, some old tracks (“New Year’s Eve in a Haunted House”), some more recent (the great “Soul Dracula”!), and the very fun Side 1 from the classic “Halloween Horrors” album.

2007: 35 tracks. They were untagged originally, and I still don’t recognize 3 of them (6, 16, ...

This double-CD was released 22 years after the original musical version of the War of the Worlds. The original is a classic … it is fun to follow the story while being swept up in the music. This release is a fun listen too. A variety of DJs (most of whom I’ve never heard of) re-imagined Jeff Wayne’s songs. The results are nothing like the originals, but certainly a worthwhile listen in its own right.

Some songs ...