Being a big Alice Cooper fan, I’ve been waiting years for a follow up to 2011’s Welcome 2 My Nightmare. When news dropped that the new album was to be released this year, I was thrilled. Cooper is a brilliant musician and master storyteller.
Then my interest peaked when the new album’s title was revealed as Paranormal. I was expecting a macabre, hard rock ghost story. Trust me, I couldn’t wait for the last Friday of July to get here so I could get my hands on the album. Then the day arrived. I gave it a listen, and I was confused. So I listened a second time, and a third. With each listen, I became more and more puzzled.
The album is all over the place. The title track “Paranormal” is by far the best song on the album. It’s dark, heavy, and classic Cooper. The song deals with a ghost that has unfinished business with the love of his life. After that, things get weird, and not in a good way. The album doesn’t appear to know what it is. Some songs attempt to be rock, others sound like something straight out of an awkward musical, and a couple in the big bopper style. This album makes little sense. There is no concept and no proper transitions from song to song. It’s a mess.
With that being said, I would be lying if I said I didn’t find a couple of the big bopper songs catchy. I found my self singing “Holy Water” to myself a few times. Plus, the deluxe edition has some great live concert tracks of classic Cooper songs that are fantastic.
Overall, it’s a disappointing, confusing album. I had high expectations, that sadly weren’t met. My recommendation, stream the album online, and maybe download two songs. The whole album just isn’t worth it.
With 2016 almost in the books and 2017 right around the corner, the team here at All Hallows’ Haunts thought it would be fun to look back at what we thought was the best of the best in 2016. So, without further ado, here are the All Hallows’ Haunts 2016 Awards.
Movie
Andy’s Pick- Hush
Lola’s Pick- Train to Busan
TV Show
Andy’s Pick- The Exorcist
Lola’s Pick- Stranger Things
Creepy Album
Andy’s Pick- Metallica- Hardwired To Self-Destruct
Lola’s Pick – Birdeatsbaby- Tanta Furia
Book
Andy’s Pick- Maggie Goes To Hollywood & Maggie Reloaded by Kate Danley
Lola’s Pick- I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
Being a huge Alice Cooper fan, I can spend hours just listening to his music. He’s a masterful story teller, painting these horrific nightmares and settings. This amazing ability of his has allowed him to create some incredible concept albums. You can get lost in one of the many stories, especially of the reoccurring character, Steven.
With so many songs to choose from, I had a hard time just narrowing it down. But I did and below are my top 6 (as in 666, lol) Alice Cooper songs of horror, accompanied by videos.
The Black Widow- “Welcome To My Nightmare” is one of the greatest albums of all time, telling the hellish nightmare of Steven. The Black Widow, featuring Vincent Price, tells of the ruthless, deadly ruler- The Black Widow and how the world of spiders shall reign supreme!
Steven- I don’t think there is anything more terrifying for a child than a nightmare. The one place where there are no rules and going from being a child to a murderous man during a nightmare is terrifying for anyone. The final lyrics of the song are chilling.
Feed My Frankenstein- This is just one of those awesome rock songs that is so much fun to party to. The description of a hungry monster is just awesome and catchy.
Gimme- Cooper takes on the role of the devil, offering to exchange his services for your soul. Like he says, he’s our only friend. I like the mockery of boy bands of the 90’s in the video.
I Love The Dead- Who doesn’t love the dead? During most concerts, this is the song he sings while being put into the guillotine. It has these really low, creepy moments, then these high, fun-spirited choruses.
Welcome To My Nightmare- The song that started it all. The lyrics do a pretty good job of telling the story- An insane journey through a nightmare. He sure hopes that you like it.
This is just a sample of Cooper’s extensive library of music? What’s your favorite Alice Cooper songs? What your favorite Horror music. Let us know. You can reach us on Twitter- @HallowsHaunts !
In this day and age, there is an odd fear of originality. It’s as if the only safe approach is to make a sequel or to remake something all together. I drove past a movie theatre a few weeks ago and the marquee consisted of only sequels- Captain America: Civil War, NowYou See Me 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. Like I said, all sequels. What is with this fear of making something original?
One of the few saving graces when it comes to remakes or sequels is cover songs. There are many covers that are just as good, or better than the original. With that said, there are a few songs that should never be remade. They just can’t compete with the classic. The very thing can be said of one of the the greatest movie theme songs ever: “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr. for the classic hit movie, Ghostbusters.
However, just as the movie is being remade (Which I believe is a horrible mistake.), the movie’s theme song has also been remade. The new film’s cover is from Fall Out Boy. I can tell you with certainty and honesty- it is by far one of the absolute worst covers, and perhaps even songs, I have ever heard. It samples parts of the original song from Ray Parker Jr., but it’s mixed very poorly with Fall Out Boy’s lyrics and music. If you don’t believe me, check the video out for yourself.
The cover makes little sense, and is just bad. Really bad. Like, they should almost be ashamed for creating something that bad. I find it a travesty. While I’m a fan of Fall Out Boy, this song is so, so disappointing. It makes me wonder how bad the remake is going to be. I’m a huge fan of the first two Ghostbusters films. They are among my all time favorite films. I just feel that they shouldn’t have remade it. The trailers look awful and this just makes it even worse.
I don’t want to leave you all hanging on a bad note. So, to brighten up your day, here is the original theme song by Ray Parker Jr. Enjoy, and remember- Who ya gonna call?
Like many people, I love music. I love many different types of music. It’s safe to say that my musical tastes are all over the place, especially when it comes to Halloween and horror songs. As you’ll see with this list, I have everything from some classics to hard rock. With that being said, enjoy!
Welcome to My Nightmare– Alice Cooper- I’m a huge Alice Cooper fan and he’s going to show up more than once on this list. This song introduces the listener to a nightmare that Steven (Cooper) is having and is just creepy and awesome. This is the opening song on his debut album, which shares its name. The whole record is one big concept album. Let’s just say that he means”Welcome to My Nightmare” quite literally. Just put the album on and listen to it all the way through.
Lost Boys– The 69 Eyes- This song is a hard rock tribute to one of the greatest vampire movies, The Lost Boys. The band’s nickname is the “Helsinki Vampires” and a lot of their music has a horror, gothic rock feel to it.
Monster Mash– Bobby “Boris” Pickett- This is just the classic Halloween song, bringing all the monsters together for a crazy mash!
Dead Man’s Party– Oingo Boingo- This is not just one of the definitive Halloween songs, but also one of the definitive 80’s songs. I mean, it’s a dead man’s party. Who could ask for more?
Witch Doctor– David Seville- Another classic Halloween song about a man visiting a witch doctor for help with his love life. The technique used to speed up Seville’s voice for the part of the witch doctor was later used to create Alvin and the Chipmunks.
Feed My Frankenstein– Alice Cooper- To me this is not just a great Halloween/horror song, this is one of Cooper’s absolute best.
Dragula– Rob Zombie- I worked at Universal Studios Hollywood for six years. During my time there, I worked Halloween Horror Nights as well. Every year that I worked the event, this was one of the main songs that was played repeatedly in the park. In my mind, it’s forever associated with Halloween. I also just love the song in general.
Ghostbusters– Ray Parker Jr.- This one shouldn’t need any explanation, but I do have a question- Who you gonna call?
Hell– The Squirrel Nut Zippers- This is one of my all time favorite songs. It’s catchy, descriptive, and fun. You can dance to it. You can party to it.
Hell’s Grinning Ghost– Monte Revolta and His Band of the Living Dead- This is an amazing mash-up of Hell by the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Grimm Grinning Ghosts from the Disney ride, The Haunted Mansion. Monte Revolta is also a dead lounge singer whose shows shouldn’t be missed.
Well folks, that’s my list. Hopefully you have enjoyed these songs and will hopefully add them to your Halloween playlist, or even to your year round music.
With all of the major Halloween conventions right around the corner, we decided it was time we release a playlist of our favorite Halloween party songs. Most of the songs I’ve selected are a little bit funky, definitely spooky, and maybe just a tad tongue in cheek. I tried to steer clear of the obvious choices, like The Monster Mash and Don’t Fear the Reaper. Those are amazing songs, but I wanted to create a list that might introduce readers to some new creepy gems. With that being said, let’s get started.
Carousel- Melanie Martinez
Melanie Martinez gained recognition on the TV show, The Voice. After leaving The Voice, Martinez released her debut album Cry Baby. I’m a big fan of this whole album. Martinez uses her poppy sound to address dark topics like murder, rape, excessive plastic surgery, and substance abuse. Though all of her songs are disturbing, Carousel is definitely her most Halloween sounding track. Carousel has a wicked circus vibe, combined with a hip hop beat. In 2014, a remixed version of Carousel was used as the theme for American Horror Story: Freakshow.
2. Love Me Dead- Ludo
First, let it be said that Ludo is an amazing rock band that deserves more attention than they get. Everything these guys make is like a massive rock opera. There were plenty of Ludo songs that could make this list, but I picked Love Me Dead, because it’s so deliciously snarky. Also this video is a masterpiece. If you like this song, also give Skeletons on Parade and Lake Pontchartrain a listen.
3. Lie Lie Lie- Serj Tankian
Those who recall the short lived series Fear Itself, will remember this song from the opening credits. Most of Tankian’s work is too political for my taste, but this song has always been a favorite of mine. I’ve heard that it’s possibly about the Iraq War, but I prefer to take the lyrics literally. On the surface, this song is about a cruel man that makes a suicide pact with his lover… then breaks his promise.
4. In the Room Where You Sleep- Dead Man’s Bones
Ok, so everyone knows Ryan Gosling the Hollywood heart throb, but few are aware of his band Dead Man’s Bones. The band only has one album, but it’s one hell of a record. The self titled album contains 12 tracks about werewolves, zombies, and secret underwater societies. Gosling’s haunting voice coupled with the little voices of the Silverlake Children’s Choir, is pure Halloween magic. This whole album is one I like to rock out to in October.
5. Sticks & Stones- The Pierces
The Pierces are one of my absolute favorite bands and this is my favorite song of theirs. There is something decidedly witchy about all their music, and in Sticks & Stones they’re in full on bad witch mode. The Blair Witch style video is just as spellbinding as the song. Enjoy!
6. Zombie Prostitute- Voltaire
If I could, I’d book Voltaire to play my Halloween party. This guy has the horror novelty song down. If you don’t know his work, Zombie Prostitute is a good place to start. I laugh every time I hear it.
7. Halloween- Sioxsie and the Banshees
I had to have this song on my list. This is a perfect ode to a day ruled by candy, mischief, and of course the dead. In Halloween, Siouxsie perfectly captures the fun you had as a child tearing through the neighborhood in search of treats, but there’s also something sinister there. Come to think of it, they should’ve used this song in Trick R’ Treat.
8. Supernaturally- Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
I’m a major Nick Cave fan, and of all his songs, this one is my favorite. The drama and passion in this song floors me every time. It’s a great song for dancing alone at 3AM. It’s also a great song to get people moving at your party. In addition to the beat, the lyrics of this song are fun to unravel. There’s something intriguing about the notion of a girl being so unattainable that Cave thinks of her as something otherworldly. It’s profound, and perhaps a bit Schizophrenic.
9. Ghost Town- Shiny Toy Guns
I remember reading that fans didn’t like the new direction Shiny Toy Guns went in on their album Season of Poison. This baffles me, because I love that album, and this song in particular. It’s a great one for some air guitar and headbanging. Plus, check out the epic animated video.
10. Hammer Horror- Kate Bush
Kate Bush has stated that as a child she was terrified after watching the Hammer films. Movies like The Horror of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein often prevented her from sleeping at night. As an adult, she found this feeling comparable to the fear of love. In Hammer Horror, she expresses those anxieties with her usual dramatic flair and wailing voice. This song is actually quite similar in theme to her other song Hounds of Love.
Everyone likes to party, right? What better time to party than Halloween? To help you prepare for your next Halloween party, each member of the All Hallows’ Haunts team will release some fun party ideas to help make your Halloween party out of this world. With that being said, we figure we’ll start with our favorite Halloween/Horror songs. This week, I’ll start with my top 10!
“The” Chris Nelson’s Top 10 Halloween /Horror Songs
1. Pretend Like We’re Dead – L7: Because what else do we do on Halloween?
2. Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie: It feels criminal to not include it.
3. Jesus Built My Hotrod – Ministry: My first Halloween event I ever worked was at Knott’s Berry Farm in 2003. The maze was TerrorVision, and an instrumental track of Jesus Built My Hotrod played on loop all night. Side fact, TerrorVision won Maze of the Year in 2005, my second year working there.
4. Bat Country – Avenged Seven Fold: Because bats are so synonymous with Halloween.
5. Ghost Town – The Specials: There are some spooky-like melodies in this song. Plus it has Ghost in the title.
6. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida – Iron Butterfly: From beginning to end, this is a great scary sounding song. It would make the perfect audio background for a horror movie. There was an episode of Home Improvement where Tim Taylor scares one of his sons by dressing up as an alien and blasting the sound in the back yard.
7. This is Halloween – The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack: What I start singing to myself at 11:59pm on October 30th.
8. This Is Halloween – Marilyn Manson: There is an album of nothing but covers and remixes of the Nightmare Before Christmas soundtrack. One of those covers is this one.
9. Grim Grinning Ghosts – Barenaked Ladies: A great little cover of the iconic song from Disney’s The Haunted Mansion attraction.
10. Thriller – Michael Jackson: There was a point in my life where I was too young to be watching Horror films, but old enough to where people didn’t have to worry what was on TV. Sometime in 1984, I was witness to my first horror story, the music video for Thriller. Needless to say, this video scared the crap out of me as a kid, more specifically (spoiler alert!) the reveal at the end that he is really a monster.
Be sure to tune in next week as AHH team member, Andy Shultz reveals his Top Ten Halloween/Horror songs.
Also be sure to follow All Hallows’ Haunts on Twitter for the latest information on Halloween, Horror and Haunt events in Southern California- @HallowsHaunts .
The gang here at All Hallows’ Haunts caught Evil Dead The Musical 4D at the Tommy Wind Theater during our recent sojourn to the City of Lights.
Adapted from the Sam Raimi film, Evil Dead The Musical 4D, is everything an Evil Dead fan could want (and for the extreme die hard fans, a whole lot more). All of your favorite characters are there, all of your favorite moments are there. Yes, people get murdered on stage. Yes, it is fake and silly, and ridiculously messy. So, so messy. So 4D. And messy.
You want to be a part of the show? Enjoy the messiness? Buy the VIP tickets. You’ll be treated to a white t-shirt signed by the cast and encouraged to put it on before the show starts so it will be covered in fake blood as the show progresses. Encouraged might be a bit of a misnomer here, as no one opted to not put the shirts on.
To say the show is fun is a complete and total understatement. The cast pitches this show so hard, I thought they might be all vying for the Cy Young Award this year. They especially pay attention to the Splatter Zone, as they know those are the fans that can quote the movie by heart. At one point, an actor just stood on stage, talking to an audience member, continuously spraying her with blood. This must’ve lasted for at least 60 seconds. She loved it. (When they didn’t, the actors would scream at them, “YOU PAID EXTRA FOR THIS”.)
Even if you’re not a fan of the movie, the live show is worth the price of admission. You don’t need to be drenched in blood to enjoy it, as the show is put together really well. The songs are on note, the actors are fantastic, and everyone is having fun.
If you’re a fan of the movie and like campy theater, I highly recommend seeing the show.
There’s just one caveat. A really, really big caveat.
The Tommy Wind Theater is terrible. It’s not designed to hold a large audience for a show that could garner this much attention. The staff is pleasant, but obviously have no real experience running live shows. Our group showed up at 7:28pm for a 7:30pm show to find out that our VIP seats (yes, we’re those Evil Dead freaks that want to be covered in fake blood) had been sold out from under us. No cast-signed T-shirts. No free show specific shots. No getting covered in gallons of amazingly fake blood.
We did get to be seated on a side of the theater that we were told, twice, was “horrible seating”. Once was by the staff (who could have sat us anywhere else), and once by the actor introducing the show. We missed a clear third of the stage, and about half of the action in the first act.
At the intermission, I moved to the back and enjoyed a full view of the second act.
We paid for a VIP show and got less than a whole show. It was disappointing. Especially, considering just how good the show turned out to be. The Tommy Wind Theater needs to fix this, immediately. I get selling seats to people who don’t show, but to be treated as such is just downright unprofessional.
Despite this, I’m still recommending the show. It’s just too damn good to pass up.
Anyone that knows me knows that Florence + The Machine is my all time favorite musician. One of the things I like best about Flo is her ability to integrate dark imagery into her songs. That being said, I’m counting down her top 5 creepiest songs, for your listening pleasure! I based my list not off of which songs I like best, but which I think are the darkest lyrically and musically.
1. Seven Devils- If ever there was a song that sounded like an audible exorcism, this is it. This is a song packed full of fury! Florence’s wailing could be that of the devils or that of someone trying to cast them out. There are a few different ways to look at this song. I think it is without a doubt an internal struggle with herself, rather than with another individual. Some have interpreted it as being related to the seven deadly sins. On that same note, it’s worth noting that Jesus supposedly cast seven devils out of Mary Magdalene. In an interview Florence states that she took the the term “seven devils” from a book called If He Hollers, Let Him Go. The book follows an African American man and his experiences with racism during WWII. Regardless of the meaning of the song, there is no denying the feeling of sheer power it evokes.
2. Howl- Howl is my favorite of all Florence’s songs. It’s a tale of love turned into obsession, couched in a werewolf metaphor. Florence describes with the painful accuracy of a needle prick how love can consume the best of us and turn anyone into a monster. She even borrows the most famous line from The Wolfman and reworks it to fit the track. When she sings the word “howl” she actually sounds like a wolf crying out to the moon.
3. Blinding- Blinding is a surreal vision of soul shattering despair. It’s hard to say what exactly is the cause of this despair, but it certainly seems like Flo had some of her hopes and dreams destroyed by some sort of unfathomable truth. When she sings “No more calling like a crow, for a boy, for a body in the garden.”, I think she may be referring to the Garden of Eden. I like all of the sound effects in this song. At the beginning of the song you can hear her laughter, then you hear a distorted crow’s caw. Then the drums pick up and it’s like hearing her awakening to this world she doesn’t want to exist in. Later you hear a series of whispers, followed by Florence sucking in a heavy breath. The sound effects alone tell the story.
4. Girl With One Eye- Ok, so Florence didn’t actually write this one, but she adopted it and it’s her baby now. I’ve heard a lot of interpretations about this song. Some see it as one girl warning another girl to stay away from her man, others see it as a song about a relationship between two women. I haven’t quite decided what I think it means. I just know it’s menacing as hell! This song is more stripped down than the average Florence + The Machine song. The melody of the guitar evokes a feeling of Nancy Sinatra’s My Baby Shot me Down. Florence’s bellowing at the end of the song sounds like someone having the ultimate of mental breakdowns. It’s safe to say that I wouldn’t want to be the titular “girl” she sings of.
5. – This song reminds me of Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. Both revolve around narrators who are consumed by guilt that manifests itself as a pulsing beat. Ultimately, both seem to cave under the pressure. It’s also possible that like the man in The Tell-Tale Heart, Flo may have murdered someone. In the chorus, she sings of moving towards a body, of course this body could be a living one, rather than a corpse. Throughout the song she attempts to find release through spiritual means, like running to a church, and undergoing some sort of baptism. However, nothing eases her conscience. It’s possible that she ends up drowning herself. It’s all open for interpretation.
February is “Women in Horror Month” to celebrate we’re rounding up our favorite ladies of the darkside!
Goth musician Emilie Autumn has made a name for herself by creating a genre of music she calls “Victorian Industrial”. Her music is defined by her operatic vocals, rock and roll violin, and girl power lyrics. She was raised amongst the bright lights of the theatre. Her upbringing guided her towards classical violin. She would later put her training to use by performing with Billy Corgan and Courtney Love.
As for Emilie Autumn’s solo work. Her first album, On a Day… is an all instrumental album showcasing her traditional violin technique. Her next album, Enchant, blends together celtic violin melodies, funky beats, and mystical fairy lyrics. EA is best known for her 2006 album, Opheliac. Opheliac is a darker vision than any of her previous work. The record is inspired by a suicide attempt and her experiences with Bipolar Disorder. Opheliac exploded like the plague in the goth subculture, turning Autumn into an icon.
Four years later, she’d go on to write The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls. Part novel, part autobiography, the book deals with her traumatic stay in a mental hospital and an imagined stay in a Victorian institution. Since then, She has tried her hand at acting in Darren Lynn Bousman’s films The Devil’s Carnival and Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival. Her most recent album Fight Like a Girl was released in 2012. The album is based off of her book. She hopes to turn it into a stage production.
Personal Story:
My love of Emilie Autumn began in high school. I had a friend who kept insisting that I’d love Opheliac. I gave it a listen and found that I was soon obsessed. I went out and bought every album I could get my hands on. I struggled a lot when I was a teen. Mental illness had me on the verge of dropping out of school. When I listened to Emilie Autumn it was like I’d found my spirit animal. When I wanted to dream of mysterious places far away I’d listen to Enchant. When I needed to scream, and kick, and cry I’d listen to Opheliac. When I moved to LA, I finally got to attend one of her concerts. It was such a surreal feeling to be surrounded by girls who were just like me. It felt like a community. I was lucky enough to meet EA at this year’s Screamfest Horror Film Festival. I was there promoting a short film I’d made. I was feeling a bit out of place. She was sweet enough to tell me that I could hang out with her if I didn’t have anyone to hang out with. My friends arrived soon after and I didn’t want to interfere with her group, but I’ll always appreciate the offer.
All Hallows Haunts 