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
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.
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 