Deceased - The Blueprints For Madness (1995 - 320kbps)

Deceased (or Deceased...) is a death/thrash band from Arlington, Va formed by the Phil Collins of Death Metal King Fowley. This is a bit different from what's been posted here so far this month, but Deceased is about as horror obsessed a band as I've seen. Blueprints For Madness features songs about mind vampires and creek zombies and there's even an incredibly eerie sample swiped from Messiah of Evil inserted into the opening track. If any death/thrash band from Virginia deserves to be posted here it's Deceased...

Now, the production on this is a bit sloppy, but if you can get past that this is an excellent album filled with amazing twin guitar work and brutal drumming from drummer/vocalist King Fowley. My favorite part of the album, the epic Fabio Frizzi sounding intro and outro to The Creek of The Dead.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Relapse Records
Catalog #: RR 6920-2
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. "Morbid Shape in Black" - 5:42
2. "The Triangle" - 5:53
3. "Island of the Unknown" - 3:29
4. "The Blueprints for Madness" - 2:36
5. "The Creek of the Dead" - 5:05
6. "Mind Vampires" - 3:48
7. "Into The Bizarre" - 5:59
8. "Alternate Dimensions" - 3:49
9. "Midnight" - 5:15
10. "Negative Darkness" - 4:37
11. "A Reproduction of Tragedy" - 5:55

Download:Mediafire
Download Size:72MB

Tales From The Crypt: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas (1994 - 320kbps)

Christmas Eve has arrived, which means that our Nightmare Before Christmas event is drawing to a horrific conclusion. Now that we've shared an abundance of dreadful sounds throughout the month of December, I hope you have yourself a scary little Christmas. I thought that I would break from the straight forward horror posts to share something which takes a bit more of a light-hearted jab at Christmas. "Tales From The Crypt: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas" features John Kassir aka The Crypt Keeper from Tales From The Crypt, putting a blasphemous, yet humorous spin on everyone's favorite traditional Christmas carols. If it isn't obvious by now, the idea of Christmas horrifies me more than any of the music that I have posted this month. I'm particularly repulsed by the Christmas music which can be heard months before the holiday actually takes place. I worked at a retail clothing store a few years ago, and we were forced to listen to Christmas music every day, nonstop, for almost three months straight. If I ever hear "Santa Baby" again I may destroy whatever infernal device the sound happens to emanate from.

If you share the same sentiment towards Christmas Music, and chances are you might if you have been following along with us this month, then this album will be right up your alley. Throw this twisted Christmas album on when you want to get a rise out of stone-faced prudes or overly-sensitive Christmas lovers. With lyrics such as ""Stockings stuffed with ears and fingers (fa la la la la la la la la) Chopped from all those carolling singers (fa la la la la la la la la)", you'll be sure to enjoy a good laugh as they display signs of obvious disgust.

This CD came with a bonus comic book entitled "And All Through The House". "And All Through The House" was the second episode from season 1 of Tales From The Crypt which aired in 1989. It was based on a story first printed in 1954 within the pages of issue #35 of the classic EC horror comic, "The Vault of Horror", one of the sister publications of the original Tales From The Crypt comic. The story revolves a woman who murders her husband on Christmas Eve in order to collect on his substantial insurance policy. Unfortunately for her, a deranged mental patient dressed as Santa has already brutally dismembered four young women not far from her home. Perhaps he has heard "Santa Baby" one too many times? As fortunate would have it, she discovers that the killer is trying to force his way into her home as she is trying to dispose of her dead husband's corpse. Below you will find a download of the classic television episode in its entirety, as well as a complete scan of the aforementioned Vault of Horror #35. Merry Cryptmas!

Year of Release: 1994
Label: The Right Stuff (Capitol)
Catalog #: T2-31330
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Intro to Album
2. Deck The Hall With Parts of Charlie
3. Juggle Bills
4. We Wish You'd Bury the Missus
5. Moe Teitlebaum
6. A Christmas Card for the Cryptkeeper
7. Christmas Rap
8. Intro to Cryptkeepr's Family Christmas
9. Cryptkeeper's Family Christmas
10. Twas The Fright Before Christmas
11. 12 Days of Cryptmas
12. Intro to Revenge of the Cryptkeepr
13. Revenge of the Cryptkeepr
14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
15. Should Old Cadavers Be Forgot

Download: Tales From The Crypt: Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas (1994 - 320kbps)
Download Size: 95MB

Bonus Downloads:

The Vault Of Horror #35 (1954 - EC Comics)

Download:
Vault of Horror #35 (1954 - EC Comics)
Download Size: 21MB

Tales From The Crypt - All Through The House

Download:
Tales From The Crypt - And All Through The House
(Season 1: Episode 2 - 1989)
Download Mirror: http://www.mediafire.com/?7w9vza882y721mv
Download Size: 175MB

Richard Band - The Pit & the Pendulum: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1991 - 320kbps)

The Pit & the Pendulum (1991) is another Stuart Gordon / Richard Band team-up, only this time with the source material being by H.P. Lovecraft's predecessor, Edgar Allan Poe. This film I have not seen yet, but they got Lance Henriksen as the star, and that has my attention. After giving the score a few listens, I will surely be seeking out this film that many fans have called Full Moon Pictures' finest. Maybe I can find it to download somewhere. From what I have read about it, it has great atmosphere, sets, costumes and performances. Supposedly, there is far less gore than the usual Gordon fare, but that won't stop me from watching it.

From listening to the score, I have gleaned that this film, in typical Gordon fashion, must have traces of humor in it. There are parts where Band's music really brings a smile to my face, but don't let that convince you that this is all about laughs. No, sirs and madams, there is plenty of dread and horror to be found in this Gothic and dramatic music. Band also makes excellent use of a choir on a few tracks. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 1991
Label: Moonstone Records
Catalog #: MD 9903
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
If anyone has a true lossless rip of this long out of print CD, please feel free share it here.

Track list:
1. The Crypt and Main Titles (4:00)
2. The Chase and Onslaught (2:21)
3. The Arrest of Maria (1:18)
4. The Purging of Torquemada (1:06)
5. Antonio Sneaks into the Castle (2:38)
6. Esmeralda's Meadow of Peace (1:34)
7. Antonio Battles the Guards (4:05)
8. The Pope's Envoy (2:13)
9. The Rape of Maria (6:02)
10. Esmeralda Comforts Maria (1:43)
11. The Night Auto da Fe / Esmeralda's Revenge (2:37)
12. Maria's Burial (0:41)
13. The Pit and the Pendulum (8:48)
14. Justice for the Grand Inquisitor... Death (3:36)
15. Maria's Resurrection and Finale (5:51)

Download: Richard Band - The Pit & the Pendulum: Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 114MB

There is a link for an unrelated BONUS album in the comments of this post.

George Fenton - The Company Of Wolves: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1984 - 192kbps)

The Company of Wolves stands apart from the werewolf-themed films that have previously been represented here. It is a unique surreal fantasy-horror film which brilliantly merges European fairy tales with that of Werewolf folklore, woven through the tail of "Little Red Riding Hood" and the stories of Angela Carter. The film serves as an allegory for a young girl's coming of age and the discovery of her blossoming sexuality. The werewolves are presented as a metaphor for the deceptive men who are eager to take away her innocence. The film primarily aims for artistic expression in the form of a dark and surreal psychological tale, rather than a straight forward horror film which seeks to frighten the viewer. There is a thick dark and gothic atmosphere which permeates the film though, as much of the story is told in the form of the young girl's nightmares, and the werewolves play an important role throughout the film.

The highlight of the film for me was the amazing soundtrack from George Fenton. The first time I heard the opening track, with it's ominous opening poem narrated by Angela Lansbury, I crossed my fingers in hopes that that the rest of the soundtrack would be equally impressive. Not only did it live up to my expectations, but it exceeded them by a great deal. Fenton brilliantly combines a small orchestra, traditional folk instruments, and foreboding synthesizer music to create a rich atmospheric soundtrack, which perfectly compliments the gothic fairy-tale atmosphere of the film. Fenton utilized a number of instruments to create his amazing score, including bass flutes, violins, fiddles, organs, pan pipes, double basses, synthesizers, and a variety of percussion instruments. The result is nothing short of magnificent.

Fenton's talent is undeniably displayed throughout this soundtrack, as. he takes on a number of different musical styles and moods, and absolutely kills it with each and every one. "The Message/Main Theme" opens up with a poem narrated by Angela Lansbury, complimented by Fenton's eerie synthesizer sounds in the background. "Rosaleen's First Dream" begins with a reserved minimalistic melody, which gradually becomes more sinister as the track progresses, before the quietness is eventually shattered by some truly powerful and menacing synthesizer sounds. "The Story of the Bride and Groom" consists of traditional Irish folk music, arranged by Alistair McLachlan. "The Wedding Party" is a romantic classical track based on Beethoven's String Trio Opus 9 No. 1. "The Boy and the Devil" has somewhat of an industrial sound to it, dominated by creepy synthesizer music and complimented by blasts of heavy breathing, which sounds as if it originates from some massive mechanical monstrosity.

This is an incredibly underrated soundtrack which deserves more attention, and I believe that it would appeal to a wide variety of people. As with a few of the other releases I have shared this month, there are several tracks which aren't exactly horrific in nature, however, those that are make this soundtrack worth including in our ongoing Nightmare Before Christmas theme. The download link provided below is to a rip of the original vinyl LP released on the That's Entertainment label in 1984. That's Entertainment re-released the soundtrack on CD in 1990, but it has long been out of print ever since.

Year of Release: 1984
Label: That's Entertainment
Catalog #: TER 1094
Genre: Soundtrack, Horror, Contemporary Classical
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. The Message / Main Theme
A2. Rosaleen's First Dream
A3. The Story of the Bride and Groom
A3 (a). The Village Wedding
A3 (b). The Return of the Groom
A4. The Forest and the Huntsman's Theme
A5. The Wedding Party
B1. The Boy and the Devil
B2. One Sunday Afternoon...
B3. All The Better To Eat You With
B3 (a). The Promise and Transformation
B3 (b). Arriving at Granny's Cottage
B4. The Wolfgirl
B5. Liberation

Download: George Fenton - The Company of Wolves
Download Size: 55MB

Charles Bernstein - Cujo / The Covenant: Original Soundtracks (Promo - 1983/1985 - 320kbps)

This is a promo release for two scores by Charles Bernstein, known to me by his iconic score for A Nightmare On Elm Street. Yet another Stephen King treat is served up with Cujo, a film that probably scarred me for life when I saw it as a youngster. A once lovable Saint Bernard slowly transforms into a rabid instrument of Karma, ferociously dispatching a string of mostly unlikable characters. Watching this movie, it probably won't be apparent until later that you are watching a horror film. It is in part due to the score which follows what I like to call the "JAWS" formula. John Williams created music for that film which often didn't match the onscreen action very well. There are scenes where the music plays quite light-heartedly when it should be revving up the tension. The first half of Bernstein's Cujo plays it quite classy and pretty, with zero hints of horror or suspense. Halfway through Cujo things begin to get dark, and it is from this point on that Bernstein shows his horror chops on this release. As for The Covenant, I have never seen it, and IMDB doesn't even have a page for it. About the music, I can say it fits perfectly with the Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Bernstein sticks mostly to orchestral arrangements with elements of mystery, suspense and horror, and the occasional choral accompaniment or electronic creepiness. He pays tribute to the late great Jerry Goldsmith and his score for The Omen with the funny parenthetical titles on the main and end titles. If anyone has any information on the film this score comes from, please comment.

Year of Films Release: 1983/1985
Label: N/A, Promo
Catalog #: CBPRO - 001
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1-13 from Cujo
1. Theme From Cujo (02:41)
2. Main Title - The Hunt (02:15)
3. Main Title - The House (02:11)
4. Bedtime Poem (01:59)
5. Cujo & Boy (01:21)
6. End Of The Day (02:58)
7. Foggy Morning Cujo (02:12)
8. Cujo Dark (02:35)
9. Cujo Pulse (01:15)
10. Entrance To Isolation (03:09)
11. A Very Bad Dog (03:09)
12. Dog Attacks (03:56)
13. End Titles (02:42)
14-25 from The Covenant
14. Main Title (Ave Goldsmith) (02:10)
15. The Legend Of The Damned (02:30)
16. Slow Death In Ballard (02:25)
17. The Seduction (02:06)
18. The Unholy Of Mercer Island (02:30)
19. Darkness Falls In Wallingford (00:56)
20. Voices Of The Damned (02:16)
21. Fife Demons (03:17)
22. Death Of A Friend (01:53)
23. The Summoning (00:46)
24. The Black Lake (04:59)
25. Finale/End Title (Jerry Satani) (01:35)

Download: Charles Bernstein - Cujo / The Covenant: Original Soundtracks
Download Size: 137MB

Jay Chattaway - Silver Bullet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985 - 320kbps)

This one goes out to George Renieris, who requested this soundtrack back in October. I'm all too happy to share it as part of my ongoing series of werewolf soundtracks. This is Jay Chattaway's second appearance on the blog. You can find his soundtrack to the 1988 horror film Maniac Cop here: http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2010/10/jay-chattaway-maniac-cop-1988-320kbps.html. Chattaway is best known for composing the scores to several of the Star Trek television series, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. My favorite scores from Chattaway happen to be those he composed for several cult movies in the 1980s though, and his score to Silver Bullet happens to my personal favorite from him. The download provided below is a rip from the limited edition CD, of which only 1,000 copies were produced and released. This one sold out quickly and is out of print and unavailable for purchase. The soundtrack was also released on vinyl and cassette around the time the film was originally released, but I couldn't find any information regarding which label released those.

Silver Bullet was a 1995 werewolf-themed horror film based on Stephen King's novella "Cycle of the Werewolf". It's been years since I have seen this film, so I honestly can't comment too much on how well the film has held up over the years. With a couple of exceptions I think this soundtrack has held up well over the years though. The two tracks I am referring to are the tracks containing music from Rob B. Mathes, who is responsible for writing the lyrics and contributing the guitar work and vocals on the track "Joy Ride", along with the reprise version. I could honestly do without these two tracks, and prefer to listen to the soundtrack without them, but I realize that there are many people out there who share a different opinion. I don't feel as if the original Joy Ride is as bad as the reprise, but it still detracts from the overall mood established throughout the album for me. Aside from that small complaint, I believe that this is an amazing soundtrack. I read where one reviewer stated that the music was too over the top for what the film called for. I honestly can't agree or disagree with this statement because I don't have the film to make a comparison, but the soundtrack certainly stands solidly on its own as an amazing piece of work. The orchestral music is extremely powerful, downright epic even. There are several dramatic and suspenseful cues, which have a manic pace to them, bringing to mind the work of Harry Manredini or Bernard Herrmann. The frantic tracks often give way to creepy cues which gradually build a thick atmosphere of suspense, before absolutely exploding. Thrashing strings, exploding brass, and pummeling percussion all erupt into a cacophony of total terror.

Year of Release: 1985 (Original) | 2008 (Re-Release)
Label: Varèse Sarabande
Catalog #: VCL 1108 1089
Genres: Soundtrack, Horror
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Main Title
2. The Hunt
3. The Ballgame / The Chase
4. Making The Silver Bullet
5. Fight To The Finish
6. The Bog
7. Stella And The Beast
8. Looking For Mr. One-Eye
9. On The Bridge
10. Joy Ride
11. The Reveal
12. Teamwork / Milt's Greenhouse
13. Marty's Apology
14. Transformation / Finale / Joy Ride (Reprise)

Download: Jay Chattaway - Silver Bullet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Download Size: 72MB

Philip Glass & Geoff Zanelli - Secret Window: Original Motion Picture Score (Promo) (2004 - 320kbps)

Secret Window is a film based on a story by Stephen King, and starring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. I'm not going to say anything about the film other than I saw it once, and I found it entertaining, but this film will possibly appeal more to people who create subjective art and who can relate to what the main character is going through. I'm not an artist, so I guess I give this film 3 stars out of 5. Although this is classified as a psychological thriller, the music fits in perfectly with the theme we have going this month.

The music was originally slated to be composed by James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer (who collaborated on two fine scores for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight). When Howard was replaced, Zimmer dropped out of the picture as well. So instead we have American composers Philip Glass and Geoff Zanelli with scoring duties. I love Glass' film music. He is without a doubt a genius. I have been so impressed by him that I will listen to anything he produces, because I know that more than likely it will be awesome. If you are familiar with Glass' work you'll no doubt enjoy his contribution here. Zanelli I am not as familiar with other than his score for the viking vs. space alien flick Outlander. His tracks here are good, but not as interesting as those by Glass. Overall, this is a very cool album with some truly terrifying moments. Enjoy.

Year of Release: 2004
Label: N/A, Promo
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Avantgarde
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track list:
1-10 composed by Philip Glass
1. Main titles (2:01)
2. Flashback (1:14)
3. Mort hears something (2:20)
4. Fix ending (2:34)
5. Can't find keys (1:44)
6. Discovers Tom and Karsh (1:25)
7. Jeep into lake (0:59)
8. The hat (1:11)
9. Amy goes upstairs (5:41)
10. The killing (alternate) (1:02)

11-18 composed by Geoff Zanelli
11. The bodies (1:28)
12. Mort vs the mirror (2:20)
13. Lament (2:00)
14. Mort times two (4:51)
15. Doggy (1:05)
16. Lying awake (0:44)
17. The killing (film version) (5:47)
18. Corn (1:00)

Download: Philip Glass / Geoff Zanelli - Secret Window (Promo Score)
Download Size: 90MB

There is a link for an unrelated BONUS album in the comments for this post.

Daniel Licht - Bad Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 - 320kbps)

Continuing with my Werewolf theme, I present to you Daniel Licht's original motion picture soundtrack to the 1996 horror film "Bad Moon". While Daniel Licht may not be a household name, his name is becoming increasingly more well known among horror enthusiasts. He made his debut in the industry in 1991, composing the score to the vampire-themed horror film "Children of the Night". At this point in his career he primarily composed music for b-movie horror films and low-budget sequels, including Amityville 1992: It's About Time and Amityville: A New Generation (1992 & 1993), Children of the Corn II & III (1992 & 1995), Necronomicon (1994), Thinner (1996) and Hellraiser Bloodline (1996). 1996 was Licht's breakout year, as he composed the scores to three horror films which achieved moderate success, Bad Moon, Thinner and Hellraiser: Bloodline.

He has primarily composed for the television medium since that time though, with the majority of his compositions being written for television films and series. Although he has continued to compose scores for made-for-tv horror films and television series, his music has also appeared in everything from documentaries to playboy channel specials. He has experienced a recent surge in popularity after he was selected to compose the score to the hit television show Dexter, which revolves around a forensic detective who lives a double-life as a serial killer. It remains to be seen as to whether or not Daniel Licht will make a triumphant return to composing scores for horror films. I suppose only time will tell, but in the meantime we can enjoy the gems that he did release while he was firmly entrenched in the horror genre.

Of the aforementioned releases, Bad Moon is one of the few that I have had the pleasure of listening to. The film was considered a flop to many, criticized for its sub-part acting, unconvincing special effects and snubbing traditional werewolf folklore. Fortunately Licht's score turned out to be much more enjoyable than the actual film it was composed for. Licht presents a diverse selection of tracks, with the mood ranging from peaceful and soothing to frantic and sinister. There are a few action-themed tracks, such as "Nepal", which somewhat reminds me of Alan Silvestri's score to Predator. Before composing scores Licht studied Gamelan music abroad on the islands of Bali and Javi. This influence can clearly be heard on the track "Handcuffed", in which Licht implements traditional Gamelan instruments to effectively create some genuinely creepy sounds. The middle of the disc is relatively low-key in comparison. There are a few horror-themed cues, but there are almost ambient in nature. However the pace really picks up toward the end of the soundtrack, and features several intense cues.

To be perfectly honest I don't believe that this soundtrack evokes an overwhelming sense of horror. Yet I feel as if this is a solid soundtrack overall, containing a few noteworthy horror cues, and worthy of being featured along with the rest of the werewolf soundtracks/scores I intend to post. I would like to thank Strange Ranger for providing me with a higher quality version of this soundtrack, which of course is currently out of print and commercially unavailable.

Year of Release: 1996
Label: Silva
Catalog #: SSD 1068
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Flying (Main Title)
2. Nepal
3. Man of the House
4. Don't Look Up
5. On The Road
6. Lore of the Werewolf
7. Ted Phones Home
8. Handcuffed
9. The Diary
10. Demise Of A Salesman
11. Piss Off / Claw To Claw
12. Goodbye Thor
13. Brett And Janet
14. The Transformation
15. The Confrontation
16. Ted's Last Trail
17. End Credits

Download: Daniel Licht - Bad Moon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Download Size: 102MB

Krzysztof Komeda - Rosemary's Baby / The Fearless Vampire Killers: Original Motion Picture Soundtracks (1968 & 1967 - FLAC & 320kbps)

Krzysztof Komeda was a Polish jazzman who is probably most famous for his 1960s film score work, notably Roman Polański’s Rosemary's Baby and The Fearless Vampire Killers. He is also remembered for his album Astigmatic, which is regarded as a landmark in European jazz. He was quite prolific, I doubt I will ever be able to enjoy his entire catalog. Not long after work on Rosemary's Baby, Komeda died tragically, apparently because of poor decisions made about getting him medical treatment after an accident. He was 38.

Rosemary's Baby, based on the novel by Ira Levin, still holds up quite well today in my opinion. The story involves a young, painfully optimistic woman who has her dreams of the perfect life turned upside down by a group of witches, including her husband, that plot for her to give birth to the Antichrist. If a story like this was made into a film today, it would likely be more extreme and less creative than Rosemary's Baby. I think the film works by making the viewer use their imagination, so if you are hoping for explicit horror look elsewhere. As for the music, the "Lullaby" theme sung by star Mia Farrow became an unlikely radio hit. It has been covered by numerous bands, with one of the greatest versions performed by Fantomas. Komeda's music for this film is avantgarde jazz that spans many moods, but overall it seems to me there is a kind of melancholy tinging the entire thing. His music, namely on tracks like "Panic" and "What Have You Done To Its Eyes?!" are marvelously effective at enhancing the impact of the scenes they play in. On their own, they are just as intriguing.

The Fearless Vampire Killers, originally titled Dance of the Vampires has gotten better with age as well. I have never seen the original cut of the film, but only the American version which was apparently butchered. It was common for foreign films to get chopped up, dried out, and reconstituted (and maybe deep-fried) to make them more palatable for American audiences. This still happens today, to some extent. This film has gorgeous cinematography, really great sets, and memorable performances from the cast. As has been commented many times, the film is a blend of comedy and Hammer Horror style. Like I mentioned though, I have never seen the original cut and thus I have no idea how much of the humor was present in that version. As for the music, Komeda provides some really interesting compositions. When I was playing the main title the other day, my girlfriend asked "Is this Philip Glass?" I can see how someone might think that at first, considering the use of the choir and the repetitive structures. As with Rosemary's Baby, the music works so well with the images on screen that an extra dimension to the film is expertly rendered. It is a classic 60s score that deserves better treatment.

These two scores have been released together on CD by numerous labels, always in the same deplorable condition. It shows such astounding disregard for Komeda by presenting the music in a very sloppy way. The tracks largely are out of order and most of them are incorrectly titled. There are also a number of tracks that are titled as if they are from parts of the film, but are really alternate takes, vocal warm-up sessions, and unused and source cues. In addition, these tracks have not been remastered, at least not correctly. There is some audible tape hiss at times, and sometimes there are issues with the stereo channel balance. It looks to me like these releases were just an attempt to cash in on the fan's desire to have this music. It is obvious there was no real care for quality.

Because of the success of Rosemary's Baby, it was afforded an LP release in 1968, that included a different recording session of some of the music from the film. I was lucky enough to obtain FLAC rips of both the CD and the LP and decided I was going to create a custom soundtrack for myself. As fortune would have it, Zer0_II invited me to participate in the Nightmare Before Christmas event and it became the perfect opportunity to share my little project with you. While the end result is not perfect, it fulfills my aim to be a little more considerate to Komeda and provide a more pleasurable disturbing listening experience. So, I re-sequenced and re-titled the tracks, omitting tracks that did not appear in the films and opting to use the superior LP versions in place of a few tracks. The CD release was by no means complete. All in all I got rid of 6 tracks that were just there to pad out the number of tracks. It is a real shame how many cues are missing, especially since some of those cues are among the most interesting that Komeda composed for these films. I hope that someday there will be a proper remastered release that gets it all right, but until then this will have to do.

The awesome cover art was made by my friend Javier Burgos who has his own blog dedicated to his custom artwork design for soundtracks, Lost Scores. I would like to thank him for taking the time to contribute. I really appreciate it.

Year of Film Release: 1968 & 1967
Custom soundtrack edit by Strange Ranger
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Avantgarde
Format: FLAC & MP3
Bitrate: Lossless & 320kbps

Track List:
Tracks 1-19 from Rosemary's Baby
1. Main Title (Lullaby from "Rosemary's Baby") (2:31)
2. Lullaby, Part I (Moving In - Montage) (1:01)
3. The Coven (Album Version) (0:45)
4. Moment Musical (Album Version) (2:07)
5. The Nightmare ("This is no dream -- this is really happening!") (4:04)
6. Lullaby, Part II (Rosemary Is Pregnant) (1:02)
7. Pregnancy Pains (0:32)
8. Rosemary Makes Steak / Roman Meets Hutch (0:46)
9. Christmastime: Rosemary Goes to Meet Hutch at the Time-Life Building (1:06)
10. Hutch in a Coma: Rosemary Begins to Suspect Something's Wrong (0:32)
11. Raw Liver, Her Own Reflection & Sickness (0:34)
12. Rosemary's Party (Album Version) (2:07)
13. The Pain Has Stopped ("It's alive! It's moving!") (1:13)
14. All of Them Witches (1:59)
15. Panic (Album Version) (2:03)
16. Through the Closet (1:52)
17. What Have You Done to Its Eyes?! (1:26)
18. End Title (Lullaby Reprise) (1:09)
19. Lullaby (Top 40 Single Release, 1968) (2:24)

Tracks 20-35 from The Fearless Vampire Killers
20. The Fearless Vampire Killers - Main Title (2:15)
21. Sarah Takes a Bath (0:52)
22. Snowman (0:54)
23. Alfred Behind Sledge (1:29)
24. Sarah Asks for a Quick One (1:59)
25. Count von Krolock's Ride (0:21)
26. Sarah is Bitten / Abduction (2:08)
27. Shagal Leaves (0:41)
28. To The Cellar (1:05)
29. Skiing / To The Castle (2:45)
30. Portraits (1:15)
31. Alfred Hears Singing (0:41)
32. His Excellency's Cobwebs (0:37)
33. Professor Abronsius and Alfred on the Rooftops (2:50)
34. Alfred's Many Screw-ups (1:57)
35. The Fearless Vampire Killers - Main Title (Long Version) (4:04)

Missing Cues:
ROSEMARY'S BABY
Rosemary Goes Into Labor

THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS
Alfred and Abronsius Escape Herbert von Krolock
Vampires wake up for the ball
Herbert von Krolock's harpsichord piece / other classical pieces at the ball
Alfred, Abronsius and Sarah Escape the Undead Horde / Sarah turns into a Vampire / End Credits

Download MP3: Rosemary's Baby & The Fearless Vampire Killers: Custom Soundtrack
Download Size: 128MB

Download FLAC: Rosemary's Baby & The Fearless Vampire Killers: Custom Soundtrack
Download Size: 283MB

Pino Donaggio - The Howling: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1981 - 256kbps)

Following up my last post, here is another amazing soundtrack from Italian composer Pino Donaggio. This is the the first in what will be a series of posts dedicated to sharing the film scores/soundtracks to various werewolf themed horror films. In 1978 Pino Donaggio formed what would be a short-lived partnership with director Joe Dante, composing the score for the b-movie horror film "Piranha", which was the subject of my last post. In 1981 Donaggio composed the score to one of the greatest werewolf films ever made, "The Howling". This would be one of the last times anyone other than the legendary Jerry Goldsmith would compose a score for one of Dante's films for many years, as the two formed a long lasting partnership which persisted up until Goldsmith's death. The download provided below is to the original Varèse Sarabande soundtrack, which was released on vinyl in 1981, and has long been out of print. La-La Land recently reissued an expanded and remastered edition of the soundtrack, which contains 12 bonus tracks, as well as liner notes from Pino Donaggio. You can pick it up for only $9.99 here.

Christmas is drawing closer, which will bring an end to our ongoing Nightmare Before Christmas theme, although I am seriously considering continuing the theme until New Years. I was very ill earlier in the week, and have been working and trying to keep up with my school work as well. As a result I haven't been able to post nearly as many albums as I had planned to for the event. I still have a number of horrifying gems that I would like to share with you all though. To ensure that I have adequate time to do so I've decided to keep the remainder of my posts fairly short, and provide an off-site review at times. With that in mind, I would like to share an excerpt of Jason ' nicely written review, which was posted on the Artist Direct website:

"Pino Donaggio's score to the 1981 Joe Dante classic The Howling remains a model of horror movie music. Pulpy and melodramatic yet never silly, its skillful mosaic of gothic organ, supernatural strings, and sound effects is a chillingly potent evocation of dread. Donaggio's melodies are tightrope-taut, ratcheting the suspense at every turn, and while his music is an integral element of Dante's onscreen narrative, The Howling is one of a precious few horror soundtracks that succeeds independently of visual media, artfully combining human voices, lush synthesizer motifs, and Herrmann-inspired dissonance to create a symphony of fear. - Jason Ankeny (All Music Guide)"

Year of Release:
Label: Varèse Sarabande
Catalog #: STV 81150
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Contemporary Classical
File Format: MP3
Bitrate: 256kbps

Track List:
A1. Opening / Phone Call From Eddie / Dark Streets
A2. Sleaze / Karen's Nightmare
A3. Eddie's Room
A4. Doctor's Order
A5. The Howling
A6. Spectre / Escape From Morgue
A7. Something Nasty In The Moods
A8. Hunting For Shadows
A9. Wolf Bites Man!
A10. Terry And Karren / Delirium
A11. Animal Magnetism

B1. Wolf At The Door
B2. Run For Your Life
B3. The Big Bad Wolf
B4. Wolfing Down Terry
B5. Eddie Lives Again
B6. Transformation
B7. Welcome To "The Colony"
B8. Fur From The Maddening Crowd
B9. The Shapeshifters
B10. To Make You Believe
B11. End Title

Download: Pino Donaggio - The Howling: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Download Size: 72MB

Pino Donaggio - Piranha: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978 - 320kbps)

I was rather surprised to discover that we have yet to share a single soundtrack from one of my favorite Italian composers, Pino Donaggio. Despite posting an insane amount of horror soundtracks for both the Halloween Countdown and our Nightmare Before Christmas Event, and even running with an Italian horror theme for a while, we somehow managed to avoid making a single post dedicated to his work. Pino Donaggio has composed scores for a number of horror movies, although he is best known for composing the scores to "Carrie" and "The Howling". While his scores to both of those films are great, and the films are equally impressive, my favorite output from Donaggio happens to be his soundtrack for the low-budget horror film "Piranha". This soundtrack was released on vinyl by the Varèse Sarabande label in 1978, the same year as the film, and has long been out of print. Varèse Sarabande released a limited edition CD a few years ago, with only 1,000 copies being produced, but it sold out in less than three days.

Piranha remains one of my favorite b-movie horror films of all time. It was the eighth film released by New World Pictures, a studio owned and operated by legendary b-movie director Roger Corman. Piranha was an attempt to cash in on the success of Stephen Spielberg's Jaws, which inspired a slew of films in the late '70s and early '80s depicting overgrown man-eating sea creatures. However, a number of talented individuals involved in the production of this movie enabled it to stand out in its own right, and the result was more of an homage to Jaws than a cheap knock-off. The plot revolves around an insurance investigator, Maggie, and her guide, Paul, who are searching for a missing teenage couple last spotted near Lost River Lake. The two unwittingly release a massive school of killer piranha from an abandoned military compound's fish hatchery after Maggie drains the hatchery's water to search for the couple's bodies. The piranha released by Maggie have been genetically engineered by the military to survive in environments normally unsuitable to them, intended to be used as a living weapon against the Vietnamese. However, the end of the war resulted in the hatchery being abandoned by the military, with only the lead scientist staying behind to monitor the piranha. The killer fish proceed to rapidly swim down river, devouring all those unfortunate enough to cross their path. Maggie and Paul race to warn the town's inhabitants and prevent more deaths, yet they are opposed by a group of military officers who attempt to prevent the two from alerting the media.

Piranha was director Joe Dante's second feature-length film. He would later go on to direct several cult favorites, such as Gremlins, The Burbs, and Innerspace. Despite being restricted by such a small budget, Dante managed to create a very enjoyable film. I just watched the film yesterday, and I was surprised at how well it has held up over the years. There were a few cringe-worthy moments, but I believe the positive aspects of the film far outweigh the negative. There is a fair bit of tongue-in-cheek black humor injected throughout, signaling the fact that this movie doesn't take itself too seriously, yet it still manages to deliver where it counts. The actors, which are the fatal flaw in many b-movies, were surprisingly convincing and genuine in their delivery. The fact that the dialogue was well-written also played to their advantage. While the special effects appear noticeably dated in certain parts of the movie, Dante's choreographic skill enabled him to make the most with what he had to work with. The attacks are often depicted in murky underwater scenes, as the piranhas thrash about in a frenzied state, filling the murky water with blood guts. This only allows the viewer to be able to see brief glimpses of the piranha, sparing the viewer from the eyesore of what was surely a low-budget and cheap looking piranha prop.

Fortunately, the film also greatly benefited from composer Pino Donaggio's brilliant score. His atmospherical score perfectly accompanies the on-screen action, bringing an added dimension of emotional depth to many of the scenes, rather than simply serving as easily dismissible background music. Donaggio employs bold, frantic cues to accompany the frenzied attack sequences, while creating an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair for the aftermath of such attacks, as "Nightmare In The Sun / Betsy's Death" perfectly illustrates. There are a few upbeat numbers on this soundtrack, but the overwhelming majority of the tracks are ominous and menacing in tone, making this soundtrack an obvious choice for our ongoing Nightmare Before Christmas theme. Piranha is one of a handful of films directed by Dante that does not feature a score from the legendary and prolific composer, Jerry Goldsmith, whom Dante met in 1983 while doing directorial work for "Twilight Zone: The Movie." From that point on Goldsmith would be Dante's regular composer of choice. However, Donaggio would go on to compose one more amazing score for Dante before Goldsmith entered the picture. In 1981 he composed the score to the legendary werewolf horror film, "The Howling", which will be the subject of my next post.

Year of Release: 1978
Label: Varèse Sarabande
Catalog #: STV 81126
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Contemporary Classical
Original Format: Vinyl LP
Digital Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
A1. No Trespassing
A2. Main Title
A3. Aquarina / Homonocules
A4. Piranha Among Us
A5. Lost River Theme
A6. Fatal Rescue
A7. Summer Dreams
A8. Dr. Hoak
A9. Nightmare In The Sun / Betsy's Death
B1. Empty Tubes / Poor Jack
B2. Operation Razorteeth
B3. Escape In The Night
B4. Premonition / Beyond The Darkness
B5. Restricted Area
B6. End Title
B7. Yes, We Have Piranhas

Download: Pino Donaggio - Piranha: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Download Size: 64MB

Elia Cmiral - Stigmata: Music from the Original Score (1999 - 320kbps)

Stigmata is a 1999 film starring Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne. I saw this movie when it came out, but I don't remember much about it. Must not have been too impressive if I can't remember a thing. I looked it up and the story has something to do with the Catholic church and all kinds of cover-ups about bizarre supernatural happenings. It probably is not really a horror movie. Anyway, the important part is the music.

This promo release is by Czech-born composer Elia Cmiral. I don't really know of his other music, other than Battlefield Earth (terrible movie, interesting score). Cmiral has made a big impression on me though with Stigmata. It is very dark and moody electronic music, that goes from sinister ambience to violent unrest, with the occasional female vocals to enhance the emotional impact. If you are familiar with Graeme Revell's The Crow, you can expect a similar flavor here. I am almost tempted to say this is better than The Crow, but I won't go that far. It will suffice to say that it is damn good and I have no doubt that regular readers of Digital Meld0wn will appreciate it.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: N/A
Catalog #: ECCD 1000
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Electronic, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Track List:
1. Stigmata (06:30)
2. Subway Attack (02:47)
3. Aramaic Script (04:33)
4. Francis of Assisi (02:02)
5. Gospel Commission (04:00)
6. Evil & Franki's Rebirth (05:08)
7. Lost Scroll (03:02)
8. Smells Like Jasmine (01:24)
9. Why Do I Get Stigmata? (02:56)
10. She Is Just A Messenger (02:10)
11. A Man On The Mission (02:52)

Download: Elia Cmiral - Stigmata (Promo Score)
Download Size: 84MB

Famous Monsters of Filmland" Magazine - Issues 11-20 (1961-1962)

As promised, here is my second installment of issues of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. I covered the basic history of the magazine in my original post, so I'm simply going to copy and paste it below to save myself some time. Directly below you will find the link to my original post, which contains issues 1-10, and issues 11-20 can be found at the bottom of this post.

Famous Monsters of Filmland - Issues 1-10 (1958-1961)

Since the scans of horror comics/magazines "Creepy", "Eerie" and "Tales From The Crypt" proved to be much more popular than I ever anticipated that they would be, and many of you have been requested for me to share more, I thought I would share another popular horror magazine that made its debut in the 1950s. Several years before the first issues of "Creepy" and "Eerie" hit the stand, Warren Publishing found a hit on its hands in the form of "Famous Monsters of Filmland", which made it's debut in 1958. It was the first magazine to cater to the fans of horror films. The following scans come courtesy of the scanning duo of "Teachbug & Sprout." As with the previous scans of horror comics and magazines from the 1950s, some of these are reprints, while others original issues. I didn't go through and label each file to distinguish between the originals and the reprints, but it is easy to differentiate between the two based on the condition of the pages. I plan to post the first 30 issues of FM before the Nightmare Before Christmas event ends. I will make 3 posts, with each one containing 10 issues. Below you will find an excerpt from Wikipedia's very informative article on Famous Monsters of Filmland:

"Famous Monsters of Filmland is a genre-specific film magazine started in 1958 by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman. Famous Monsters of Filmland (which quickly became known to fans as simply FM was originally conceived as a one-shot publication by James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman (1916-2008), with no discernible future, published in the wake of the widespread success of the package of old horror movies syndicated to American television in 1957. But the first issue, published in February 1958, was so successful that it required a second printing to fulfill public demand. Its future as part of American culture was immediately obvious to both men. The success prompted spinoff magazines such as Spacemen, Famous Westerns of Filmland, Screen Thrills Illustrated, Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella.

FM offered brief articles, well-illustrated with publicity stills and graphic artwork, on horror movies from the silent era to the current date of publication, their stars and filmmakers. Warren and Ackerman decided to aim the text at late pre-adolescents and young teenagers.
In the pages of FM, Forrest J Ackerman promoted the memory of Lon Chaney, Sr., whose silent works were mostly beyond the accessibility of fans for most of the magazine's life, but were a great influence on his own childhood. He also introduced film fans to science fiction fandom through direct references, first-person experiences, and adoption of fandom terms and customs. The magazine regularly published photos from King Kong (1933), including one from the film's infamous "spider pit sequence", featured in Issue #108 (1974) which, until Ackerman discovered a photo of a spider in the cavern setting, had never been proven definitively to have actually been filmed.

FM's peak years were from its first issues through the late 1960s, when the disappearance of the older films from television and the decline of talent in the imaginative film industry left it with a dearth of subject matter acceptable to both editor and fan. Warren and Ackerman created a jump in issue numbering from issue 69, which was printed in September of 1970, to issue 80 in October of 1970. They did this (according to the editorial in issue 80) because it brought them closer to issue 100, justifying the numerical jump because of the publishing of ten issues of the short-lived companion magazine 'Monster World' as issues that 'would have been' Famous Monsters issues. During the '70s, the magazine came to rely heavily on reprints of articles from the '60s. In the early 1980s, the magazine folded after Warren became ill and unable to carry on as publisher, and Ackerman resigned as editor in the face of the increasing disorganization within the captainless Warren Publishing Company. The magazine stopped publication in 1983 after a run of 191 issues.

The magazine directly inspired the creation of many other similar publications in the ensuing years, including Castle of Frankenstein, Cinefantastique, Fangoria, The Monster Times, and Video Watchdog. In addition, hundreds, if not thousands, of FM-influenced horror, fantasy and science fiction movie-related fanzines have been produced, some of which have continued to publish for decades, such as Midnight Marquee and Little Shoppe of Horrors. - Wikipedia"

Publisher: Warren Publishing
Schedule: Monthly
Publication Date: 1958-1983
Number of Issues: 191
E-book Format: .cbr & .cbz

Download: Famous Monsters of Filmland - Issues 11-15 (1961-1962)
Download Size: 165MB

Download: Famous Monsters of Filmland - Issues 16-20 (1962)
Download Size: 139MB

Shirley Walker - Black Christmas: Original Motion Picture Score (2006 - Variable Bitrate)

Black Christmas is a 2006 remake of a 1974 original horror classic in which a bunch of girls in a sorority house on Christmas eve get picked off, one by one, by some deranged lunatic. I have not seen this remake, simply because I loved the original and I did not feel like wasting 85 minutes of my life. For all I know, it may be a decent teen slasher flick in comparison with some of the other dreck that comes out these days, but I doubt it. From what I have read though, all of the great things about the 1974 movie are completely absent. So I suggest you skip the remake and watch the original film directed by Bob Clark, who also directed such diverse titles as A Christmas Story, Deathdream, and Porky's.

The original film had no musical score, and that somehow works really well. Now, for the remake, the immensely talented Shirley Walker had scoring duties. She expertly weaves horror and suspense with an orchestral score enhanced by some dark synthesizer moods. This score deserves to have an official release. Shirley Walker passed away at the age of 61 not even a month before the movie hit the theaters. She was one of the few women in film music composition, and she will be remembered for creating some truly awesome sounds.

Year of Film's Release: 2006
Label: N/A, Promo
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: Variable

Track List:
1. Clair's Death / Main Title (0:52)
2. Billy Lenz (1:56)
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas (1:16)
4. Megan / Someone's In The Attic (0:52)
5. Megan Killed (2:04)
6. Billy Kills Santa (0:38)
7. Billy Lived Here (1:25)
8. Flashback / Billy's Present (2:12)
9. Billy Calls (0:48)
10. Eve (2:07)
11. Secret Santa (1:15)
12. Billy Calls Again (0:54)
13. Kyle Tells The Story (1:13)
14. Billy's Killing Spree / Where's Agnes? (2:56)
15. From Billy / Leigh Talks About Clair (1:03)
16. Heather Searches / Kyle Leaves (1:06)
17. Billy Watches Lauren (1:01)
18. Dana Killed / Leigh Hears The Music Box (0:55)
19. Kelli & Leigh Investigate / Melissa Killed (1:29)
20. He's In The Attic (2:24)
21. Kyle Killed (1:28)
22. Kelli Fights Agnes (1:34)
23. My Daddy's Here (3:01)
24. Family Forever (2:10)
25. Kelli Hits The Button (0:45)
26. Kelli Kills Agnes (1:50)
27. End Credits (6:02)
28. Black Christmas Suite (5:14)

Note: This re-edit was masterfully compiled from the 47 track version by the user Leeha88 @Final Fantasy Shrine Forum.

Download: Shirley Walker - Black Christmas (Promo Soundtrack)
Download Size: 63MB

Ken Wannberg, Rick Wilkins, Howard Blake - The Changeling: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Deluxe Edition (1980 - 320kbps & FLAC)

Thirty years ago, a haunted house movie called The Changeling played in theaters and went largely ignored by audiences. It was undoubtedly overshadowed by The Shining and Friday the 13th, but there is something those two films lack that The Changeling has: George C. Scott. I swear, the man had such screen presence. He could turn a piece a crap movie into something watchable. The Changeling is a good movie, but Scott elevates it to great. The film has garnered a loyal fanbase over the years, thanks to cable TV.

In 2001, the now defunct Percepto Records released the score in a limited edition of 1000 copies. After it sold out, they started getting a lot of requests for a reissue. In 2007, the Deluxe Edition 2 CD was released as a limited edition of 1000 copies and it too quickly sold out. For the Deluxe Edition, they opted to include all of the music recorded for the film, including a few source cues. So, on the first disc you get all the music in the film, and on the second disc you get a handful of alternate takes, and unused pieces.

The music is by Canadian composers Ken Wannberg and Rick Wilkins, with a small contribution by British composer Howard Blake. This score is absolutely beautiful and haunting, with gorgeous piano and string arrangements. It performs really well in the "creep you out" department, too. I really love this album and I highly recommend it to all fans of horror scores, and classical music in general. I decided to include a link for the excellent album art. It includes really informative and lengthy liner notes that tells the story of the music way better than I can tell it. Enjoy!

Year of Film's Release: 1980
Year of Deluxe Edition Score Release: 2007
Label: Percepto Records
Catalog #: PERCEPTO-006XE
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Format: MP3 & FLAC
Bitrate: 320kbps & Lossless

Track list:
Disc 1
1. Main Titles (2:32)
2. Arrival At The House (1:48)
3. Piano Source #1 (1:09)
4. Piano Source #2 (0:12)
5. First Chill (1:32)
6. The Door Opens (0:19)
7. Music Box Theme (2:06)
8. Country Ride (1:05)
9. Bathtub Reflections (3:05)
10. Finding The Secret Door (3:33)
11. Up Into The Attic (2:47)
12. Music Box Theme (1:47)
13. The Wheelchair (0:24)
14. Microfilm: Cemetary (1:29)
15. Ball Over The Bridge: It's Back! (3:16)
16. Seance: Talk To Us! (7:15)
17. Murder Flashback (3:39)
18. Wheelchair: Carmichael Tower (0:59)
19. Carmichael Reflects (0:33)
20. House On The Lake (1:54)
21. Breaking Into The House (0:53)
22. Face On The Bedroom Floor (2:01)
23. The Chain Appears (3:48)
24. All The Doors Shut (1:12)
25. Mirror, Mirror (1:13)
26. Russell Goes To See Carmichael (2:00)
27. The Attic Calls Claire (3:53)
28. Finale: Resolution (5:55)
29. Music Box: End Credits (3:09)

Disc 2
1. The Seance - Alternate Version (07:11)
2. Carmichael's Demise (Unused Cue) (03:45)
3. Alternate End Title (02:31)
4. Unknown Cue (01:51)
5. Unused String Quartet (V1) (00:48)
6. Unused String Quartet (V2) (01:17)
7. Solo Celeste (00:47)

Download MP3: The Changeling (Original Soundtrack: Deluxe Edition 2 CD)
Download Size: 191MB

Download FLAC: The Changeling (Original Soundtrack: Deluxe Edition 2 CD)
Download Size: 435MB

Download: The Changeling - Album Art / Liner Notes
Download Size: 91MB

Michael J. Lewis - Theatre Of Blood: Original Score (Official Promo Release) (1973 - 192kbps)

Although "Theatre Of Blood" happens to be a campy horror-comedy, this score happens to be one of my favorites from a horror film of any type. The composer, Michael J. Lewis, released his complete original score as a promotional release in 1973. I couldn't find any information regarding the number of physical copies he produced, but needless to say the promotional vinyl release this rip originates from is extremely rare. La La Land recently released a remastered version of the score on CD, with the slightly altered title of "Theater of Blood". While the sound quality of the La La Land release is undoubtedly superior to that of this rip, I still find this version to be superior, if only for one reason. The promo release contains each cue as an individual track, with 24 total tracks, while the La La Land version combines several of the cues, and amounts to only 25 tracks. In my opinion they made some poor decisions with their choice of combinations also, which detracts from the mood Lewis managed to establish on each of the individual tracks.

Theatre of Blood sees the legendary Vincent Price in the role of Edward Kendal Sheridan Lionheart, a psychopathic Shakespearean actor who fakes his own suicide in order to take revenge on the critics who snubbed him. Price's character manipulates his targets into unwittingly playing the role of various victims that appear in each of his performances of Shakespeare's plays. He then proceeds to dispatch them in an inventive yet extremely brutal manner. Theatre of Blood was considered one of the goriest horror-comedies of its era, and remains considerably gory even by today's standards. This may be the campiest film Price ever starred in. He even sports an afro at one point in the film. Price has often claimed the film to be his favorite though, as it gave him the opportunity to recite famous Shakespearean lines. Due to his reputation as an actor who devoted his career to horror films, he was never seriously considered for a role in any adaption of Shakespeare's work.

I should point out that many of the tracks contained on this release aren't exactly in the spirit of our ongoing Nightmare Before Christmas event. As with the film, much of the music heard on Lewis' score isn't strictly rooted in horror, as Lewis captures a diverse range of moods throughout his score, which frequently changes in tone as a result. Lewis captures the spirit of adventure with a few tracks, particularly "The Trojan Trail", which features a distinct military beat. He also shows a more romantic side on "Master of the Killing Phrase" and "Cymbeline" and "Edwina's Theme", all of which are beautiful tracks, dominated by sweeping strings, and highlighted by beautiful piano melodies. As the title alludes to, "Where Are My Doggy Woggies" has a comedic feel to it, and actually sounds downright downright goofy at the onset, before gradually transitioning to its suspenseful conclusion. I'm sure that some of you are thinking, why I is he posting this when so many of the tracks stand in sharp contrast to the ongoing dark theme? The answer to this is: because the remaining tracks are deliciously dark enough to warrant their inclusion in our Nightmare Before Christmas event. While they may not even make up the majority of the tracks which comprise this score, I believe they are strong enough to dominate the overall mood of the album, almost reducing the contrasting themes they share the album with to an afterthought.

Year of Release: 1973
Label: N/A (Promotional Release)
Catalog #: CD 156-192
Original Format: Vinyl
Digital Format: MP3
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Main Theme
2. Ides Of March
3. Oh Pardon Me, Thou Bleeding Piece Of Earth
4. Friends, Romans, Countrymen
5. The Dragon Wing Of Night
6. The Trojan Trail
7. Master Of The Killing Phrase
8. Fear No More The Heat Of The Sun
9. Cymbeline
10. Sexy Lips & Swinging Hips
11. A Pound Of Flesh
12. To Be Or Not To Be
13. Now Is The Winter Of Our Discontent
14. Here Clarence Comes
15. Drown In A Butt Of Wine
16. Partita Of Blood
17. Alive In Triumph
18. Fugato
19. I'm So Glad You've Come
20. Flame With Ash Highlights
21. Edwina's Theme
22. Where Are My Doggy Woggies
23. Come Fire, Consume This Pretty World
24. He Did Know How To Make An Exit

Download: Michael J. Lewis - Theatre of Blood: Original Motion Picture Score (Official Promo Release)
Download Size: 73MB

Michael Hoenig - The Blob: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1988 - 320kbps & FLAC)

The Blob is a 1988 horror film remake based on an original horror film of the same title from 1958. This is one of few times I will say a remake surpasses the original. A small meteor crashes into the earth unleashing a formless pile of goo that eats almost every warm-blooded thing it comes across. The remake takes all of the good stuff about the original and throws in a healthy portion of visceral gore, decent effects for such a modest budget, and little dose of 80s trash.

The music is by Michael Hoenig, a German composer who collaborated with J. Peter Robinson on 1987's The Gate. The music in The Blob sounds like it was performed using the same equipment. If anyone reading here is a fan of 80s electronic cheese, get this. The first two tracks are sorta ambient and foreboding, then it kicks in with action, utilizing cheddary synthesizers, then closes with more ambient foreboding. It has that unmistakable B movie sound. I'm not saying it is bad. I find it entertaining, but I'm not saying it is good either. I like The Gate better, but for some reason this schlockier offering appeals to me, too.

Year of Release: 1988
Label: Film Trax
Catalog #: FUSD 103
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Main Title (3:21)
2. It Fell From The Sky (4:46)
3. Brian's Chase (1:39)
4. In The Hospital (2:35)
5. The Reverend (2:13)
6. Elkins Grove (1:55)
7. Blob In Theatre (2:27)
8. The Town Has Changed (1:01)
9. Into The Sewer (1:25)
10. Chase In Sewer (3:20)
11. Close The Manhole (0:43)
12. The Standoff (2:34)
13. Blob On Mainstreet (2:05)
14. Mayhem In Townhall (1:19)
15. The Rescue (2:54)
16. Snowfall (1:42)
17. When The Lord Gives Me A Sign (3:05)

Download MP3: Michael Hoenig - The Blob (1988 Soundtrack)
Download Size: 88MB

Download FLAC: Michael Hoenig - The Blob (1988 Soundtrack)
Download Size: 211MB

A Murder of Angels - While You Sleep (1999)

A Murder of Angels is a side project of Bryin Dall and Derek Rush. Bryin is known for his work with Loretta's Doll, his solo project Fourth Sign of the Apocalypse and, also Thee Majesty, with Genesis P-Orridge. He sometimes contributes to Derek's main project, Dream into Dust. The two have previously collaborated together under the name Of Unknown Origin.

Middle Pillar, their record company states that "While You Sleep evokes a universe of disturbing worlds. The duo have created a sound that faintly evokes the low-key moments of their other work, yet succeeds in creating an entirely new atmosphere. Listening to While You Sleep is similar to slipping off into a peaceful slumber that sucks you in like quicksand before it slowly melts into the more disturbing territories of your psyche." I couldn't agree more. This album is one of my long time favorites, although i must admit my opinion is quite a subjective one (since this is one of the first albums of this kind i found, long way back). This album walks around many genres of music and soundscape; just for a general image though, I see this somewhere in the dark ambient atmosphere (but that's a very diverse category, nevertheless).

Year of Release: 1999
Label: Middle Pillar
Genres: Dark Ambient, Experimental, Industrial
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 192kbps

Track List:
1. Necrosis Reversal
2. Manuscript
3. Wandering Soul
4. Lurking Gentlemen
5. Melting Across The Night
6. Tribunal
7. Suspended In Frozen Misery
8. Opaque Atmosphere
9. The Ninth Circle

Download: A Murder Of Angels - While You Sleep
Download Size: 85MB

Richard Band's Lovecraft: Limited Edition Soundtrack Compilation (2007 - 320kbps)

In 2007, Richard Band was given the Howie Award for lifetime achievement in music composition at the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival in Portland, Oregon. He brought with him a compilation of his compositions for Lovecraft inspired films, limited to 60 copies. I had the good fortune of befriending someone who attended that festival and scored a copy. At first, I wasn't going to post this because of the repetition here, since most of these pieces appear on albums that have been posted on this blog in the recent past. I changed my mind for a few reasons. First of all, it is a great compilation despite the fact that it is missing cues from From Beyond which is arguably Band's best horror score. Secondly, it features the music from the "Dreams in the Witch House" episode of Masters of Horror, directed by Stuart Gordon in 2005. To my knowledge this music isn't available anywhere else. This was a return to horror and Lovecraft for Band, after a seven year break during which he worked mostly on TV and family oriented stuff. The results are excellent with Band utilizing a small group of chanters, to classic bone-chilling effect. Finally, there are two excellent tracks from Bride of Re-Animator. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 2007
Composer promo limited to 60 copies.
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Compilation, Horror, H.P. Lovecraft
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Tracklist:
1. ReAnimator: Prologue & Main Title (4:12)
2. ReAnimator: Meg Looks For The Cat (2:09)
3. ReAnimator: Body And Soul (1:28)
4. Dreams In The Witch House: Main Title (2:19)
5. Dreams In The Witch House: Dreams Come True? (1:17)
6. Dreams In The Witch House: Witch Action (5:17)
7. Dreams In The Witch House: Final Confrontation (2:57)
8. Castle Freak: Main Title (2:25)
9. Castle Freak: The Toy Room (1:31)
10. Castle Freak: Giorgio Unleashed (8:16)
11. The Resurrected: Main Title (4:00)
12. The Resurrected: Claire's Story (1:51)
13. The Resurrected: The Abomination-Finale (7:40)
14. Bride Of ReAnimator: Bride Prologue & Main Title (3:44)
15. Bride Of ReAnimator: Building The Bride (4:46)
16. Dreams In The Witch House: Did He Really Kill The Child? (1:51)

Download: Richard Band's Lovecraft (Soundtrack Compilation)
Download Size: 125MB

There is a link for an unrelated BONUS album in the comments for this post.

Simon Boswell & Various Artists - Lord of Illusions: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1995 - 320kbps)

Clive Barker's mid-90s horror offering Lord of Illusions is a "love it" or "hate it" affair for fans of the genre. It's been so long since I have watched it that I honestly can't say whether I would still like it today. It has an interesting premise though. What if a handful of the magic acts in the world are using real magic? There of course has to be rivalry between good magic and evil magic so we can have some freaky conflicts. Supposedly the film attempts to combine film noir with horror. I can't recall if it succeeds. I doubt it. If anyone wants to put in their two cents in the comments, that would be cool.

The music is by prolific British composer Simon Boswell. If you are at all familiar with any of the soundtrack releases of his previous works, for example Hardware or Dust Devil, you can expect something compiled in a similar fashion with this release. As usual with his score albums, it is sparsely sprinkled with one-liners from the film. Normally, I hate that, but I have become accustomed to it with Boswell. Also, as usual, the songs from the film are included. Most of them are not appropriate for a horror film, and sound ridiculous on this album (especially the song by Erasure), except for the cover song by the always amazing Diamanda Galás which fits right in. In regard to Boswell's pieces, they do a pretty good job of exploring the mysterious world of magic and its dark side. The theme sounds like it is performed by an orchestra with a choir, but with Boswell because of his penchant for electronic experimentation, this could all be an illusion.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Mute Records
Catalog #: 9009-2
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 320kbps
FLAC upgrade available upon request.

Tracklist:
1. Lord of Illusions (3:44)
2. The Detective (3:11)
3. God's Eyes (3:42)
4. Flesh Is a Trap (2:26)
5. Magic Moments (2:39) performed by Erasure
6. Swann's Last Act (2:58)
7. Dorothea and D'Amour (2:31)
8. While the Blood Runs Warm in Your Veins (3:04) performed by Joshua White
9. Resurrection (4:19)
10. Origami Man (4:49)
11. What Are You Looking at? (1:24)
12. Born to Murder the World (2:38)
13. Magic Sets Us Free (2:22)
14. Laura (2:48) performed by Brave Combo
15. Dancing in the Dark (3:13) performed by Diamanda Galás

Download: Simon Boswell & Various Artists - Lord of Illusions (Soundtrack)
Download Size: 100MB

Gore Shriek - Volumes 1 & 2 (1986-1991 - FantaCo Enterprises)

Gore Shriek Vol. 1 - Issue 1

When I first posted scans of issues of both "Creepy" and "Eerie" a couple of months ago for Halloween Countdown 2010, I had no idea that they would be recieved as well as they did. Since that time I have shared several scans of horror comics and magazines from the 1950s which have all achieved legendary status within the genre. Now I would like to focus on a series which appeared many decades later in the 1980s, Gore Shriek. Gore Shriek was published by FantoCo Enterprises, which began in 1978 as a comic book store and mail-order business, owned and operated by Tom Skulan, who decided to expand his enterprise to include publishing in 1980. Gore Shriek was the first horror title published by FantaCo, which would eventually lead to the company releasing numerous books, magazines and comics dedicated to horror. They even started their own horror convention, FantaCon, which ran from 1979 to 1990 in Albany, NY. Of all the horror titles released by FantaCo, it was Gore Shriek that captivated me the most. The amazing artwork, stories, and unrepentent horror and gore made it the best horror comic of the decade in my opinion. The artists, writers, and editors involved were not only extremely talented, but they were true fans of horror, possessing a nearly infinite amount of knowledge about the history of the genre. Despite their immense talent, they were also some of the most humble and down-to-earth artists in the industry. While I don't have time to cover every artist who ever worked on Gore Shriek, I would like to pay tribute to a few of the most talented individuals who worked on the series.

Gore Shriek Vol. 2 - Issue 1

Stephen Bissette was one of the most multi-talented individuals who worked on Gore Shriek, and has proven to be an important figure in the world of comics over the last 30 years. He also happens to be one of my favorite artists who worked on the series. Bissette is best known for collaborating with legendary writer Alan Moore to create DC's "Saga of the Swamp Thing" from 1983 to 1987. He also published the horror anthology "Taboo" under his Spiderbaby Grafix imprint, which played host to numerous legendary figures in the comics world. Alan Moore, Neil Gaimain, Dave Vess and many others appeared in its pages from 1987 to 1995. In addition to contributing several of his own stories to Gore Shriek, Bissette also served as editor beginning with issue #4, and was responsible for introducing a few changes which greatly enhanced the the series. He implemented the amazing text articles which appeared in the series, which featured articles from industry legends such as Archie Goodwin and Tom Veitch. Fortunately, Bissette still maintains a visible online presence, and was gracious enough to write a series of articles detailing his time spent working on Gore Shriek. A great deal of information I obtained for this post was culled from these articles, so I would like to thank Mr. Bissette for putting together these fascinating and insightful posts. Those articles can be found here: http://srbissette.com/?p=1548

Of all the artists who worked on Gore Shriek, I enjoyed the art of David Spaulding Fuller the most. He was responsible for the majority of the cover art for the series, and also contributed several stories of his own. His cover art undoubtedly influenced many people's decision to buy the first issue of Gore Shriek. Fuller would eventually leave the comic industry, moving on to fulfill his dream by becoming a special effects makeup artists, and would go on to work in films such as Terminator 2, Army of Darkness, Edward Scissorhands, and Bride of Re-Animator among other films.

Gurchain Singh aka "The Gurch" was a close second behind Fuller. In many ways his artwork is reminiscent of the legendary Bernie Wrightson, who I recently featured here on DM. The Gurch was known for his graphic illustrations of the undead dispatching unsuspecting victims in a most brutal manner. His work was held in such high regard that FantaCo released a special issue, #2 1/2, which consisted entirely of full-page illustrations by "The Gurch". While doing research for this post, I was fortunate enough to stumble across this forum thread that Steve Bissette started regarding Gore Shriek. The Gurch made an appearance in the thread and dropped several scans of his original artwork, including several sketches and paintings, a few of which are recent efforts. I attempted to enlarge and sharpen up those scans a bit, and have included them as a bonus download to accompany both volumes of Gore Shriek below.

Chas. Balun was anothter multi-talented indivudual who worked on Gore Shriek. Before joining FantaCo, Chas. had already established himself as a succesful independent comic book artist and writer who published and distributed his own work. Chas. managed to gain a cult following after self-publishing "The Connoisseur's Guide to the Contemporary Horror Film" and "Gore Score", which offered straight-forward reviews, injected with Balun's trademark humor, of contemporary horror films and splatter flicks. He also published the first issue of the horror magazine, "Deep Red". In addition to distrubuting his previously published books via their mail-order operation, FantaCo also released "Horror Holocaust", and also revived "Deep Red". Unfortunately we lost a very talented individual when Chas Balun passed away earlier this year at the age of 61 after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Greg Capullo is a name that many of you avid comic book collectors will be familiar with. While he wasn't the most talented artist within FantaCo, his talent would increase exponentially in the years to come. In fact, of all the artists that worked on Gore Shriek, it is perhaps Greg Capullo who went on to have the most successful career as a comic book artist after FantaCo folded. He eventually went on to work for major mainstream publishers, penciling titles such as X-Force from '91-93, and Todd McFarlane's Spawn from '94-99. Capullo made his debut as a comic artist in Gore Shriek Vol. 1 #2, in which he illustrated Bill Townsend's story, "Need For Speed".

During the mid-90s the infamous collapse of the speculation market occurred, which had a devistating impact on both mainstream and independent comic book publishers. Unfortunately, FantaCo was no exception, and in 1998 they made the decision to close their doors for good, thus killing any potential possibility of a Gore Shriek revival. However due to the internet, Gore Shriek and FantaCo have received a recent surge in popularity. A great deal of information about the company and the comic can be contributed to outspoken former FantaCo employees who have maintained a visible online presence, which has led to more and more people seeking out back issues of the comic, as well as other FantaCo releases. Below you will find digital scans of every issue that FantaCo released of Gore Shriek between 1986 and 1991. I have uploaded each of the issues in both .cbr and .pdf format, so you can choose the format you want, and split them up into packages consisting of Volume 1 and 2. Below is a table of contents detailing the artists, writers, and notes about each issue, and beyond that you will find the download links.

Gore Shriek - Table of Contents

Volume 1 - Issue #1 (1986)

Artists: Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Greg capullo, Steve Bissette
Writers: Kevin McReavy, Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Bill Townsend, Steve Bissette
Cover Art: Bruce Spaulding Fuller

Volume 1 - Issue #2 (1988)

Artists: Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Rolf Stark, Greg Capullo
Writers: Rolf Stark, Bill Townsend
Cover Art: Bruce Spaulding Fuller
Notes: Contains Rolf Stark's debut as a comic artist/writer

Volume 1 - Issue #3 (1988)

Artists: Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Chas. Balun, Greg Capullo, Rolf Stark
Writers: Chas. Balun, Bill Townsend, Rolf Stark, Bruce Spaulding Fuller
Cover Art: Chas. Balun

Volume 1 - Issue #4 (1988)

Artists: Steve Bissette, Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Rolf Stark, Greg Capullo
Writers: Steve Bissette, Augustus Mattick II, Henry J. Jansen III, Tom Skulan, Rolf Stark, Marlene Stevens
Cover Art: Greg Capullo (Color By Bruce Spaulding Fuller)
Notes: Contains a preview of "Mars Attacks"

Volume 1 - Issue #5 (1988)

Artists: Bruce Spaulding Fuller, Steve Bissette, Rick McCollum, Bill Anderson, Chris Pelletiere, Chas. Balun, David Marshall
Writers: Rick McCollum, Chris Pelletiere, David Marshall
Text Articles: Archie Goodwin, Tom Veitch, Stan Wiater
Cover Art: Bruce Spaulding Fuller

Volume 1 - Issue #6 (1988)

Artists: Michael Dubisch, Gary Crutchley, Ben Dilworth, Gurchain Singh, Rolf Stark, Steve Bissette
Writers: Michael Dubisch, Gary Crutchley, David Hern, Steve Bissette
Text Articles: Jack Butterworth, Tom Veitch, Stan Wiater
Cover Art: Bruce Spaulding Fuller

Volume 1 - Issue #6 1/2 (1989)

Artists: Gurchain Singh, Eric Stanaway, Rolf Stark, David MacDowell
Writers: Eric Stanway, Rolf Stark, David MacDowell
Cover Art: Gurchain Singh
Notes: Special half-size issue which was only available as a free giveaway at FantaCon Conventions and through the FantaCo mail-order catalog

Volume 2 - Issue #1 (1990)

Artists: Gurchain Singh, Chas. Balun, Steve Bissette, Eric Stanway, Bruce Spaulding Fuller
Writers: Gurchain Singh, Charles Dickens
Cover Art: Gurchain Singh
Notes: Contains a special Night of the Living Dead section by Steve Bissette

Volume 2 - Issue #2 (1990)

Artists: Chas. Balun, Gurchain Singh, Eric Stanway, Mike Dubisch
Writers: Robert Louis Stevenson, Gurchain Singh
Text Article: Anthony Timpone
Cover Art: Bruce Spaulding Fuller

Volume 2 - Issue #2 1/2 (1990)

Artist: Gurchain Singh
Cover Art: Gurchain Singh
Notes: Composed entirely of full page illustrations by "The Gurch"

Volume 2 - Issue 3 (1991)

Artists: Gurchain Singh, Eric Stanway, L.G. McDonald, Allen Koszowski
Writers: Gurchain Singh, Eric Stanway, David Kramer
Cover Art: Allen Koszowski
Notes: Contains adaptions of stories by Edgar Allan Poe and the Brothers Grimm

Volume 2 - Annual #1 (1990)

Artists: Landon McDonald, Gurchain Signh, Dave MacDowell, Eric Stanway, Mike Dusisch, Alex Diaz, Rolph Stark, Eric Talbot, Chris Pelletiere, Mark Martin, Gary Grutchley, Ben Dilworth, Rick McCollum, B. Anderson, Chris Pryzgrodzki, Wendy Snow-Lang
Writers: Landon McDonald, Gurchain Singh, Dave MacDowell, Eric Stanway, , Mike Dubisch, Rick hautala, Alex Diaz, Chris Pelletiere, Mark Martin, Dave Henney, Rick McCollum, Gary Crutchley
Cover Art: Allen Koszowski
Notes: Contains adaptions of stories by Robert Bloch, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ambrose Bierce

Download: Gore Shriek Volume 1 - Issues 1-6 1/2 (PDF Versions)
Download Size: 139MB

Download: Gore Shriek Volume 2 - Issues 1-3 (PDF Versions)
Download Size: 91MB

Download: Gore Shriek Volume 1 - Issues 1-6 1/2 (CBR Versions)
Download Size: 111MB

Download: Gore Shriek Volume 2 - Issues 1-3 (CBR Versions)
Download Size: 82MB

Bonus Download: Misc. Drawings & Paintings of Gurchain Singh (aka "The Gurch")
Download Size: 23MB