Post-Halloween Countdown 2010 Report

Halloween is officially over, bringing an end to this year's Halloween Countdown 2010 event. I wanted to dedicate a post to comment on on the Countdown, thank a few individuals and make a few important announcements regarding my future plans for the blog.

This year's Halloween Countdown was a success in many different ways. First of all I would like to say that I had a blast being able to share so many horror-inspired downloads with you all, and having the chance to talk to many of you who share a common interest. First of all I would like to thank my girlfriend for being unselfish enough to provide me with the time to share all sorts of horrifying things with you all during the Countdown. I would also like to personally thank NØ, wcme and especially Strange Ranger for their contributions to the blog during the Countdown. In case you missed it both wcme and Strange Ranger shared a number of amazing horror soundtracks in the Halloween Countdown Request Thread, which you can find here: http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2010/10/halloween-countdown-request-thread.html

We managed to put up 49 posts during the month of October, which eclipsed our previous high of 43 posts in one month. The previous high just so happened to occur during the Halloween Countdown 2008 event. We also passed the 600th post mark last week, an accomplishment that I'm very proud of. We managed to lure in 24,875 unique visitors during the month of October, including 1,118 unique visitors on Halloween day. This is a significant increase in visitors in comparison with the traffic from previous months. I haven't had the time to put up such a large number of posts since I started college last October. NØ deserves full credit for making the majority of the posts during the last year. Fortunately I just so happen to be in the easiest course at my college at the moment, which provided me with the opportunity to go crazy with the blog for a few weeks.

I also wanted to let you know that I am planning an event similar to the Halloween Countdown for December. Unless I come up with a more fitting name between now and then, I'm going to go with "Digital Meltd0wn's Nightmare Before Christmas". I know it isn't terribly original, or at all for that matter, but considering what I have planned I can't think of a more fitting name. Basically we are going to do a similar countdown to Christmas, in which I plan to post all of the horror-inspired material that I didn't have time to post for this year's Halloween Countdown. You can expect an orgy of blasphemy here on Digital Meltd0wn throughout the month December. I hope to bring aboard a few guest-bloggers for the event, consisting of admins from blogs which tend to focus on the dark side of things, who will bring with them an expert level of knowledge regarding all things horror.

One last announcement and then I will put this post out of its misery. There are several of you who frequent this blog due to my Lovecraft-related posts. I wanted to inform you all that I will be making a major announcement on this blog in November which should excite all of you. I wish that I could announce it now, but I still need to iron out a few wrinkles before I can make a final announcement. Keep an eye out here for more details in the weeks to come.

During the month of November I plan to work on re-uploads, share a few of the albums that I didn't have time to post during "Sci-Fi September", and share music from a few independent artists and labels. Once again I would like to thank both contributors and visitors alike for helping to make Halloween Countdown 2010 such a kick-ass event. I look forward to sharing many more similarly horrifying posts with all of you in December.

Halloween Countdown - Request Thread

Requests

Dan Neufeld - Lemora: A Child's Tale of the Supernatural Soundtrack
Bernard Herrmann - It's Alive (aka Baby Killer) Complete Score (Request Filled)
Claudio Simonetti - The Third Mother (La Terza madre) (Request Filled)
Various Artists - Hideaway Soundtrack (1995) (Request Filled)
James Bernard - Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) (Request Filled)
James Bernard - She (1965)
Mario Nascimbene - The Vengeance of She (1968)
Jay Chattaway - Silver Bullet (1985) (Request Filled)
Daniel Licht - Bad Moon (1986) (In 320kbps mp3 or FLAC) (Request Filled)
Ennio Morricone - The Thing - Expanded Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtracks to Hammer Films in 320kbps

I would like to thank Strange Ranger from the Motherfucker=Redeemer blog for filling the majority of these requests. Thank you so much for your help. It has certainly been appreciated.

Someone suggested that I start an open request section for the Halloween Countdown, which I thought was a fantastic idea. I wish that I had started this at the beginning of October, but I suppose its better late than never. I have also been planning on posting the items that I didn't have time to post this month in December as part of a "Nightmare Before Christmas Countdown", so I will leave this post up until then, and possibly longer. Please request anything that might be considered Halloween or horror related by posting a comment here. Requests may consist of music, e-books, audiobooks etc. as long as they are Halloween or horror related.

If you are going to request a soundtrack for a movie, please ensure that one was actually released for the film. Likewise, if you are looking for a bootleg, complete/expanded score etc. please make sure one exists before requesting it. That way our list won't be full of requests that can't possibly be filled due to the fact that they don't exist. Please try to be descriptive and specific when making your request so there won't be any doubts about exactly what it is you are requesting. I will continuously update this post to add each item that is requested. Please help me out by helping to fill the requests that are posted. I'm currently working and going to school full time, and I spend what little free time I have posting content for the blog, so it is unlikely that I will be able to fill all of the requests myself. All requests that are able to be filled will be posted in the comments section of this post. Let the requesting commence...

Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave - Phantasm 24k Gold Limited Edition Soundtrack (1979 - 320kbps)

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm not going to be able to post all the material I had planned for Halloween. With only four hours of our most beloved holiday remaining, I'm only going to have time to throw up posts in a quick and messy fashion. Just think of the next four hours as the equivalent to me handing out treats to all who visit this blog during the final hours of Halloween.

First up is the 24k Gold Edition Soundtrack of Phatasm released by New Breed Productions in 1995. Only 2,500 copies of this version were released as part of the signature edition laserdisc Phantasm box set, making it long out of print, unavailable for purchase and extremely rare. The music was composed by Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave, and the soundtrack was originally released on vinyl in 1979.

Year of Release: Original: 1979 | 24k Gold Edition: 1995
Label: New Breed Productions
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320kbps MP3

Tracklist:
1. Intro and Main Title
2. Welcome to Morningside/Hand In Box
3. Mineshaft Chase
4. Phantasmagoria/Silver Sphere Disco
5. Hearse Inferno
6. Cemetary Spectres
7. Spacegate to Infinity
8. Jody to Morningside/Just A Dream
9. Phantasm Atmosphere
10. Tall Man on Main Street
11. Funeral Organ/Dwarf In Hearse
12. Under The Car
13. Mike on the Road
14. Hearse Chase
15. Overturned Ice-Cream Truck
16. End of the Game
17. Or Is It?

Download: Fred Myrow & Malcolm Seagrave - Phantasm 24k Gold Limited Edition Soundtrack
Download Size: 82MB

Ennio Morricone - The Thing: Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1982 - 320kbps)

Happy Halloween freaks! I had hoped to be able to post several different items today, but it doesn't appear as if I'm going to have enough time now. Unfortunately my computer was accidentally unplugged, and everything I had been writing in preparation for today's posts was lost. I will try to make the best of the situation regarldess. Back in 2008 I posted Ennio Morricone's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to "The Thing", which can be found here:

http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2008/10/ennio-morricone-thing-ost.html

While checking my statistics, I recently discovered that it has since become the second most downloaded album on the entire blog. Most of the traffic is coming from people searching google for "The Thing OST". I did a search of my own which resulted in my blog showing up as the number one result out of over one million different sites for that particular search, which explains the recently influx of visitors.

A fellow by the name of The Doc recently requested that I posted this soundtrack. It is the first of three bootleg soundtracks/scores for The Thing that I plan to post. Fortunately there is more information available regarding this release than the two others I possess. It was released under the title of "The Thing: Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" by a group or individual known as PROTUB. While it is a bootleg release, it was falsely labeled and circulated as a promotional release. In fact, to this day you still find this version listed and tagged as "Promo" on several different websites. It contains 19 tracks, which is nine more than what the official original soundtrack contains, with a running time of roughly 75 minutes 45 seconds.

Unfortunately there are still a few mysteries surrounding this release as well. Most importantly, I have no idea what the source is for the extra music contained on this release. In most cases, bootleg releases contain music ripped from the music of a DVD or VHS release, with the most common method being to isolate and rip the music from the 5.1 surround sound tracks contained on the DVD. My DVD of the film is over a thousand miles away, so unfortunately I can't compare the music found on this version to the music included in the film. Perhaps someone could shed some light on the origins of the various bootleg releases in circulation for this film.

In addition to this bootleg, I also have two bootleg versions that were released under the same title, "The Thing: Complete Motion Picture Score". The first is a rip containing 17 tracks which are individually named. It primarily consists of low bitrate 128kbps MP3 files. It also includes a track containing audio from the trailer. A review I found on Rateyourmusic.com claims that this version contains music composed by John Carpenter, as well as unused music cues.

The second bootleg is only 15 tracks long, the majority of which are of a higher quality bitrate of 320kbps MP3. The tracks were not named, nor did it include custom album art. However, it does contain tracks which were not included on the two other bootlegs. I plan to post these two bootlegs eventually, although I plan to spend the rest of the day posting treats for those who visit this blog during the final hours of Halloween. I will try to post them within the next couple of days though. Once I do I all add all of the links to each post, and hopefully someone will be able to provide further information about the three versions. In the meantime, I present to you Ennio Morricone's Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to The Thing.

Year of Release: Original: 1982 | Expanded: Unknown
Label: PROTUB
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320kbps

Track List:
1. Opening Credits/Main Theme
2. Humanity (Part One)
3. Humanity (Part Two) (4:12)
4. Shape (Suite One) (2:43)
5. Shape (Suite Two) (2:31)
6. Shape (Suite Three) (1:48)
7. Sterilization (3:49)
8. Despair/The Discovery (3:08)
9. The Warning Sign (3:18)
10. Bestiality (Part One) (1:57)
11. Wait (2:01)
12. Contamination (1:04)
13. Solitude (1:35)
14. Eternity (7:43)
15. Wait (Part Two) (5:39)
16. Research (0:49
17. Sterilization/Solitude (Part Two) (11:30)
18. Main Theme (Version Two) (10:01)
19. Main Theme (Alternate Take) (4:27)

Download: Ennio Morricone - The Thing: Expanded Motion Picture Soundtrack
Download Size: 173MB

Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 42-46 (EC Comics)

I made a mistake when I posted what was intended to be my final installment in the complete run of "Tales From The Crypt" comics, a series of horror comics spanning 27 issues which were published by EC Comics during the 1950s. I had intended to post issues 38-46, but ended up accidently leaving issues 42-46 out of the file I posted. Here are the final fives issues of Tales From The Crypt for your enjoyment. I covered most of the history behind the comic in my last post, so I'm simply going to copy & paste that info below to save some time. You can find the previously posted issues here:

Tales From The Crypt - Issues 38-41
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 28-37
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 17-27

Note: Series started with issue #17

"Despite the fact that only 27 issues were published, Tales From The Crypt managed to be one of the most influential horror comics of all time, spawning three movies, a television series on HBO and a Saturday morning cartoon.

I will be posting these 10 issues at a time, with the first collection starting at #17 and ending at #27, which were published between 1950-1953. If you are wondering why I am starting with issue #17, it is because during this time publishers would often change the name of a comic, yet keep the numbering system for issues intact. In this case the original comic was called "Crime Patrol", until issue #17 where it was changed to "Crypt of Terror". After two issues EC again changed the name to "Tales From The Crypt". The collection presented for download contains scans of both the original comics as well as reprints. I should point out that the reprints are numbered differently than the original. For example, the reprint issue #18 of Crypt of Terror, is numbered as issue #2 on the cover. I have kept the original numbering system for the issues intact, so the file names are correct, even though the reprint covers might have a different issue number. The reprints are noted in the file name and are of much better quality than the original scans. You can find a summary of the stories contained in each comic on the Wikipedia article for the comic, which I have linked to above. Below you will find an excerpt from Wikipedia covering the history of the comic and it's sibling publications. You will need a comic book reader program to view the .cbr and .cbz files. I suggest CDisplay if you only need a simple viewer, or ComicRack if you're looking for a more fully featured program, both of which are freeware programs. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia outlining the history behind the comic:


"Tales from the Crypt is a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that, together with its horror siblings The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror were published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Tales from the Crypt hit newsstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 30 issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the industry shaken. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled Tales from the Crypt and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.

In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with horror tales in their crime titles. Tales from the Crypt traces its origin to a Feldstein story, "Return from the Grave!", in EC's Crime Patrol (#15, December 1949/January 1950) with the Crypt-Keeper making his debut as host. Issue #16 featured more horror tales than crime stories, and, with issue #17, the title changed from Crime Patrol to The Crypt of Terror. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering did not change with the title, and continued as The Crypt of Terror for the next two issues. The title saw its final form, Tales from the Crypt, with issue #20, October/November, 1950." - Wikipedia

Publisher: EC Comics
Schedule: Bimonthly
Publication Date: 1950-1955
Number of Issues: 27
E-book Format: .cbr & .cbz

Download: Tales From The Crypt - Issues 42-46 (EC Comics)
Download Size: 86MB

John Carpenter - Halloween Original Soundtrack & 20th Anniversary Edition (1978)

Update October 28th, 2010: This is an update to my original post from 2008 for John Carpenter's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Halloween. Below you will find both the original soundtrack released on vinyl in 1978, as well as the 20th Anniversary Edition released in 1998. The 20th Anniversary Edition is in 320kbps MP3, while the original is only 128kbps. I have searched all over for a higher quality version of the original soundtrack, but apparently it is much rarer than I imagined. If anyone has the original soundtrack in a higher bitrate and is willing to share, please drop a link in the comment section. I would greatly appreciate the gesture, and I'm sure the readers would also.

To conclude my trilogy of modern day monster movies, we have the granddaddy of them all, Halloween. John Carpenter's Halloween helped to revolutionize the horror film genre. It is commonly credited it as being the first slasher movie, although Mario Bava's "Bay of Blood", released in 1971, was actually the first. However, Carpenter introduced a number of elements in Halloween that would become common in many of the slasher films that followed. Despite the fact that it was shot on an extremely low budget, it remains as one of the most successful independent movies of all time, grossing $65 million dollars. It is also widely regarded by a number of critics (myself included), as one of the best, if not the best, horror movies of all time.

In addition to writing and directing Halloween, John Carpenter also composed the score for the film. He credits both Goblin and Bernard Herrmann as major influences for the composition of the score. The score helped to push a great independent movie into legendary status. It is very minimalistic, yet extremely effective in achieving it's goal of creating a feeling of anticipation and dread within the listener. Carpenter needed only a few piano medleys, coupled with electronic sound effects and synthesizers, to create one of the most chilling scores of all time. I would have liked to have written more about this soundtrack, but I'm feeling a bit under the weather at the moment. There isn't much that I can say about this essential score that hasn't already been said though. Needless to say this makes for great Halloween music, and I hope many of you will be enjoying this when that day comes. As for the sequel, here you can find John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II: 30th Anniversary Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2010/10/john-carpenter-alan-howarth-halloween.html

Halloween - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978)

Year of Release: 1978
Label: Varèse Sarabande (STV 81176)
Format: Vinyl LP
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Bitrates: 128kbps

Track List:
1. Halloween Theme - Main Title
2. Laurie's Theme
3. Shape Escapes
4. Meyer's House
5. Michael Kills Judith
6. Loomis and Shape's Car
7. The Haunted House
8. The Shape Lurks
9. Laurie Knows
10. Better Check The Kids
11. The Shape Stalks

Download: John Carpenter - Halloween Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 31MB

Note: I will replacing this link with a new download link to a higher quality version of this tomorrow morning.

Halloween 20th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack (1998)

Year of Release: 1998
Label: Varese Sarabande
Format: CD
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Electronic
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
01. John Carpenter - Halloween Theme
02. John Carpenter - Halloween 1963
03. John Carpenter - The Evil Is Gone!
04. John Carpenter - Halloween 1978
05. John Carpenter - The Boogie Man Is Coming
06. John Carpenter - The Shape
07. John Carpenter - The Hedge
08. John Carpenter - He Came Home
09. John Carpenter - Trick Or Treat
10. John Carpenter - The Haunted House
11. John Carpenter - The Devil's Eyes
12. John Carpenter - The Boogie Man Is Outside
13. John Carpenter - Damn You For Letting Him Go!
14. John Carpenter - Empty Street
15. John Carpenter - See Anything You Like
16. John Carpenter - Lock The Door
17. John Carpenter - He's Here
18. John Carpenter - Light's Out
19. John Carpenter - Cut It Out
20. John Carpenter - Tombstone
21. John Carpenter - The Shape Stalks Laurie
22. John Carpenter - Turn Around
23. John Carpenter - Unlock The Door
24. John Carpenter - The Hangar
25. John Carpenter - Call The Police
26. John Carpenter - Last Assault
27. John Carpenter - Was It The Boogie Man
28. John Carpenter - End Credits - Halloween Theme (Reprise)

Download: John Carpenter - Halloween 20th Anniversary Edition Soundtrack
Download Size: 124MB

John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II 30th Anniversary Expanded Soundtrack (1981 - FLAC & 320kbps)

While checking my statistics I have noticed a lot of people are finding their way here via google after searching for "Halloween OST", which is understandable with Halloween being only three days away. I'm pleased to be able to deliver to you the 30th Anniversary Expanded Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Halloween II. Those looking for John Carpenter's Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to the original 1978 Halloween can find it here: http://digitalmeltd0wn.blogspot.com/2008/10/john-carpenter-halloween-ost.html

In 1981 John Carpenter released Halloween II, the sequel to one of the horror genre's most acclaimed films of all time. The original Halloween became the most successful independent film of all time shortly after hitting the theaters in 1978, and quickly gained a massive cult following. One aspect of the film that helped to create the extremely tense atmosphere of dread was the music composed by John Carpenter & Alan Howarth. The soundtrack for the film managed to transcend the film it was composed for, and gained a cult following of its own. Carpenter's Halloween Theme has since become synonymous with the the Halloween holiday, and is one of the most recognizable film themes from any genre.


When Carpenter started working on the sequel, he decided to revisit the themes from the original due to their effectiveness and popularity. Rather than using the exact same music, he chose to compose variations of his original compositions, particularly the main theme's familiar piano melody played in a 5/4 time rhythm, which was performed on a synthesizer organ rather than a piano. The use of a more modern synthesizer and the changes in composition gave the theme an overall darker and more gothic tone to it than the original. Carpenter performed the score with the assistance of Alan Howarth, who would go on to work with Carpenter on many future projects, such as Escape from New York, The Thing and Christine. In addition to Howarth and Carpenters music, the soundtrack also includes The Chordettes song "Mr. Sandman", which sharply contrasts with the darker elements of the film and music. It was used to accompany the scenes in the film in which the character of Laurie Strode frequently loses and regains consciousness.

The 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition was released in very limited numbers, with only 1,000 being produced. Needless to say this out or print and physical copies are extremely rare. Not only does this edition contain the remastered original 1981 Halloween II soundtrack, but it also includes a special suite of seven tracks, consisting of the entire film score sequenced in chronological order, along with previously unreleased music. Needless to say this is absolutely essential listening for any horror fan, and hopefully this will satisfy those of you who have been searching google for the soundtrack to Halloween.

Year of Release: Original: 1981 | Rerelease: 2001
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrates: FLAC & 320kbps MP3

Tracklist:
1. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Theme
2. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Laurie's Theme
3. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - He Know's Where She Is
4. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Laurie and Jimmy
5. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Still He Kills
6. Alan Howarth - Shape In Laurie's Room
7. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Mrs. Alves
8. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Flats In The Parking Lot
9. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Michael's Sister
10. John Carpenter - The Shape Stalks Again
11. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Operation Room
12. The Chordettes - Mr. Sandman
13. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite A
14. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite B
15. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite C
16. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite D
17. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite E
18. John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II Suite F

320kbps MP3 Download: John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II 30th Anniversary Expanded Soundtrack
Download Size: 159MB

FLAC Download: John Carpenter & Alan Howarth - Halloween II 30th Anniversary Expanded Soundtrack
Download Size: 461MB

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. III

Continuing where I left off with my last post, I present to you the third volume in the Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores collection. I gave a brief description of the collection in my original post, so in order to save myself some time, I am simply going to copy & paste it to each subsequent post. You can find the download links to "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Volumes I, II and IV below:

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. I
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. II
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. IV

Back in March of 2008 the Unreleased Horror Scores blog posted several volumes of "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores" compilations. Unfortunately the download links posted on his blog have been dead for some time now. I will be posting the first five volumes from this collection tonight and tomorrow. While the title of the compilation states that these are from unreleased horror scores, several of these scores actually have been released. These are actually audio rips from VHS tapes of each of the films. While I'm sure this brings up dreadful visions of horrible sound quality, the quality isn't as bad as you would imagine. These actually sound fairly decent considering they are VHS audio rips, aside from a couple of tracks which have some distortion and background noise. The low quality recordings actually compliment the creepy atmosphere created by the music in some cases, as with Carl Zittrer's organ themes for Deranged.

As I mentioned before, the download links on the Unreleased Horror Scores blog have been dead for some time now. Fortunately the Egg City Radio blog re-uploaded the first five volumes and added tags to the tracks. I went a step further and retagged it once again. I added the proper artists to each track, corrected the titles and made a few other slight alterations. These compilations have generated a fair amount of interest, and I'm glad that I am able to help keep them alive for those interested.

Each of these compilations features a remarkable array of music from various horror films, the majority of which are main and end titles from the films. While the majority of the music contained within these collections is fantastic, there are also a few selections that leave much to be desired. There is a wide range of films from all over the world represented in each compilation, from popular horror films familiar to all, to those that have been long forgotten by all but a few. These compilations are essential listening for any horror fan.

Year of Release: 2008
Label: N/A (Bootleg Release)
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320VBR

Tracklist:
1. Bob Summers - One Dark Night: Opening Theme (1983)
2. Bob Summers - One Dark Night: End Titles (1983)
3. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: Opening Titles (1983)
4. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: Black Claw (1983)
5. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: The Hunt (1983)
6. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: The Chase II (1983)
7. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: Final Chant (1983)
8. Drew Neumann & Eric Rasmussen - Scalps: End Title (1983)
9. Claudio Simonetti - Cut and Run: End Titles (1985)
10. Claudio Simonetti - You'll Die at Midnight: Opening Titles (1986)
11. Fruer - Underworld: Opening Sequence (1987)
12. Fruer - Underworld: End Titles (1987)
13. Claudio Simonetti - Body Count: Main Title (1987)
14. Simon Boswell - Delirium Photo of Gioia: Opening Titles (1987)
15. Simon Boswell - Demons III: The Ogre: Opening Title (1988)
16. Simon Boswell - Demons III: The Ogre: End Titles (1988)
17. Al Festa - After Death: The Voodoo Spell (1988)
18. Al Festa - After Death: The Empty Graves (1988)
19. Adriano Maria Vitali - Evil Clutch: Opening Titles (1988)
20. Adriano Maria Vitali - Evil Clutch: Vacant Village (1988)
21. Adriano Maria Vitali - Evil Clutch: Drawn Into A Nightmare (1988)
22. Adriano Maria Vitali - Evil Clutch: Some Thing Great (1988)
23. Adriano Maria Vitali - Evil Clutch: End Titles (1988)
24. Carlo Maria Cordio - Shocking Dark: End Title (1989)
25. Cory Lerios, John D'Andrea & Graeme Revell - Child's Play 3: Opening Titles (1991)
26. Cory Lerios, John D'Andrea & Graeme Revell - Child's Play 3: End Titles (1991)
27. Thomas Chase & Steve Rucker - 976-Evil: End Titles (1988)
28. Claudio Simonetti - The Washing Machine: Opening Titles (1992)
29. William Penn - Confessions of a Serial Killer: Opening Titles (1994)
30. James Fearnley - God's Lonely Man: Main Titles (1996)

Download: VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. III
Download Size: 87MB

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. II

Continuing where I left off with my last post, I present to you the second volume in the Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores collection. This is the second volume of five that I will be posting here. I gave a brief description of the collection in my original post, so in order to save myself some time, I am simply going to copy & paste it to each subsequent post. You can find the download links to "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Volumes I, III and IV below:

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. I
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. III
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. IV

Back in March of 2008 the Unreleased Horror Scores blog posted several volumes of "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores" compilations. Unfortunately the download links posted on his blog have been dead for some time now. I will be posting the first five volumes from this collection tonight and tomorrow. While the title of the compilation states that these are from unreleased horror scores, several of these scores actually have been released. These are actually audio rips from VHS tapes of each of the films. While I'm sure this brings up dreadful visions of horrible sound quality, the quality isn't as bad as you would imagine. These actually sound fairly decent considering they are VHS audio rips, aside from a couple of tracks which have some distortion and background noise. The low quality recordings actually compliment the creepy atmosphere created by the music in some cases, as with Carl Zittrer's organ themes for Deranged.

As I mentioned before, the download links on the Unreleased Horror Scores blog have been dead for some time now. Fortunately the Egg City Radio blog re-uploaded the first five volumes and added tags to the tracks. I went a step further and retagged it once again. I added the proper artists to each track, corrected the titles and made a few other slight alterations. These compilations have generated a fair amount of interest, and I'm glad that I am able to help keep them alive for those interested.

Each of these compilations features a remarkable array of music from various horror films, the majority of which are main and end titles from the films. While the majority of the music contained within these collections is fantastic, there are also a few selections that leave much to be desired. There is a wide range of films from all over the world represented in each compilation, from popular horror films familiar to all, to those that have been long forgotten by all but a few. These compilations are essential listening for any horror fan.

Year of Release: 2008
Label: N/A (Bootleg Release)
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320VBR

Tracklist:
1. Carl Zittrer - Deranged: Opening Titles (1974)
2. Carl Zittrer - Deranged: End Titles (1974)
3. Dana Kaproff - When A Stranger Calls: Opening Titles (1974)
4. Dana Kaproff - When a Stranger Calls: End Titles (1974)
5. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - Slave of the Cannibal God : Main Titles (1978)
6. Goblin & Gianni Dell'Orso - Hell of the Living Dead: Main Titles (1980)
7. Shuki Levy - Dawn of the Mummy: End Credits (1980)
8. Elgio Mancuso & Burt Rexon - Burial Ground: The Earth Will Rumble/Opening Titles (1980)
9. Eglio Mancuso & Burt Rexon - Burial Ground: End Titles (1980)
10. Andrzej Korzynski - Possession: Opening Titles (1981)
11. Franco Campanino - The Sword of the Barbarians - Opening Titles (1982)
12. Lalo Schifrin - Amityville II: The Possession: End Titles (1982)
13. John Cacavas - Mortuary: Main Title (1982)
14. David Gibney - Superstition: Opening Title (1982)
15. David Gibney - Superstition: End Titles (1982)
16. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: Opening Titles (1982)
17. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: Don't Go Into the Shed (1982)
18. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: Nancy Tries To Leave (1982)
19. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: Choppin' Wood (1982)
20. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: Unhinged Insanity (With Screams) (1982)
21. Jonathon Newton - Unhinged: End Titles
22. Guidio & Maurizio De Angelis - A Blade in the Dark: Opening Titles (1983)
23. Guido & Maurizio De Angelis - A Blade in the Dark: End Titles (1983)
24. Jaime Mendoza-Nava - Mausoleum: Opening Titles (1983)
25. Cam - Pieces: Opening Titles (1983)

Download: VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. II
Download Size: 51MB

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. I

You can find the download links to "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Volumes II, III and IV below:

VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. II
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. III
VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. IV

Back in March of 2008 the Unreleased Horror Scores blog posted several volumes of "Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores" compilations. Unfortunately the download links posted on his blog have been dead for some time now. I will be posting the first five volumes from this collection tonight and tomorrow. While the title of the compilation states that these are from unreleased horror scores, several of these scores actually have been released. These are actually audio rips from VHS tapes of each of the films. While I'm sure this brings up dreadful visions of horrible sound quality, the quality isn't as bad as you would imagine. These actually sound fairly decent considering they are VHS audio rips, aside from a couple of tracks which have some distortion and background noise. The low quality recordings actually compliment the creepy atmosphere created by the music in some cases, as with Carl Zittrer's organ themes for Deranged.

As I mentioned before, the download links on the Unreleased Horror Scores blog have been dead for some time now. Fortunately the Egg City Radio blog re-uploaded the first five volumes and added tags to the tracks. I went a step further and retagged it once again. I added the proper artists to each track, corrected the titles and made a few other slight alterations. These compilations have generated a fair amount of interest, and I'm glad that I am able to help keep them alive for those interested.

Each of these compilations features a remarkable array of music from various horror films, the majority of which are main and end titles from the films. While the majority of the music contained within these collections is fantastic, there are also a few selections that leave much to be desired. There is a wide range of films from all over the world represented in each compilation, from popular horror films familiar to all, to those that have been long forgotten by all but a few. These compilations are essential listening for any horror fan.

Year of Release: 2008
Label: N/A (Bootleg Release)
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320VBR

Tracklist:
01. Mark Nicholasa - Death Warmed Up (1984)
02. George Roberttson - Intruder (1988)
03. Marcello Giombini - Panic (1976)
04. Murielle Hodler-Hamilton & Joel Hamilton - Bloody Pom Poms (1987)
05. Murielle Hodler-Hamtilton & Joel Hamilton - Bloody Pop Poms - End Credits (1987)
06. Jack Hues - The Guardian (1990)
07. Jim Manzie - H.P. Lovecraft's The Lurking Fear (1994)
08. Richard Band & Fuzzbee Morse - Dolls (1986)
09. Dana Kaproff - Chiller (With Narration) (1985)
10. Arthur Kempel - Graduation Day (1981)
11. Allan Zovod - Howling III - The Marsupials (1988)
12. Ubaldo Continiello - Frozen Terror (1980)
13. Daniele Patucchi - Man From Deep River (1972)
14. Franco Micalizzi - The Last Hunter (1980)
15. Andrew Barrymore - Blastfighter (1984)
16. Franco Campanino - Cannibal Holocaust 2: The Catherine Miles Story (1985)
17. Nuclear Assault - Something Wicked (Warlock 2 The Armeggedon) (1993)
18. Don Preston - Blood Diner (1987)
19. Stuart Rabinowitsh, Leonard Marcel & Kevin McMahon - The Video Dead (1987)
20. Stuart Rabinowitsh, Leonard Marcel & Kevin McMahon - The Video Dead (End Titles) (1987)
21. Ray Calcord - The Devonsville Terror (1983)
22. James Calabrese & Kenneth Higgins - Spookies (1987)
23. Richard Band & Shirley Walker - Ghoulies (1985)
24. Renato Serio - Alone In The Dark (1982)
25. Joe Renzetti - Dead & Buried (1981)
26. Joe Renzetti - Dead & Buried (End Titles) (1981)
27. George Blondheim - Gate II (1989)
28. George Blondheim - Gate II (End Titles) (1989)
29. Roger Bellon - The Unholy (1987)
30. Fuzzbee Morse - Ghoulies 2 (1987)

Download: VA - Main Titles From Unreleased Horror Scores Vol. I
Download Size: 68MB

James Bernard & Tristram Carry - The Hammer Quatermass Film Music Collection (1999 - FLAC & 320kbps)

Several of you have requested soundtracks to films released by Hammer Film Productions, and I'm pleased to be able to present an excellent collection of music from three of the four Quatermass films released by Hammer during the '50s and '60s. The Quatermass films were part of a science-fiction horror series that revolved around the aftermath of a lethal extraterrestrial fungus brought back to Earth by the sole survivor of an outer space expedition. These films helped to put Hammer on the map, and many consider them to be among the best films that Hammer ever produced. The Hammer Quatermass Film Music Collection contains both Tristram Cary's original electronic scores, as well as James Bernard's orchestral scores composed for the following Hammer films: The Quatermass Experiment (1956) Quatermass II (1957) and Quatermass and the Pit (1967)

The music from the films is introduced in reverse chronological order, with Tristram Cary's electronic score for "Quatermass & The Pit" up first. The music from this film makes up the bulk of the collection, while only a few minutes of music from "Quatermass II" and "The Quatermass Experiment" are presented. This is my only complaint regarding the collection, as the quality of the music more than makes up for the lack of equal representation. James Bernard's orchestral score to "Quatermass II" is the second to appear, with three tracks which clock in at just over two minutes in total length. It is followed by another score from James Bernard for the film "Quatermass II". Again, most of the cues are very short, and the seven tracks total slightly less than three minutes in length. "Quatermass & The Pit" appears once again, with various electronic music sessions
from Tristram Carry finishing off the collection. All of the tracks featured in the collection have been digitally restored from their original recordings and sound fantastic.

I had intended to wait until I had both the FLAC and 320kbps mp3 versions uploaded before I created this post. I uploaded the FLAC version last night, and the plan was to start the 320kbps upload before I left for school. As luck would have it, my computer froze up, so I had to just leave without starting the upload. I will upload the 320kbps version as soon as I get home from school this afternoon, and post the download link as soon as it finishes uploading.

Year of Release: 1999
Label: GDI Records (UK) (GDICD008)
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Science-Fiction
Bitrate: FLAC & 320kbps

Tracklist:

Quatermass and the Pit (1967)
1. Opening Credits
2. Bones
3. Unexploded Bomb
4. Discovery
5. More Discoveries
6. Poltergeist?
7. Hob's Lane
8. Mysterious Happenings
9. Pentacle
10. Hideous Dwarf
11. Demons
12. Dissecting and Preserving
13. Terror
14. Alien Force
15. Panic
16. Mayhem
17. Power of the Horned Demon
18. Finale and End Credits (Unused)
19. End Credits

Quatermass 2 (1957)
20. Opening Credits
21. Things in the Domes
22. End Credits

Quatermass Xperiment (1956)
23. Opening Credits
24. News Headlines
25. Examining Carroon
26. Carroon Is Restless
27. Cacti
28. Metamorphosis
29. Another Victim

Quatermass and the Pit: Electronic Music Sections (1967)
30. Untitled 1
31. Untitled 2
32. Untitled 3
33. Untitled 4
34. Untitled 5
35. Untitled 6
36. Untitled 7
37. Untitled 8
38. Untitled 9
39. Untitled 10

FLAC Download: James Bernard & Tristram Carry - The Hammer Quatermass Film Music Collection (1999 - FLAC)
Download Size: 263MB

320kbps MP3 Download: James Bernard & Tristram Carry - The Hammer Quatermass Film Music Collection (1999 - 320kbps)
Download Size: 164MB

Jeffrey Combs Reads H.P. Lovecraft's Herbert West Re-Animator (Audiobook)

Halloween is drawing ever closer,
and with only six days left it is becoming increasingly obvious that I am not going to have time to post all of the material that I would have liked to. Regardless of that fact it has still been a good run. Last September we made the most posts this blog had seen in almost two years, and we have exceeded that total once again this month. The request thread has been a welcome addition, and I would like to thank Strange Ranger from the Motherfucker=Redeemer blog once again for doing such a great job of helping to fill the majority of the requests that have been made.

I'm pleased to be able to present another audiobook for all you Lovecraft fans out there. This is actually a re-up of one of the numerous audiobooks I posted for the H.P. Lovecraft audiobooks mega-post This one features Jeffrey Combs, best known for playing the role of Dr. Herbert West in Stuart Gordon's 1985 film "Re-Animator", reading H.P. Lovecraft's 1922 short story "Herbert West-Reanimator." I can't think of too many people that would be more fitting to read this story than the man who has become synonymous with the character of Dr. Herbert West. Lovecraft originally serialized the story in Home Brew Vol. 1, No. 1–6, an amateur magazine published by his friend George Julian Houtain. The tracks are split up and given the same names as those originally used by Lovecraft. This audiobook recording was released by Beyond Books in 1999 and has been out of print for some time now.

Year of Release:
Label: Beyond Books
Genres: Audiobook, Horror, Science Fiction
Bitrate: 128kbps

Tracklist:
1. From The Dark
2. The Plague-Demon
3. Six Shots By Moonlight
4. The Scream Of The Dead
5. The Horror From Shadows
6. The Tomb Legions

Download: Jeffry Combs Reads H.P. Lovecraft's Herbert West Re-Animator
Download Size: 68MB

Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 38-41 (EC Comics)

Here is the final installment, covering issues #38-46, of the complete run of Tales From the Crypt comics published by EC Comics from 1950-1955. You can find issues #17-27 posted here, and issues #28-37 posted here. I covered most of the history behind the comic in my last post, so I'm simply going to copy & paste that info below to save some time. You can find the other issues in the series here:

Tales From The Crypt - Issues 42-46
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 28-37
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 17-27

Note: Series started with issue #17

"Despite the fact that only 27 issues were published, Tales From The Crypt managed to be one of the most influential horror comics of all time, spawning three movies, a television series on HBO and a Saturday morning cartoon.

I will be posting these 10 issues at a time, with the first collection starting at #17 and ending at #27, which were published between 1950-1953. If you are wondering why I am starting with issue #17, it is because during this time publishers would often change the name of a comic, yet keep the numbering system for issues intact. In this case the original comic was called "Crime Patrol", until issue #17 where it was changed to "Crypt of Terror". After two issues EC again changed the name to "Tales From The Crypt". The collection presented for download contains scans of both the original comics as well as reprints. I should point out that the reprints are numbered differently than the original. For example, the reprint issue #18 of Crypt of Terror, is numbered as issue #2 on the cover. I have kept the original numbering system for the issues intact, so the file names are correct, even though the reprint covers might have a different issue number. The reprints are noted in the file name and are of much better quality than the original scans. You can find a summary of the stories contained in each comic on the Wikipedia article for the comic, which I have linked to above. Below you will find an excerpt from Wikipedia covering the history of the comic and it's sibling publications. You will need a comic book reader program to view the .cbr and .cbz files. I suggest CDisplay if you only need a simple viewer, or ComicRack if you're looking for a more fully featured program, both of which are freeware programs."

"Tales from the Crypt is a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that, together with its horror siblings The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror were published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Tales from the Crypt hit newsstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 30 issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the industry shaken. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled Tales from the Crypt and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.

In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with horror tales in their crime titles. Tales from the Crypt traces its origin to a Feldstein story, "Return from the Grave!", in EC's Crime Patrol (#15, December 1949/January 1950) with the Crypt-Keeper making his debut as host. Issue #16 featured more horror tales than crime stories, and, with issue #17, the title changed from Crime Patrol to The Crypt of Terror. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering did not change with the title, and continued as The Crypt of Terror for the next two issues. The title saw its final form, Tales from the Crypt, with issue #20, October/November, 1950." - Wikipedia

Publisher: EC Comics
Schedule: Bimonthly
Publication Date: 1950-1955
Number of Issues: 27
E-book Format: .cbr & .cbz

Download: Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 38-41 (EC Comics)
Download Size: 41MB

Update: A couple of readers informed me that the archive is missing files 42-46. I will be uploading this on the morning of October 31st and adding them to this post. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Expanded Motion Picture Score (1974 - 320kbps)

I was shocked to discover that I had not already posted this soundtrack, which is possibly one of the greatest horror scores to never see an official release. I am presenting two different versions of this bootleg soundtrack to you today. The first version comes courtesy of Shelby Cobras from the Illogical Contraption blog, which is a great blog that you should definitely pay a visit if you haven't already. The second comes from a fellow known for creating a massive number of bootleg soundtrack releases, "Chief Brody", who also runs a blog which can be found here. Chief Brody's version is entitled "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Expanded Motion Picture Score" and contains 15 tracks in total. I tagged and properly named the tracks according to the tracklist provided by Chief Brody on the cover art he created. The Illogical Contraption version contains a total of 11 tracks, including the opening narration by John Larroquette, and the upbeat little number "Fool For A Blond" by Roger Bartlett, both of which appeared in the film. While "Fool For A Blond" isn't a bad song at all, it does contrast sharply with the rest of the music on the soundtrack, detracting from the chilling atmosphere created by the weird experimental music of Hooper and Bell. Since the soundtrack was never officially released, the tracks were never given official names. The track names differ on both bootleg releases because both rippers had to name the tracks as they saw fit. Both versions were ripped to 320kbps mp3 and sound as good as a bootleg audio rip from a low-budget mid-70s film can possibly be.

The soundtrack that accompanied the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre was made up 7 original songs by various artists from Texas and an original background effects track by Tobe Hooper and Wayne Bell. Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper have both stated that neither have any recollection as to what happened to the original vinyl copies of the music used for the film. Kim Henkel is in possesion of the optical track containing the master soundtrack to the film, however, this track and any other significant copies of the film do not contain any audio track separation of the songs, background music, effects or dialogue. The original film contained only one mono track with the master audio, again with no separation between music, dialogue, etc.

While we may not have the isolated score created by Wayne Bell and Toby Hooper, the music, dialogue and sound effects contained in these bootlegs still manage to be every bit as creepy as the movie they accompanied.
Bell and Hooper created some of the most unnerving and creepy backing tracks to ever appear in a horror film. They incorporated a wide variety of unconventional instruments, ranging from cymbals to African instruments, and sound effects. For example, the screeching you hear during Sally's encounter with the Grandparents and at the end of the credits was made by running a pitch fork along the edge of a table. As with the film editing, the sound editing solely took place in Tobe Hooper's living room.

I would like to thank Chief Brody and Shelby Cobras for taking the time to create these and making them available to the rest of us. I would also like to thank Tim Harden from texaschainsawmassacre.net for providing some of the background information about the creative process behind the music.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Soundtrack (IC Version)

Year of Release: 1974
Label: N/A (Bootleg Release)
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Experimental
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. John Larroquette - Opening Narration
2. Roger Bartlett - Fool For A Blond
3. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - Opening Titles
4. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - The Graveyard
5. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - Smell of the Slaughterhouse
6. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - Sign of the Hitchhiker
7. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - The Drive Back to the House
8. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - Jerry Finds Pam in the Freezer/Fullmoon Sawchase
9. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - At Dawn They Feast/Escape Through A Window
10. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - A Room of Feathers and Bones
11. Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - End Titles

Download: Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Unofficial Soundtrack
Download Size: 63MB

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Expanded Motion Picture Score

Year of Release: 1974
Label: N/A (Bootleg Release)
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Experimental
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Main Title
2. The Graveyard
3. Near Terror
4. First Meat
5. The Chicken Room
6. Pursuits Into Darkness
7. The Old House
8. Busted 1
9. The Dinner Game
10. End Credits
11. Theme Reprise
12. Gutted Corpses
13. Chainsaw Chasing
14. Grandpa's Feast
15. Sawyer Gone Crazy

Download: Wayne Bell & Tobe Hooper - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Expanded Motion Picture Score Bootleg
Download Size: 92MB

Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 28-37 (EC Comics)

Here is the second installment in what will eventually be the complete run of Tales From the Crypt comics published by EC Comics from 1950-1955. I had originally planned to post the entire run of both "The Haunt of Fear" and "The Vault of Horror" also, but it doesn't look like I will have time before Halloween arrives. I posted the first 11 issues (#17-27) in my last post. Below you will find the next 10 issues in the series (#28-37). I covered most of the history behind the comic in my last post, so I'm simply going to copy & paste that info below to save some time. You can find the rest of the issues I posted here:

Tales From The Crypt - Issues 42-46
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 38-41
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 17-27

Note: Series started with issue #17

"Despite the fact that only 27 issues were published, Tales From The Crypt managed to be one of the most influential horror comics of all time, spawning three movies, a television series on HBO and a Saturday morning cartoon.

I will be posting these 10 issues at a time, with the first collection starting at #17 and ending at #27, which were published between 1950-1953. If you are wondering why I am starting with issue #17, it is because during this time publishers would often change the name of a comic, yet keep the numbering system for issues intact. In this case the original comic was called "Crime Patrol", until issue #17 where it was changed to "Crypt of Terror". After two issues EC again changed the name to "Tales From The Crypt". The collection presented for download contains scans of both the original comics as well as reprints. I should point out that the reprints are numbered differently than the original. For example, the reprint issue #18 of Crypt of Terror, is numbered as issue #2 on the cover. I have kept the original numbering system for the issues intact, so the file names are correct, even though the reprint covers might have a different issue number. The reprints are noted in the file name and are of much better quality than the original scans. You can find a summary of the stories contained in each comic on the Wikipedia article for the comic, which I have linked to above. Below you will find an excerpt from Wikipedia covering the history of the comic and it's sibling publications. You will need a comic book reader program to view the .cbr and .cbz files. I suggest CDisplay if you only need a simple viewer, or ComicRack if you're looking for a more fully featured program, both of which are freeware programs."

"Tales from the Crypt is a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that, together with its horror siblings The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror were published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Tales from the Crypt hit newsstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 30 issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the industry shaken. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled Tales from the Crypt and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.

In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with horror tales in their crime titles. Tales from the Crypt traces its origin to a Feldstein story, "Return from the Grave!", in EC's Crime Patrol (#15, December 1949/January 1950) with the Crypt-Keeper making his debut as host. Issue #16 featured more horror tales than crime stories, and, with issue #17, the title changed from Crime Patrol to The Crypt of Terror. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering did not change with the title, and continued as The Crypt of Terror for the next two issues. The title saw its final form, Tales from the Crypt, with issue #20, October/November, 1950." - Wikipedia

Publisher: EC Comics
Schedule: Bimonthly
Publication Date: 1950-1955
Number of Issues: 27
E-book Format: .cbr & .cbz

Download: Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 28-37 (EC Comics)
Download Size: 140MB

Fall of the Idols - The Womb of the Earth (2006 - 320kbps)

Sown are the seeds of doom. That's right freaks, it's time for some doom metal. Up till this point I have primarily been sharing soundtracks to horror films, but I would like to take the time to share a few of my favorite bands with a penchant for the dark side. In addition to doom metal I will focus on a few of my favorite deathrock/horror punk albums, and maybe even an old school black metal album or two.

First up is one of the best doom metal groups to come out of Finland within recent years, Fall of the Idols. Fall of the Idols hail from Tornio, Finland. They formed in 2000, and went on to release their first demo, the appropriately titled "Demo2002", in 2002. It would be nearly four years later before the group released their first full length album "The Womb of the Earth" on I Hate Records in 2006. I was given permission to post this album almost two years ago, but I have a bad habit of trying to establish a flow with my selections here, and unfortunately this almost didn't happen to fit in with what I was doing at the time. However, I can't think of a better time to post this than now, as some of you may be a bit more receptive with it being close to Halloween and all. I can't think of many other doom metal albums that would be more perfect for the occasion.

When it comes to metal my decision on whether I keep or discard an album tends to live and die by the vocalist. There are plenty of bands that can deliver the crushing sound of impending doom, however, many of these groups lack a vocalist that can compliment the sound. Fortunately Jyrki Hakomäki possesses one of the most gifted voices in the genre, displaying great range when the need arises. Most importantly though, his vocal style perfectly compliments the massive, ominous sound being generated by his bandmates. For those of you looking for a group with an unapologeticly dark sound with absolutely crushing riffs, this album is for you. As always, if you enjoy this please be sure to show your support by purchasing their albums/merchandise.

Lineup:
Jyrki Hakomäki - Vocals
Vesa Karppinen - Bass
Rami Moilanen - Guitar
Jouni Sihvonen - Guitar
Tommi Turunen - Guitar
Hannu Weckman - Drums

Year of Release: 2006
Label: I Hate Records
Genre: Doom Metal
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Sown Are The Seeds Of Doom
2. Atonement For The One
3. The Grand Act
4. Agonies Be Thy Children
5. Keep Wandering The Night
6. Ungodly Thirteen
7. The Walk
8. The Pathway

Download: Fall of the Idols - Womb of the Earth
Download Size: 94MB

Richard Band - Castle Freak Original Soundtrack (1995 - 192kbps)

While the duo of composer Richard Band and director Stuart Gordon have already appeared several times on the Countdown, I couldn't resist sharing one of their lesser known collaborations. As with the previous soundtracks I shared, this film also seeks to pay homage to the work of H.P. Lovecraft. Unfortunately I haven't had the chance to watch this film yet, and while I prefer not to share soundtracks to films that I haven't watched, I chose to put this up regardless because I know there are several fans of Band, Gordon and Lovecraft who frequent this blog. Castle Freak was released in 1995, and is roughly based on H.P. Lovecraft's short-story "The Outsider", which was written in 1921 and first published in "Weird Tales" magazine in 1927. If you're interested in downloading the e-book or listening to the audiobook of "The Outsider" you can find both here on this blog by doing a quick search (top right).

Band's score for Castle Freak features some of his most powerful pieces, as well as some of the most delicate he has ever produced. The first half of the soundtrack is a showcase of power, and helps to further characterize the 12th century castle and the freak that lives within. Since I haven't watched the film, I can't even begin to speculate about the nature of the scenes which feature the more delicate cues, which is one reason I prefer not to review soundtracks to films that I haven't had a chance to watch. While this may not be Band's best effort, it is certainly worthy of the Halloween Countdown, and one does not need to be a fan of his work to enjoy this. This soundtrack was released by Intrada in 1995, and is currently out of print and unavailable for purchase on the Intrada website.

Year of Release: 1995
Label: Intrada
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 192kbps

Tracklist:
1. Prologue
2. The Toy Room
3. The Castle
4. Giorgio Unleashed
5. The Family Tomb
6. John's Despair
7. Giorgio Snaps
8. Il Castello Di Giove
9. Giorgio Abducts Becky
10. The Final Battle

Download: Richard Band - Castle Freak Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 60MB

Christopher Young - Hellbound: Hellraiser II Orginal Soundtrack (1989 - 320kbps & FLAC)

This will be the last soundtrack I post for the "Attack of the Sequels" theme. With only nine days left till the end of the countdown I would like to share some soundtracks from lesser-known movies, and a few of my favorite deathrock/horror punk and doom metal albums, along with a few other treats. I recently posted Christopher Young's score to "A Nightmare on Elm Street", and while it remains one of the most amazing scores to a horror film in its own right, it would be nearly three years before Young achived the recognition he truly deserved. This would come in the form of his score to Clive Barker's Hellraiser. I have read many other bloggers describe music as "Lovecraftian", particularly black metal albums, and to be honest I never understood the connection. I couldn't imagine Lovecraft being a fan of black metal if he were alive today, nor do I think it represents style of horror very well. If any music sounds "Lovecraftian" to me it would be Christopher Young's music for the Hellraiser series, and I believe Lovecraft would agree were he alive today. This truly sounds like the soundtrack to hell. It is a score that is grandiose in scale, and creates an atmosphere that is equally mysterious and terrifying.

It was extremely difficult for me to track down a high quality version of this soundtrack. The original soundtrack also contained music from a film called "Highpoint", which was excluded by the original ripper, which is to the benefit of the listener in my opinion. I'm not necessarily saying that the music from Highpoint is bad, just that it is dramatically different from the music of Hellraiser, and only serves to detract from the overall listening experience one is left with after listening to the music from Hellraiser. I know that not everyone is a big fan of FLAC, so I went ahead and converted the original FLAC files to 320kbps mp3 for those of you who prefer the mp3 format. Enjoy!

Year of Release: 1989
Label: GNP Crescendo
Genre: Soundtrack/Score, Horror, Classical
Bitrates: FLAC & 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Hellbound / Second Sight Seance
2. Looking Through A Woman
3. Something to Thing About
4. Skin Her Alive
5. Stringing The Puppet
6. Hall of Mirrors
7. Dead or Living
8. Leviathan
9. Sketch With Fire
10. Chemical Entertainment
11. Obscene Kiss
12. Headless Wizard
13. What's Your Pleasure

FLAC Download: Christopher Young - Hellbound: Hellraiser II Original Soundtrack (FLAC)
Download Size: 334MB

320kbps Download: Christopher Young - Hellbound: Hellraiser II Original Soundtrack (320kbps MP3)
Download Size: 150MB

Tales From the Crypt Comic - Issues 17-27 (EC Comics)

Many of you left comments expressing your gratitude for the "Creepy" and "Eerie" horror comics that I recently posted. While I believe that Creepy and Eerie are two of the best horror comics to ever see print, I would like to add a bit of variety here before the Halloween Countdown ends. Several of you have requested that I post a few of the horror titles that EC Comics released beginning in the early 1950s. I hope to be able to share the complete run of the three titles that most people are familiar with, "Tales From the Crypt", "Vault of Horror", and "The Haunt of Fear". I will start with the most well known title of the three "Tales From The Crypt". Despite the fact that only 27 issues were published, Tales From The Crypt managed to be one of the most influential horror comics of all time, spawning three movies, a television series on HBO and a Saturday morning cartoon.

I will be posting these 10 issues at a time, with the first collection starting at #17 and ending at #27, which were published between 1950-1953. If you are wondering why I am starting with issue #17, it is because during this time publishers would often change the name of a comic, yet keep the numbering system for issues intact. In this case the original comic was called "Crime Patrol", until issue #17 where it was changed to "Crypt of Terror". After two issues EC again changed the name to "Tales From The Crypt". The collection presented for download contains scans of both the original comics as well as reprints. The reprints are noted in the file name and are of much better quality than the original scans. You can find a summary of the stories contained in each comic on the Wikipedia article for the comic, which I have linked to above. Below you will find an excerpt from Wikipedia covering the history of the comic and it's sibling publications. You will need a comic book reader program to view the .cbr and .cbz files. I suggest CDisplay if you only need a simple viewer, or ComicRack if you're looking for a more fully featured program, both of which are freeware programs.

"Tales from the Crypt is a bi-monthly horror comic anthology series that, together with its horror siblings The Haunt of Fear and The Vault of Horror were published by EC Comics in the early 1950s. Tales from the Crypt hit newsstands with its April/May 1950 issue and ceased publication with its February/March 1955 issue, producing a total of 30 issues. The title was popular, but, in the late 1940s and early 1950s, comic books came under attack from parents, clergymen, schoolteachers, and others who believed the books contributed to illiteracy and juvenile delinquency. In April and June 1954, highly publicized Congressional subcommittee hearings on the effects of comic books upon children left the industry shaken. With the subsequent imposition of a highly restrictive Comics Code, EC Comics publisher William Maxwell Gaines canceled Tales from the Crypt and its two companion titles in September 1954. All three titles have been reprinted at various times since their demise and have been adapted for television and film.

In 1950, publisher William Gaines and his editor Al Feldstein discovered they shared similar tastes in horror and began experimenting with horror tales in their crime titles. Tales from the Crypt traces its origin to a Feldstein story, "Return from the Grave!", in EC's Crime Patrol (#15, December 1949/January 1950) with the Crypt-Keeper making his debut as host. Issue #16 featured more horror tales than crime stories, and, with issue #17, the title changed from Crime Patrol to The Crypt of Terror. Due to an attempt to save money on second-class postage permits, the numbering did not change with the title, and continued as The Crypt of Terror for the next two issues. The title saw its final form, Tales from the Crypt, with issue #20, October/November, 1950." - Wikipedia

Publisher: EC Comics
Schedule: Bimonthly
Publication Date: 1950-1955
Number of Issues: 27
E-book Format: .cbr & .cbz

Download: Tales From The Crypt Comic - Issues 17-27 (EC Comics)
Download Size: 137MB


The remaining issues in the series can be found below:

Tales From The Crypt - Issues 28-37
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 38-41
Tales From The Crypt - Issues 42-46

Note: Series started with issue #17

Joseph LoDuca - Evil Dead II Original Soundtrack (1987 - 320kbps)

I generally try to refrain from boring you all with details about my personal life, but sometimes it is a necessary evil. The reason I mention this is because the end of October is almost here, which means that this year's Halloween Countdown is winding down. There are a lot of amazing albums that I would like to share with you, but I'm simply not going to have the time unless I alter my approach a bit. I'm two weeks away from graduating college, although I will have to attend for a few more months so that I can get a higher degree. I'm a hair away from graduating number one in my class and being awarded Valedictorian honors, so I don't want to do anything to screw it up at this point, which means that my focus needs to be on school for the time being. I've been putting in 75 hours a week between work and school for a long time, so it can be very tough to find the time to ensure that the blog stays updated. From this point on I won't have time to post full reviews to accompany the albums I share, unless I have a day off, although I will still take the time to put up a track list and some basic info about the release.

With that in mind, I present to you the latest soundtrack sequel in our ongoing "Attack of the Sequels" theme for Halloween Countdown, Joseph LoDuca's soundtrack to "Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn". The track listing provided below may be a little different than the one for the download I provided, but I am at school at the moment, so I'm unable to look at the tracks in the archive that I uploaded. I'll be sure to edit the post if need be whenever I get home though.

Year of Release: 1987
Genres: Soundtrack/Score, Horror
Bitrate: 320kbps

Tracklist:
1. Behemoth
2. Hush Lil' Baby / Pee Wee Head
3. The Book Of Evil
4. Ash's Dream / Dancing Game / Dance Of The Dead
5. Fresh Panic / The Other Side Of Your Dream
6. The Putrified Forest / Under Her Skin
7. The Evil Begins Anew / Sunrise / Ash Attacks
8. Hand And Mouse / Love Transforms / Mirror, Mirror / Bad Fingers
9. Hail The ... / End Title

Download: Joseph LoDuca - Evil Dead II Original Soundtrack
Download Size: 76MB