Your Favorite Toy

 

From Ritual Veil's 2017's Wolf in the Night EP, available from Avant! Records. The Ritual Veil Bandcamp is located HERE.

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31 Days of Halloween:

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Let the Right One In Episode 1/Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

10/13 - Monstrous/VHS (Amateur Night segment)

10/14 - Halloween Kills

10/15 - Halloween Ends/Ed Wood/Plan 9 From Outer Space

10/16 - Spider Baby/101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments/Night's End/Behemoth

10/17 - Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

10/18 - Random Acts of Violence/Two Witches/Let the Right One In Episode 2

 

Two Witches is a new film that just hit Arrow's streaming app on 10/17. Pretty damn good, and would make a fantastic double feature with H6LLB6ND6R. Props to Peter Tsigaridis on his first feature.

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NCBD:

Pretty big haul this week. Damn. 

Not entirely sure I'll be continuing this one, but I can at least give it to the end of the second issue, if not the first arc (much like the last).

A Halloween one-off that immediately earns my $$$ by featuring not just Moon Knight but Man-Thing (aka Ted) on the cover. SOLD!

The final issue! Holy sh*t! End of an era indeed. I will miss Deadly Class so very much. This and Black Science - both by Rick Remender - defined a certain era of my life, and as sad as I was to see Black Science end a few years ago, it's Deadly Class that will be taking my heart with it. That said, I always prefer the books that leave too soon than those that overstay their welcome. Kudos to Mr. Remender for holding his ground on all these titles launched under his Giant Generator imprint. Can't wait to see what's next.

Moon Knight!

Issue one blew me away. 

So far so good on this Predator series. This issue, I believe we have a big throw-down coming. 

Final Issue? I'm not really sure. This story is, as I've said previously, completely insane. 

Yes! Finally, the fireman's story!

I really can't wait for this series to get in gear; feels like it's been MONTHS since issue #1. 

Love this cover. That face on Forge's vest - Krakoa? Either way, it's creepin' me the f*&k out.

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Playlist:

Fantômas - The Director's Cut

Diamond Galas - The Litanies of Satan

Sa Bruxa - Ritual

Ritual Veil - Wolf in the Night EP

Odonis Odonis - Spectrums

Various - Every Day (Is Halloween) Chicago Industrial Playlist

Here Lies Lucy - Heaven or HLL EP

Carpenter Brut - Blood Machines OST

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Card:

I've been wanting to pull the Raven Tarot back out, but as I've been in three-card-spread mode, and I can't imagine doing a spread with all Major Arcana cards, I had to find a way to augment the reading. Then I thought, hell -why not mix two decks. Voila! A lot of good ideas bring abound fresh ideas, fresh breath and better circumstances.

AHS NYC

 

Happy Monday, October 17th! Here's some Dance with the Dead to wake all our asses up! From the B-Sides: Vol. 1 collection, which is available on the group's Bandcamp HERE.

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31 Days of Halloween:

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Let the Right One in Episode 1/Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

10/13 - Monstrous/VHS (Amateur Night segment)

10/14 - Halloween Kills

10/15 - Halloween Ends/Ed Wood/Plan 9 From Outer Space

10/16 - Spider Baby/101 Scariest Horror Movie Moments/Night's End/Behemoth

Jennifer Reeder's Night's End hit Shudder a few months back as a Shudder original and kind of got pushed right past my radar by all the other titles that came in hot on its heels. Luckily, while browsing back through the "All Movies" heading, I stumbled on it. Fantastic film. a tight 81 minutes, this one really pulls you into the protagonist's inner world with visual cues, then kind of explodes all over the place in the final act. Loved it.

Also, we have the first episode of AHS NYC dropping this coming Wednesday, and I'm pretty excited. I don't think it's any coincidence that this season lands just after David Bruckner's Hellraiser and appears to focus on a lot of the same imagery and even, possibly, an extension of the scene that inspired Barker to write the original The Hellbound Heart. 

Will this be American Horror Story's version of Hellraiser? Probably not exactly, but it looks like it will scratch a similar itch.

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Playlist:

Boy Harsher - Burn It Down EP

Boy Harsher - Careful

Miranda Sex Garden - Fairytales of Slavery

Type O Negative - Dead Again

Public Memory - Veil of Counsel EP

G.I.S.M. - Detestation

Jammes Luckett - May OST

Goblin - 2013 Tour EP

Claudio Simonetti - Phenomena OST

Jim Williams - Possessor OST

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

Say no more. This is one of those "loud and clear" readings: I haven't gotten shit down with writing in weeks. The second week in LA, when I stayed with friends, fine. That's an excuse. Working, commuting, seeing almost a flick a night and a concert? But I've been back a week tonight (technically a week tomorrow morning) and I've only written once. That has to change. I need to focus my energies on that time, and apply my Will. 

Havana Lied

 

Currently eying a vinyl copy of this in Denmark. One of my favorite albums of all time, and absolutely perfect for the grey, rainy Autumn weather I'm currently immersed in.

 

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31 Days of Halloween:

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Let the Right One in Episode 1/Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

10/13 - Monstrous/VHS (Amateur Night segment)

10/14 - Halloween Kills

10/15 - Halloween Ends/Ed Wood/Plan 9 From Outer Space

BIG movie day yesterday. I've hyperlinked two of those entries because I wrote Letterbxd reviews for each. Also, the episode of The Horror Vision that will drop later today/early tomorrow will be our Spoiler-Free/Full-Spoiler Halloween Ends entry, so definitely check that out if you need a reason to see it (then stop it when we go spoilers), or, if you've already seen the film, Butcher and I do a fairly deep discussion on it. In a nutshell, we both really liked it.

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Playlist:

Dance With the Dead - B-Sides, Vol. 1

Goblin - Tour 2013 EP

Claudio Simonetti - Phenomena OST

Boy Harsher - Burn It Down

Shawn's Halloween Playlist on Spotify

Boy Harsher - Burn It Down

 

A new EP dropped from Boy Harsher, and for four tracks consisting of entirely reworking one song - the titular Burn It Down - I dig. The "Rework" version above is probably my favorite. These two have kind of blown up since I saw them open for The Soft Moon back in, Christ, 2016. A short film on Shudder, quite a few high-profile live shows and notoriety from a lot of their peers in both the music and film communities, but I hope this release heralds a new album on the horizon. 

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31 Days of Halloween:

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Let the Right One in Episode 1/Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

10/13 - Monstrous/VHS (Amateur Night segment)

10/14 - Halloween Kills

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Read:

I have to give a very enthusiastic recommendation for two Horror comics that came out recently. First, Scott Snyder and Francesco Francavilla's Night of the Ghoul:

My god was this first issue spectacular. Working on the premise that the screenwriter who wrote the original Universal Monsters (or this book's version of them) also wrote an autobiographical Horror film that was burned and lost due to its revelation of actual events, this book really goes deep into story and sets the stage for what will be - if Snyder's other works are to be considered - a fantastic Horror epic. Can't wait for issue two.

Secondly, Joshua Williamson and Andre Bressan's Dark Ride:

This book reunites the team who did the book Birthright, which despite not being into I mention here because I know a lot of folks who loved that book. Dark Ride presupposes a deal with dark forces decades ago has led to the creation of a mega-corporation Horror theme park - a place Horror fans travel from all over the world to visit, but which actually contains dark, terrible secrets which are all coming to a boil based on inner-family agendas. Another book that I really liked and can't wait to continue, and another with a huge first issue.

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Playlist:

Fantomas - The Director's Cut

Boy Harsher - Burn It Down EP

Boy Harsher - Careful

Cold Cave - Full Cold Moon

Bad Looks - Eponymous (Single)

Final Light - Eponymous

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Card:

Determination can disrupt harmony - I suppose in some manner of speaking that's its job - and this can lead to uneven thinking; the concern or worry that good things will not last, or after disruption, stabilization will become impossible to achieve again. I think I need a clarifier here, so:

Well, that's pretty clear, isn't it? Always nice when the cards cut right to the point.

Let the Right One In

 

How about a little Fields of the Nephilim to start this fine Autumn day, eh? I'm telling you, the leaves are crispy and colorful, the air is cool with hints of smoke and rain, and my brain is full-on October. Oh, how I have missed this!!!

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31 Days of Halloween:

First, I totally forgot that I watched the first episode of Showtime's new Let the Right One In series earlier in the week, so I've added that below. I was one of those weird moments where I was talking to someone about it the night before, my phone obviously overheard me say I was considering re-subscribing to Showtime to watch it, and the next day I had an email from Showtime offering $3.99 a month for the next three months. 

Sold.

 

I REALLY liked the first episode. Great setup for an ongoing series based on this. Reminds me that I never read the novel, and should do that at some point. The author, John Ajvide Lindqvist, also wrote Handling the Dead, which I read a few years back and really dug. 

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Let the Right One in Episode 1/Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

10/13 - Monstrous/VHS (Amateur Night segment)

While scrolling around Showtime, I noticed Chris Sivertson's Monstrous is on the platform; this is a flick I'd been meaning to see for some time, but which completely dropped off my radar shortly after I posted the trailer back in April. Ends up, Monstrous is a very well-made and gorgeous movie that I didn't quite take to, despite everything on screen looking and feeling great. This may have been due to some stomach issues I've been having forcing us to pause the film several times, creating gaps in the experience. Whatever the case, if you have Showtime, it's worth checking out.

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Read:

Almost every year I read two Graphic Novels in October, Rick Spears and Rob G's Teenagers from Mars and James O'Barr's original The Crow. This year, however, since I still haven't acquired bookshelves, A LOT of my books are still packed. I plan on rifling through everything to find these, but in the meantime, the hankering came over me the other night and I realized I would now add a third because it totally fits this time of year for me, and because it was right in front of me:

Originally reading Kraven's Last Hunt as it was published across all three Spidey titles at the time (Amazing, Spectacular and Web) in October of 1987 (I was eleven), I think this is the series that defined my love for Spider-Man. I'll always prefer the Black Costume. Not the symbiote, the black costume. I'll also always consider this a Horror story. It's damn terrifying, maybe not in the I'm afraid to fall asleep way (but what fiction is as an adult?), but in the "Jesus, that's really terrifying" way. You identify so many events in this story as dark A.F. and the ending... wow.  Anyway, I am thoroughly enjoying my re-read, for which I am using the Hard Cover I bought about a decade ago, leaving my original floppies safe in their bags and boards.

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Playlist:

Rein - Reincarnated

Rein - Freedom EP

Trust Obey - Fear and Bullets (1994  Edition)

Jammes Luckett - May OST

Jim Williams - Possessor OST

Trust Obey - Fear and Bullets (1998 Edition)

Burzum - Filosofem

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Card:

Middle-of-the-Night pull last night with my mini-Thoth:

A new idea will require extra fortitude to pull-off, but if followed through, can change things completely. I love when every spread I pull seems to hone in on a project I'm working on.

Smile

 

I completely forgot about the fact that a new album from The Mars Volta dropped back in... early August? Really? Holy smokes am I behind. Having only heard the one other single I posted sometime back in late June/early July, I have no context for the album, however, this particular song as a single? Not a criticism, but definitely a head-scratcher. I can only imagine the impetus for this may well have been the images for the video. Either way, I'll be making the full plunge into the entire album later today. 

You can order the new, self-titled album from the band directly HERE.

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Watch:

I headed out to the local Regal Cinema last night to cross another recently released Horror film off my list. To my complete and utter surprise, Smile is absolutely fantastic. 

No disrespect to first-time Feature director Parker Finn, who totally knocked this out of the park. My misgivings with the film had to do with the trailer - I just thought it looked like something this totally is not (which is why I'm only using a poster here)!  

Smile is creepy, atmospheric, and, at times, genuinely frightening. Sosie Bacon's frenetic terror at seeing something no one else can makes Elizabeth Moss's in the 2019 Invisible Man look almost calming. We basically watch anxiety and fear eat a woman alive for an hour and a half, and it's glorious for all its moments of, literally, sheer terror. HIGHLY recommended in a theatre, as the score and sound design are top-notch.

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31 Days of Halloween:

10/1 - Trick 'r Treat

10/2 - Barbarian

10/3 - Hellraiser ('84)

10/4 - Phenomena

10/5 - Hellraiser (2022)

10/6 - The Dark Backward

10/7 - Sick/The Beyond

10/8 - Werewolf By Night

10/9 - Something in the Dirt

10/10 - Lux Aeterna

10/11 - My Best Friend's Exorcism/Grimcutty

10/12 - Smile

I'm not being completely accurate with the days while I was in LA - there wasn't time every day to watch movies, so on other days when we top-loaded extra flicks, I've taken generous liberties and spread them around to fill in the gaps. From here out, however, it's day by day!

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Playlist:

Ritual Veil - Wolf in the Night EP

Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments

Final Light - Eponymous

Fields of the Nephilim - The Nephilim

Sylvaine - Nova

Miranda Sex Garden - Suspiria

Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses 

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

Staying grounded can lead to healthy returns, both emotionally and economically.

My First Autumn in Sixteen Years!!!

Now that I'm home and can partake properly, let's start things off in October with some Type O! This is the first time I'm experiencing Autumn since I moved from Chicago back in May of 2006, so I am EXCITED!!! Also, this is K's first Autumn ever, so it's even more of a thrill seeing the adorable wonderment that overtakes her as she watches the trees change, sits outside as a Thunderstorm rolls in, or sniffs the smell of the Dying Time that hangs in the wonderful Tennessee air.

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31 Days of Halloween:

1) Trick 'r Treat

2) Barbarian

3) Hellraiser ('84)

4) Phenomena

5) Sick

6) The Beyond

7) Hellraiser (2022)

8) Werewolf By Night

9) Something in the Dirt

10) Lux Aeterna

11) Grimcutty

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NCBD:

Pretty mellow pull this week, which is good, because I have books stacked up in my box at Rick's Comic City from the past two while I was away in LaLaLand. Here's what's on the menu for today:

I'm pretty behind on my reading, so I won't get to some of these for a while, especially if this catch-up pace at work persists (took my post-travel day off on Tuesday, as I worked until 4:30 PM Monday, then ubered to LAX and didn't land at BNA until around 1:20 AM. Collecting my bag and ubering home to Clarksville put my much-anticipated arrival at around 2:30 AM. So I was TIRED). 

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Playlist:

Sylvaine - Nova

Zeal and Ardor - Eponymous

The Flamingos - Best of Playlist

The Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes

Alice in Chains - Dirt

Type O Negative - Dead Again

Northern Boys - Party Time (single)

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right To Children

Stereolab - Pulse of the Early Brain (Switched On Vol. 5)

Cold Cave - Full Cold Moon

Rein - Reincarnated

Zombie - 2020

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Card:

I've been dying to get back to my Bound Tarot deck from Jonathan Grimm, especially since Grimm currently has a Kickstarter going for a full-on Art of the Bound Tarot Hardcover Book! You can check out and support the Kickstarter HERE. 

Today's spread:

So, delicate machinations will require a sacrifice to reveal hidden information? Also, and I almost never read the cards this way, but if you add 12+02+18 you get 32, or the day after 31 Days of Halloween, so perhaps I should set my sights on that as the day to release the free Kindle exclusive, which I originally hoped would land in October. 

Waste

 

Seeing Zeal and Ardor tonight with some friends at the Echoplex!!!

 

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NCBD:

Still going to be another week before I return to Tennessee and grab my books, but here's this week's pull:

New book written by Stephen Grahman Jones! 

I've actually really missed this book in its brief furlough. Can't wait to see what madness Cotes gets Bruce and his big, green spaceship into this time.

Another new book I know very little about.

Kinda hell waiting to buy my books, especially when I intend on stopping by The Comic Bug at some point, and Mike from Atomic Basement is doing a Pop-up shop in Long Beach.

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Playlist:

David Bowie - Earthling

Anthrax - Worship Music

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

Anthrax - Persistence of Time

Drum - Gold Class

The Ocean - Heliocentric

NIN - The Slip

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - No More Shall We Part

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Let Love In

Night Riders on the Deadstream

 

I've been leaning heavily into talking and posting about Rein, the first band I caught at Coldwaves 2022 Night One, opening for The Revolting Cocks Corpse, so I wanted to get in at least one about the other, penultimate band that night.

I know nothing about Stromkern going in, but man did they make an impression Excellent stage presence, and the drummer absolutely slams in a kind of Martin Atkins way, Andrew Saga switches back and forth between keys and guitars with ease, sometimes playing both to fantastic effect, all while vocalist/mastermind James "Ned" Kirby uses the entire stage as he blasts through his almost hip-hop-like approach to vocals. 

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Watch:

One of the flicks I'm bummed I won't be able to make at this year's Beyondfest is Joseph and Vanessa Winter's Deadstream.

 I've been hearing a lot about this in the Horror Community, and after seeing the trailer on the big screen last week, prior to both Trick 'r Treat and Dark Glasses, the film looks like it would be a ton of fun in a crowded, like-minded theatre. Alas, I can only manage so many shows while I'm in, and this one fell outside the logistics for my second week in LaLaLand. That said, Deadstream hits Shudder on the 6th, so that means I might be able to sneak in a home viewing while staying with my friends, who are both huge Horror fans.

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Playlist:

Pixies - Doggeral

Rein - Reincarnated

The Afghan Whigs - In Spades

The Flamingos - Best of Playlist

Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets

David Bowie - Diamond Dogs (single)

Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba

Revco - Linger Fickin' Good

Forhist - Eponymous

Anthrax - Worship Music

Antrax - Persistance of Time

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Card:

I usually read this as a sacrifice, however, this morning I'm inclined to read it as a suggestion to change my perspective to gain new insight. 

Trick 'R Treat Reincarnated

Another track from Rein, because I've been listening to the record a lot and really dig this song. Rein's official site is HERE and the Bandcamp is HERE.

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Watch:

Dario Argento's Dark Glasses last night at the Aero in Santa Monica was great, and we had the distinct pleasure of James Branscome introducing the flick for Beyondfest 2022. Nice to put a face to the voice of one of my favorite podcasts, James co-hosts Cinematic Void along with Nick Vance, and if you're a Horror or Exploitation buff, you need this one in your life.

As for the film, Dark Glasses is by no means a top-tier flick from the iconic Italian Director, but it's a return to his Giallo obsession and as much, a lot of fun. Don't necessarily expect things to make a lot of sense, but if you're an Argento fan, you probably already know that. The water snakes scene was laugh-out-loud riotous, and probably my favorite moment.

Tonight's movie is 2007's Trick 'R Treat, with Director Michael Dougherty in attendance for a Q&A.

If you haven't seen Trick 'R Treat, you have done yourself quite the disservice.

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Playlist:

Front 242 - Geography 

Dio - The Last in Line 

Tiamat - Clouds

Slipknot - The End, So Far

The Misfits - Static Age

Brian Eno - Here Come the Warm Jets

Zeal and Ardor - Stranger Fruit

Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

Rein - Reincarnated
 

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Card:

A reminder to reach beyond the attainable and try for something more.

Rein - Puppetmaster

Rein was the first act we caught at Cold Waves 2022 last weekend. Amazing set - to get up on stage and perform without the solidarity of a band, or even a single other musician, always impresses me. Doubly so for Rein, who really just exudes naturally compelling confidence in the world her music and video accompaniment creates, kind of a Cyberpunk Punk Dark Wave. This is one of my current favorite tracks on 2020's Reincarnated record. The percussive synths that slip in at about the one-minute mark, and then continue to percolate throughout the song really get my imagination flowing, much like the closing synth "fireworks" on NIN's Terrible Lie, one of the first tracks that made me experience what I now realize is synesthesia. 

Rein's official site is HERE and the Bandcamp is HERE.

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Watch:

Netflix dropped a new trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, the anthology series coming on October 25th. I'm not sure if I'm going to watch this trailer or not, but as always, I post this here to spread the word and so I have it in posterity:

 

I cannot wait to watch the Panos Cosmatos episode. 

 

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Read:

One of the first posts I saw on social media this morning belonged to Nathan Ballingrud, author of The Visible Filth, aka Wounds. The post announced the UK version of the book, to be published by Titan Books in March 2023, with this gorgeous cover by Vince Haig. 

I had NO idea this was coming, so imagine the joy I felt seeing this first thing on my first day off while working in LaLaLand.  The US edition -  coming three days before my birthday next year - is no slouch either:

On this side of the pond, The Strange comes to us courtesy of Saga Press. This is Mr. Ballingrud's first novel. That seems insane to me, but I would imagine that is because he is so adept at building worlds in short-story form, that everything I've read by him resonates with the same sacred gravity that novels do. 

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Playlist:

Joe Begos' Bliss Playlist

Revco - Beers, Steers and Queers

The Afghan Whigs - How Do You Burn?

Preoccupations - Arrangements

Misfits - Static Age

The Cramps - Stay Sick!

Rein - Reincarnated

Alice in Chains - Dirt

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Card:

Strength and courage fortify for an upcoming breakthrough that may change things.

You Goddamned Son of a Bitch!!!

 

Flew into Chicago Midway this past Friday. Always amazing to be in Chicago, more 

so now that I live so close. I flew back out three days later on Monday, back to LaLaLand to work for two weeks. Of course, my boss is awesome, and when he asked me to cycle back in for a week to help out in-house, I asked if I could A) time my stint to coincide with Beyondfest, and B) if I could stay the entire two weeks of the fest. Once a patron of the festival himself (and the person who originally introduced me to it way back in 2012), he replied of course.

It's cool being back in LaLaLand, even if everything about the texture of the city reminds me why I left. There is garbage literally everywhere. Living here, you start to become desensitized to stuff like that; it's a mental and emotional survival skill to ignore crises like that. But once you're away for even a little while, you see it for what it is: an indicator that the population has given up because the civic leaders either don't care or have given up, and infrastructure suffers. This entire city just seems sad to me now. Filthy and dying. Of course, there are still bright bastions of joy housed here, a focal point for so much creative energy for so long now, but the top-heavy corruption that (probably) began with the old studio systems has finally evolved into something of an apex, and it doesn't look good.

Glad I got out but kept a tie. Nice place to visit, wouldn't want to live here (anymore).

But Chicago! Oh, the majesty! I had not driven on Lake Shore Drive for easily two decades, and I did so Saturday night, up to the Chicago Metro for Cold Waves X Day 1. We arrived late and missed the first few bands, but Rein was fantastic, Stromkern also fantastic, and Revco... well, talk about a dream come true, to finally see one of my favorite and most influential bands since Mr. Brown turned me on to them in High School. The night was perfect. The setlist:

Cattle Grind

Physical

Stainless Steel Providers

38 (with Richard 23)

Crackin' Up

Attack Ships on Fire

Something Wonderful

No Devotion

Beers, Steers and Queers

Do You Think I'm Sexy (with Duane Buford and Richard 23)

I might have mixed up the order a bit, but those are the songs.

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Watch:

My first Beyondfest screening is tomorrow night at the Aero in Santa Monica. Dario Argento's Dark Glasses:

I'm pretty psyched. After that, Saturday a bunch of us scored free tickets to Trick R' Treat on the big screen at the Hollywood Legion Theatre. Director Michael Dougherty will be in attendance for a Q&A. Pretty psyched. 

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NCBD:

Despite the fact that I will be visiting The Comic Bug on this trip, that's not until next week, and I won't be picking up any of the titles I have on my regular pull list back at Rick's Comic City in Clarksville. So this is what will be sitting in my box from this week when I get back to TN:

And Declan Shalvey's new book, Old Dog:

Mr. Shalvey is writing and drawing this, so I am very excited. I've been a fan of his since his work with Warren Ellis, particularly their six-issue run on Moon Knight (the definitive modern run, in my opinion) and Injection, one of if not my absolute favorite ongoing independent comic series in recent memory. Couple that with the writing chops he displayed with 2019's graphic novel Bog Bodies, and Old Dog feels poised to be an immediate obsession.

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Playlist:

Revco - Beers, Steers and Queers

Revco - Bix Sexy Land

Revco  - Linger Fickin' Good

Revco - You Goddamned Son of a Bitch

Thee Sacred Souls - Eponymous

Stereolab - Pulse of of the Early Brain (Switched On Vol. 5)

The Flamingos - Best of Playlist

Rein - Reincarnated

Idles - Joy as an Act of Resistance

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children

Boards of Canada - Geogaddi

Frankie and the Witch Fingers - Brain Telephone

Stromkern - Armageddon

Zeal and Ardor - Stranger Fruit

Joe Begos' Bliss Playlist

Misfits - Static Age

Dio - Last in Line

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Card:

I haven't had the time to write or post an entry here (been working on this one since Monday), but I have been doing daily pulls:

Tuesday, 9/27/22:

Wednesday, 9/28/22:

Thursday, 9/29/22:

No time to try and read these all now, let alone write anything down, but I always try to record these here for posterity's sake.

Junk F*ck

 

Thirty years ago today. I'm floored. I really wanted to pick up the new vinyl release to commemorate the anniversary, however, I cannot stand that the original track order was, at some point long ago now, changed. "Down in a Hole" originally occupied the second-to-last track on the album, preceding the equally powerful "Would?" I still have my original Compact Disc from 1993 - the one that came in the long cardboard box, as CDs used to. I think I even still have the front of that box somewhere. It hung on my closet door for many, many years.

Later versions of Dirt shifted "Down in a Hole" to track number four, placing it between "Rain When I Die" and "Sickman." I suppose if I could ever find evidence that the rearranging came at the band's behest, I might be okay with it, but there's nothing online about it, so I just continue to revere the version I know. (even if the band did do the rearranging, it would probably ultimately prove to be a case similar to the Donnie Darko director's cut; yes, I know Richard Kelley wrote that opening scene to INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart" - after reading him talk about it, you can pretty much spot right away how the flow of the images fits that song better. However, for me, it's "Killing Moon" that will always belong there and resonate best.

Back to Dirt's anniversary for a moment, Mr. Brown MADE MY DAY yesterday when he sent me a text that on the official AIC site, this has come back into print:

I'll never forget the first time I saw this. High School, Mr. Brown wore it to school. I LOVED this shirt from the moment I saw, it and, a few years later, he gave me his shirt. I have always loved the long-sleeve black band shirt make and model, and this... this was my favorite. I wore that fucker up until about ten years ago when it had become so degraded, I had to relegate it to "sleep only." When I moved from my two-story, two-bedroom townhome I rented in San Pedro to an 1100-square-foot apartment in Redondo Beach, I purged A LOT of stuff. This shirt was practically in pieces, large holes throughout the body, so sadly, I cast it into the aether. 

And now, once again thanks to Mr. Brown, I'll have a brand-spanking new one. Not gonna lie - pretty freakin' excited!

Charles Bradley's Legacy

 

We lost a treasure when Charles Bradley died, five years ago today. I cracked out Changes a few weeks ago - it'd been a minute, and I'd forgotten just how awesome this man's music is.

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Watch:

I've not seen any of the films M. Knight Shamalan has released since his career's first iteration. I stopped before The Happening, and never really looked back. I've always thought M. Knight became a product of his own signature, so to speak. I don't think this was entirely his fault - the Sixth Sense created an expectation that all of his films would have that famous M. Knight twist, and of those original films, only Signs reigns worthy of revisiting in my head (granted, I've not revisited any of the others, but maybe one day). However, I am a HUGE fan of Servant, the show he brought to Apple TV, and thus, I'm willing to give him a chance. Also, and what I didn't know when I first wrote this, Knock at the Cabin is an adaptation of Paul Tremblay's The Cabin at the End of the World.

Sold.

Extra sold when I see Rupert Grint is involved.

I'd seen some of the Harry Potter flicks previously, due to my ex being a big fan. I liked the third one, largely due to Gary Oldman. The rest I have next to no memory of, so my love of Grint stems from his portrayal of Julian on Servant. 

The film looks extremely tense and, though I stopped the trailer about two minutes in, sets up a pretty big "What the hell is happening here?" I haven't read the novel but have been meaning to since finishing Head Full of Ghosts back around the time its follow-up came out. 

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Playlist:

Melvins & Lustmord - Pigs of the Roman Empire

Deftones - Koi No Yokan

Sepultura - Beneath the Remains

Charles Bradley - Changes

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Give the People What They Want

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

Ambition should not outweigh responsibility. 

World Coming Down

 

Yesterday marked the 22nd anniversary of Type O Negative's World Coming Down. I can still remember driving to Threshold Music in Tinley Park to pick it up that first day, smoking up before driving home with it blasting in my minivan. It still haunts me today, as it did then, that my friend Jake did not live to hear the follow-up to October Rust.

The title track will always be my favorite among WCD's 13 tracks (if you count Skip it, and we are); this one is an emotional jackhammer.

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Watch:

Current obsession:

This show just gets Chicago perfectly. 

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Read:

Currently splitting my time between two short story collections that couldn't be more different:

First, Irvine Welsh's The Acid House. I started this with my third-ever reading of "A Smart Cunt", the novella that rounds out this collection. This was the first story by Welsh I ever read, back in the 90s. It made an enormous impression on me then, and still does now. From there I cherry picked a few other stories: "Snuff," "Snowman Building Parts for Rico the Squirrel,""Sport For All," "The Granton Star Cause," and the Eponymous story, "The Acid House." I am very much enjoying this return to Welsh's writing, and can't wait to dip back into this for more.

Then this morning, inspired by the encroaching Halloween season, I went looking for my Ramsey Campbell Alone With the Horrors trade paperback I have, but couldn't find it. I haven't bought bookshelves for the new house yet, so a lot of my books are still in boxes. I gave a perfunctory search, but when I stumbled across Nathan Ballingrud's Wounds:

As I've related here previously, although I have the original, softcover novella The Visible Filth - the novella Babak Anvari's film Wounds is based on,  I picked this new volume up as soon as it hit the shelves in tandem with the release of the film. I've read The Visible Filth at least three times, but the other stories packaged with it in this particular volume have all only received one go-through. Until now, that is. So yesterday I started my day with The Atlas of Hell, a story that feels so much like Clive Barker to me, yet still stands tall on its own thanks to the clean and precise ton of Mr. Ballingrud's prose. I plan on picking through this one a story at a time over the coming month, and maybe going back and re-reading the stories in Ballingrud's first collection, North American Lake Monsters as well, if I can get around to finally watching the rest of the series based on that book HULU did a few years ago. Previously, I'd only watched two episodes of Monsterland (produced by Anvari), not because they weren't great, but maybe because the two I saw were ultra disturbing. In a good way, but also in a real way. Which is the goal, however, sometimes you have to work up to that sort of thing. 

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Playlist:

Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number 9

The Cramps - Stay Sick

The Dead Milkmen - Beelzebubba

Misfits - Static Age

Type O Negative - World Coming Down

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Bound Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

The center and left card go along with  the rejection notice I received this morning for a short story I submitted to a Horror Anthology last week. I'm having trouble figuring out the Queen though... or maybe I'm not.