Rock Plaza Central - Anthem for the Already Defeated

If you've seen Jeremy Gardner's film The Battery - which I've watched twice in the last four days - you know this song.

Check out Rock Plaza Central's Bandcamp HERE. Watch The Battery wherever you fucking can. Instantly in my top six zombie flicks of all time.

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NCBD:

Way behind on posting these - I started writing this Wednesday, but finishing it became arduous at best with the Holiday and our travels. 

This week's Pull list is from Rick's Comic City, which I won't actually be picking up until next week due to choosing writing over a trip to the shop last night and heading out to Dayton on Friday.

Four in and so far, I'm super happy I didn't jump ship on the new series. Jason Aaron found an elegant solution to hitting 'reset' for new readers without jettisoning the 12 years of continuity and world-building that prefaces this new era. Really digging how all four brothers are scattered to the wind - reminds me a bit of the old Claremont, "Dissolution and Rebirth" era of Uncanny X-Men.

 

The final issue. I can't wait to sit down and re-read this start to finish. Fucking love Michael Walsh.

Hot Rod! What more do you need to get pumped for this 14th issue of Robert Kirkman's Void Rivals?

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Watch:

Really hoping this pops up in my local theatre next week. I've only watched the first minute or so of the trailer, and although I love a good werewolf movie, they seem to be few and far between. This, though, the idea of a werewolf plague brought on by a super moon... that sounds fucking awesome!

Plus, Frank Grillo doesn't get nearly enough screen time, so I am in on Werewolves.

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Playlist:

Sumerland - Dreamkiller

Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God Chapter 1

Deafheaven - Sunbather

Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium

Antibalas - Where The Gods Are In Peace

Spoon - They Want My Soul

Drab Majesty - Careless

The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen

Boris & Merzbow - 2R0I2P0

Opeth - Deliverance

Sunn O))) - Life Metal

Deafheaven - Ten Years Gone

Genghis Tron - Dream Weapon

Black Pyramid - The Paths of Time are Vast

Zeal & Ardor - Eponymous

Crystal Castles - II

Ministry - Animositisomina

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Ace of Pentacles

• IV: The Lovers

• Four of Cups

This pull reflects Stability and union, and I've got to say, it's timely. Starting a week or so ago, I've had the best sleep I've had in years. No kidding; I'm waking up in the morning feeling like I used to wake up when I was younger - all groggy and sleep-infused like I'm actually getting deep, regenerative sleep. That hasn't happened in a long time. I've become a light sleeper, and even on days when my Fitbit tells me my sleep qualifies as "Good," I usually still don't feel like this. Lately, however, things feel more even. I don't know how in the hell that's possible with the world where it is - this country specifically - but I'm not going to argue. 

First Knight of Noirvember

 

Continuing the Noir theme for November, I can't think of a more Noir track than Barry Adamson's The Big Bamboozle, from 1993's Oedipus Schmoedipus.

 

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Watch:

I continued Noirvember this past weekend with a handful of first-time watches. First up, Fritz Lang's 1953 The Big Heat.

This one knocked my socks off. Glen Ford is absolutely fantastic in the role of Sgt. Dave Bannion and a young Lee Marvin chew up the scenery and spit it out on your shoes, man! Everyone here is a hard case, and it works because they all really inhabit that space and energy. Some of the violence shocked me a bit for '53, and overall, there's just such a nihilistic tone that the black-and-white cinematography feels etched into the screen as it moves. I'll definitely be adding this to the collection at some point, although, having watched this on the Criterion Channel, I would have assumed they put out a BR. That does not seem to be the case.

Next up, one I've heard about forever. Edgar G. Ulmer's Detour, from 1945.

Once nearly lost, Detour is considered an important film by the historical archives. Tom Neal plays Al Roberts, a frustrated nightclub piano man whose girlfriend leaves him in NYC for dreams of stardom in Hollywood. Eventually, Al decides to follow by hitchhiking across the states. He makes it as far as Arizona, then ends up embroiled in a pretty dicey situation he can't help but make worse with every decision he makes. Constantly giving him more slack for the noose is Ann Savage as the enigmatic Vera. Damn folks, this dame is merciless!

The chemistry here is fantastic, and at one hour and six minutes,  Detour is a short film and thus made a great second film in a Friday night double feature. 

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Read:

Now that I have acquired all three issues of DC's Black Label The Bat-Man: First Knight, I finally read the entire storyline in a single sitting over the weekend. Perfect for Norvember!

Writer Dan Jurgens really thought out and researched what a Batman story set in 1939 would look like. The overall story centers around a mysterious ring leader known only as The Voice. From the shadowy comfort of closed quarters, The Voice is conducting a series of hits on city officials - Councilmen, the Mayor, even the Police Commissioner. The perpetrators seem more than human, and people are scared. 

In the background, helping to ramp up the tension is the world of 1939. The world is still reeling from the first "Great War." Uncertainty is everywhere, and to make matters worse, the cunt with the funny mustache is threatening the Jewish people of Europe. America sits on her hands, wishing against the inevitable. Hate spreads quickly, though, and travels on the wind. Hate crimes are on the rise in Gotham, and people are scared and frustrated. Sounds like a proper powder keg, eh? 

Jurgens does some really interesting things with The Bat-Man's supporting cast - Bruce is new to this and none of the confidants we're used to are anywhere to be found. Well, except Gordon. Tried and true, that man.

As you can see, I ended up with a cross-section of the different covers available, but that's fine by me. Each gives a different aspect of the tone series artist Mike Perkins has created here - with no small contribution from colorist Mike Spicer. This book really conveys the era - from the shop signs that line the streets of Gothamn, to the filth that clings to the buildings, shanty towns and alleys, First Knight really puts you there. 

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Playlist:

Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire

Godflesh - Us and Them

Godflesh - Songs of Love and Hate

Raffertie - The Substance OST

Genghis Tron - Dream Weapon

Genghis Tron - Board Up the House

Sumerlands - Dreamkiller

Justin Hamline - The House with Dead Leaves

Godflesh - Post Self

Marilyn Manson - One Assassination Under God Chapter 1

Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar

Fvnerals - Let the Earth Be Silent

The Soft Moon - Criminal

Crystal Castles - II

Drug Church - Prude

Fugazi - Steady Diet of Nothing

Fela Kuti - Sorrow Tears and Blood

Mrs. Piss - Self-Surgery

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja

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Card:

Today's card is the Five of Cups, or as Crowley dubbed it, "Disappointment."

An important note from my notes on this card: "Examine your expectations." I believe this is the root of the card for me. I can and will go into a little bit of whatever A.C. has in The Book of Thoth, but the older I get, a lot of the "in-depth" elements of association with Tarot feels... cunty. Or to quote Mr. David Byrne, "When I've got nothing (else) to say, my lips are sealed." I increasingly get the feeling that Crowley would have talked for days about any card in the deck if allowed, which means a lot of what he'd have to say would be, ahem, bullshit double talk. But then, the man sold his own semen as a "Health Elixir," so of course that's what he'd do.

The root of this card isn't the disappointment; it's understanding disappointment as at least partially the disappointed one. Five's are Geburah, severity. These are demanding cards (which makes me wonder if the card is the one that's disappointed; is drawing it a scolding?).

Surprisingly, Crowley must, at least in part, agree that this is a simple card. Severity indicates simplicity, in a manner, so that tracks. 

Like in Trump 12, The Hanged Man, we once again see the inverted Pentagram, the triumph of Matter over Spirit. That's a disappointment. 

Street Trash, Baby!

 

You can grab this and a bunch of other Ten Athlone goodness directly from their site HERE. From the Street Trash E.P. by Ten Athlone.

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Watch:

Ryan Kruger's Street Trash is, indeed, fantastic. In fact, it's jumped the top ten line and landed somewhere in the center. It's goopy, gory, bombastic and a lot of fun. Also, the characters are fantastic!

I really can't say enough good things about this one. It's true to the 80s Exploitation roots, not over-done production-wise, walking a line between bare bones and full-bore, which is great. It leads to fantastic practical FX right in line with the original and a very DIY underbelly that endears the film and its characters to you even more. 

Ryan Kruger's Street Trash is a $4.99 rental on Prime at the moment. If you're a fan of Pschyo Goreman and/or Hobo with a Shotgun, definitely give it a try. If you don't know either of those films but you want to get your weird on, this will do nicely.

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Read:

My reading has been sporadic at best of late, but I've failed to post about it here. After blowing through Laird Barron's new collection, Not A Speck of Light (from Badhand Books HERE), I side-stepped directly back into his previous collection, 2016's Swift to Chase.

Barron's work brings out the obsessive in me, and I'm reading these stories with the Laird Barron Mapping Project never more than a click or swipe away. There are all kinds of weird connections I've felt the edges of previously but not fully grasped. Also, somehow I never really understood the concept that some of the stories take place in what is called Barron's Antiquity Universe, so I'm gearing up to read all of those in a row soon. But first...

As I finish the last few pages of Swift's final story Tomahawk Park Survivors Raffle, I'm also about halfway through Ivy Tholen's new Slasher novel Mother Dear:

Once again taking place in the town of Belldam, Texas, Mother Dear is rife with the kind of under-the-radar social commentary I've come to expect from Ivy's books. The characters - while unlikeable - are so perfectly engineered that they feel like archetypes and actual people I know all at the same time. The opening death is magnificent, and the insidious manner these spoiled, rich folks burrow into my brain via their "first world, 1% problems" reminds me a bit of Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho in approach, if not actual execution. 

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Playlist:

John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir

Ghostland Observatory - Sad Sad City (single)

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Blood Lust

Sumerlands - Dreamkiller

Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She

Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire

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Card:

Today's card is XII: The Hanged Man.

My big take away with this card has always been Four points over one, or reason triumphs over spirituality. Dark ages begin or dreams tripped up by rational thought. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, and I think this card is especially dependent on those around it in a pull. 

In his The Book of Thoth, Crowley writes extensively about this card. A lot of it is the usual impenetrable associations to Elemental forces, initiation, and Astrological forces. One idea that stands out is sacrifice, but not just standard sacrifice. Sacrifice as a form of Baptism or Death. This is, after all, the card of the "Dying God."

Ghostland Observatory

 

It'd been a while since I'd seen a clip of Ghostland Observatory playing in the drums/guitar combination; thought I'd share, seeing as their music has slipped back into my rotation.

 

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NCBD:

Let's talk about yesterday's pull. Started out, I thought this would be a light week. As often occurs, though, I came home with more than I bargained for:

GIJOE: ARAH has the oddest publication schedule! Every so many months, it takes an extra month off between issues. Not really a complaint so much as an observation; I still haven't actually put this on my pull list, so my interest buoys at best. Still, with Larry Hama at the helm, despite the 200 issues I missed, I'm enjoying reconnecting with this one, especially in the midst of this "Battle for Springfield" total clusterfuck storyline. Allegiances shift, enemies become allies, and this issue set us up for a Destro vs. Serpentor Khan mano y mano next issue - bring it on!

 

First issue picking Oni Press's EC Comics Epitaphs From the Abyss up monthly. Loved the series so far, figured I'd stay on for a while. Another I haven't actually added to my Pull, so I might have to do that tonight.

Loved the first issue of this. Notice how Batman on the cover looks an awful lot like Keaton's Batman from 1989. Interesting. I've talked about this one a bit on Drinking with Comics and The Horror Vision - maybe my cohost is just rubbing off on me, but it's so nice to have short, left-of-center Batman stories to read here and there. Also, I'm sure at some point Bruce has squared off with some kind of Lycanthrope before, but this is the first time I've seen it and so far, kinda fantastic. 

Speaking of the Dark Knight...

I finally got my hands on a copy of Dan Jurgens, Mike Perkins and Mike Spicer's The Bat-Man in First Knight issue #2. I had grabbed the first off the shelf back in March and dug it, however, this one slid right off my radar after that and it wasn't until last month when I visited my Chicago shop that I located issue three. But what the hell can you do with the first and last of a three-issue series? So it was with great excitement I saw issue 2 on the shelf at Rick's yesterday. Can't wait to read this entire series. Batman in the 30s, no tech, pure detective. Very cool. 

Next, and I had no idea this was a thing until I saw it on the stands...

Rebekah and David Ian McKendry have a comic from Dark Horse? I grabbed this after seeing their names and I can tell you, this might be my favorite first issue of the year. Really cool story that has all the markings of a great cult film but in comic form. Here's the solicitation blurb from League of Comic Geeks:

"At the center of the Mojave Desert, at the crossroads between hell and gone, lies Barstow. Agent Miranda Diaz is in this godforsaken land on the trail of a missing agent. He's a man she's never met, and yet her name was the only clue he left behind. Something dark... something demonic... lurks beneath this oddball town, but can Miranda unravel the mystery before all hell breaks loose?"

As good as that sounds, I don't think it quite does the book justice. This reminds me a bit of David Lapham's Lodger and a bit of Alex Cox's Repo Man construction-wise. Really interesting, and I'm dying to see where it goes. 

Finally, I'd forgotten about Mark Spear's Monsters entirely until I saw issue two on the shelf last night:

I haven't had a chance to read this one yet, and honestly, the first issue came out back in September, so I should probably one-two them, however, the art continues to baffle and astound me. 

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Watch:

Not sure how I neglected to post this one here yet, but I am really looking forward to Ryan Kruger's Street Trash!

This is up as a rental on Prime for $4.99, and I'm aiming to sit down with it before the week's out. One of my most eagerly anticipated films this year.

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Playlist:

Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning

Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

Drug Church - Prude

Frank Black - Teenager of the Year

Kings of Leon - Because of the Times

Sepultura - Lookaway (single)

60 Songs That Explain the 90s - "What's Up" 4 Non Blondes

4 Non Blondes - Bigger, Better, Faster, More!

Zombi - Shape Shift

Deafheaven - 10 Years Gone

Opeth - My Arms Your Hearse

Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She

John Carpenter - Lost Themes IV: Noir

Arcade Fire - Everything Now

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight

Amigo the Devil - Yours Until the War is Over

Francois-Eudes Chanfrault - Computer Assisted Sunset

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Card:

From Jonathan Grimm's Hand of Doom Tarot, which you can buy HERE.

• Six of Cups

• Two of Pentacles

• Page of Cups

Seek guidance in something bigger than yourself. I nod to slip outside of the id and ego and look for a deeper connection.

The Salt Will Come Out in the Wash

 

From sElf's 1999 masterpiece Breakfast with Girls, which has been in regular rotation at our house of late. Driving back from Chicago today. Saw Deafheaven and Interpol last night. My first time at Salt Shed. Pretty nice venue (I wasn't in love with Deafheaven's sound). Tired A.F. Probably start the drive with this one.

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Playlist:

sElf - Breakfast with Girls

Beck - Odelay

Cypress Hill - III: Temples of Boom

Bandsplain - NIN

Huey Lewis and the News - Sports

Steely Dan - Katy Lied

Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves

Boston - Eponymous

Arcade Fire - Everything Now

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New Music from The Jesus Lizard!

 

New music from The Jesus Lizard! This non-album single follows in the wake of this year's Rack, the band's first album in 26 years. Hoping for an E.P.

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Watch:

I continued Noirvember last night with my first-time viewing of Jules Dassin's 1948 The Naked City.

I have to say, this eventually won me over, but I didn't love it. I think the expectation set by notoriety and my previous obsession with the John Zorn album may have led me to believe this would be something more than it is. Darker. Also, it doesn't help that this is essentially the template for all of the Bug Bunny cartoon Noir trope lampoons, from Muldoon down to the narrator. Still, as the story evolves, it grows more endearing. Released four years after Double Indemnity, though, I was expecting sharper teeth.

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Playlist:

Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - The Night Creeper

Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats - Nell' ora blu

The Jesus Lizard - Rack

Antibalas - Where the Gods Are in Peace

Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She

Moon Wizard - Sirens

PJ Harvey - Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea

Melvins - Tarantula Heart

Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights

Somnium Nox - Apocrypha EP

The Atlas Moth - Coma Noir

Oh Baby - The Art of Sleeping Alone

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Godflesh's Streetcleaner turned 35!

 

This past Wednesday, Godflesh's seminal album Streetcleaner turned 35! That's three-and-a-half decades since this blistering slab was released upon an unsuspecting world. 

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Watch:

Last night, I showed K Fabrice Du Welz's 2008 film Vinyan. Homework for an upcoming episode of The Horror Vision Presents: Elements of Horror.

This is a favorite from the 00s, a film I own on DVD but haven't watched in quite some time. I think I originally saw this via Netflix back in the USPS days, immediately purchased a copy, rewatched, then did not watch again until a viewing in 2021 that I have no memory of (but posted about HERE. THIS is why I maintain this site!). Regardless, the film has stayed with me quite clearly ever since; it's a haunting journey into loss and madness, and Rupert Sewell and Emmanuelle Béart give powerful performances that really drive home the horror of their situation - which keeps getting worse. Basic synopsis from IMDB

"A couple are looking for their child who was lost in the tsunami - their search takes them to the dangerous Thai-Burmese waters, and then into the jungle, where they face unknown but horrifying dangers."

Even without children, the setup strikes me as particularly horrific, but when you add in the 'we're in over our heads and probably in terrible danger" of the approach the characters take, contracting local gangsters to take them into Burma, the tension continually increases. 

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Playlist:

The Cure - Songs Of a Lost World

Neon Nightmare - Faded Dream

Godflesh - For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

Feel the Knife - So Raw... So Nasty... So Hideous

Dreamkid - All Thriller, No Filler

Dreamkid - Daggers

Frankie & The Witch Fingers - Data Doom

Godflesh - Streetcleaner

Melvins - (A) Senile Animal

The High Confessions - Turning Lead Into Gold with the High Confessions

USSA - The Spoils

Self - Breakfast with Girls

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats - Vol. 1

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Card:

Today's card is the Ten of Wands, affectionately dubbed "Oppression" by Mr. Crowley.

First, I finally made a list to keep track of what cards I'm using for the study. As I suspected, looking back at the entries since I began this at the beginning of August, I've retread several cards multiple times. My next post will examine what that might be trying to instill in me, for today, we'll just continue on the current course.

The Ten of Wands is an easy card in my head - Tens are the association of Malkuth, the Earthly plane. So we are oppressed by the physical realm, whether that means the limitations of our bodies, our money or lack thereof, whatever. 

Let's take it a bit deeper, though. 

In The Book of Thoth, Crowley goes on about all kinds of things I don't give a toss about feeding into my interpretation. One thing that hits home, though, is this:

"It is a Will which has not understood anything beyond its dull purpose, its "lust of result," and will devour itself in the conflagrations it has evoked."

Maybe we didn't need that entire quote because the idea I want to hone in on is the "lust of result." Anyone who has studied Chaos Magick knows this as the enemy. Whatever you want to achieve, your lust of result will get in the way. This to me, fits in perfectly with the idea I set out above, the kind of 'shackled by Malkuth," because what is that lust of result if not Malkuth exerting itself upon us?