2018: November 17th

The video for Ghost's Dance Macabre dropped almost a month ago and, for the first time, I didn't immediately post it here. Truth is, I didn't even watch Dance Macabre until this morning. Why?

Prequelle was released on June first, and at the time I spent maybe two weeks rotating it through my playlist before I abandoned it. So this is also the first time a Ghost record dropped and didn't take up months of my sonic real estate. I like Prequelle, I think it's a great pop rock album, but for my own personal tastes, it's a bit of a step in a direction I'm less interested in actually listening to than observing.

What the hell does that mean?

Ever since I heard Ghost's cover of Imperiet's Bible, the closing track on 2016's EP Popestar, my theory has been Ghost is moving toward becoming mass appeal entertainment, rather than simply being 'a rock band'. My money is on the band - or rather Papa/Cardinal's - next phase being a high-level musical. And I've felt since the first go-through on Prequelle that as an album, it is a step in that exact direction. And that's awesome. To reach that level and still be singing about Satan makes me very happy. That said, musically there are a lot of other groups that do for me what Ghost used to. Prequelle doesn't have a Year Zero or Circe, i.e. a track that hits me hard, and instead eschews that for an infinitely more pop/polished sound. Which is also fine, for the most part. But Dance Macabre? For my money, the worst lyrics I've heard in a while. Definitely the worst on a Ghost album.

Ghost's first record, Opus Eponymous, is, lyrically speaking, full of metal tropes, so that record is also not my favorite. But Infestissumam and Meliora have extremely strong lyrics, and those are the records that made me a rabid fan of the band. So to go from Year Zero's, "Crestfallen kings and queens cavorting in their faith," to, Dance Macabre's "I just want to bewitch you in the moon light/Want to bewitch you all night," hurts my heart a little. That one element of that one song seriously affected my entire relationship with Prequelle, and sadly I haven't listened to the record since the month it came out.

Then...

Last night, thanks to my friend and fellow Horror Vision co-host Anthony, I had the pleasure of seeing Ghost live again. As I suspected, seeing a lot of this new material, even Dance Macabre, endeared it to me a little more. This morning then, I finally surrendered to a new-found curiosity and fired up the video. And what do you know? I found the video to be an awesome visual accompaniment - nay enhancement - for the song, and beyond that, a fantastic entry to the band's mythos. Because that's what Ghost is building - and by that I mean the man behind it, who I still would rather remain nameless even if his identity has been revealed at this point - a mythos. And that's what I think the imminent musical will be about: their Heaven and Hell, Black Magick mythos.

Enough Ghost, let's talk comics.

Still feeling poorly. This isn't flu, but it does seem to have the tenacity of a flu bug. Attending an arena concert last night probably wasn't a great idea, but those tickets were purchased months ago and the sickness came on fast, so I didn't want to leave my friend high and dry. Also, it was good to get out of the house for a few hours. Today will consist of more convalescing, so that means I'll be finishing Robert Payne Cabeen's Cold Cuts (so good), and then delving into a few comics. I mean to keep on with a few issues for my Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men re-read, and then pick up with issue #2 of Menton3's insanity conundrum, Monocyte.

I've had this one since it came out, four issues from IDW back in 2012, I've never been able to successfully read this series. Monocyte requires so much set-up and backstory that the actual story kind of gets lost. I tried with an issue or two back as they were being released and then bagged-and-boarded it, waiting for a day when I might feel up to the task of trying again.

That day has apparently come. I read issue #1 a week or so ago and, although I still feel the book is a bit too stout for its own good, I enjoyed it. The art is ridiculous, as all Menton3's stuff is.

Playlist from 11/16:

Chelsea Wolf - Hiss Spun
Chasm - Divine Illusion
Various Artists - The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

Card of the day:
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There's an obvious pattern of late with all these orange cards, so let's talk about what this color might have to tell me about these recent draws.

Orange is an amalgam of yellow and red, yellow representing Air and red Fire. So that's intellect and anger, or strength/drive if we're inclined to interpret it in a non-hostile way, which I am. Add to this the Three, which corresponds to Binah, or the Great Mother and Understanding. I'm tempted then, to interpret these deluge of Orange in my pulls this week as a cue to use my brain to better understand where I'm going with this novel, and have the strength to re-wire the things I already know still need re-wiring. Which isn't much, but it's a touch daunting.

2018: November 16th

Goddamn this woman is amazing. I've really enjoyed the evolution of Chelsea Wolfe's sound, and can  only hope we get another album or at least an EP soon.

Plus, not to be overly male, but can this woman become any hotter? Doubtful.

I'm knee-deep in dead Arctic terrorists and mutant penguins and I LOVE IT! Robert Payne Cabeen's Cold Cuts might just go down as my favorite read in 2018.

I expected to dig it because Arctic horror was sewn into my blood long ago by a little movie called The Thing. However, the way in which Mr. Cabeen moves from horror to humor to heartbreaking empathy and genuine touching moments of real human emotion is at times jaw-dropping and has made this a marvelous read. And the best part? This book takes heavy influence from George A. Romero's original formula, in that the killer mutant penguins only show up to remind us - and the protagonists, two scientific researchers stuck in the remains of an arctic research station destroyed by terrorists - that they're there. The meat of the book is about two guys stuck in comfortable-enough living quarters, counting the days, watching their food deplete and their minds unravel. SO GOOD. Strongly recommended. Here's a nifty little video I found of the author reading a passage:




Playlist from 11/15:

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - B-Sides & Rarities Vol. III
Ghost Cop - One Weird Trick
Thought Gang - Eponymous
David Lynch & Dean Hurley - The Air is On Fire

Card of the day:

Sevens are always a mixed bag. You get the strength of Netzach (Victory), but the uneven energy of coming off the perfection of Six, Tiphareth. Futility fits the moment. Trapped in my home, still under the weather, I've been unable to make much progress writing because I always have trouble writing among all the distractions I've accumulated in my life. There's too many novels and comics and a wonderful cat who seems to know just when to vie for my attention. It's all my own personal bullshit - I'm distracted because some part of me recoils at the amount of work left even as close as I am to finishing this, but the usual way around that is the coffeeshop (so fuck all them squares that say those of us who write in coffeeshops do so for attention - believe me, the last thing I want in my coffeeshop is interaction with anyone else there, no offense to the staff, who totally get it, btw). But yeah, unable to do that, futility is exactly what I feel. Will today be better? Hopefully, now that I've aired all that "out loud."

2018: November 15th

My copy of Thought Gang's long-lost album arrived a day early, so I've already spent a fair amount of time with it (though not nearly enough). So far, this is my favorite track on the album. My mid-90s self would have been all about this one.

Another day home feeling like shite. Trying to use the time wisely, though I've yet to do any writing, which I have planned in a bit. Spent the morning reading old issue of Classic X-Men, as I've been wanting to re-read a large chunk of Chris Claremont's Uncanny X-Men for quite some time now but never manage to find the time. I started off with the Dark Phoenix Saga and will move on from there. There are a few holes in the collection, but for the most part I have it all from Dark Phoenix on. A few of my favorite issues that I am looking forward to re-reading:

Fede Alvarez just proved what I've been saying for going on six years now. Thank you, Mr. Alvarez. Now, how about that sequel???

My friend Daniel just published a beautiful, heartfelt goodbye to Stan Lee. Read it HERE.
Playlist from 11/14:

Ghost Cop - One Weird Trick
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - B-Sides & Rarities Vol. III
Thought Gang - Eponymous

Card of the day:

I continue to encounter larger, archetypal guidance. I'm reading this as a suggestion to keep up a new yogic routine, which I began with two days last week and subsequently slacked off on.

2018: November 14th

This is pretty awesome if you're a David Lynch fan. Sacred Bones, who just put out the long-thought-lost Thought Gang record (mine should arrive tomorrow!!!), dropped this video a few hours ago. It's a video piece Mr. Lynch did for this year's Festival of Disruption. The music used here is from the Thought Gang record - overall a match made in Heaven, where of course, everything is fine. Oh, and that Thought Gang record is still available HERE.

I'm home from work sick today and spending the morning reading the Bernie Wrightson/Steve Niles/Kelley Jones Frankenstein Alive, Alive! Frank, a childhood monster I was obsessed with, has come back around again in my thoughts of late. First, it was K sitting me down to watch the original Universal Frankenstein last year that started it. After that, I narrowly avoided ordering but spent quite a bit of time lusting over this:

Now, a new acquaintance through the HWA, Robert Payne Cabeen, has just had a series of illustrations published as the visual component of new tome Birthing Monsters: Frankenstein's Cabinet of Curiosities and Cruelties, and viewing his work takes me right back to when I would sit and stare at my Remco Frankenstein for hours. What is it about this creature that captivates so many of us? Is it the idea of human ingenuity and intelligence conquering the mystery of death? Or the posit that man could steal his creator's fire by creating life on his own, in a laboratory instead of with the organs of regeneration said creator gifted us? Of course, there's also the joyous gothic attributes Universal bestowed upon the saga of Victor Frankenstein and his creature, laying a cinematic cowl over Mary Shelley's original work of horrific literature. That same gothic version is joyously recreated in the figure/environment above, and is just as joyously disavowed in both Bernie Wrightson's version and several of Mr. Cabeen's illustrations. Perhaps that is the force that binds us to this legend; in Shelley's original novel the creature is a composite, so there has always been room for so many variations that the imagination can continually find new avenues to explore using the creature as an avatar or guide. Either way, my morning belongs to the monster.

After Monsters, I'll hopefully finish up editing the video version of last Friday's Drinking with Comics, with Special Guest Kristen Renee Gorlitz, whose Kickstarter is still going strong and which I implore you to investigate and, if so inclined, support. The Empties really has impressed the hell out of me, and as you know, I always pass along what I find that I like.

November 9th Dwc is currently available as audio-only podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Play.

As this ailment came on suddenly yesterday while at work, I left early yesterday and watched two great horror flicks on Shudder. First:



Terrified is a ripping little ghost story from Argentina. It's creepy as hell, and although conceptually it's a bit unclear, I actually really liked that about it. I'm one who is perfectly okay with tales of the supernatural NOT following concrete rules since, you know, it's supernatural and thus, largely unexplained phenomena.

Second flick I watched was an older one, something I'd heard about in the 00s and had been meaning to find and get to eventually:



This obviously isn't the Creep that stars Mark Duplass, which I also liked, obviously for completely different reasons. This one plays to my obsession with stories that take place underground. Its use of tunnels, Earthen passages, and secret rooms underground made me unbelievably happy. Well-made British horror that feels of its time in the early 2000s but still works well today.

Playlist from 11/13:

Curtis Harding - Where We Are (single)
The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
Ghost Cop - One Weird Trick
Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - B-Sides & Rarities, Vol III

Card of the day:

Again? Well, let's dig deeper and see what old boy is trying to tell me. From the Grimoire, "Action, decisiveness, and high energy. Engage obstacles/enemies. Strength. The structure of civilization, social world - law and order; the establishment."

Two things - Civilization, well western civilization, requires linear thinking and rationality. These can also be a prison. I tend to adhere to a guise of linear, rational thinking when writing, but know it can foist frustration and dead ends upon me. Find a way to work in some non-rational writing time.

2018: November 13th - New Curtis Harding

This new Curtis Harding single and it's awesome! Total 70s Isaac Hayes/Black Cesar vibes, with the cinematic string arrangements and lush reverbs that defined 70s soul. Very cool.

Also in the music department, that new Ghost Cop came out. I haven't had a chance to give it a good listen yet, however if you want a very cool limited edition physical copy, one that is filled with art and even some fiction, go HERE.

NCBD this week and I'm excited for a new Gideon Falls! Also, Cemetery Beach:

Playlist from yesterday:

Various Artists - Twin Peaks The Return OST
Interstellar Funk - Caves of Steel EP
Burial - Kindred EP
Remco Beekwilder - 10th Planet EP
The Ocean - Anthropocentric
Ghost Cop - One Weird Trick
Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Card of the day:

Two cards today. Not on purpose. There were actually three, as I had a kind of discombobulated draw as I rushed to leave late for work. Can't remember what the third card was now. But look at the color scheme here; Enlightenment is imminent.

2018: November 12th

With headphones this absolutely kicks. As the weather in LaLaLand turns cold - yes, feel free to laugh at me, anyone reading back home) I can feel my musical mood shifting to incorporate a lot more electronic styles. It's funny, seven or eight years ago I listened to way more electronic music than metal. For some reason though, metal became a driving force in my writing and because of that I'd never be able to go long without it.

Last Friday's Drinking with Comics is up on iTunes, video to follow later in the week. Our guest Kristen Renee Gorlitz was a pleasure to interview. We talked about the current Kickstarter for her independent horror comic The Empties - which I love - as well as how comics can help a filmmaker make better films. Also on tap was our reviews/reactions to Lucifer #1, the return of The Maxx in Sam Keith's Batman/The Maxx limited series Arkham Dreams, new Image titles Blackbird and Dead Rabbit, and a whole lot more.

Also on the podcast front, there's a new, short reaction piece my Horror Vision co-host Anthony Guerra and I posted after going to see Overlord in the theatre on Saturday. Did I like it? The short answer is yes. Go see it in a theatre with great sound.




And both of these podcasts are now available not only on Apple Music, Spotify and, any day now, Google Play.

The Horror Vision:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts

Drinking with Comics:
Spotify
Apple Podcasts


Playlist from 10/11:

Etta James - Eponymous
Various Artists - Twin Peaks The Return OST

Card of the day:

Steady and unwavering. Yep.

2018: November 10th

When a Tom Waits jag comes on me like it has of late, usually a Pixies bender isn't far behind. Other than the obvious connections (moments of obvious musical influence, covers, etc), for me this is due to the fact that I discovered and was really into both discographies around the same time. Weird thing though is both are normally summer music to me. That said, it was 88° in LaLaLand yesterday, so summer is never really far behind here during the day.

Although my familiarity with Surfer Rosa has long ago smoothed away many of its deliciously uneven edges, sometimes when I listen to it - like right now as I write this - I really hear it again for the first time and realize what an unbelievably odd record it is. All the Pixies stuff is left-of-center as far as rock music goes, but this one is really, really out there at times. And I love it.

Besides spending the morning listening to The Pixies, I'm re-reading Sam Keith's seminal comic book series The Maxx. God, I love this comic. I was introduced to The Maxx via MTV's mid-90s animation show Oddities, the second season of which was an animated adaptation of the first dozen or so issues. Reading this now, I'm kind of tripping off the fact that every time I go back to the book and read the issues that were adapted, in my head, clear as day, I hear all the actors' voices as I read the lines. It's very cool, and makes these occasional revisits even more spectacular.

We had an excellent episode of Drinking with Comics last night, and I'm hoping to get the episode up on Apple Podcasts this weekend.

Playlist from Friday, 11/09:

Ethyl Meatplow - Happy Days, Sweetheart
Deerhunter - Microcastle
The Chameleons UK - Strange Times

Card of the day:

The aforementioned 88° isn't helping the fires burning in Malibu and spreading to the surrounding areas. If you look to the sky outside our apartment, you can see a hazy orange glow irradiating what is probably most of the greater Los Angeles area by now. Creepy then, that the Ten of Wands comes up. Taken from a website I sometimes turn to for interpretation purposes, "Oppression and restriction, showing the fire on the grounds of the Earth, where they cause an uncontrolled, destructive burning."