So, it’s Halloween. The time of year where scares and all thing ghoulish are welcome. To celebrate this joyous occasion, some of our team members have picked their favourite albums that remind them of this spooky holiday. Here’s what they picked.
Lotty: The Nightmare Before Christmas Original Soundtrack
The Nightmare Before Christmas quickly became my favourite film when I first watched a little over fifteen years ago and one of the main reasons for this being the soundtrack. The story tells the tale of Jack Skellington, the leader of Halloween Town, who becomes tired of conducting the same routine for Halloween so decides to take over Christmas celebrations with disastrous and ghoulish results. Danny Elfman is one of my favourite film composers and his best work can be found in this soundtrack. Both songs and score pieces work impeccably well together to tell us this brilliant story.
My personal favourite songs on the soundtrack include the mischievous plotting told in Kidnap The Sandy Claws, the sadness in Sally’s Song, the reflective tones in Jack’s Lament, the bold sounds in Oogie Boogie’s Song and of course the iconic opening song This Is Halloween. The score pieces I particularly love in this soundtrack are the sinister and reflective tones from Doctor Finklestein/In The Forest and the loving and wholesome Jack And Sally Montage.
With these reasons in mind and the theme of this month, this is the perfect choice for my album of the month. My parting words for you are This Is Halloween, This Is Halloween.
Find The Nightmare Before Christmas on Facebook.
Steph: Victor And The Bully – Memento Mori
My offering for this month’s Halloween playlist is Memento Mori by steampunk band VICTOR AND THE BULLY. This band has a touch of the kooky at the best of times, what with the lead singer having a deal with a devil, marked by the horns he has grown. But the music of this album resonates with this seasonal theme, especially the song Spooky 365, a song advocating the celebration of Halloween every day.
This album has a slightly dark tint but is presented with an upbeat, swing dance twist. With songs such Ghost To Me about the disintegration of a relationship but with a bouncy tune that makes you want to tap you toes or better yet grab a partner and swing your way down the floor. I love the happiness of this band that give the message, you can be weird, kooky and even creepy but that doesn’t mean you can’t also be happy, bouncy and yes even perky.
Find VICTOR AND THE BULLY on Facebook.
Martin: Cradle Of Filth – Midian
Considering we are going with all things spooky for October’s album of the month I have delved into yesteryear and selected an album celebrating its 21st anniversary this month.
Midian was CRADLE OF FILTH’s fourth studio album and was heavily inspired by the works of horror author Clive Barker notably Cabal which was later adapted into the film Nightbreed. Midian is a hidden city which is the home of monsters. Other than the album being a conceptual tribute to Clive Barker, the track Cthulhu Dawn is a blistering homage to the Lovecraft creation and is one of my favourite tracks from the album.
The main single release from this album should really need no introduction to fans of the band as it still a staple in their repertoire but Her Ghost In The Fog was my introduction to the group and makes use of ethereal and haunting compositions that instil a chill in your bones accompanied by a two fronted guitar assault. The song also features guest narration from everyone’s favourite Cenobite Doug Bradley who has continued to work with Cradle of Filth on their subsequent releases too.
Find CRADLE OF FILTH on Facebook.
Jacob: Bob & Barn – Medievil Soundtrack
Take a splash of that fine ol’ Tim Burton aesthetic, a drop of Danny Elfman’s score and mix them together with a world dripping with the humour of Terry Pratchett and you’ll have the Medievil soundtrack. It’s bombastic, enigmatic, acrobatic and emphatic. It doesn’t fill you with bone chilling terror but I think you would struggle to find something that more encapsulates the spirit of Halloween. Composer duo BOB & BARN have really created something special here.
Stefan: Blutengel – Nachtbringer
“How can we live in the land of the dead?”
Halloween, one of my absolute favourite times of the year, is upon us and the nights are well and truly creeping in. Demonic Royal Subjects, this year, I bring you something hauntingly special from a band that I recently unearthed this year that I shared with you all back in June … They are BLUTENGEL and this is Nachtbringer.
Seductively Gothic, enthrallingly melodic and electrifyingly vampiric are just an inkling of words that I would use to describe Nachtbringer for this month of All Hallows’ Eve. They brilliantly infuse their albums with songs in both the English and German languages (the chosen song, you can tell, does this rather spectacularly). With the combination of dark electro and atmospherically gothic influences, alluringly vocals from Chris Pohl and Ulrike Goldmann, they’ve stood out from the crowd of the Gothic genre and held me entranced.
Tracks include Wir Sind Die Nacht (We Are The Night), Another World, Like A Shadow, Colour Of The Night, live tracks Black Roses as well as Reich Mir Die Hand (Give Me Your Hand) AND the strikingly dramatic Nachtbringer (Night-Bringer) to seduce us. This is an album well and truly geared towards us creatures of the night.
Find BLUTENGEL on Facebook.
What album reminds you of this spooky holiday? Let us know in the comments below.
