Drive In Horrorshow

SOME FILMS WON'T STAY DEAD!

Hell-O kiddies! Do you like BLOOD and GORE ? Perhaps you're into CUTTING and
SLASHING? Or is CANNIBALISM more your speed? Or maybe MONSTERS and EVIL CHILDREN get you going? So glad you could join me and hear about the latest pair of eerie offerings to be spat out of the pits of Grim Films, LLC, a small studio situated in the witch-burning state of Massachusetts. As a sick fan of maniacal murder and supernatural terror on the silver scream, I was happy to find in the slimy pot of stew a DVD and an album that provide appetizing "extras" before the actual movie comes into being; quite a cleaver and buzz-worthy way of advertising, if I do say so myself!

First, let me take a brief moment to describe the murderous thrills and chills of the soon-to-
be-completed "Drive-In Horrorshow." Directed by Michael Neel and produced by Greg Ansin, this slice of independent celluloid is a gruesome, "Tales from the Crypt"- style anthology containing five spine-tingling tales hosted by the ghastly, yellow-toothed Projectionist (played by Luis Negron). The DVD available on the film's official website contains low-budget trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and a bunch of music videos starring the bands who contributed their talents to the soundtrack. This flesh-crawling compilation carries a mouth-watering set of twisted tunes. Tracks like Hotblack's "Slip of the Skin," Graveyard BBQ's "Creamskull Boogie," and the Coffin Lids' "Creepy Crawl" serve to undead crowd-surfers a broiled hamburger helping of go-go psychobilly and T-bone punk marinated in Jack Daniel's. Bill's "Steve Pepper" can best be described as a tripped out, inebriated 4 minutes of hearse hip-hop. Common Thrill's "Hollywood Nights" provides a brooding dose of goth pop smeared in mascara while Trouble on the Airwaves' "Bombshell" delivers just the right amount of LSD-retro glitter rock. A small scent of Beatle-esque hit-and-run ska can be found in Ajax Ray O'vaque's "Love is a Twisted Melancholy Disease." Monkeyray's "A Beautiful Noise" gyrates through a distorted, Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitar solo and Sleight of Hand's "Heart full of Soul" spins the pulsating electric beats of vampire disco (OOPS! DID I SAY THE D-WORD?? SORRY!!!).

Although it has not yet been confirmed as to exactly what day the film will be let out of its
rotting cage, the excitement can already be felt when one views the zombified trailer. Join me in spreading the word, if you dare!

BRING OUT YOUR DEAD!

Endless Dismal Moan's

First of all, let me say that I very rarely get a chance to hear an album that's even remotely capable
of making my tiny hairs stand on end. In an industry copiously filled with growling, occult-obsessed frontmen dusted in corpse paint and permanently blood-stained from the occasional sheep sacrifices, it can indeed be difficult to unearth a punk or metal artist who can truly frighten the howling crowd. Fortunately, I make an exception as I type down my comments regarding EDM. Originally from Osaka, Japan, Endless Dismal Moan was a mysterious solo project exorcised by the late Takuya Tsutsui, also known as Chaos9. Takuya released only three records before committing suicide on June 2008. While being extremely protective of his art, he went on a mission to combine the darkest elements of rock music with a pain-inducing spirituality osculated on a bed of nails.

Takuya's 2006 CD "Lord of Nightmare," which was unleashed by Cybertzara Musick, is a hypnotic,
brain-numbing gloombox of black metal captured in its most raw and undead state. Absolutely no chorus hooks or solos can be found anywhere. Much like EDM's self-titled debut (which is now out of print and can only be available in MP3 downloads), "Lord of Nightmare's" atmosphere delivers music peeled down to its very bones. Aided by Chaos9's use of worm-infested guitars, an alarmingly fast drum machine, and an electro-piano keyboard (as well as his buzzard-like vocals screeching on the festering forefront), all 6 tracks evoke a claustrophobic and suffocating supernatural dread. That's pretty much the best way I could describe it. Upon pressing the play button, unsuspecting listeners will imagine being violently dragged from their beds and tossed into the airtight void of an elevator shaft. Perhaps this EP can become a soundtrack to every Asian ghost girl horror flick ever to be imported to our American shores. While being an incredibly unique piece of sonic art conjured beneath the cobwebbed blanket of obscurity, "Lord of Nightmare" isn't for everyone. In fact, I must warn whoever's reading this that some people exposed to the works of Chaos9 are destined to suffer splitting headaches.