Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! The best Holiday of the year is upon us once again! There’re a bunch of cool music releases to help get you in the mood this year. So, let’s celebrate All Hallows Eve with witches and werewolves, ghosts and goblins, as we crank the volume up to 11!

First off, just released last week, VAZUM’s excellent Unrated V. It’s a remix album of sorts, an electronic/industrial version of their October 2020 album, Rated V. As much as I enjoyed Rated V, I have to say that I found Unrated V to be a much more polished, superior album. The Deathgaze duo of Zach Pliska and Emily Sturm has really come into their own over the past year. This is their second album this year, following the release of V+ back in June, which ranks in my top three albums of 2021 thus far. I had a lengthy conversation with the Detroit duo back in June, which you can read here, if you’d like to know more about them. As far as Unrated V is concerned, it’s a glorious 77-minute opus consisting of 12 tracks; the first 6 songs with vocals and the latter 6 are instrumentals. Some of the highlights include “Jester”, “Lycanthrope”, and “Wytch Lych”. This album will be perfect for your Halloween party! And you know what’s even better? It’s a “Name Your Price” release on Bandcamp. So, head over there and show them some love, you’ll be glad you did.

Next up is a fantastic compilation curated by expert doom/stoner rock maestro, WEEDIAN. Simply titled Halloween 2021, it features 19 kick-ass songs from a who’s who of today’s best doom/metal/stoner/heavy rock bands. Among those featured and some of my favorite cuts include Beastmaker’s trippy “Colors of the Dark”, HAZEMAZE’s awesome cover of Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral”, and Dead Scrolls’ brutal “The Satanic Mill”. And guess what? It’s another “Name Your Price” release on Bandcamp! Get your copy here.

If you’re a fan of ‘80s horror movies like I am, then they are a staple of the Halloween season. Many great songs have stemmed from that golden era of horror flicks, including a mostly forgotten band by the name of Fastway who sang the title track to 1986’s “Trick or Treat”. Ripple Music’s Doctor Smoke have decided to cover the song for the occasion and it’s an absolute gem! You can buy the track on Bandcamp for a dollar right here.

Last but not least, no stranger to Halloween festivities, Sister Midnight, a band who has made a name for itself over the past few years covering classic horror movie songs/themes are back just in time for Halloween! They do a terrific rendition of Bruno Nicolai’s “Sabba”, an instrumental piece from the classic 1972 Giallo “All the Colours of the Dark”. You can snatch it for $0.72 on their Bandcamp page.

I hope you’ll find these musical suggestions to your liking and that they’ll make your Halloween a little spookier. Enjoy the music, the booze, the parties, and the candy! Stay safe, and have a frightful Halloween! 

Holy Death Trio - Introducing...

Holy Death Trio’s first album was unleashed a couple of weeks ago. Simply titled Introducing…, it is part of Ripple Music’s special projects overseen by the great Rob “Blasko” Nicholson. Earlier this year, Blasko, well-known bassist and frequent player with Ozzy, Rob Zombie, and Zakk Wylde, to name a few, signed on to join the ranks of the mighty heavy rock label Ripple Music. He’s now in charge of signing new artists and is the executive producer for Holy Death Trio’s debut record. From what I gather, they were one of the first bands signed as part of this collaboration between Blasko and Ripple.

The Austin, Texas trio sure knows how to party and Introducing… serves as good proof of that. Part stoner, part rock n’ roll, with a pinch of blues, this album rocks from beginning to end. No filler. Right down to business without a moment wasted. From the get-go, “White Betty” kicks things off into high gear. A high energy track that sets the tone for the album. Is she Black Betty’s cousin, by any chance? “Bad Vibrations” is next; what a cool song this is! Who needs good vibrations when you can get bad vibrations! I get a Bon Scott vibe from the singer throughout the album. In fact, Holy Death Trio remind me a lot of AC/DC; not so much in their sound, although I can hear it resonate here and there, but more in the type of attitude and balls to the wall approach they have. AC/DC’s Highway to Hell and Back in Black are staple records that you put on to signal the weekend has arrived. They kick ass from top to bottom. Holy Death Trio deliver the same formula and pack a punch from the first riff to the last chord. But I digress. Back to the review: “Bad Vibrations” segues into “Black Wave”, as if it were part 2 of the same song. Great stuff! “Get Down” has a riff that will make you bob your head. Rock n’ roll, baby! Next up, “The Killer” has an opening riff that feels eerily reminiscent of a classic rock song, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. “Fishsticks” follows, and don’t let the title fool you; this song has some bark! One of the highlights of the album with a terrific guitar solo. They saved the best for last (in my humble opinion) with “Witchdoctor”, a very atmospheric psychedelic/doomy track.

Channeling AC/DC’s party energy, fusing echoes of Hendrix and Sabbath, Holy Death Trio has crafted a stunning debut with Introducing… If you like old school rock n’ roll with a stoner twist, look no further. This brisk (maybe a little too brisk at a 33-minute runtime) record will get your weekend started on a strong note.

Holy Death Trio’s Bandcamp page: https://holydeathtrio.bandcamp.com/music

Ripple Music’s Bandcamp page for Holy Death Trio: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/introducing