THE SOUND & THE FURY

Sometime in September every year, as the temperature drops and the leaves start to turn, my music listening habits change completely. For 10 months out of the year I'm a total Rivet-head, listening to harsh, grinding industrial noise and rhythms, because that's what I've been into since Wax Trax & Nettwerk were wet behind the ears.

But for 2 months out of the year, September and October, I listen to nothing but Halloween music & sound effects, since I was a kid and wore out my copies of BLOODCURDLING! HORROR! TERROR! SOUNDS TO MAKE YOU SHIVER! and CASPER and DISNEY'S THRILLING, CHILLING SOUNDS OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE and THE STORY & SONG FROM THE HAUNTED MANSION. I never stopped listening to and collecting Halloween and horror themed audio, and the internet has made this habit an obsession.

So today, Dear Halloween and Haunt Seeker, I'm going to share with you some choice sources for TERRIFIC Halloween/Haunt/Horror-themed audio, divided into Modern and Retro Categories.

MODERN

Rotting Flesh Radio : RFR is a weekly podcast that covers the haunt/horror/Halloween industries (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). This year RFR threw their hat into the audio ring with Dark Pandemonium: A Descent Into The Labyrinth of the Mind, a terrific CD of music and atmospheric sound

Midnight Syndicate : If you don't know who MS is by now, you haven't been to a costume or Halloween store in 10 years. Midnight Syndicate owns Halloween when it comes to music, and this year they've released a new CD of music for their upcoming movie The Dead Matter, which is spectacular.

Virgil Franklin : One of the haunted house industry's best-kept secrets, Virgil creates music and soundscapes designed to be used in and around haunted houses, but for those that love All Things Spooky, Virgil's CDs are essential listening.

In A World... : For the last couple of years, Nicole and Dirk have sent me their "In A World" Halloween-themed CDs, and I've loved everything they've sent. Alternating between music and themed atmospheres, if you love Halloween, you'll love these CDs.

Massimo Nero : Out of nowhere this year comes Massimo Nero with Halloween Obscura, a CD that is as serious as a heart attack. There is nothing sentimental or familiar with this CD - it is designed to creep you out, and is the closest thing to what I listen to the rest of the year that I've ever heard marketed as "Halloween-themed". Dark, dark, dark.

Netherworld : Last year, Netherworld, one of the country's top-rated haunted houses, released "Spirits of the Dead", featuring the music of Michael Allen. Simply put, this CD belongs on the shelf of any/every Halloween/haunted house/horror enthusiast, period.

RETRO

There are a surprising number of online resources for old-school Halloween and haunted house music and audio, where you can rediscover and download lost Halloween treasures from your childhood. Here are my favorites.

Mostly Ghostly Music Sharing BLAAAHHHHGGG! : Ever since Scarstuff.com stopped updating and lost its download links, the Mostly Ghostly site has been (in my opinion) the #1 champion of retro Halloween audio, offering a treasure trove of vintage, retro and out-of-print music, sound effects, spoken word and audio.

Once you've gone through and downloaded everything offered, start hitting the links on the right-hand side to discover even more obscure and wonderful audio.

Vinnie Rattolle's Records : Vinnie's blog is a great resource for obscure and out-of-print horror soundtracks and other spooky audio ephemera.

Happy downloading! While you're at it, be sure to swing by Sinister Fonts and Sinister Sonics for my own FREE original Halloween and haunted downloads!