Tag: Soundtracks

Kauan Explores “The Terror” with Ice Fleet & RPG Concept Album

The little town the players find themselves is detailed well enough to let game masters allow players to roam about freely, asking questions and searching for clues. 

The TerrorBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Artoffact Records 
Preorder available on Bandcamp

There’s been a handful of doomed expeditions to the Arctic circle early in exploratory history, and perhaps the most famous is Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition. This particular case is well known in Canada since it was found near our waters. AMC’s The Terror gave their take on what may have happened, and its legend still sends shudders to those wanting to find definitive answers. 

Although only two boats were involved, Russia’s own home grown terror is not well known and perhaps covered up! Anton Belov from the folk metal band Kauan learned about this tale from his research into his country’s unsolved mysteries and turned it into a concept album, aptly named Ice Fleet. He said, “The only real artifact is the hand-written letter of a person whose grandfather was part of a scientific expedition on the northern shores near the Laptev Sea. This man was involved in blowing up huge ice layers to find the right place to build a meteorological station. After one explosion, the snow revealed a dozen masts. This is where our story begins. The letter itself is carefully translated to English and presented in the next chapters in its entirety.”

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Doing More than Scratching Planet Wax in this Review

Planet Wax has made me think it’s time to put together a playlist based on the songs actually mentioned. It’s a terrific callback to all the tunes I enjoyed listening to, including a few that I haven’t considered.

Book Cover
Available to purchase on Amazon USAThe Terror

By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Music editors Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas are back with Planet Wax, and they are blasting off again with a nostalgic look at more iconic movie scores from the past. This time, they are looking at the many soundtrack albums which defined last century’s best genre films, and there’s some obscure titles which I wasn’t aware of.

The focus on sci-fi and fantasy defines this release. Like this team’s prior work, Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl, and there’s no need to reprint entries. Overlap is inevitable, and it’s tough to find something new to say about specific albums. Phantom of the Paradise and Rocky Horror are analyzed to death, and I’m okay with them not being included here. They are considered more “horror” than “sci-fi” even though some people will argue over which genres the Picture Show fits under.

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Ezra Daniel’s Sci-Fi Upgrade Soul gets a Digital Upgrade

The TerrorBy Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Ezra Claytan Daniels‘ digital comic Upgrade Soul is literally getting an upgrade. This version of the 3D comic will relaunch on October 25th with the more content. The original release was never complete. When considering how often the graphics engine has improved over time, perhaps the effects will truly leap at readers. The ‘free’ version offers chapter one for all to read, and for the remainder of October, the entire digital comic can be unlocked for $6.99 USD. On November 1, the price will increase by $1.

The haunting soundtrack from Alexis Gideon gives the reading experience a unique pleasure. The compositions truly add to the atmosphere because it’s in sync with the narrative. FPE Records vinyl release makes for a terrific side-journey for those nights when all folks want is a little ambience for the Halloween season. If you like Goblin, then this album is for you! Two versions are available for purchase: a regular black and a limited edition run on translucent orange, with red markings and a signed print by Daniels. Of the latter, only 100 copies will be released worldwide.

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Cats Never Strayed Far in this Cosmic Tale of Survival

Dark Horse Comics has not “Strayed” off the beaten path, but is featuring a cat by the name of Lou.

Strayed Comic Book Cover

Released: August 14th, 2019
Spoiler Alert

Dark Horse Comics has not Strayed off the beaten path, but is featuring a cat by the name of Lou. Writers Carlos Giffoni and Artist Juan Doe are two-thirds of the team (Matt Krotzer provides the lettering) who crafted a cosmic tale about a kitty who is much more than a familiar to Kiara. She is not a witch, but is rather a member of a scientific team wandering the galaxy. They are a compassionate pair and have little to say in the colony ship they are living in. The military’s plan for how to terraform other worlds for human recolonization is just not right.

We know cats have many skills they cultivated since the days of neanderthal (and Ancient Egypt). If the creators plan on drawing any ideas from these past civilizations in future issues, I will wait in bated breath. I adore cats and know just how important they were back then. As for their role, some people believe they can see into the future and other paranormal things.

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Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks, (and Musicals) An Interview Redux

Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl is a wonderful book which looks back at nearly all the music from the greatest horror cinema classics.

Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks Book CoverRelease Date: May 13, 2019
Available for pre-order on AmazonThe Terror

Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl is a wonderful book which looks back at nearly all the music from the greatest horror cinema classics. No, we are not talking about a rerelease of all these tunes, but instead, we will get an opening of a time capsule which looks at the unique history and artwork of these works. This hardbound, full-colour, 240-page book ​spotlights the intricate (and often rare) artwork on the LP sleeves, as well as album reviews, release details, and wild backstories.

Jeff Szpirglas reviews albums and old movies for Rue Morgue Magazine, and his bibliography does not end there. He’s written many books for young readers and is a second-grade full-time teacher. This vocation puts him in an interesting position should he decide to demonstrate his love for horror to impressionable minds. Aaron Lupton is the music editor for the said magazine and is a passionate and nerdy collector of horror soundtrack LPs. He also is the co-host of From My Parents Basement podcast with Eric Gaudet and Gary Pullin.

In what prompted the decision to create this book was when Szpirglas approached Aaron about putting together a special edition digest issue of the magazine focusing specifically on horror soundtracks. At the time, Rue Morgue had been releasing special editions on subjects ranging from horror collectables to Canadian horror, and he felt that a soundtrack book was a no-brainer. In his own words, So much of what makes these films effective often comes from sound and music working in conjunction with the images and the rhythms of editing.

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