In Memoriam: Lemmy

One of the most important musicians in Rock has passed as we lose an icon in Lemmy. From his loud as hell bass playing to his amazing songwriting chops, the man was a legend and inspiration to us all. When you saw Motorhead live, you left deaf and happy. No disappointment as Lemmy and company delivered a blistering set night in and night out. The man was everything Rock N' Roll embodied, enough said. Lately, he has been sick and, though he is now at peace I still miss him. The man was an inspiration both musically and personally to me and so many around the globe. There will never be another like him or another band like Motorhead. So, turn the stereo up to 11 and play the music of one of the greatest musicians ever. R.I.P. Lemmy,  we'll miss you.

End of the year....

As 2015 comes to a close, I look back at my busiest year to date! Thank you to all my readers and anyone else who has checked out the blog so far! Have a happy new year and, as I am entering my 3rd full year doing this blog, I am looking to add more and do more in 2016. So continue to read or send me stuff to review, I always look forward to what you ghouls are doing then, the pleasure of telling the world about it.

So stay creepy everyone,

Jekyll A. Hyde

In Memoriam: Brooke McCarter

Today, we have lost another star from the movie Lost Boys. Brooke McCarter or, better known as Paul to fans of the movie, has passed. For those who don’t know of the movie, it is maybe the most important vampire movie to come out in the last 30 years in my honest opinion. The movie is that good. Everyone in that movie played an important role in making that movie what it is. Brooke McCarter played a role next to Sutherland that took that movie from just a so so idea to something that means so much to so many all these years later. R.I.P man, you may not have done that many roles but, the one you are most well known for will never be forgotten.

Escape from New York (#13)

SNAKE IS RETIRED! My guess is that this may have happened after LA but I am not a 100% sure. So, the government just doesn't want to leave him and his dog alone. Thus, Snake is out for blood! Yes, this is a great story and, with word of only 3 issues left I wonder how it will all end for Snake...or if this leads to LA.

Gotham by Midnight (#12)

So, the cover suggests that this is the final issue and, if it is what a way to go! The battle for the soul of the city is raging on as the Nun and the Specter rage on against an ancient evil bringing the unjustified dead souls killed in the city back to life. Mayhem is all around and, it is just great! If this is the final issue they went out on a bang. If this is just the end of the story line, I cannot wait to see where it all goes next!

Krampus: The Shadow of Saint Nicholas

Though I have not seen the movie yet, I REALLY WANT TO! Especially, after reading the book. Krampus himself appears very little but, when he does, you know shit is going down! Great art, great stories as this is a caution to those who are assholes around Christmas time. I know there would be a temptation to overuse the character in which the title is named after but, I am glad that they didn't over saturate him. They do the same for Sam in the movies and graphic novels and that works great. So, bring on the movie as the book or, as it is advertised, prequel has my mouth watering for more!

Big Trouble in Little China (#19)

Well, the cover makes no sense but, the story picks up the slack with an awesome story for the post-Carpenter/Powell era. Burton is head to head with someone resembling Harry Potter, Egg is helping without him knowing, the girls are out to stop the demon and....there's tears. This is an entertaining story with some great art. Though it does not reach the level of the initial run it is good non the less and makes up for the story line before this where there was a lot to be desired.

The Amazing Spider-Man: Amazing Grace Part 1 (#1.1)

Okay so, some people may be wondering why a Spider-Man comic is getting a review on this blog. Well, let me just say this: voodoo and a dead man comic back to life. So, Spider-Man is caught in this web (get it!?) trying to get to the bottom of this miracle when he discovers some trouble at the end of the issue. This has the potential to get very dark very quickly as it dwells in the not to nice part of New York. Get on this mini story as it strays from the main story but is promising to be awesome just the same.

Johnny B. Morbid - Krampus Carols

Still in a Halloween hangover and need something to get you into that Christmas spirit so that, you too, can experience that dreadful feeling of being merry as well? Well, look no further then Johnny B. Morbid as he does his best to get you in that Christmas spirit with a short and sweet release. The songs rock and they are much better then 90% of stuff that you will hear at your local shopping mall. So sit back with your eggnog, be good and maybe Krampus will pass you by as we have a new name in Christmas music that will kick the rear of all these flavor of the month type artists releasing holiday music this time of year and, that name is, Johnny B. Morbid.

Vagora - Dark Stories Retold

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows that I am a HUGE fan of Vagora! So, an acoustic album with the band redoing songs from past recordings was a must own for me! I love the idea of taking the songs that the fans love, having them choose which ones are preformed and new members putting a new twist or their interpretations on classic songs. Along those lines, the songs themselves have evolved and, taking something from electric to acoustic brings out something new about the song. The lyrics can shine through a little more and, you get a sense of how really good a song is when you strip it down to its bare bones. There are so many songs that, while listening to these songs, you think of that you would like to hear as well stripped down. This album is amazing! This is the one that you give to people to check out who Vagora is as they will then appreciate the originals so much more and be drawn to check more stuff. Part greatest hits in a sense and mostly awesome, Vagora has done it again with another release that will blow you away. Done for the fans and meant for everybody; this is a must own.

The Mutant Members Only Club - All Good Demons Dance To Doo-Wop

Around Halloween, I came across the The Mutant Members Only Club and love was found. Now, with their new release, things are a little slowed down but awesome all the same! "Tortured Man" is probably the most personal song I have heard while some others like "Sad Satan" has that humor that we all know and love by this one man band. A little electric guitar on a couple of songs is a nice surprise as you find him expanding his horizon of musical abilities. The songs themselves are enjoyable as, yes this is a departure from previous releases but, you'll love it just the same. The Doo Wop makes an appearance and the only way that you won't enjoy this album is if you are heartless and have no soul. So don't make Satan sad and get a copy of this album or you'll end up in the Devil's trailer park when it becomes dark.

The Bloody Jug Band - Rope Burn

Being from Canada, I'll be honest when I say that, the only way I know of jug bands is from the Snoopy special where he is jamming with his siblings. Yes, that is my only exposure to this old American style of music. That said, I was introduced to The Bloody Jug Band and WOW! Yes, I am blown away. For me, throw in some Zack Brown Band, some Dropkick Murphys, Horror and those jugs and washboards to kind of get an idea of what I am listening to...but it is so much more then that! Honestly, I need to check out more of their stuff. This music has me bouncing and singing along with it and I am only on the first listen! Repeating it will definitely be necessary in the near future! I can't even pick standout tracks as I am just so into this recording! Get your jugs and give this band a listen if you haven't already as you will be over the moon that you did. If you don't the blood thirsty unicorns from the forest will come for you!

Danzig - Skeletons

Hands up, how many people here wouldn't be here without anything fronted by Danzig? Not many! Here we have his covers album that, I must say, is much better then I would have originally suspected! I mean, I heard the talk of it, the song list and...I didn't know how I felt about it. Now, the recording is not the greatest. People can do better in their living room but, it is not bad. The songs themselves are solid choices for the band as it just sounds like they are having a load of fun doing this album! Good on him for taking this chance as it breaks up wait times and it's Pin Ups style cover is great to look at. Standouts include "Devil's Angels", "Let Yourself Go", "N.I.B.", "Lord of the Thighs", "Action Woman", "Rough Boy", "With a Girl Like You", "Find Somebody" and "Crying in the Rain". This recording does bring Misfits to mind in how it sounds as a couple of songs sounds like it was pulled off those classic recordings from back in the day. Now, if only we could get some new material from the man, that would be great!

Constantine: The Hellblazer (#7)

Well, John has a new mate who is drawn into his life as the Swamp Thing comes visiting and Papa Midnight makes an appearance. There is trouble in Central Park with people getting murdered by...trees? Yep! The action continues as John wonders if he should keep his lover by his side or let him go before he gets hurt. Great issue as this series has just been really really good! Something new is building and I can't wait to see what it builds to!

Exodus

Fan of Trash Metal legends Exodus as well? Well check out this black and white book that tells the story of the band right up to their current state. It is a very good read though some facts and dates had me scratching my head as it is not something that seemed right from the original stories I have heard through the years. I guess that is what you get when it is unauthorized. Fans of the band should get on this though, the art is also rocking!

Misfits - Vampire Girl/Zombie Girl

So, lets be honest, most of us wouldn't be here if it wasn't for the inspiration of the Misfits. Now, I have been harsh on this current incarnation of the band as I find that they rely on Only redoing classic tracks that does not suit his voice. However, I did like Devil's Rain as that was a pleasant surprise with how well it turned out. Now, we have the two newest original tracks in the release of the "Vampire Girl" and "Zombie Girl" single. I must say, this is much better then the live album, Christmas or other single that was released by the band following Devil's Rain. These tracks are very well done and well written. Much more suited to Only's vocals then redoing Graves era songs or Danzig era songs. Great work Only, keep to original material as it is much better then what you originally were doing!

Snakes! Guillotines! Electric Chairs! My Adventures in the Alice Cooper Group by Dennis Dunaway and Chris Hodenfield

Here we have the inside story about one of the most inspirational and fundamental groups in the history of Rock in the Alice Cooper Group! Without them, I don't think I would have been into Horror Rock or theatrics in a stage show. They were like my gateway to this kind of music in a way. This book is not like others where it tells you about his childhood for a 100 pages or so but gets right into the nitty gritty of it all telling us how the Earwigs became the Nazz and then, finally, Alice Cooper! We get the story behind the meeting with Frank Zappa, who the chicken really belonged to and, what happened in the end that broke the group up. Also, we get the full insight on the reunion of friends and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. There is not a lot of finger pointing as this is not that kind of book. It is entertaining, funny and a joy to read. Dunaway is one of my bass idols and Alice Cooper is one of my favorite bands/artists EVER! This is a must read for fans of the man or the group as this is the inside scoop from a man who was there through it all, lived through it all and can now tell the story about how Alice Cooper represented by 5 guys before the name stood for just 1.

A Conversation with Atom Age Vampire

Hello and thank you for doing this again. For those who are clueless, can you please introduce yourselves?

Hello This is Zack (Ponch) and Marc from Atom Age Vampire. 
 

So, first and foremost, how is the new album coming along? What sort of things should we, the fans, expect?

A lot of the new songs are written and we are still working on some more. This album is going to be a lot different from what we have put out previously, we still have some of the old elements. Probably the biggest change is how the singer left the band and it left us to restructure. Marc took over as lead singer and we picked up another guitarist (Mikie). We definitely have progressed musically and we believe it will show threw on this next album. 

 

The first album was a collection of songs and the second E.P. was more of a concept based around Creepshow. How did that concept come around?

There really wasn’t a big story behind it. We were writing "The Crate" and joked about doing a whole concept E.P. then decided that we seriously wanted to do it. The whole process of writing it was a lot of fun from writing to recording and creating the art for it. It actually went really fast, I think we wrote the songs in like a week or two. The longest part of it was raising the money to get it recorded.

Concepts are tricky and, basing it around an anthology has its own challenges. How did you pull it off?

We basically just watched the movie a lot and wanted to really capture the essence of the movies in the songs. Everyone in the band came with riffs and the vocals were basically a summary of the different segments of the movie. 

Every band has a process to their writing. How does it work in AAV? 

We all write songs individually first then we bring them to practice where we add to them and feed off each other. Some work out and make it to the album some don’t. 

I remember there being some talk about a live album. Is that still something that we can see in the future?

I think that was one of Heaths (Hellsing) ideas. We may do something like that in the future but not anytime soon. 

 

Let’s talk gear. What are your weapons of choice in the studio and live?

Well that’s a funny question for AAV, whatever gear is working at the time is what we take to shows. 

So, let’s get less serious now, Munsters or Adams Family? Who has the best vampire?

Munsters hands down!

Along those lines, in this two part question: Who is your favorite vampire and, in the second part, who is your favorite person who portrays a vampire? Let’s face it, someone could say Dracula but there is a million people who portrayed him!

Marc says Grandpa from the Munsters or evil Ed. For me (Zack) I would have to say Bela Lugosi as Dracula. 

Enough vampire type questions….who is your favorite non vampire?

Duh Leather Face. 

Who is your favorite band/musician to play with?

We love playing with The Nothing for Covington Ky. They are an amazing band and great dudes. If you don’t know who they are find them and fill your ears full of it!

As well, is there anyone that you haven’t played with yet that you would like to play with someday?

We would really like to play with Mister Monster after the new album drops and they hit the road. Also the Vladimirs would be amazing. 

As musicians, you have toured or played with some great bands. In this 2 part question; first, is there anyone that you have played with in the past that you would like to work with either in Atom Age Vampire or, in another project? As well, is there anyone living or dead that you would like to work with that you haven’t?

There are too many people to list ha ha. 

As artists, what inspires you (movies, music, comics, books, etc.)? What got you into this?

We are inspired by movies music and serial killers. We all grew up watching and being obsessed with horror movies as kids and later got into punk rock/metal and threw that all into a bag and shook it up. 

In the past, I’ve asked people their current assessment of the scene. Instead of that, are there any new artists or bands in the Horror Rock/Punk genre that you think people should know? Someone who is exciting you with the music they make?

Again the Covington/Cincinnati scene is just killer, so many good bands from that area. 
 

Is there any new releases that you are looking forward to (movies, music, etc.)?

As far as movies I am looking forward to seeing Krampus and music I am stoked to see what the new Mister Monster will sound like. 

Thank you once again for taking the time to do this! Is there any parting words you have for the readers?

The new album will be killer and we are working hard to get it out to you!

In Memoriam: Rose Siggins

As part of my favorite season of American Horror Story during her time on Freak Show she was an awesome actress. With a real life disability in a time where CGI is used to create what isn't there, she gave one hell of a performance as a "freak" along with the others on the show to give us a season that was memorable, funny, entertaining, scary and awesome all at the same time. Nothing could get in her way and her performance was a tribute to that attitude.

In Memoriam: Robert Loggia

You may remember him from Scarface but, he was also in the best Psycho sequel in the second movie trying to drive Anthony Perkins more crazy then his character Norman Bates was. Along with Independence Day those are his most well known and recognized movie roles. He was an amazing actor who will be missed by many. He never shied away from the genre as, as far as I know, his last movie was Sicilian Vampire. I haven't seen it yet but, I can only imagine that, even if the movie sucks, his performance will be top notch. That's what he brought to his roles: class and character.

Motel Transylvania - They Dig After Midnight

What time is it? Well, it is after midnight and, if you need that perfect little album to dig up that someone special to, check out this debut by Italy's own Motel Transylvania. After a mood setting intro, the band hits the gas and doesn't really slowdown until the final track when you are left breathless and wanting more. Yes, it is that good and this has me excited for future releases by this band. The songs are catchy, addictive and you will be singing along to them around the time thr second chorus kicks in. This is a great little snapshot of a band to watch in the years to come. Standouts include "Go Psycho!", "Motel Transylvania", "Summer in the Grave", "Night of the Living Dead", "It's Not So Bad" and "I Wanna Be Your Ghoul". At under 27 minutes this release is short, sweet, catchy and entertaining. So, get on this band now at the beginning before you have some catching up to do. If you don't, they won't be digging you up after midnight but, putting you 6 feet down instead.

Seduction of the Innocent (#1)

New guy from Cleveland walks into an FBI murder investigation where mob bosses go missing without a trace! It's bloody and there is a lot going on in this single issue that acts like a tribute to EC comics. This is an enjoyable read as this mini series looks like it will be a hard hitting pleasure for fans or murder/mystery as everything is getting laid out in this dynamite first issue.

Gotham by Midnight (#11)

So the battle has begun and Corrigan is not in control of the Specter as those killed unjustly in Gotham get their revenge. Throw in the fact that the doctor is possessed and an appearance by Batman and, you have a lot of action happening all at once! Yea! This is an issue that is all action and doesn't let up or slow down. Now that Heaven is getting involved, I wonder where this will head next as the future of Gotham hangs in the balance.