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J-pop and J-horror combine in Takashi Shimizu’s return to his horror roots. Having shot to the top table of the genre by masterminding the menace-heavy Ju-On franchise in Japan and the United States, this time, the director spins out the horror from an old cassette tape, which haunts anyone who hears it with a mysterious melody before they vanish.
First released in 2005, Animal Lover was the twenty-fifth album from those avant-pop/ prime sonic experimenters, The Residents. It featured fifteen tracks, been a concept album focusing on the relationship between human beings, industry, and nature. With a sound that mixed uneasy nursery rhymes melodies, off-Broadway musical sinisterness, tolling gamelan percussion with elements of searing to wonkily moody guitars, and off-kilter electronica. From Cherry Red/MVD Audio, here is the next in the 'Preserved Series'- which sees the definitive release of classic Residents albums- that features unreleased/rare bonus tracks and a new remastering.
Godsticks are a UK melodic progressive/alternative metal band that uses Eastern-sounding tonalities, powerful, clear melodic vocals, and repetitive, palm-muted, groove-oriented riffing, with occasional solos and shredding flourishes. I might compare it to Dream Theatre or the Karnivool album In Verses, which came out earlier this year. Though it is my first experience with the project, VOiD is their 7th album.
Dancing In The Fire was the first of three albums released by the band set up by Conrad Lant aka Cronos, after he left rough ‘n’ ready/Satan-praising heavy metal band Venom. The album originally appeared in the early 90’s, and it’s fair to say it’s an erratic/unpredictable/ at times downright sloppy affair, which often (tries to) blend and blur different sub-genes of metal/ rock, to decidedly mixed results. Here from Dissonance Productions, Cherry Red metal sub-label, is a CD reissue of the album.
Chut is a seared slab of malfunctioning & slightly industrialised walled noise from this Bordeaux-based project. The just under thirty-minute track balances well a jerky/stop-start structure with a manically ripping ‘n’ hiss textural weave.
Here’s a two track walled noise split showing two different sides of the genre. From Kyiv, Ukraine’s Déjà Vu, we have a thickly crusty slice of churn ‘n’ jitter. And from Portland Oregan’s Hana Haruna, we find a blend of constantly purring low-end and eerier bouncing vocal ambience.
A Vicious Means To An End is a decidedly constricting & airless example of the walled noise form. The twenty-minute track from this rather mysterious US project weaves together bass juddering, slightly aquatic jittering, and rumbling ‘n’ churning masonry tones.
Kill List is an early 2010 British picture that blends shouty kitchen sink drama, hit man thriller, and folk horror. The film has a wonderful feeling of dread and building unease, with moments of brutal and intense violence. Here from Severin is a dual disc UHD/ Blu Ray release of the film, three commentary tracks, and a decent selection of new/ old extras.
Skinheads ( aka Teste Rasate) is an early 90’s racist drama directed by Claudio Fragasso (Hell Of The Living Dead, Troll 2 , Rats: Night Of Terror). The Rome-set film charts the steady brainwashing and troubling radicalising of a twenty-something biker by a group of white extremists. It features a believable central performance, a good support cast, and a pacy/ well-written script. Here from Severin is a recent Blu-ray release of the picture, taking in a 4k scan, and a exllent feature-length documentary about the film's making.
Target is a mid-80s globetrotting thriller/adventure, featuring Gene Hackman & Matt Dillon as estranged father and son, who have to team up when Dona, the pair's wife/ mother, is kidnapped while on holiday in Paris. The twist is that the Hackman character isn’t who he seems, a typical middle-aged guy working in Texas; instead, he’s a Ex CIA who knows how to handle himself. Here from Australia’s Imprint is a recent Blu-ray release of the film- it takes in a new scan of the film, a new commentary track, and a few archive extras.
Day Of The Wicked is a remake of the early 90’s SOV splatter fest Slaughter Day. The film amps up the production somewhat( it looks like it’s shot on film), and adds in some OTT/ if somewhat cheap-looking, big demonic monsters CGI. Here, from Wild Eyed Releasing, is a region-free/bare-bones DVD of the film.
Italian metal whirlwind, Andrea Bruzzone, is back with his ambitious, chaotic, and delightfully progressive solo project, Bekor Qilish. Consecrated Abysses of Dread is the third outing, pushing the project into the further reaches of creativity, mixing avant-garde ideas with brutal riffing and percussion. Helping Andrea out on this epic quest, a few guest artists (Mick Barr, Gabriele Gramaglia, Lisa Voisard, Saprovore, and Mauro Scarfia) lend their talents to thicken the mix and help bring Consecrated Abysses of Dread to dizzying heights. Fans of Cynic and Athiest take heed, as this album is a fastball right down your alley.
4326 is a forty-five-minute slab of walled noise from this Wisconsin-based project. It brings together bassy brood, circling hiss, and uneasy scrap for a moody and deeply oppressive noise ride.
Here’s a self-titled debut album from this new Italian wall noise project, which focuses on creating bass grinding and static searing HNW. The digital album consists of four fifteen-minute tracks, with a total runtime of one hour.
Foul Synapse is intensely rapid, galloping, and baying slab of walled noise from this Illinois project. It’s a single track at around the thirty-one-minute mark, and boy, is it an unrelenting ride, with some nice shifts really upping the intensity of the whole thing.
We Bury the Dead is a 2024 survival horror movie from writer/ director Zak Hilditch (1922, These Final Hours and Rattlesnake), starring Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Murder on the Orient Express and Young Woman of the Sea), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road: Origin, Last Cab to Darwin and Pawno), Brenton Thwaites (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Gods of Egypt and Oculus) and Matt Whelan (Workmates, Narcos and The Tavern).
Underneath the Earth is the debut album from Chimehours, a hauntological project from Beck Goldsmith and John Dix. Those with a penchant for Folk Horror and all its trappings are probably going to find a lot to enjoy here. The band mix dark folk vibes with a love of 70s British Occult and horror cinema to create something that is tender and beautiful but underpinned with a sinister edge that references other dark folk masters like Comus, Darkher or even the early days of The Unthanks when they were still called Rachael Unthank and the Winterset. It’s an exquisitely beautiful record that would not sound out of place as the soundtrack to one of McKenzie Crook’s beautifully magical TV series. For example, this would sound great as the soundtrack to the Crook’s recent foray into the Occult, Small Prophets.
Dead Kids (Strange Behaviour) is an early-80s slasher/mad-doctor horror hybrid. The small-town-set film blends subtly quirky characters, some tense stalking, and deranged ‘n’ gory kills. Here from Powerhouse- as either a UHD or Blu Ray release- is a new release of the film, taking in a new 4k scan, two versions of the film, and a good selection of new and old extras.
The Survivor regards an airline pilot played by Robert Powell( The Italian Job, The 39 Steps) who is the only person left alive after a plane crash, where several hundred people die. The early 80’s Australian production is a rewarding & engaging blend of thriller, investigation drama, and supernatural horror. Here from Powerhouse, as either a UHD or Blu-ray, is a new release of the film. Taking in a 4k scan, three different versions of the film, and a large selection of extras, which are a mix of archive and new fare.
Past Life (2025) is a psychological thriller from director Simeon Halligan, the head of Grimmfest and the filmmaker behind White Settlers and The Blood Lands. Written by Halligan alongside Ray Bogdanovich and Dean Lines, the film stars Aneurin Barnard (Peaky Blinders, Dunkirk) as traumatised war journalist Jason Frey, Jeremy Piven (Entourage, Mr Selfridge) as celebrity hypnotist Timothy Bevan, and Pixie Lott (Christmas Karma, Fred: The Movie) as Jason's pregnant wife, Claira.
Hardly a moment goes by on Venus er i håret that does not bloom like a lush electronic flower. This is the established parlance of pop that the Norwegian Espen Reinertsen is known for. Over five tracks, we are ensconced in a world populated by drawn-out vocal deliveries and carefully textured drums, horns, and synths, the latter of which sit squarely in the field of early gaming aesthetics.
Driftworks and Audiobulb Records have released the second entry in their joint SITE series examining the connection between a location and sound, through the lens of different artists and musicians. London-based OD (Alex O'Donovan) has selected the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard as his inspiration for Svalr, showcasing the region's geographical and meteorological characteristics through field recordings, sound manipulation, and additional synthesis. The resulting five tracks create a lush atmosphere that transports the listener to this fantastic, remote wonder and allows OD's journey to be experienced by all.
Luther The Geek is a late 80’s mix of slasher and low-key dark humour, with a rewarding mix of tense stalk 'n' slash atmosphere, red spurting gore, and creepy derangement. The film's title character is a great/ unsettling killer, with his metal dentures, balding/wild-eyed redneck look, and penchant for ripping into the necks of both humans and chickens alike. Here from Troma is a Blu-ray release of the film, which has a fair selection of extras, though I believe these are all ported over from previous releases of the picture.
From the late 80’s, Stripped To Kill is a mix of erotic thriller and drama with touches of slasher/giallo. The film is largely set in & around a pole dancing club, where dancers are being killed off. It’s down to a blond/ big hair-sprayed cop to go undercover to see if she can solve whose behind the murders. It features a fair bit of topless nudity, a few murders/ gore, and a fair bit of 80’s camp. Here from 88 Films Slasher Classics series is a Blu-ray release of the film. It takes in a new HD print, four commentary tracks- two new, two archive, and a selection of other new/ old extras.