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Mortuary is a corny ‘n’ creepy 80’s mystery, with slasher and gothic horror tropes sewn in. It’s an entertaining if, at points rather tame film, that mixes a TV movie-like feel and soapy campness- with moments of bloody gore, and ghoulishly creepy atmospherics. Here from the MVD rewind series is a recent(ish) region free blu ray special of the film, featuring a new print, a few extras, slip sleeve and mini-poster.
Here we have the 4th in Powerhouse’s Columbia Noir box set series- and once again we get a varied and largely great selection of films from the genre. The six films featured move from late 1940’s Police procedural, onto early 50’s G-man noir, through to mid-50’s stakeout fare. Onto western tinged escape convict fare, infiltrating the mob noir, and pulled back into the mob example of the genre. As always with a Powerhouse boxset- we get a great selection of extras, with new commentary tracks on most of the films featured, and a good selection of other new/ archive extras. With the set been topped off with one hundred and twenty-page inlay booklet, featuring new essays about the films including and archive features.
The Thief In The Tower is a role-playing themed wall noise release, which over a c90/ digital download offers up eighteen examples of seared-yet-atmospheric wall-craft/ textured noise making. And I must say it’s a varied and creative ride of a release.
No Man of God is a 2021 film that focuses on the relationship that was formed between serial killer Ted Bundy & FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier, in the final years of the killer's life on death row. And though the film is largely based around two men talking in a room, it’s totally compelling, often tense, at times surprisingly chilling and disturbing ride- with both the lead actors Luke Kirby as Bundy, and Elijah Wood as Hagmaier doing a startling great job, which surely should see them get some awards. Here from 101 Films is a new Blu Ray release of this recent film.
Nearly 20 years after their formation, Italy's Unctoris are ready to release their debut album. After a handful of EPs and demos, fans of this act finally have an LP to throw on their turntable. Lo-fi black metal, this trio churn forth the grimness on their debut and even some old-school death riffage. With seven long tracks (well, 6 long and one average), Shout Demise is a challenge for a number of reasons.
This self-titled six-track CD album is seemingly the first release from extremely mysterious project Ulesa- and what’s on offer is a selection of highly moody and darkly spiritual soundscaping, which blends together elements of ambient synth/ key tones, slowly moaning 'n' warbling female vocals, gloomily-to-smoky horn tones, and some martial percussion on a few tracks.
Originally released back in 2017 Stasis was the third album from this now-defunct PE project, and what’s on offer is a starkly seared & gloomily pained take on the genre. Here from Zoharum is a CD reissue of the album, presented in a suitable grimly stern digipak featuring on its front cover a stark circle of concrete figure like shapes.
Beyond Darkness is a prime example of early 90’s Italian schlock- that blends haunted house and possession tropes for a decidedly wacky, unpredictable, though often entertaining ride. Here from the guys at Severin is a new double-disc release of the film- bringing together a Blu Ray, with a new print & extras, and a CD of the film's soundtrack.
Skinned Deep is an American horror/comedy from 2004 written and directed by Gabriel Bartalos, who is far more well known for his work as a special effects makeup artists, having worked on a host of well known and well-loved genre classics, such as, From Beyond, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Friday 13th Part VI: Jason Lives and Gremlins 2 to name but a few. Skinned Deep was his directorial debut and remains one of only two films he has directed thus far, the other being 2013s Saint Bernard, a fantasy/ horror film that is not too well known. The cast is largely made up of unknowns although Warwick Davis (Willow, Leprechaun, Return of the Jedi, Labyrinth and the Harry Potter series) makes an appearance as Plates and Forrest J Ackerman (Braindead, and a host of other genre films) as Forry.
And The Angles Wept Upon Descent is a collaboration between female-fronted wall noise project Tissa Mawartyassari and psychedelic ambient noise project PBK. It appeared in mid-May of this year on Pittsburgh based Enforced Existence, coming as either a C60 tape or digital download.
Women On Death Row presents us with two sixteen minutes examples of appealing walled noise from this San Diego based project. The two-track digital release appeared mid-September 2021, it’s a self-released affair, and can be played/ downloaded here.
Multi-genre artist Amon Tobin returns to his own Nomark label with his latest foray into electronica, How Do You Live. Stepping off from some of his more recent projects FIGEROA and STONE GIANTS, Amon has used his newer influences greatly to flesh out his newest solo album. Electronic but still based in rock and pop structures, How Do You Live is a treat for the senses and an energetic ride through your speakers.
Lina is a recent noise project from Scott Kindberg (She Walks Crooked, Silver Moult, Black Leather Jesus), and Thomas Puopolo(Scarlet Diva, Fistfuck, Karl-Henrik, Black Leather Jesus)- it’s themed around Lina Romay- who was one of the main sleazy muses of euro-cult director Jess Franco. This self-titled release is from June of this year- on what would have been Ms Romay’s 67th birthday- as either a C20 and digital download- I’m reviewing the latter.
1974: La posesión de Altair is a mid-2010’s Mexican made found footage film, which blends authentic 70’s period setting with a great growing feeling of both intriguing mystery and dread. From Cauldron Films- here we have dual disc Blu Ray and CD soundtrack release of this lesser-seen/ lesser-known found footage film, which is a must checking out scenario for those who enjoy this genre.
Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade is a late 1970’s slice of cheesy & often rather silly euro sleaze. It features highly camp softcore, amusingly and badly dubbed dialogue, secret cigarette lighter cameras, kung-fu fighting crossdressers, lots of leering female flesh, and the odd splash of violence and blood. Here from Full Moon Features is a region free Blu ray release of the film- it’s sadly a rather bare-bones affair, though we do get a nice clear ‘n’ crisp HD print of the film.
The Guest is a mid-2010’s thriller-later-action horror film that caused a fair bit of positive press when it originally appeared. The film has a decidedly 80’s vibe, in its heavy use of pulsing synth score and its unstoppable wise-cracking killer. It’s certainly a nicely building and often pulse bounding ride, that finds the film's anti-hero going from being a odds balancing savour, to an all-out no morals killing machine. Here from Second Slight Films is a new deluxe release of the picture- taking in a three-disc set, a blu ray, a 4k HD disc, and CD soundtrack- with a host of new and archive extras, and neat/ classy packaging featuring a 160-page book, and six art cards
Number Pieces is a four-CD boxset compiling together pieces composed by John Cage during the late ’80s and early ’90s, as part of his Number Series. This set collects together both short and longer works- with runtimes between three minutes and one hour. Sonically the material moves between haunting tone studies, building modern ensemble works, skeleton pattern-based composition, and emotional-to-brooding soundscaping. The whole collection of thirteen works are played by members of the highly respected modern ensemble collective Apartment House- and as we’d expect the playing throughout is highly skilful, cleverly nuanced, and(largely) quietly impactful.
Sahba Sizdahkhani is an improvisatory musician inspired by both Western free jazz and Persian classical music. Historically, he has mostly played the drum set. This album, Ganj is Sabha's first attempt at playing the santur, a 102 stringed trapezoidal dulcimer. As a result, the album is essentially a look at the sound of the instrument from a largely unskilled perspective.
Originally released back in 1986 GN, was the opening sonic statement from French duo Geins't Naït. It features two around twenty-minute tracks- which shift between surreal textured beat scapes, dada oddness, weird industrial texturing, strange field recording, and sudden fleeting darts into punk rock. Here from the folks at Klanggalerie is a well-deserved CD reissue of this great example of French sonic experimentation in the mid-’80s.
Morning Music is a twenty track CD release that focuses on the (conventional ) tuneful, mellow, and buoyant side of The Residents back catalogue. It’s a collection that largely darts around the project's output from between the ’90s and 2000s, though we do have bits 'n' bobs from the late ’80s/ early ’90s.
Traktor Pulling is a Swedish harsh noise split, that's themed around as its title suggests tractor pulling. With two projects offering up tire spinning, accelerator slamming, and clutch burning noise-making with rough ‘n’ raw leanings.
Here from the folks at BGO Records is another two-CD set of 1970’s albums by African American guitarist Earl Klugh, who plays an approachable blend of lite-Jazz fusion and smooth jazz. The set features three albums in all-we have his 1976 debut album Earl Klugh, its follow up Living Inside Your love, also from 76, and 1978’s Magic In Your Eyes. The sound over the two discs is a mellow, lightly moody, and often melodic jazz-pop- with elements of disco, funk, soul and occasional world music flavours weaved in here and there.
Though Midnight appeared in the early 1980s, it feels so 70’s exploitation it hurts. It’s a backwoods thriller-come-chiller with chuckling killer rednecks ‘n’ deranged cops, a blood-drinking satanic cult, with good doses of both sleaze ‘n’ violence. Here from the folks over at Severin films is a new region free Blu Ray release of the film- featuring a rather classy new print, and some neat extras.
A un domani senza alba is a wall noise collab that takes in two thirty-five minutes examples of hacking bass 'n' jittering static based wall-craft. The digital release brings together the long-running Croatian project Placenta Lyposuction, and Italian project Rapace- which has seemingly been active since 2019.