Black Metal Blasphemy #2: The VENOM Edition

Though it's only the second edition of Black Metal Blasphemy, I feel it's time to cover Venom. The band, formed in 1979 and currently active, helped to influence the genre of black metal with their second full-length album Black Metal; obviously, the album's title helped secure the music style's name. The band has gone through many line-up changes in it's 30+ years of existence, releasing albums nearly continuously throughout their formation. Venom is also known for its influence on thrash metal bands like Metallica and Slayer. Suffice it to say that Venom has been a large part of what we currently know as black and thrash metal, and by proxy, death metal.

Let's take a look at Venom's cover art discography.

Welcome to Hell (Neat Records, 1981)

Black Metal (Neat Records, 1982)

At War With Satan (Self-released, 1983)

Here Lies Venom (Combat Records, 1985)

Possessed (Combat Records, 1985)

From Hell to the Unknown... (Raw Power Records, 1985)

Official Bootleg (Cleopatra Records, 1986)

Calm Before the Storm (Filmtrax, 1987)

Calm Before the Storm [Re-Release] (Deadline Records, 1999)

Prime Evil (Under One Flag, 1989)

Tear Your Soul Apart (Under One Flag, 1990)

Temples of Ice (Under One Flag, 1991)

The Waste Lands (Music For Nations, 1992)

Skeletons in the Closet (Castle Records, 1993)

Cast in Stone (Steamhammer Records, 1997)

Cast in Stone [Re-Release]

Buried Alive (Receiver Records, 1999)

The Court of Death (Receiver Records, 2000)

Kissing the Beast (Steamhammer, 2002)

Bitten (EFA Medien GmbH, 2002)

Metal Black (Sanctuary Records, 2006)

Hell (Sanctuary Records, 2008)

Book Review - The Moses Expedition by Juan Gómez-Jurado

The Moses Expedition

The audio review:




    

On the surface, The Moses Expedition is about recovering the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, an idea that has become considerably old hat over the years thanks to numerous quest stories and Dan Brown's mammoth bestseller The Da Vinci Code. Thankfully, author Juan Gómez-Jurado's novel doesn't stick to this plot convention, instead branching out to develop Father Anthony Fowler, Gómez-Jurado's long-term protagonist, along with a topical depiction of Islamic terrorist groups fueled by religious hatred.

While a quest for the Ark might seem unoriginal, The Moses Expedition builds the idea very well. Roping in third-rate reporter Andrea as a way to get Father Fowler to join the Ark expedition is the Vatican's special forces department, a secret group dedicated to protecting the Ark from religious dispute. However, Raymond Kayn, a rich man whose lifelong dream was to find the Ark, has been deluded into thinking that it is his duty to find the Ark at whatever cost. Gómez-Jurado weaves a taut storyline of deception and danger, continually surprising the reader with new suspects who seem to have motive to steal the Ark and sabotage the mission.

The book's pace is swift, moving the reader quickly into the Jordanian desert where the Ark is thought to be buried. The novel quickly jumps into the action, planting the first seeds of sabotage early in the novel. Yet the perpetrators remain elusive throughout the narrative, and Gómez-Jurado is cautious to reveal any details about  the final twists.

But what stands out more than the action-packed plot is the development of character and the themes of terrorism throughout the novel. At times, Gómez-Jurado places us in the mind of a budding terrorist, a well-researched jaunt through religious manipulation that successfully challenges the reader's view of what an enemy really is. It's unfortunate we cannot stay in the mind of the terrorist long, because The Moses Expedition packs quite an emotional punch when the reader is able to sympathize with the young boy who is being brainwashed to believe one religion is greater than another.

Andrea, however, is not as simple to relate to, as her character remains out of reach through most of the novel. At the outset, she is slightly unlikable, a whining and outspoken woman who wears on the nerves with her boisterous attitude. Fortunately, Gómez-Jurado tones down Andrea's more belligerent moments as the search for the Ark becomes more dangerous, allowing Andrea to mature naturally through the suffering she faces.

Slash to the Point: Take this trip to Jordan with Gómez-Jurado. Like the desert of the novel, the action is sweltering and fans of suspense stories will find themselves sucked into the pages like quicksand. Overall, the sand of The Moses Expedition is pretty smooth riding (ahem, reading).

Star Costumes hosting Horror Scholarship

Star Costumes, an online costume shop with a large interest in Halloween and horror-related costumes, is hosting a $1,000 Horror Scholarship for a student working within the horror industry; namely, any profession specializing in film making pertaining to the genre of horror. Star Costumes' website has all the details, but the biggest part of entering means writing a 300-400 word essay on why you're interested in the horror industry or what led to your fascination with horror. Subjects of the essay are up to you, but write something that will distinguish you from other entrants.

Again, check out the website for more info - this is a great chance to win some money for your college fees.

The Evil Ad #13

Ah, unlucky 13. But let's recharge with this commercial for Duracell batteries. I love it because it reminds so much of the opening to Tales from the Crypt. The puppet is pretty cute, too, for being an evil bloodsucking vamp.

Halloween Hijinx: Zombo's Closet's My Halloween Series - The Moon is a Dead World

If you haven't been checking out Iloz Zoc's My Halloween series over at Zombo's Closet of Horrors, you might want to go check it out. He poses five simple questions to horror bloggers about Halloween, and the interviewee can answer as much or as little as necessary. Here are my answers to his probing questions, which have already been posted on his blog. I encourage you to get involved yourselves!

Five questions asked over a glowing Jack o'Lantern, under an Autumn moon obscured by passing clouds...in between mouthfuls of candy corn...

Ryne beams some Halloween rays from The Moon Is a Dead World to light up the night.

Why is Halloween important to you?

I can't remember when Halloween first became a staple of my life. Each Halloween in my younger years gets jumbled together into one big happy, spooky memory. I think, strangely enough, my love of Halloween began when I was eight or nine years old. My family was eating dinner in the living room on Halloween night when trick-or-treaters showed up at 5 o'clock! Trick-or-treating wasn't supposed to start until 7, and it was a surprise to us that anyone would begin so  early. For some reason, this memory sticks with me as the biggest reason of why I love Halloween so much. Maybe it was the fact that I was with my family on that fateful Halloween, or maybe it was the enthusiasm of the trick-or-treaters that visited so early. Either way, Halloween became one of my favorite times of year, and it still holds that magical feeling from when I was a kid.

Describe your ideal Halloween.

I prefer my Halloween spooky rather than playful, so the trick-or-treaters in my ideal Halloween would have to be decked out in scary apparel - no princesses or pirates allowed! Also, you know that scene in Trick 'r Treat where Anna Paquin walks down a forested path decorated on either side by jack-o-lanterns? That would be included as well, because the whole town gets caught up in the festivities.

What Halloween collectibles do you cherish, or hate, or both?

This is a little embarrassing, but I really enjoy the old McDonald's Halloween Happy Meal toys they gave out in the '90s - the ones that feature the Hamburgler, Grimace, and Ronald McDonald, where their costumes can be interchanged. It's a nostalgic thing for me, I guess, because it reminds me of my childhood. We've had them for years, and still never hesitate to put them around the house each Halloween.

When was your very first Halloween, the one where you really knew it was Halloween, and how was it?

My very first Halloween...like I said, my past Halloweens are all a jumble of memories, but I think I had to have been 4 or 5. I was Frankenstein, and I had a fuzzy, puffy Frankenstein mask and clogs to make me taller. We put something on my neck to look like bolts, although I can't remember what we used.

What's the one Halloween question you want to be asked and what's your answer?

Q: Trick, or treat?

A: TRICK! For me, it's never about the candy!

Movie Review - The Last Exorcism

The Last Exorcism

The audio review:

Warning: Spoilers ahead, priests.

I can't say I've seen a lot of the home-made style horror films that have been put out recently; in fact, I believe the only one I have seen is The Blair Witch Project, and that's not even very recent. I will say that I don't have a specific bias towards the genre either way, and so walking into The Last Exorcism, I was fairly uncertain about the whole experience. I try to keep away from trailers as much as possible, and the only thing I knew about the film was that the distributors felt it necessary to tag Eli Roth as producer. Perhaps a bit of a popularity booster, but so be it.

Surely The Last Exorcism takes cues from its predecessors, especially (and unsurprisingly) The Exorcist. But there's a lot to be said about the documentary style the film utilizes, because there's a dedication to quality and realism that's not lost within the plot. Ideas are reused, especially the outdoor trek sequences that look straight out of Blair Witch, but for the most part, director Daniel Stamm has a fair share of magic up his sleeve. Attention to sound and movement stand out, as The Last Exorcism deals particularly well with the disorientation of the viewer as the camera pans and shifts in and out of focus. Most of the heebie-jeebies come from Ashley Bell, who plays the possessed Nell; her delicate but ominous bodily movements remind of past exorcism films and yet remain freshly blasphemous.

The opening of the sequence is quite possibly the most enrapturing, thanks to Patrick Fabian, who captured my attention with his affectionate personality. The film anchors on the fact that Fabian's character, Father Cotton Marcus, has faked his previous "successful" exorcisms by manipulating the families into thinking that the psychological ailment of the possessed is truly a demonic entity. Acting as a documentary, the film shows the various ways that Marcus deceives the trustworthy devout, and this theme of religious fervor fueling a person in crisis is so prominent that it works to carry the viewer along as if in a real documentary.

But the strengths of showing the fake exorcism also work as a detractor, because as The Last Exorcism works its way into the "real" horror of demon possession, it becomes increasingly difficult to believe that the events happening in the rural Louisiana house are truly Satanic. For the life of me, I could not overcome the notion that a twist would soon pop up showing that the priest was deceived and everything was a hoax. And it's unfortunate, too, because The Last Exorcism has its share of eerie and tense scenes; however, if you're not convinced that Nell is possessed, these scenes will most likely fall flat.

There's a tendency in The Last Exorcism to reveal too much at a time, to unveil its small secrets before they've been built far enough. The twist about Nell turns out to be exactly what you've suspected all along; the ideas of fake exorcism are pushed so hard that it's difficult to believe in occult influence. And when the finale kicks in, it feels as though Stamm thought the ending too conventional to leave alone, adding one more surprise that almost entirely fails.

Slash to the Point: The Last Exorcism is undoubtedly entertaining. There's a definite influence to its narrative, and the documentary style works well to further the realism of the opening scene. The scenes are uneasy and rife with unexpected scares. And yet it feels tenuously tied together with a plot that lacks editing refinement; perhaps, if the film had taken care to harness its demons, it truly would have been an intense viewing experience.

Catching up on news: Behind the scenes with Gareth Edwards' Monsters

More Monsters Videos

The film premieres in theaters on October 29th, but you can catch it on On Demand, XBOX 360, PS3, Amazon, and Vudu September 24th.

Check out the film's website here.

Horror Horizon - August 31

Notable DVD releases for this Tuesday. Selections are subject to Blu-Ray release as well.

The Vampire Diaries: The Complete First Season

"It's Elena's first day back at Mystic Falls High School since the tragic death of her parents. Along with her Aunt Jenna, Elena tries her best to look after her troubled younger brother, Jeremy, and salvage what family they have left. The first day is already shaping up to be a struggle for Elena until she meets the mysterious new kid at school, Stefan. Elena is touched that he can relate to what she's going through. What Elena doesn't know is that Stefan is a vampire, constantly resisting the urge to taste her blood. As their undeniable connection grows deeper, Stefan's dangerous older brother, Damon, shows up to wreak havoc on the town of Mystic Falls - and claim Elena for himself. The Vampire Diaries is based on the bestselling book series from Alloy Entertainment."

The Evil Dead (Limited Edition)

"The Evil Dead, director Sam Raimi's (Darkman, Quick & The Dead, Army Of Darkness) first feature film, is a true cult classic in every sense of the word. Originally released in 1982, The Evil Dead tells the tale of a group of friends who go to a cabin in the woods, where they find an unspeakable evil lurking in the forest. They find the Necronomicon, the Book Of The Dead, and the taped translation of the text. Once the tape is played, the evil is released. One by one, the teens become deadly zombies. With only one remaining (Bruce Campbell), it is up to him to survive the night and battle The Evil Dead."

Includes bonus DVD with new featurettes on the film, plus new audio commentary from Sam Raimi.

Thriller: The Complete Series

"Now available for the first time ever in any format, experience the complete series hailed as the most frightening ever created for television. Horror legend Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) guides you through 67 unforgettable episodes of suspense, murder and relentless terror, featuring a stellar cast of stars from the golden age of TV. These tales from the minds of such masterful writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Bloch (Psycho), and Cornell Woolrich (Rear Window) include a murderous cursed painting, a supernatural mirror, a demonic tailor's suit, and much more."

The Red Riding Trilogy

"Sure to be one of the cinematic events of the year, RED RIDING is a mesmerizing neo-noir epic based on factual events and adapted for the screen by Tony Grisoni (FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS) from David Peace's electrifying series of novels. An official selection of the Telluride, New York, Chicago and AFI Festivals, and acclaimed by critics an eminent accomplishment, the trilogy follows several characters in intertwining storylines united by the horror wrought by the "Yorkshire Ripper," a serial killer who terrorized northwest England in the 1970s and '80s."

Contains In the Year of Our Lord 1974, In the Year of Our Lord 1980, and In the Year of Our Lord 1983.

Point of Terror

"A nightclub singer has nightmares about being involved in adultery and murder, only to wake up and find that they may not be nightmares."

From 1971.

Tormented

"The head girl Justine gives a speech on the funeral of the teenage schoolmate Darren Mullet that has just committed suicide but she does not recall who he was. Then she is invited by Alexis to date him in the celebration party in the house of his friend Bradley. Sooner Justine discovers that Darren had a crush on her and was bullied by Bradley and his friends including Alexis. When each one of Bradley's friends is found dead, they discover that Darren has returned from beyond to revenge the humiliations he was submitted."

Noonbury & the Super 7: I Sense Something... Spooky

"A Ghostgury Tale: When Lukybory and his little sister, Kikibory go looking for toobacherries in the Ghostgury Woods, Wangury and his minions try to scare them out of their harvest. But Noonbory, Mamby and the Super 7 come to the rescue and save Lukybory and Kikibory's cherries. Invisibory - Wangury comes dangerously close to stealing Hanubi's magic when some invisible powder accidentally makes him invisible. But Noonbory and his friends use their senses to track down the silly villain and recover Hanubi's magical potions. Disappearing Act: Cozybory learns and teaches a lesson in the importanct of playing careful attention and following directions when she fumbles while casting a spell and sends Hanubi into thin air!"

Dead Eyes Open

"A '70s gorefest throwback with carefully-crafted special effects and a gritty visual style, DEAD EYES OPEN stands alone among the new generation of horror. A group of twenty-somethings take off in a van across the German countryside in search of adventure, but when they run out of gas they find themselves stranded in an unknown wilderness. They have no idea where they are and, worse yet, are unable to defend themselves from the bloodthirsty lunatic who sends them running for shelter in an isolated farmhouse. After locking themselves inside, they realize that their nightmare has only begun as throngs of the walking dead descend upon them. Featuring a special appearance by horror legend GEORGE A. ROMERO!"

Carnivorous

"When a Voodoo spells awaken a giant serpent, Army special ops vet and master hunter, Nick Kirabo (DMX) is the only man who can stop the carnivorous terror."

It's with DMX, how can you go wrong? Also known as Lockjaw: Rise of the Kulev Serpent.

The Alien Time Machine: Encounters From Another Dimension (No IMDB)

"Join Eerie Investigations', Karen Frandsen, as she explores the mysterious experiences of author, Terry Le Riche Walters. Terry's personal accounts of alien visitations, abductions and spiritual prophecies from other dimensions are profound and riveting. See the world's only real Time Machine built using alien technology. Featuring exclusive footage of the machine and a group of researchers gathered to discuss its use and the bizarre technology behind it. Uncover dramatic insights into the fabric of reality itself and will keep you up at night wondering about what's "real" and what isn't."

FleshEater

"A group of college students embark on an overnight hayride into the middle of nowhere. Elsewhere, a local farmer unearths an ancient crypt containing a flesh-eating zombie, and soon there are undead stalking the night - and these college students are the first item on the menu! One by one the students fall to the zombie's bite, and soon the survivors are left to fend for themselves against the main FleshEater and his minions. Directed by Night of the Living Dead's Bill Hinzman."

Brainjacked

"A teen runaway discovers a sinister mind control plot."

The Occult: The Truth Behind the Word (No IMDB)

"In this film, OH Krill, Brian Allan and James Earnshaw come together to unlock the mystery, and for the first time definitively explain this enigmatic realm of hidden wisdom, exploring the mysticism of a deeper reality that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences, the inner nature to all things."

The Spell

"At age 16, Jenny has it all- beauty, brains, steady boyfriend and her own apartment. But, scratch beneath the surface to uncover a childhood scarred by parental mistreatment and abandonment. Desperate for love, Jenny becomes involved with a handsome stranger who is obsessed with the occult. Surrounded by witchcraft and black magic, she stumbles down a path of haunted dreams and demonic possession. She seeks help from friends, doctors, psychiatrists and religious leaders, but finds only scepticism and disbelief. On the edge of sanity, can she find a way to salvation?" 

Graphic Thursday: "The Face That Followed"

Coming from Vault of Evil #4, August 1973 is "The Face That Followed," a story that takes a cue from Edgar Allen Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart." An act of greed turns into murder, and the suspect curses the killer, saying he will see his face until the day he dies. The story's a bit flimsy, but it's all in good fun.

Halloween Hijinx: Bath & Body Works Halloween Soaps

Along with their line of antibacterial gel, Bath & Body Works has now released a few more special goodies for Halloween. First off, we've got new shaped soap containers in either Ghost or Pumpkin form:

There are new foaming hand soaps featuring Halloween artwork, with smells like Warm Vanilla Sugar and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin; both bottles glow in the dark.

Taking a cue from Yankee Candle, Bath & Body Works has created a haunted house candle set:

A pumpkin-faced candle:

Jack-o-lantern and bat wall plugs:

A bat oil fan:

A skull and crossbones tote bag:

An expandable tablecloth with pumpkins:

And last but not least, a sponge made to look like a spider:

Go out to Bath & Body Works and bring these home today!