Over ninety minutes of music ranging from chilling and disturbing to ethereal and warm, emotionally gripping to totally heavy, we’re so proud of our work and grateful to Drew Daywalt for pairing our sound with his intelligent, intense, beautifully filmed, scare-the-pants-off-you style of horror. Yes, there will be a soundtrack CD as well as some free digital downloads, which we’ll share with you when the series goes public.

Needless to say, when Drew invited us to score his next indie project, we jumped at the chance to work with him again!

And so begins our 2010. We’re especially excited to share this short film with you because it will give you a very good idea of what lies ahead with CAMERA OBSCURA.

We hope you enjoy SUICIDE GIRL!
The language is NSFW, and the film might make you afraid of the dark.

-G9 and NiNi

SUICIDE GIRL Makes Horror Headlines:
@ FEARnet
@ TheHorrorGeek.com
@ BloodyDisgusting.com
@ ShockTillYouDrop.com
@ DreadCentral.com

In the meantime, here’s some crunchy little nuggets of CAMERA OBSCURA goodness to tide you over… enjoy!
-NiNi + G9

CAMERA OBSCURA TRAILER:

Camera Obscura Trailer from MWG Entertainment on Vimeo.

CAMERA OBSCURA SET VISIT & REAL GHOST STORIES:

Camera Obscura: Drew Daywalt set tour from Bender / Helper Impact on Vimeo.

[ More Monsters at FEARnet.com ] [ More Exclusive Set Photos at Dread Central ]

And finally, this week, we can show you a little CAMERA OBSCURA, because sneak peeks of the series have started rolling out at some great sites, so enjoy the features below. Although this teaser video will give you a hint of how the series is looking, the music in the teaser is not by CORVO. Nope, you’ll have to wait until the actual episodes begin airing to hear OUR demons, so… stay tuned, because we’ll keep you posted as we get closer to the October premiere!

A MOTHER of a Scene from CAMERA OBSCURA:
[ E-News Subscribers, click on this link to watch the video ]

Camera Obscura: teaser from MWG Entertainment on Vimeo.

In each exclusive below, is a different set of behind-the-scenes images!

• [ FEARnet Exclusive Interview with Director Drew Daywalt ]
• [ FEARnet Exclusive - Great Creature Pix ]
• [ DreadCentral.com Exclusive - Jack Klugman and More Pix ]
• [ Exclusive CAMERA OBSCURA - Creepy Hospital and Set Pix ]

^v^ + <3,
NiNi + G9

The scoring process for Drew Daywalt’s webseries CAMERA OBSCURA has begun! It’s been an exhausting but satisfying first week, and the music for episodes 1 through 3 is now complete. We can’t reveal many details about what’s happening onscreen during these opening chapters, but we can say that you’ll get to hear a new CORVO track titled “Where” [written and sung by NiNi] in Episode 1, as well as some creepy dark ambient compositions by G9 and a surprise performance that reveals NiNi’s inner Beelzebub.

Studio photos will probably be posted within the next week, including the recording of “Where,” G9 surrounded by his weapons of weirdness in the newly revamped Crow’s Nest, and some other odds and ends. Video footage from the studio may also be popping up in a future update, beginning with some revealing footage of “studio kittehs” Batty and Wylee practicing their own variety of forced shiatsu.

Inspirational visuals have been playing round the clock during this weekend’s recording sessions, including EVIL DEAD II, DEADTIME STORIES and the first season of THE ADDAMS FAMILY.

The series will be launching very soon (in plenty of time for Halloween), and we can’t wait to see the finished product!

G9 + NiNi

[DOWNLOAD CORPUS CORVI MP3]

Okay, so we can’t give too much away about the work we’ve done so far on the CAMERA OBSCURA score, but it won’t be naughty to tell you that we’re definitely getting in touch with our “ancient primal” sides these days.

This is NOT a CAMERA OBSCURA track, but a little something we conjured up in preparation for the series. It all began as an experiment with new percussive elements we’d planned on using, and then, as always around here, a twisted fairytale evolved from the music, which then became a video, which then became a piece of digital art.

The story behind the song involves a sensual, Lovecraftian, “Raven Cult” called The Corpus Corvi, and the woman you see is the High Priestess. The visuals were definitely inspired by Dario Argento’s LA TERZA MADRE, and musically, we were both inspired by the ravens constantly flapping their wings in our skulls. It is our hope that this will make your imaginations run a little wild with ours, and if not… well, that our weird little stories will at least entertain you!

-NiNi + G9

CORVO has been hired to score CAMERA OBSCURA, the new web series from Emmy-nominated filmmaker Drew Daywalt. Drew is well known among horror fans as one of the founders of Fewdio, a collective of experienced Hollywood insiders who have been creating award-winning short horror films for the web – and now on DVD (their first disc NIGHTMARE HOUSE made its debut at this summer’s San Diego Comic Con).

Slated to launch next month, the 17-episode series revolves around a young woman (Reagan Dale Neis) who inherits some strange artifacts from her late grandfather (Jack Klugman – yes, THAT Jack Klugman!), a crime-scene photographer. One is a magical camera capable of capturing the images of ancient, demonic creatures who prey on humans, and the other is a “scrapbook” in which he kept the creatures imprisoned in photographic form. When she unwittingly destroys the book, the demons are released, and… well, let’s just say that the script alone had us sleeping with the lights on for more than a few nights.

This is major news for us, because we’re not just licensing a song or two, but composing and performing the score for the entire series!

Post-production is now underway, and the recording process officially began – appropriately enough – on 09/09/09. Expect some studio updates from The Crow’s Nest very soon!

G9 + NiNi

[ FEARnet Exclusive: John Carpenter Talks 'Prince of Darkness" Soundtrack Re-Release" ]

Speaking of Telltale, yes, we are still recording and working very hard on the debut album. Without the backing and money of huge label-dom, we’re truly on our own with this album bizness, and learning that although rewarding and exactly where we want to be, the DIY music process can feel like stone ages pass between “official” releases, which can be frustrating to us and to our fans! However, 2009 is already turning into an extremely prolific year for Corvo, which you will see this week, because we have “more where this came from!”

For now, we really do hope that upon hearing The Devils (Telltale Cut), you’ll feel like Telltale will be worth the wait, because that’s our goal. As the song gets added to more podcasts, playlists, sites and stores, we will keep you posted! For now, the download is FREE, so pass it on to your friends and enjoy! xxx, NiNi

Listen/Download/Favorite At:
MySpace
Facebook
Last.FM
iLike
Our iTunes Podcast

If you’ve read/seen/heard any of the items I’ve blurbed here, I’d love to hear read your thoughts in the comments… but you can write more than 13 words if y’want! -NiNi

RATINGS SCALE:
5 Slashes = Best. Thing. EVER. Will you marry me?
4 Slashes = Will probably become 5-slash material after a few more tries.
3 Slashes = Totally fun, and worth the time and money.
2 Slashes = Only deserves this much because it had some entertainment value.
1 Slash = Why did I waste my time?

TWILIGHT (The TWILIGHT Saga, Book 1) [ Stephenie Meyer ]

Brooding, swooning teens not your style? Keep reading! Vampire-life after high school rocks.

[ 3/5 SLASHES ]

NEW MOON (The TWILIGHT Saga, Book 2)

Worst. Birthday. Ever. Vegetarian vamps get human-hungry. There’s hope! Werewolves have more fun.

[ 4/5 SLASHES ]

ECLIPSE Special Edition (The TWILIGHT Saga, Book 3)

The series page-turner. Bizarre love triangles, werewolf and Cullen family histories slayed me.

[ 5/5 SLASHES ]

BREAKING DAWN (The TWILIGHT Saga, Book 4)

Vampire revolution becomes species evolution. Read between the lines for thought-provoking social depth.

[ 4/5 SLASHES ]

UROBOROS [CD] [ Dir en Grey ]

A jaw-dropping work of art. Brutally experimental, but plenty of J-Rock hooks linger.

[ 5/5 SLASHES ]

HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT [DVD]

Aqua Net, spandex and booze? ‘80s metal “represent!” A real-life head bangers’ ball.

[ 4/5 SLASHES ]

THE ACCIDENTAL DEMON SLAYER [ Angie Fox ]

Buffy with Willow’s personality. Once you’ve loved a griffin, you can’t go vamp!

*Bonus: NiNi’s Biker Witch Name is Lusty Lucinda Fast Pants [Boo-Ya]!
What’s your biker name? [ Take the quiz ] and let me know!

[ 4/5 SLASHES ]

SERVANT: THE AWAKENING (SERVANT The Series, Book 1) [ L.L. Foster ]

Urban Gothic powerhouse with delicious sexual tension, and a riveting anti-heroine with heart.

[ 5/5 SLASHES ]

Two of my favorite Wendigo films include the appropriately-titled Wendigo, and The Last Winter, both creations of indie master of horror, Larry Fessenden. Each film is very different, but the similarities send shivers down the spine, with settings in the dead of winter, characters and plots each trapped in a hellish wilderness of isolation and sub-zero darkness. Both films are also chilling cautionary tales. Wendigo may make people think a bit more carefully about killing animals and owning guns, while the more recent The Last Winter may make Sarah Palin abruptly end her campaign cry of “drill baby drill.”

Although the black comedy-horror Ravenous isn’t “marketed” as a Wendigo film, the bitter cold winters and presence of Native American characters and mythology are just the tip of the iceberg. Robert Carlyle’s frightening depiction of the immortal and crazed colonial cannibal embodies everything about the Wendigo spirit, therefore, I now officially declare Ravenous to be one of my favorite Wendigo films. The human flesh stew and biscuits is really what did it for me. And if you really want to devour the Wendigo spirit [had to get a "devour" in there!], after you’ve seen the film, if you’re a huge horror movie score addict like G9 and myself, Michael Nyman’s Ravenous: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is utterly creeptastic. Listen to it while you dive into a bowl of beef stew… and if you’re a vegetarian… well, this would be one of those times you’ll be especially glad for it!

Many people associate the Wendigo with werewolves, so another great icy-hearted monster film is Ginger Snaps Back – The Beginning. The last film released in the toothy-trilogy, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning is actually a prequel, delving into the past lives of the sisters, and the roots of their Wendigo-werewolf bloodlines. I’m not one to like prequels too much, but Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning had the biggest bite out of the Snaps “entrees,” and it remains one of my favorite horror films of all time. Similar to Ravenous, Snaps is a period piece with Native American mythology [and one of my favorite Native American characters ever to grace the screen], set in the colonial era, except this time, in bitter cold Canada. Come to think of it, I’m going to watch Snaps and Ravenous back-to-back for my Wendigo WinterHorrorPalooza lineup.

Now then, this may be a bit of a stretch, but since the Wendigo mythology embodies many monster types, including cannibals [check!], werewolves [check!], and devils that possess all who dream about the creature, I officially declare The Shining an honorary Wendigo film. Not only does its frosty mountainous setting provide a perfect backdrop of the Wendigo mythos, the way in which the isolation of winter seems to be the catalyst of Jack’s madness makes it the perfect embodiment of the creature through demonic possession… and let’s be honest here: had the story continued any longer, don’t you think that Jack would have eventually eaten his family once the food ran out? No bones about it! Okay, okay, if you’re reluctant to declare The Shining a Wendigo film along with me, let’s consider it Stanley Kubrick’s twisted rendition of “Jack Frost” and call it a snow-day.

Finally, the Wendigo has recently been categorized by cryptozoologists as a family member to the Big Foot/Sasquatch beasts. The difference being that Wendigo roams in extreme Northern lands and snowy mountainous climates, so! To round out my Wendigo WinterHorrorPalooza, I shall add ***the tale to my lineup that celebrates my biggest “aha” revelation about the monster: This guy is definitely a Wendigo! —>

***The tale to which I refer, of course, is the one I most looked forward to seeing on network television year after Holiday year: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!

More Talk of Winter MonsterFests:

[ The Weather Outside Isn't the Only Thing That's Frightful ]
[ Snowbound Horror ]
[ Final Girl: brrr ]

My answer was this: I personally have days when I’m “Team Jacob” and other days when I’m “Team Edward.” On days when I’d feel more inclined to be on Jacob’s side as one of the werewolf pack or pack-mates, I would be feeling a bit naughty, a bit ornery, a bit like I could easily snap somebody’s head off in an instant. Days when I’ve got a mean streak in me that I don’t want to ignore. Days when I just might finally tell those authority figures I’ve come to despise to fuck off, or days when I just don’t give two shits about what anyone thinks of my hair. Days when I’d easily go 10+ over the speed limit and rip up the speeding ticket, or take a one-way flight to anywhere and figure out how to get back once I’m there. Jacob’s werewolf archetype symbolizes rebellion in every sense of the term, from physical to emotional. In the novels, when Bella was in such a state that she wanted to experience danger and life on the edge, she wanted to be with Jacob. People that would rather choose “dare” over “truth,” that would rather be in a rock band than have a desk job, or that are constantly eager to explore new terrain and don’t fear risk? Purely primal, raw, sexual and impulsive… those people are “Team Jacob,” and I’ve got a lot of that in me.

Then there’s “Team Edward.” As a vampire, Edward’s been around a long, long time. He’s seen and experienced so much, he’s had the time to refine his supernatural gifts and has learned how to control his bite. He’s learned over time that often, restraint is tantamount to survival, and that destructive appetites do not necessarily need to lead to destruction. He may be seventeen physically, but in spirit, he’s wise way beyond his years. On days when I’m feeling like a part of Edward’s team, I would be more patient with people and myself, I wouldn’t reveal my hand too quickly, and I’d take things slowly. I would have a lot of wisdom to give, and I’d seek to learn things that would benefit my life long-term. My decisions would be measured and careful, my love would be loyal and committed. I would engage in an argument sensibly and respectfully, even if that person angered the piss out of me. Edward’s all about marriage and waiting for just the right moment to consummate his love. But make no mistake, he’s also very shrewd and powerful, it’s that his power is more hidden and quiet, which could potentially make him a more lethal adversary than an impulsive attack dog like Jacob.

At the end of the conversation, I’d told my friend that considering her daughter’s only thirteen, it’s probably a good thing that she prefers Edward over Jacob right now. And now you know: if you ever see me sporting a “Team Jacob” tee, you might wanna head for the hills… or get ready for a some good, mean, dirty fun… go ahead and try me. ;)

[ Twilight Official Movie Site ]
[ Stephenie Meyer Official Site ]

I can barely keep up with the guy, so you really should just save the FEARnet music page to your blogroll or in your RSS news reader for all the latest and greatest in the world of dark music. You may notice that unlike many large-scale music blogs out there, G9 likes to devote a lot of time and space to indie musicians.

[ G9 on MySpace ]

Has TV brought any great “monster families” to our homes since the ’60s-era Addams Family and Munsters? Anyone? I myself will have to think about that one and get back to you. Or maybe I should be working on a TV pilot script! What kind of “monster family” would you want to see on 21st Century Television? Not too long ago, we at The Crow’s Nest completed The Addams Family DVD collection, and this week, moved on to collecting The Munsters. Busier than hell [and hell's working overtime these days], we don’t have much time for TV anymore, so TV series DVDs tend to be “drool in front of the telly” material for us… usually at 3 or 4am. And of course with Corvo, the monster, the merrier!

It’s been wicked-fun watching both shows again as if for the first time, caught up in many “aha” moments that were most certainly missed through childhood eyes. Of course, with the Addams’, it’s all about sex. It’s amazing how coming of kinky-kooky-spooky age puts a whole new spin on a gleeful reference to “the rack” between a darkly amorous husband and wife. With The Munsters, the “aha” moments arise out of being a total horror nerd now, which I couldn’t have been at a young age, because my parents were a bit overprotective. To be fair, they were cool enough to let me watch Creature From the Black Lagoon in 3D, but that was about it for childhood horror… my horror geekdom really didn’t start until junior high, when I was able to sneak away to slumber parties that involved lots of snacks, lots of ’80s crap slasher films, and rampaging in grave yards in night gowns [that's a whole other blog entry]. Ah yes, the good ol’ days when Clive Barker’s hellraising seduced me and Wes Craven’s nightmares made me fear our friendly neighborhood Elm Street. But I digress. Now that I’m all “horror growed up,” I watch The Munsters and think, so many Universal Monsters, so little time! Hey, why didn’t I ever appreciate the raven clock [voiced by Mel Blanc aka Bugs Bunny]?! And lots of Hollywood pop culture references in general that I wouldn’t have quite understood at the time, including the rights to use a Beatles song ["I Wanna Hold Your Hand"] in season one, when a rock band uses the haunted homestead as a party crash pad, and then it turns into “open mic night” with the town beatniks.

As an adult viewer, I feel a sort of… irony of the eras when I watch The Addams Family and The Munsters. That the very things that tend to frighten conservative people now, were actually disarming during “The Pleasantville Era.” The families’ strangeness, fashion sense included, was disarming and charming, rather than alarming to mainstream, prim-and-proper audiences. I often wonder what some people must have felt at a deeper level while laughing at the fiendish families’ reckless abandon, gleeful irreverence, open sexuality and acceptance of “fringe” people, like beatniks, Bohemians and rock stars… hell, The Addams’ invited Russians into their home! This was during the Cold War! *gasp* Did some people wish that they could be so bold and brave, and so effortlessly? I have a feeling I would have.

While reveling in the strange, macabre, yet innocent world-view of the families and feeling both shocked and disarmed, did some “Ward and June” types feel a little wistful? On the inside, did they kind of wish that mom had more of a “say” in the family, and that kids could be treated like little adults, and that uncles could light up a room with their mouths, and that “honey, let’s build a ‘honeymoon torture chamber’ to spice up the bedroom” could be freely suggested? Did they understand just how much The Munsters and Addams Family poked fun of their “vanilla” lives, or was it just another sitcom? In a sense, looking at it now with an analytical view and as one that works in art and in television, it feels like these shows were “crossroads shows” that depicted a shift in some people that were brave enough to go against a conservative tide and start pursuing a path that wasn’t quite up to “Ward and June” standards. [Fuck The Cleavers, right]?

I’d always considered myself more of an Addams Family enthusiast than a Munster-maniac, but I’ve gotta say, I really underestimated the intelligence of The Munsters. Make no bones about it, The Munsters will always be the more slapstick-y of the two, but at the black heart of the show, there’s some pretty clever stuff in there, if you look for it. What I enjoy most about The Munsters now is that they shot the show on The Universal lot, and being a Universal show, they [of course] were able to cash in on the Universal Monsters franchise, from sets to characters, which I wouldn’t have recognized as a kid. So from time to time, you’ll see a couple of members of “the family” stop by, like The Creature From the Black Lagoon and The Wolfman. It was also interesting to watch the pilot episode of The Munsters. The original Lilly Munster looked a hella lot like Morticia Addams [pretty smokin' hot], and the show was actually more mean-spirited in its original concept, with Eddie acting more like Cujo, and Herman and Lilly relating to each other like Fred and Ethel rather than Lucy and Ricky. It would have grown annoying really fast, and the powers that be were smart to play it fun, lighthearted and naive… but again, if you look for it, there’s more sharp writing in there than you’d think, most often tailor-made for the ever-biting delivery of the brilliant Al Lewis as Grandpaw.

It seems to me that both shows accomplished what great macabre art, horror and comedy always tend to accomplish: find the pulse of a new social heartbeat and bring it home in sarcastic, sardonic, satirical layers…even today, The Addams Family and The Munsters are a breath of fresh air to watch, and with each viewing as an adult, I have so much fun being a monster-loving kid again.

The Cart
First off, Amazon now offers the special edition CD for the same price as the regular CD oh wait, I’m sorry. The special edition CD is a penny more than the regular. *shaking my fist* You bastards. Seriously, no-brainer, there. Night Eternal Special Edition: sold. *ka-ching!* View shopping cart: Night Eternal Special Edition + book that I’ve wanted for ages. Both items covered by prime membership = free 2-day shipping for me, *ka-ching!* But… I don’t want to wait two whole days… I don’t believe in bit-torrenting [it goes against my nature as a musician]. Hmm… computer speakers and flash streaming just isn’t cutting it anymore, and it’s Friday night, dammit, I want to listen to Night Eternal now-now-now-now-now! [That was my Herman Munster tantrum]. Update shopping cart: full album MP3 download + Special Edition CD + book I’ve wanted for ages. *ka-ching!* Sold to the crazy pig-tailed metal head.

Sidebar: I Believe in Music Karma Faeries
Yes, it’s true: I purchased Night Eternal twice. It’s just a fact: my music consumption habits straddle two worlds, that of the physical collector, and that of the instant gratification digital consumer. It’s probably a good thing that I never got deeply attached to vinyl [love the sound, hate the warping]. So I admit, I do sometimes buy MP3s first, and then buy the physical CDs later. I double-dip. Into my wallet. For my favorite bands. I figure, enough people probably steal their music anyway, so I’d like to think that maybe I’m helping set the scales back into balance in some small way. I also figure, it can’t hurt to spread some good musician mojo around, right? Call it karma, and call it a day? While I’m confessing, I’ve done this for two other bands, at least. Stream of Passion, Apocalyptica and Dimmu Borgir… okay, three… no, four, including Moonspell. /Sidebar

The Perfect Drug
After a difficult day at the loathsome 9-5, and then another eight hours working on Corvo, the work I’d rather be immersed in all day, I’d mapped out a perfect 16-hour work day exhaustion escape plan. I loaded up the CD player with my burned MP3s, turned off all the lights [except for that white-light holiday strand that's never unplugged], poured a glass of red wine, and soaked in the sounds of Night Eternal from a *proper* stereo [and a pretty f^cking loud one, too]. All this at around 2:30 AM. SO perfect. A little delirious from fatigue, slightly numb, very comfortable in the dark, and greatly in need of going someplace far, far away in my mind for a while. Of course, purring cats involved themselves in this escape plan… my cats love metal, it actually calms them.

School of Metal
G9 was there next to me, so at times throughout the CD, “musician nerd-speak” would ensue, with talk of things like lyrics, mood, gear estimates, melodies, orchestral elements… like our own musical “In Search Of…” complete with mystery, theory and conjecture. Even when huge fans of a band, we still can’t help but treat the experience of a new album or new concert as school… we can’t help but wander down the path of, “How did they do that? Can we be that effective, and how?” [We draw the line at pocket protectors]. But with Night Eternal, the album was so gripping, we mostly enjoyed the journey together in silence, saving every musician’s note for when the musical notes took us to our final destination.

I Never Drink…
While listening to Fernando’s opening words of “At Tragic Heights” [from the book of Revelation, of course], the same image that hits me often when I hear his voice, hit me again: Gary Oldman’s Dracula. And I can’t help but imagine him [Fernando, not Gary] saying to me, “Welcome… to my…. hhhhh…home.” In this inner-dialogue, I omit the part about “I never drink… wine,” because I know for a fact that Fernando does indeed drink wine. [Wouldn't it be cool if he drank Corvo wine]? At any rate, water, wine, blood, Snapple… it doesn’t really matter what he drinks, it will not change the fact that Fernando Ribeiro is the reincarnation of Vlad Tepes… at least, Vlad’s inner rock-god… and Lestat, you’ve got nothing on my visions of Fernando rocking the impaler. *cough*

Six Feet Under the Influence
As each track unfolded, I swear, every time I opened my eyes, I was another foot under ground. By the end of the album, I was literally in a coffin. I don’t know where it came from, but there I was, clad in funeral garb, laying in a coffin. Cobwebs everywhere, doors squeaking for no reason… in unison… mice running across the ceiling, succubi eating babies all around me. It was… out. of. control. What I’m trying to say is that Night Eternal is Gothic as f^ck, people! But… in a very authentic way. Everything I love about Gothic art, architecture, literature and film is present in this album, and what’s so cool about Moonspell as artists, is that they’re not following the latest “Goffik trends,” this is just… who they are… and they just may “turn” you if you don’t cover your necks.

Night Eternal Re-Animated
The special edition CD arrived the following Tuesday, and I jumped around the house yelling, “a penny, a penny, a penny, a penny!” This CD is a thing of beauty. It’s a high quality digipak, very thoughtfully designed with the Devil in the details. It includes a wicked-cool keepsake sticker of the album cover, as well as a lyric booklet dripping with dark art and gorgeous band photos. As if the collector quality of the packaging isn’t enough, the special edition CD also includes three bonus tracks, and a DVD, complete with three live performances from Wacken Open Air, including fan-favorite Finesterra, and one of my favorites, Memento Mori [both from another Moonspell masterpiece, Memorial]. Along with live performance clips, the DVD includes the official video for Finesterra, a behind-the-scenes short video, and… and… the reason why I’m so happy I sprung for that extra penny and bought the special edition: the video for “Luna.” I swear, the bittersweet beauty of the tragically whimsical visuals and melancholic melodies swept me up into a black magic carpet-ride. No pixels, no fuzzy mono-tracks or sub-standard stereo coming from crap computer speakers… this is why I’m not quite convinced that Internet video will ever be a replacement for “real” TV. As “Luna” completed the viewing experience of Night Eternal, G9 turned to me and said, “Did they jump into our heads and rip that video right out of us?” Well… holy head like a hole, G-Man, I do believe they did.

In short, this is one of the best albums of the year, and definitely, one of the best ever by Moonspell. Do with that what you will.

Try the NIGHT ETERNAL Diet and Be Instantly Transformed!

BEFORE: A crazy, yet innocent pig-tailed metal head…

AFTER: Have you seen my teeth?!

I can’t help but look at that shot of Asia Argento in The Filth, and think to myself, with a father like that, who needs enemies? What a fascinating father-daughter dynamic. Not quite like my artistic father-daughter dynamic, in which we performed a duet of “Rainbow Connection” for my first ever opera audition. In later years, I think the craziest we ever got was when dad learned Over the Hills and Far Away on the guitar, and I sang like Robert Plant. But you know… if dad asked me to practically drown in entrails thirteen-plus hours a day, I’d gladly do it, because that would mean I’m starring in a Dario Argento film! What? You need to literally drill a hole into my cranium to get just the right blood squirt for this scene, and then insert a metal plate into my skull not to cover the hole, but to use the metal as an electric conductor for shooting 227,849 volts through my nose, so that when the killer tries to lobotomize me, he’ll blow up, and I’ll run around the room with my head on fire? Yes father, I’ll do it… because you’re Dario Argento and I’m starring in your film!

The depth of Asia’s filth and pain-threshold is astounding, and in La Terza Madre, I started to think, wow, she’s kind of getting through this one like she’s in a Jerry Bruckheimer film, or something… until the scene from that photo up there ^. Wow… it’s… a force of nature to watch her trudge through it all. Even though La Terza Madre is, as Dethklok would declare, f^cking brutal, complete with blood, boobs, impaling, baby eating and more [for one very low price], this film made me laugh. Out loud. A lot. I know, it’s totally sick, but I giggled like crazy through the whole thing. So what if all of Italy and the world gets raped, pillaged, and possessed by ancient demons, this is opera at its finest. As I watched old Mater Lachrymarum’s witch-brigade trolling about, acting like The Pïnkk Läydeez, I was reminded of the years I’d spent in opera performing in the women’s choruses. Part of the reason why I love Argento’s work so much is that I recognize that it’s Italian horror opera… maybe that’s why I’m able to take the brutality in-stride. You could say that death in vivid colors takes me back to fond memories of watching people die when I was in grade school… characters in my operas, sillies, not real people!

G9′S ARGENTO TOP 5:
Suspiria
Tenebre
Inferno
La Terza Madre
Deep Red

NiNi’S ARGENTO TOP 5:
Suspiria
La Terza Madre
Do You Like Hitchcock?
Pelts
Opera

Another reason Argento’s films resonate with me as opera, is the importance placed on the music. In La Terza Madre, Claudio Simonetti’s score delivers a powerful “character” to the film in what I would consider one of the best film scores ever made, and definitely up-to-snuff with his Suspiria score. The final [closing credits] track “Mater Lacrimarum,” performed by Daemonia, with guest vocalist Dani Filth, is a horror music masterpiece. When I first heard it, I just wanted to loop it over and over again for days… seriously… and I did!

On that [literal] note, I’ve enclosed Mater Lacrimarum herein for your listening pleasure.

If “Mater Lacrimarum” resonates with you, please show your support by visiting Daemonia on mySpace, adding them to your fiends list, listening to more [as G9 would say], melodies of horror, and downloading some free tracks! It’s Italian horror metal with progressive rock sophistication, and they’re truly one of our hugest inspirations.

Finally, for we who’ve been following these Argento witches for so many years, La Terza Madre goes out with a bang, providing perfect closure for The Three Mothers Trilogy, all the way down to casting Udo Kier and Daria Nicolodi [and of course, our beloved Asia].

[ G9's Review of La Terza Madre Soundtrack ] [ G9's Exclusive Interview With Daemonia ]

If you only have time to listen to one track on this widget, I highly recommend Scorpion Flower [track #4] featuring the amazing voice of Anneke van Giersbergen. To stream the album, just click on the middle “slot” when you mouse over the widget image. You can click on individual songs… the player doesn’t confine you to listening to the whole album, although… if listening to the whole album is “confinement,” throw away the key, because in my opinion, this is a perfect album… at least, perfect for me!

My thoughts in “real time” as I listened to the stream:

Holy Jeebus, I’m only on track one ["At Tragic Heights"] of Moonspell’s new album, Night Eternal, and I’ve already decided to buy it the moment I get paid Friday. See? Label streams entire album online, consumer is willing to buy said album. It’s called “the new era of music sales,” and it’s really not that difficult to let people listen for free as part of the whole purchasing experience. Of course, it’s gotta be a great album if the label’s confident enough to let people “try before they buy,” so that alone is a no-brainer for we who devour music… free online album streams and embeddable widgets are the new “perceived value” of music pricing. But enough with my “industry research” observations and onto the album…

Oh wow, [ex-The Gathering's] Anneke van Giersbergen [one of my vocal heroes] contributes to the song “Scorpion Flower?” Right on! I’m really digging the female vocal seasonings throughout the album… I’m going to spring for the special edition if it hasn’t already sold out. I’ll definitely do a follow-up on the actual [physical] CD soon…

Make no mistake about it, we plan to “try before buy” Telltale… wonder where we could score a nifty l’il widget like this one? I bet SPV had to pay a pretty penny to MySpace for it… but what a worthwhile investment.

On Track #3 now, and wetting my pants… I looooove this album!

The flash player is of exceptional audio quality, too.

Uh oh… now on Anneke’s song, “Scorpion Flower”. It’s breathtaking! I would buy the album just for this song alone. [Loved it so much, had to post the lyrics].

Finished the album stream: fantastic, fantastic, fantastic!

Can I steal your mind for a while?
Can I stop your heart for a while?
Can I freeze your soul and your time?
Scorpion flower, Token of death
Ignite the skies with your eyes
And keep me away from your light

Surrender tears to your mortal act
Flower cursed be thy fruit
Of your courage last
Of your grand finale
Flower crushed in the ground
In your empty heart
In the breast that feeds
Flower worn in the dark
~From SCORPION FLOWER, Moonspell Featuring Anneke van Giersbergen

Happy Friday the 13th!
<3 + ^v^
-NiNi + G9 [Corvo]

1. There is an International Association of Exorcists? It was founded in 1993, it’s very difficult to become a member [damn darn damn], and there’s an annual conference held every year. In 2004, 500 members attended the conference held in Mexico. [Fly-on-the-wall-powers, *activate!* Shape of: a fly. Form of: a spy.]

2. Italian is The Devil’s Tongue.
“I speak with the devil every day. I talk to him in Latin. He answers in Italian. I have been wrestling with him, day in day out, for 14 years.” -Father Gabriel Amorth, World-Famous Exorcist [Italian? I thought for sure it would be something more romantic, like... oh I dunno, Dagonese? What, you've reserved that language for me alone, oh Infernal One? Ia! Ia! Kutulu Zi Kur!]

3. Not necessarily a piece of demonic trivia-nuggetry, but quite possibly one of the best article names I’ve ever read, ever: SO YOU WANT TO PERFORM AN EXORCISM: HERE IS WHAT IT TAKES

4. Exorcists will not be out of jobs any time soon. Again, feeling a bit bummed that it’s so difficult to join the *IAE. [*Abbreviation = I'm all savvy and insider-y about exorcists professional exorcists now].

5. Hell is in Michigan. This means that Hell freezes over at least one season a year.

And now, I leave you with a final demonic image. While frolicking about the interwebs searching for a deeper understanding of exorcism and demonic possession [with great Monster Mondays comes great responsibility], I found it in black-and-white. Google’s *deal* with You-Know-Who [yes, Yahoo and Satan] for world domination revealed through Ad Sense [Is that a yes or no question?]

“I speak with the devil every day. I talk to him in Latin. He answers in Italian. I have been wrestling with him, day in day out, for 14 years.” -Father Gabriel Amorth, World-Famous Exorcist