Curated by Monk
Well, it’s our very favourite day of the year, on which the veil between the worlds is briefly lowered and the spirits come back to join the living in the best party in the Überverse… not, that we need any excuse to break out the spirits and get the party started, never mind dress up in stupid costumes and get up to ghoulish goings-on… that’s pretty standard procedure any day of the week/month/year here at ÜRHQ… But it is an excuse to open up the Singles Club for a specially-themed edition, in which the emphasis is on all things creepy and spooky…
Kicking off the part this year are rising Blackburn NWoCRers Bastette, who are telling us how ‘Witches Burn’ is this nailed-on and suitably hair-raising version of the Pretty Reckless song:
Next we are entering the world of the Living Dead Girl, and the Canadian powerhouses are inviting us to an ‘Exorcism’, via the title track of their debut album, which was released at the beginning of the summer and has been on regular rotation here at URHQ ever since:
Next, we take up an invitation to join the Summoner’s Circle, who are spreading their Lovecraftian ‘Apostasy’ with the latest sample from their recently released concept album, ‘Chaos Vector’:
Rising Cardiff hard rockers Ravenbreed are now taking us for a walk ‘Among Ghosts’, their first single featuring their new line-up:
We now find ourselves standing on ‘The Ledge’, with the soundtrack provided by The Black Skeleton, the latest project from Australian singer Quinn Gardener-Kane, who is taking a more hard rock approach than on his previous output with funk-rock combo Defryme:
We’re staying in the land down under, where we’re defying ongoing Covidications to visit the ‘Creep Show’. And who else do we find propping up the bar, and grinding out the riffage, but one of favourite bunches of new-era sleaze rockers, the ever-hospitable Snake Bite Whisky… yessir, don’t mind if I take a swig of that:
We’re now ushered into the company of ‘Three Little Witches’, thanks to Finnish dark acoustic prog folk rockers Nobody, who prove that they are definitely somebody with this latest single from their third album, which itself was just released this past Friday:
‘Bring Out Your Dead’. That’s the rallying calling from Midlands gothic punk/hard rockers Lesbian Bed Death, the latest track to be lifted from their excellent seventh album, ‘The Witching Hour’, which is another that has been bothering our personal playlists for the past six weeks or so:
Our next stop is the beautiful Baltic state of Estonia, where death-dealing industrial metallers Strych:9 are introducing us to their pet ‘Freak’, extracted from their debut album, ‘Parasdiit’, released back in May:
Time to dance the ‘Nosferatu Waltz’ now, with the soundtrack being provided by the wonderfully named Golem Dance Cult, who take their inspiration was much from classic horror movies by the likes of Werner Herzog as they do gothic rock maestros such as Killing Joke:
Stay on the dancefloor, ghouls and ghoulettes, as its time to learn the steps to the ‘Frankenshuffle’. But, don’t worry, Pennsylvanian nu-core mob Traverse The Abyss are here to show us the way and supply the mood music for same:
Are you danced out yet? Well, you better not be, because London garage rock ‘n’ rollers The Blue Carpet Band have taken to the stage to teach us the ‘B-Movie Boogie’. A one, a two, a three…
Finnish blackened glam metallers – or is it glam-infused black metallers – Rimfrost recently rekindled their ‘Killer Instinct’ when they reunited earlier this year after a brief hiatus. The first result of this reunion is this, the first of two thematically linked singles coming our way: ironically, this first single tells the second half of the tale, but we’re not arguing…
Talking of sequels, a year after their first visit, Swedish horror rockers Mister Misery have returned to ‘Strangeland’ to continue their fantastical adventures – which, of course, also happens to coincide with the release of their second… now, there’s a coincidence!
It seems we have a Midnight Guest at the door, advising us that it is ‘The Hour Of The Wolf’… do they not realize it’s that time all day every day here at ÜRHQ? Anway, this slice of doom-laden occult-infused Seventies-style classic rock memorabilia is a tasty appetizer for the Canadian quartet’s forthcoming ‘Satanic Panic Attack’ debut EP:
More classic metal vibrations now, as German traditionalists Formosa return to the Club to tell us what they get up to on the ‘Night Of The Witch’ with this timely new release from their current ‘Danger Zone’ album:
Things have turned decidedly chilly, thanks to this latest single from New York alt-metal newcomers Vajra, who aren’t ‘Wavering’ in their ambition to get our attention. Well, they certainly did with this track from their debut EP, ‘Irkalla’:
We’re going back down the gothic/industrial route again, as Syd.31 takes us on a trip deep into the ‘Demon Night’ while recalling what it was like to live in a haunted house… yep, we know that feeling,as ÜRHQ has at least four ghosts, including a mischievous young poltergeist: fortunately for us, none of them are as malignant as the shadow people depicted in this (un)pleasant little ditty.
There’s another a gothic theme to our next offering, albeit more in the alt-rock mien as Black Violence share their tale of the ‘Bloody Bride’, from their forthcoming new album, ‘Extinction Control’:
We’re turning up the volume control and flexing our next offering, which comes from German trashers Bonded and their tale of ‘Lilith (Queen Of Blood)’, taken from their forthcoming second album, ‘Into Darkness’, which impacts in two weeks’ time:
We’re keeping it heavy and taking a trip some pretty putrid ‘Holes, Spaces & Voids’ in company of Swedish sewer dwellers Coffin Creep, who pull no punches and give no quarter with their brand of deathcore:
We’ve only got time for another couple of tracks, as Kevin is preparing to call last orders at the bar, so we’ll mellow things out somewhat with our penultimate offering, as Hannah Aldridge tells us that ‘Some Ghosts (Don’t Make A Sound). It’s a powerful slice of Americana and gospel-infused southern rock which features a guest contribution from Godhead’s Jason Charles Miller:
It’s almost time to get the fuck out, so we’re gonna bring things full circle and finish as we started, with another cover, this time in the form of Mordian’s atmospheric and chilling rendition of ‘Sally’s Lament’ from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. It’s a fantastic interpretation, suitably frail yet strong and dramatic:
Well, that’s you’re lot for this epic special edition of the Club. I hope your appetites are suitably whetted for whatever blood-soaked, gore-filled ghoulish antics you get up to this evening… You won’t have to wait too long for the “normal” edition, as we’ll back next week with our latest selection of our favourite cuts to have come our way… Until then, keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and keep on rockin’ and rollin’ \m/
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