Gruesome Joe’s Musical Morgue

'The Attic' Review

Listen up Deadites!

Gruesome Joe here with the latest installment of the Musical Morgue, right here on Rotting Flesh Radio.

This week I’ve got an album that just came out from the Haunt Rocker himself, Jerry Vayne, and I think it is one you’re going to like. We’re talking about his new album titled The Attic—so let’s get right to the music!

The very first thing that jumps out at me when listening through this new CD is the amount of detail Jerry has worked into the atmospheric elements and overall ambiance. There are several tracks on the disc that are completely ambient, gearing us up for his soaring guitar melodies and orchestrations. The very first track on the album is one of these ambient tracks, appropriately titled “The Attic.”

(“The Attic” clip)

Immediately after “The Attic” is the track “Alone In Darkness.” This track features Jerry’s more signature lofty guitar stylings. I think this track is perfectly placed on the album because it is heavy, driving, and gears us up for things to come. It is then followed by the track “Manifestation,” which introduces us to some new elements in Jerry’s musical arsenal—stranger guitar effects intertwined into heavy metal styling and a good driving beat. He also incorporates ambient elements into this track to really make the “Manifestation” come to life!

(“Manifestation” clip)

The next track is titled “The Ghost of Marianna Odile” and I think it is a terrific track because it incorporates Jerry’s heavy guitar styling, his lofty picked styling, cool ambient elements, as well as killer epic swells—and it sounds like he may have incorporated some synths, of which I love! The best part is that this track is almost 6 minutes long and changes pace several times—making for an awesome audio journey within the track itself.

(“The Ghost of Marianna Odile” clip)

The next track is an ambient, synth-heavy track titled “Possessed.” I thought it was pretty cool how Jerry incorporated these dark thematic elements to get us musically off-kilter and ready to rock, which is exactly what he does in the next track “Insanium.”

(“Insanium” clip)

The next track is a delightfully creepy track called “The Skin Marionette”. It begins with a very spooky ambience, but then heads into a driving, pulsing piece of metal madness. This track would fit perfectly into an intense scene in a haunted house because of how it keeps the beat moving and is constantly evolving and changing with the guitars. It would add that “intensity” we’re all looking for in our mazes, strobe rooms, and chop shops…

(“The Skin Marionette” clip)

Everything then gets taken down a notch with the next two tracks, “Midnight” and “Thin Trails of Red.” The track “Midnight” features some very lofty guitar solos on a bed of ticking clocks and clean guitar picking. It’s in a great spot on the album as well, as we’re halfway through, so it acts as a sort of intermission. “Thin Trails of Red” is a very interesting, disjointed track that is definitely musical, but almost acts more like ambience that music…

(“Thin Trails of Red” clip)

The disjointed feel is continued through the beginning of the next track “Self-Inflicted Wounds,” but once the driving beat kicks in—you know it’s time to rock! This heavy metal track gets the pulse pounding again, and utilizes a really nice, dark bass line to root the guitar overlay.

(“Self-Inflicted Wounds” clip)

The speedy beat really comes back with the next track “Death’s Throes.” Utilizing double bass pedal drumming counterpoised with some more ambient guitar arpeggios, Jerry creates a very dark, moody atmosphere reminiscent of his earlier work on Damnation’s Embrace. This feel continues through to the next track “In Darkness Forever.”

(“In Darkness Forever” clip)

The next track “Nightmare’s End” is a very cool, up-tempo piece that begins with a strong heavy metal vibe. It’s a fairly long, hard-rocking track, and changes pace several times throughout. After the first significant change, it has a very Goblin feel, because of the use of underlying effects, a distinct bass line, and maybe even a synth or two. It then ends with a more driving metal underbelly and a crazy, explosive ending. What really makes it stand out to me is how it has three very musically distinct sections that all come together to make almost a “Haunt Rocker Opus.” It’s by far my favorite track on the album.

(“Nightmare’s End” clip)

We’re then brought into the next track “Alone In Darkness (Reprise)” that brings the tempo way down and sets us up for the final ambient track of the official album “Epilogue.” There is one more track on the album, a little bonus track if you will, but I’m not going to let you hear that one—it’s too good. You’ll just have to buy your copy of the album to enjoy the heavy rocking track that is “Necromantix.”  Let me just say it’s a perfect final track on an album that has already proven to be a delightful, dark treat.

So overall, I give The Attic a full 5 stars and highly recommend you pick up a copy. I am very impressed with how Jerry’s musicality has evolved, as well as how he’s begun to incorporate more ambient features into the pieces. Given his main audience is haunters, you can tell he’s really trying to craft gems for his fans and listeners that not only rock out musically, but that also stand to be very useful within a haunted attraction. I absolutely loved this album from start to finish, and can easily say that it is his best work to date.

And at $8.99 for a digital download of the entire album, the price couldn’t be better for 16 killer tracks. Head over to his website www.JerryVayne.com or to his Amazon store to get the album for $8.99, or you can log in to iTunes and download it there for $9.99. You won’t be disappointed when you add this one to your music collection.

Well Deadites, that about does it for this week here in the Morgue. Be sure to check out GruesomeJoe.com for the written version of my review, as well as well as all the links to buy your copy of The Attic from the Haunt Rocker, Jerry Vayne. I’m Gruesome Joe and I’ll be chilling out here in the morgue, waiting for you… until next time…

Greetings Deadites!

Midnight Syndicate has been busy as all get-out and TODAY is the official launch of their film The Dead Matter. The film, and 2 bonus music CD’s are available at Hot Topic stores nation-wide NOW!  The bonus CD’s included with the film DVD are the official The Dead Matter soundtrack (featuring remixes and special tracks by several awesome artists such as Jerry Vayne, Lazy Lane, and more) as well as an extra special bonus mix CD of Ed and Gavin’s favorite pieces spanning Midnight Syndicate’s vast musical legacy.  This is one triple threat that you just can’t miss!

So be sure to get out to your local Hot Topic and help support these great artists, independent cinema, and original music!

Rotting away,

GJ

'Damnation's Embrace' Review

Listen up Deadites!  Gruesome Joe here with the latest installment of the Musical Morgue right here on Rotting Flesh Radio.

So I’ve been chilling out here in the Morgue, listening to some new stuff here and there—but this week’s pick is HOT off the press, having just debuted a week and change ago at HauntCon 2009.  We’re talking about the brand new album by the Haunt Rocker himself—Jerry Vayne.  The CD is entitled Damnation’s Embrace, and marks Jerry’s first full-length album of music specifically for within the haunt industry realm.

Now, Jerry isn’t a new name to those of you who frequent Rotting Flesh Radio.  He contributed the title track on Rotting Flesh Radio’s last CD Dark Pandemonium: A Descent into the Labyrinth of the Mind as well as the track “Zombie Stomp” for the album.  He’s a voice you’ve come to know, representing Rotting Flesh Radio on the Western most reaches of the States.  And his latest music here is sure to become a favorite of most everyone in the haunt industry.

Right out of the gate, I have to say that this album ROCKS!  Damnation’s Embrace is going to be a perfect album for anyone who works in the haunted attraction industry.  The album, having been produced by Jonathan Johnson of RFR and Jerry Vayne, has been created with a dual usefulness—the album not only can stand on its own as a great collection of music with a great accompanying storyline, but in addition, the tracks on the album are royalty free and can be used at your haunted attraction or event—all you have to do is register your haunt/event/etc with Jerry.  The concept is that it was made for haunted attractions that are looking for a heavier, more rock and roll edge to the music within their haunt (which it certainly achieves)—but the album, musically, can stand on its own.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

Damnation’s Embrace is 18 tracks of metal madness intertwined with some superbly mixed ambient tracks that sweep you along the storyline of Lucas—an adventurous youth who wanders across an abandoned circus only to find the tents sit atop a clan of bad ass vampires who need a sacrifice to be set free.  16 of the album’s tracks are brand new and follow this storyline, with the last two songs on the album being completely remixed alternative versions of both “Dark Pandemonium” and “Zombie Stomp.”  

I personally like the balance of slow and fast songs Jerry has composed and the order in which they’ve been arranged.  The album really gets going with “Cirque De Diablo.”

(“Cirque De Diablo” short clip)

And is then quickly followed up with the hypnotic “Midnight’s Entanglement.”

(“Midnight’s Entanglement” short clip)

Just hearing those two clips gives you a good idea as to how this album would be great for use within a haunted attraction.  The all-instrumental tracks each have a very distinct tone and flavor and would really add to a scene or collection of rooms in your attraction.

The next couple tracks “Cavern of Shadows” and “Blood Ritual” offer a really nice underlying ambience with very eerie and dissonant guitar workings.  Just listening to them paints vivid pictures in your mind of tribal madness, suspense and danger.

(“Blood Ritual” clip)

The next several tracks change up tempos from high to low and feature fast guitar solos and plenty of ambient noise and mixed in sounds.  It is at this point in the story that Lucas has become trapped by the vampires and discovers he is to be the main course of their feast.  So naturally, the music sweeps from slow, fearful and tremulous guitar melodies to full fledged, fast paced rock.

Vayne then changes things up a bit with the 9^th track of the album “Penance.”  This song in particular stood out to me because it starts off in a similar vein as “Death’s Goodbye” but then quickly takes a turn and becomes, in my opinion, one of the best tracks musically on the album.  The guitar styling is very full of despair and longing for the first couple minutes, and then quickly becomes an epic choir of soaring guitars crescendoing to a joyous peak.

(“Penance” clip)

The next several tracks of the album are perfect combinations of styles of songs Vayne has created for the album—on one side, they are perfectly suited to be in haunted attractions—such as with “Atonement…”

(“Atonement” short clip)

But these songs also possess the power and musical complexity such as that found in “Penance” earlier on the CD.  The track “Moonlight’s Lament” is a great example of this.

(“Moonlight’s Lament” short clip)

The album then closes with the very ambient track “Looking Glass” that features subtly mixed in fractions and pieces of songs previously appearing on the album, and is then wrapped with the triumphantly evil closer—“Damnation’s Embrace.”

(“Damnation’s Embrace” short clip then goes to underscoring)

Overall, Damnation’s Embrace gets two bloody stumps enthusiastically up for being both a great CD to be used in a haunt or event, and as a great standalone piece of good guitar based rock. Vayne has done a very good job with creating various moods and feelings with his compositions in a hard rock style that would certainly add a new feel to any attraction, or would just make a great album to spin in your workshop while you’re crafting your latest animatronics and set pieces.

You can purchase a copy of Damnation’s Embrace for just $12 plus shipping by going to JerryVayne.com.  You can also email Jerry from the website to register the album to be used at your haunt or event, and even to hire Jerry on to do some custom work for your project/video/commercial—whatever you have that would need some great music.  You can also find the full-length short story for the album online as well.  Again—that’s JerryVayne.com.

Damnation’s Embrace will also be available at the Midwest Haunters Convention on the tradeshow floor June 6 and 7, exclusively at the Rotting Flesh Radio booth.  Come by and chat with Jonathan and the RFR crew, and be sure to purchase your copy of the album if you haven’t already done so by then.

Well Deadites, that about does it for this week here in the Musical Morgue.  Be sure to tune in next time when we’ll have more great tunes I’m sure you’ll want to add to your collection. Until then, I’m Gruesome Joe and I’ll be chilling out here in the Morgue, waiting for you, until next time…