Arkham – Obscurs Et Éternels (Demo 1996)

Country: France

Tracklist

1. Blood Is Life 05:54
2. The Haunter Of The Dark 08:55
3. Live Evil 03:21
4. Seasons Of The Underworld 07:05

The band was formed in January 1994 by Comte d’Erlette (Bass/Vocals)

and Syuth n’ Guaraath (Guitars/Vocals, also member of The Last Battle)

under the name of Necromancya as a tribute to Howard Phillips Lovecraft's stories.
During the summer of 1994 they changed their name to Arkham and joined by Vincent (Drums) and Joachim (2nd Guitar).
In winter of 1995 Mathieu (Synths) and Marion (Female Vocals) recruited but Joachim left the band.
With this line up they recorded their first demo "Obscurs Et Éternels" in June of 1996 that sold more than 200 copies.
In the next few months Vincent, Marion and Mathieu left the band.
At the end of 1996, Lord Von Carthasis joined Arkham as a new drummer.
The year after, in March, they recorded the "Promo - Tape 1897" (later was used on their split with Nuit Noire)

of which one track was also presented on the Velvet Music International's compilation "Encyclopedia Pestilentia".
In July of 1997 a rehearsal tape was recorded.
By the end of 1999 Lord Von Carthasis had left the band as he preferred to devote himself to his projects

and Tenebras (from Nuit Noire) replaced him handling the drums followed by Sire Cedric who realized the sound effects.
Thanks to this new line-up Arkham released in 2000 the "Malediction" demo album, composed of eight tracks.
In 2004 their EP "Chapter III: The Madness From The Sea" was released as a limited edition CD of 994 handnumbered copies.

Memory

Les Baxter – The Pit And The Pendulum (1961)

Composer: Les Baxter

Tracklist

1. Main Titles 04:46
2. Francis Inquires 01:32
3. Elizabeth's Tomb 02:46
4. Nicholas' Trauma 06:22
5. Music In The Night 03:09
6. Incipient Madness 02:41
7. Castle Medina 00:58
8. Nightmare 00:40
9. Dark Corridors 01:26
10. Dead End 02:09
11. Nicholas' Guilt 01:45
12. Late Wife 00:24
13. Suspicions 03:03
14. True, True! 05:19
15. Voices And Spiderwebs 05:10
16. Don Medina's Return 02:18
17. The Pit And The Pendulum 06:29
18. End Titles 02:12

The Pit And The Pendulum is a 1961 horror film directed by Roger Corman,

starring Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr, and Luana Anders.

The screenplay by Richard Matheson was loosely inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's 1842 short story of the same name.
The film was the second title in the popular series of Poe adaptations released by American International Pictures,

the first having been Corman's House Of Usher released the previous year.
Like House, the film features widescreen cinematography by Floyd Crosby,

sets designed by art director Daniel Haller, and a film score composed by Les Baxter.

A critical and box-office hit, Pit's success convinced AIP and Corman to continue adapting Poe stories 

for another six films, five of them starring Vincent Price.

The series ended in 1965 with the release of The Tomb Of Ligeia.
Film critics have noted the film's strong influence on numerous subsequent Italian thrillers,

from Mario Bava's The Whip And The Body (1963) to Dario Argento's Deep Red (1975).
Stephen King has described one of Pit's major shock sequences

as being among the most important moments in post-1960 horror film.
Leslie Thompson "Les" Baxter (March 14, 1922 – January 15, 1996) was a best-selling American musician and composer.

After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands,

he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as Exotica and scored over 100 motion pictures.
Baxter studied piano at the Detroit Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles at Pepperdine College.
From 1943 on he played tenor and baritone saxophone for the Freddie Slack big band.
Abandoning a concert career as a pianist, he turned to popular music as a singer.
In 1950 Baxter started arranging and conducting for Capitol Records 

 and conducted the orchestra in two early Nat King Cole hits, "Mona Lisa" and "Too Young".

He also recorded Yma Sumac's first album: "Voice Of The Xtabay",

which can be considered one of the first recordings of Exotica.
In 1951 he made the original recording of "Quiet Village" which years later became a hit for Martin Denny.

In 1953 he scored his first movie, the sailing travelogue Tanga Tika.
With his own orchestra, he released a number of hits including "Ruby" (1953), "Unchained Melody" (1955),

"The Poor People Of Paris" (1956) and "Sinner Man" (1956).
"Unchained Melody" was the first million seller for Baxter and was awarded a gold disc.
"The Poor People Of Paris" also sold over one million copies.
He also achieved success with concept albums of his own orchestral suites: Le Sacre Du Sauvage, Festival Of The Gnomes,

Ports Of Pleasure, and Brazil Now, the first three for Capitol and the fourth on Gene Norman's Crescendo label.

The list of musicians on these recordings includes Plas Johnson and Clare Fischer.
Baxter also wrote the "Whistle" theme from the TV show Lassie.
In the 1960s, he formed the Balladeers, a conservative folk group in suits that at one time featured a young David Crosby.

Later he used some of the same singers from that group for a studio project called The Forum.

He worked in radio as musical director of The Halls Of Ivy and the Bob Hope and Abbott And Costello shows.
Like his counterparts Henry Mancini and Lalo Schifrin, Baxter worked in films in the 1960s and 1970s. 

He worked on movie scores for B-movie studio American International Pictures 

where he composed scores for Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe films and other horror and beach party films

including House Of Usher, The Pit And The Pendulum, The Raven, Muscle Beach Party and Beach Blanket Bingo.

He also composed a new score for the theatrical release of the 1970 horror film Cry Of The Banshee 

after AIP rejected Wilfred Josephs's original one.

Howard W. Koch recalled that Baxter composed, orchestrated and recorded

the entire score of The Yellow Tomahawk (1954) in a total of three hours for $5,000.
When soundtrack work fell off in the 1980s, he scored music for theme parks such as SeaWorld.

Memory

Faun – Betrothed Unto Death (Demo 1995)

Country: Norway

Tracklist

1. Som Taager I Maaneskjaer 02:58
2. En Hyllest Til Døden 02:50
3. Winternight's Lightning 02:29
4. Alene 02:51
5. Pagan Sons Of The Artic Realm 02:07
6. Within The Shadows Of Darkness 03:06
7. I Prakten Ligger Makten 01:37
8. Into The Web Of Winter (Reh. W/Full Line Up, No Voc) 03:08

Faun was risen from the ashes of early 90´s Norwegian cult bands Energumen and Coffin Of Lament, 

being part of the legendary Hønefoss Black Metal scene beside bands such as Dim Nagel, Kvist and Urgehal.
In 1992 Northgrove and Ravenloft created the band Coffin Of Lament and released the demo "Gwrach-Y-Rhibyn".
In 1994 they changed the name of the band to Faun.
Ravenloft was replaced by Razaak and Agina Taran joined as a session member in 1995.
Faun released three demo tapes before disbanding in 1996 after Northgrove focused on his new band Vulture Lord.

Memory

Opus Malefici – Obscure Thoughts (MCD 1997)

Country: Italy

Tracklist

1. Liber Theth: Into The Whirl Of Lust & Ecstasy 03:12
2. Inhuman Destiny 03:57
3. Dark Empty Way 03:07

Opus Malefici was an Italian black metal band that was formed in 1995 with members from Darkness.
In April 1996 their debut demo was recorded and professionally printed and distributed by Dyna Records.
A few months later three members left in order to keep playing in Darkness and a new line up was established.
Some appearances on Italian compilation were followed and later they offered a deal from Nocturnal Music

 for the release of a MCD which was also the first from this newly created back then label.
The MCD was recorded on December of 1996 and released in 1997 entitled "Obscure Thoughts" 

featuring Simone Biliotti (Ghoul Vault, Menschenfeind) on vocals,

Marco Mazzoni (ex-Necromass, ex-Handful Of Hate) on guitars and Matteo Bennici (ex-Cryogen, ex-Merdiolence) on bass.

The drums were written by Matteo Kleeman and recorded on a drum machine.

There were future plans for a full length album as the band was working on new songs but this was never happened.

Memory

Drusus – Spleen (7'' EP 1997)

Country: Romania

Tracklist

1. Cîntec De Mormînt / Grabgesang 07:49
2. Nervi De Toamnă / Herbstnerven 07:42

Pre-RA project created by Andrei Rusu (ex-Agathodaimon) in 1995.
After several demos Rusu released this limited EP (600 hand numbered copies) in 1997 through German Sombre Records.
The lyrics on the two tracks were taken from Romanian poets Mihai Eminescu and George Bacovia.
The name of the project changed in 1999 to RA.

Memory

Alejandro Jodorowsky / Don Cherry / Ronald Frangipane – The Holy Mountain (1973)

Composers: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Don Cherry, Ronald Frangipane

Tracklist

1. Trance Mutation 03:31
2. Pissed And Passed Out 01:48
3. Violence Of The Lambs 02:02
4. Drink It 01:37
5. Christs 4 Sale 00:43
6. Cast Out And Pissed 01:47
7. Eye Of The Beholder 02:17
8. Communion 01:23
9. Rainbow Room 04:40
10. Alchemical Room 04:14
11. Tarot Will Teach You / Burn Your Money 08:44
12. Mattresses, Masks & Pearls 05:53
13. Isla (The Sapphic Sleep) 02:21
14. Psychedelic Weapons 01:11
15. Rich Man In A Fishbowl 04:09
16. Miniature Plastic Bomb Shop 03:14
17. Fuck Machine 03:12
18. Baby Snakes 01:20
19. A Walk In The Park 01:31
20. Mice And Massacre 03:27
21. City Of Freedom 03:21
22. Starfish 02:21
23. The Climb / Reality (Zoom Back Camera) 04:14
24. Pantheon Bar (Bees Make Honey...) 03:45

The Holy Mountain (Spanish: La Montaña Sagrada) is a 1973 Mexican surreal-fantasy film

directed, written, produced, co-scored, co-edited by and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky,

who also participated as a set designer and costume designer on the film.

Following Jodorowsky's underground hit El Topo, acclaimed by both John Lennon and George Harrison,

the film was produced by The Beatles manager Allen Klein of ABKCO Music And Records.

Lennon and Yoko Ono put up production money and the film was shown at various international film festivals in 1973,

including Cannes and limited screenings in New York and San Francisco.
The film is based on Ascent Of Mount Carmel by John Of The Cross 

and Mount Analogue by René Daumal, who was a student of George Gurdjieff.

In this film, much of Jodorowsky's visually psychedelic story follows the metaphysical thrust of Mount Analogue.

This is revealed in such events as the climb to the alchemist, the assembly of individuals with specific skills,

the discovery of the mountain that unites Heaven and Earth "that cannot not exist"

and symbolic challenges along the mountain ascent.

Daumal died before finishing his allegorical novel, and Jodorowsky's improvised ending

provides a way of completing the work (both symbolically and otherwise).
Before the principal photography would commence,

Jodorowsky and his wife spent a week without sleep under the direction of a Japanese Zen master.
Members of the cast spent three months doing various spiritual exercises guided by Oscar Ichazo of the Arica Institute.

The Arica training features Zen, Sufi and yoga exercises along with eclectic concepts drawn from the Kabbalah,

the I Ching and the teachings of George Gurdjieff.

After the training, the group lived for one month communally in Jodorowsky's home before production. 

Thereafter, the filming started in early 1972 and was shot sequentially, entirely in Mexico, at a budget of $750,000.
Jodorowsky was also instructed by Ichazo to take LSD for the purpose of spiritual exploration.

He also administered psilocybin mushrooms to the actors during the shooting of the death-rebirth scene.

The film was completed just in time for the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, where it was much awaited.

Jodorowsky edited out twenty minutes of dialogue, with the intention of removing as much dialogue as he could.

The film had its premiere at Waverly Theatre, an art house movie theater in New York City on 29 November 1973,

where it had restricted run at midnights on Friday and Saturday for sixteen months.
It was also shown at Filmex on 30 March 1974, which was described as the "American premiere".
At a few places it was released as a double bill with Jodorowsky's 1970 film El Topo

 and eventually became a cult film with its influence on popular culture.

Memory

Thy Grief – The Frozen Tomb Of Mankind (1997)

Country: Norway

Tracklist

1. The Frozen Tomb Of Mankind 06:10
2. Blod På Himmelen 04:42
3. Into The Land Of Shadows 05:39
4. Twilight Shine Upon Majestic Mountains 05:34
5. Da Mørket Omfavnet Meg 04:11
6. Nocturnal Eyes 04:51
7. In Spite Of Victory 04:36
8. Echoes From A Past Forgotten 07:59
9. Sorgens Klør 04:35

Thy Grief was formed in the beginning of 1995 with the wish to create music

that combined darkness and rawness atmospheric harmonies.

It was also essential to put effort into improving the quality of their music and the sound as well,

and at the same time still hold on to the genre.

Lyrically Thy Grief is pure fictional with aspects to bring the music and lyrics closer together

through describing the emotions experienced within.
In August 1995 Thy Grief entered a studio to record the debut demo called "A Frozen Realm"

with Kim Anders Johannessen (guitar, keys), Kjetil Monsen (bass), Ken Larsen (guitar, keys) and Roald Fosse (vocals).

As the band had no permanent drummer at the time, Vrolok of Aeternus helped out with the drums on the recording.

The demo was recorded and mixed in four days in a 16-track studio.

Despite the short period the demo attained very good sound quality and received good responds.

As a result in May 1996 Thy Grief signed a two album record contract with the German label Solistitium Records.
At the time there were some line up problems when Ken and Roald left the band

and two new members had to be recruited.

This turned out to be Christer Korsvold (bass, keys) and Frode Gaustad (drums).
The new line up caused a delay due to rehearsals

as the recording of the debut album was originally scheduled to begin in August 1996.
Finally, in February 1997, Thy Grief could enter the studio to record their debut album "The Frozen Tomb Of Mankind".

The album was recorded in a 16-track digital studio containing nine tracks

and is a pointer to the high potential of Thy Grief could have.
After the recording of the album Christer left the band as he felt he couldn't express his music.
Some musical disputes were also present.

There were plans for a second album with half of the new songs been composed,

based on a slower tempo and given more weight on the melodic parts of the music,

and with the intention to to enter the recording studio in August-September of 1998,

but this never happened and the band split up around 1999 - 2000.

Memory