Where the strange and unusual are welcome.
I went in listening to Arkham Sunset’s newest album with only a vague idea of what to expect. Based in Portland, OR, Gerry Hathaway is the founder and artist behind the music project and classifies his sound within the industrial, darkwave and synthpop genres. When I played Failure Analysis, my ears were met with an interesting blend of electronic sounds that spanned the entire album.
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Despite the Hollywood glitz and glam that mainstream media likes to boast about Los Angeles, there’s no question that a dark energy also plagues the City of Angels. Grave Line Tours highlights the seedy underbelly of the town, “putting death on the map,” as they describe it. They offer various experiences exposing the tragedies that have occurred here, from the Manson murders to haunted sites. I went on an excursion to retrace the steps of the infamous Black Dahlia, a cold case that continues to mystify the public and remains unsolved.
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I had the opportunity to experience The Queen Mary in a way I haven’t before. The historic ship hosts a special attraction called The Grey Ghost Project. “Grey Ghost” is the name the vessel garnered when it was used for military transportation during World War II. The project, however, is not at all like the other tours offered and is a methodical, hands-on paranormal investigation of the ship. It’s a novel approach that produced interesting interactions.
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I enjoy losing myself in gothic melodies and if you do too, then you’ll take great delight in listening to Morbus Tenebris. This music project is the brainchild of Benjamin Fouché who embarked on this venture in 2018. Since then, he has released a trio of albums, as well as books to accompany them. Here, I give a closer peek at the artist’s work.
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Around here at Vamp Jenn’s Corner, we prefer black hearts, bloody red dead roses and moonlit strolls in the graveyard to commemorate Valloween. If you’re wondering what to gift a spooky special someone for Valentine’s Day, this is the list for you. I’ve rounded up a few gift ideas from small businesses and independent creators that are bound to delight those who bask in darkness, whether they’re a friend, family member or significant other.
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How can one not be curious to check out the musical offerings of a band that goes by a name like Horror for Breakfast? I enjoy horror with all my meals, and there’s definitely room on my plate for this group. The duo is from Italy and consists of Lily B. and Louis M. They are very new to the darkwave scene and began creating music in 2023. In December, they unleashed their first two songs, and I’m reviewing them here.
Continue reading “Macabre Shoutout: Introducing New Darkwave Band Horror for Breakfast”No stranger to death, ghosts, hauntings and the occult, Edgar Allan Poe was right at home among the macabre. These morbid themes became great companions of his as he’d write his poems and short stories. His dark imaginings continue to bring readers into realms where the spectral reigns. A few years ago, I wrote a blog post celebrating the birthday of Poe, who was born on January 19, 1809. In it, I dedicated a small portion to interesting facts about the writer. I decided to expand on those and create a special feature to commemorate his birth. While many aspects of Poe’s life remain a mystery, the following are a few pieces to add to the puzzle of his existence.
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Hailing from Lyon, France, Divine Shade is a band that blends a mix of dark alternative sounds that include industrial, darkwave and electronic. Last October, they dropped a single titled “Oublier,” which gives a taste of a bigger music project they’re currently working on. The song is my introduction to this group, and I’m pleasantly pleased with what I hear.
Continue reading “Macabre Shoutout: Divine Shade’s Electrically Charged Industrial Track “Oublier””
Another year has commenced, and you know what that means. It’s time to release my annual Odd & Macabre Events Calendar for 2024! This is always exciting for me to work on as it gives me a teaser of what devilish happenings I can look forward to in the coming months. And I hope it does the same for you, so you can fill your calendar with all sorts of spooky outings.
If you’re new here, allow me to explain the purpose of this page. It’s to be used as a helpful resource for anyone interested in attending events that are related to the worlds of horror, Halloween, alternative subcultures and the macabre in general. Many of these activities occur in Los Angeles because that’s where I’m based, but I don’t want anyone feeling left out, so I do my best to list affairs happening across the U.S. and worldwide. I do as much research as I can and am always open to suggestions. If you know about an event that would fit perfectly on this calendar, just drop your recommendations in the comments. This is a work in progress as new events pop up continuously throughout the year, so bookmark this page so you can easily refer back to it for updates. Here’s to another odd and macabre-filled year!
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Since 2014, Seatemples has been hypnotizing listeners with their songs. They’re a Chilean band that’s adding to the diversity of the goth scene and helping to bring more Latin American groups within the genre to the forefront. Their music blends various sounds that fall under the wide goth genre umbrella, including shoegaze, post-punk, goth rock and darkwave. As they approach their 10-year anniversary as a group, they’re continuing to create and flourish.
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