With G9’s music and NiNi’s voice - speaking instead of singing, this time - as well as NiNi’s graphic illustrations and editing, the supernaturally sexy world of hard-edged heroine, Liz Phoenix has come to life in a video that NiNi says was “visually inspired by the films 300, Watchmen, and a little bit of Grindhouse: Planet Terror.”

“I also see the two MEN in my life as they REALLY are: a shape-shifting witch, and a half-vampire that’s turning bat-shit-evil! I STILL don’t know whether to kiss or kill them.”
~Liz Phoenix, DOOMSDAY CAN WAIT Video

For you bookworms in Corvo’s Murder - we know there’s quite a few of you - we’d like to say rather objectively that The Phoenix Chronicles is a fascinating series with “Revelationary” characters and creatures [Revelations + revolutionary = Revelationary!] that we’re sure you’d love to meet. The books kept our imaginations, dark art, and romantic horror rock music alive, kicking…and definitely biting!

To learn more about the series, shape-shift on over to Lori’s website. We hope you enjoy the video! Press the little “HQ” button before you hit “play” to see it in high quality and hear it in stereo!
xxx,
NiNi + G9,
Corvo

[+YouTube Favorites]
[The Chamber Door Podcast Enclosure]

Are you on Twitter? If so, leave your Twitter address here in the comments, so we can follow ya!
xxx,
-NiNi

NiNi Tweets:

G9 Tweets:

[ 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

She was 15-years-old, and it was the first time she’d ever been really sick, so to say her death blind-sided us is an understatement. She did die peacefully and our veterinarians are wonderful, wonderful people. She slipped away in both of our arms as she bid farewell to life as a living creature on planet earth. She will always be so special to me because she was the first cat I’d ever lived with on my own, in the adult world… she and I went through thick and thin together. G9 and I both already miss her dearly.

Fortunately, we recently adopted two new Studio Kittehs [Batty and Wylee], both sisters and both the cutest, most ornery little black cats. They’ve helped fill the hole in many ways, so there has been some sweet mixed in with the bitterness of loss. Still, Sprite was a kind, gentle soul to have with us at The Crow’s Nest, so the space she’s left will always be felt.

Time heals, this much we can count on, and life goes on, but never without her.

• Using the word “bedazzler” in ANY sentence is funny. Just try it once.
  9:56 AM Dec 15th from TwitterFox

• I’ve never understood the price range $0-$24.00. Shouldn’t it be $1.00 - 24.00? $.01 - 24.00?
  2:46 PM Dec 15th from TwitterFox

• Finished L.L. Foster’s SERVANT: THE AWAKENING *and* SERVANT: THE ACCEPTANCE. Stayed up until 6am Friday and Saturday to finish! I’m hooked.
  1:20 PM Dec 8th from TwitterFox

An excerpt from G9’s interview that I’d like to share here is something that we definitely relate to: the slow process of releasing an album when doing it 100% independently! Also, the article features links to free Celldweller music downloads and amazing art resources, so head on over to FEARnet for the whole thing… oh, and in the end, “sweet fear” awaits!

[ FEARnet Meets Cinema's Secret Weapon: Celldweller ]

Enjoy! -N.

INTERVIEW EXCERPT:
[G9] So how is the Celldweller album progressing? Can you share any details, or hint at a possible release date?

[Klayton] I can share only a few details [because] I may be castrated if I say too much and don’t deliver. Like I said earlier, the process for this album is totally different than any other I’ve done. So, that being said, I’ve recorded all the final vocals first. That has usually been the last step for me, but I wanted to put more of an emphasis on vocals on this album, so [co-producer] Grant Mohrman and I agreed that I would cut vocals first and build everything else around them.

I do actually have one song completely done ["So Long Sentiment"] and I’m working away on a few others simultaneously. I would love to just tell everyone “The album will be done by this date,” but I’ve learned my lesson on that one. It’s hard to predict when it will actually wrap up. I can tell you that I am thinking about alternative methods of releasing this album altogether, but I won’t say anything until I’m ready to commit… that always gets me in trouble.

I’ve also had an album title for a while, but haven’t officially announced that either. I’d love to say it’s because I’m “dark and mysterious,” but it’s more like “I get distracted by other things and forget.” Not quite as cool, huh? [ More @ FEARnet Meets Cinema's Secret Weapon: Celldweller ]

• Last night, I created the “Molly Ringwald Breakfast Club Shopping Cart Dance.” What else is one to do during grocery store ’80s tunes night? #
• Why is it you s’pose cats get REALLY feisty and playful after they’ve taken a huuuuuge dump? Relief? Insanity? Or is it just MY cats? #

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 ]

G9: Speaking of gear… I keep lots of weird toys in my recording studio for inspiration, monsters and robots and stuff. Do you guys do that too, or am I just a big dork?

Curtis: [Laughs] if you’re a dork, then I guess we are too. I’m a huge collector of ‘things,’ especially vintage film posters, so we have some of those framed around our studio, along with some action figures, toy dinosaurs, Halloween decorations, all the amazing fan art we get on tour, and a few actual move props I’ve collected over the years. I also have an extensive collection of movies on Beta, VHS, Laserdisc and DVD, so we also take frequent breaks to watch horror movies. Some people call that “putting off work’, but we like to call it ‘research’. I think having the stuff that inspires you around you at all times when you’re working creatively is a must… it just seems to open up those pathways so strange creations can creep in.

More Here: [ FEARnet Talks Touring, Toys and Monster Kung Fu with Creature Feature's Curtis RX ]

• I have this intense urge to watch THE WIZARD OF OZ… must be that winged baboon I dreamed about.
  [ 3:13 PM Nov 24th ]
• Sahweeet! Dir en Grey’s UROBOROS and Lacuna Coil’s VISUAL KARMA [Pre-Order] due to arrive 11/26… just in time for a long weekend!
  [ 8:43 PM Nov 24th ]
• Interesting. So far, overall, TWILIGHT scores 44% on the Tomato-Meter [not too good], but with “Top Critics,” it’s at 58% [not too bad].
  [ 8:57 PM Nov 24th ]
• TWILIGHT “Cream of the Crop” RT Link: http://tinyurl.com/5jslc6
  [ 8:57 PM Nov 24th ]
• “The massacre scene was SO disappointing… they didn’t even use REAL blood… Grandpa noticed right away!” ~Lily Munster
  [ 10:17 PM Nov 26th ]

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 MUST get the new Dir En Grey album [Uroboros]. Those guys are ridiculously talented! http://www.direngrey.co.jp/english/top.html
• # I think I’m coming down with a cold. I feel sooooo droopy and goopy.
• # I really-really-really hope that TWILIGHT The Movie doesn’t suck. I know for sure I won’t be stepping foot into the theater the 1st week!
• # “Prejudice is global, but tolerance is local.” Hmm…great [political] food for thought from Nate @ FiveThirtyEight.com. [link to follow]
• # For Obama, Will Familiarity Erode Contempt? http://tinyurl.com/6nv6y8
• # Concerned about Obama embracing politicos we don’t like? It’s nothing new. Consider Abe Lincoln’s “Team of Rivals” & chill out.
• # TIME’s Joe Klein: Obama’s Team of Rivals [Note the date: JUNE 18, 2008] http://tinyurl.com/6lr29b
• # My loudest F-Mushroom-Clouds tend to occur when my feet are cold & I stub my toe. ALMOST as bad as my lexicon of pissery at crap drivers.
• # Finished Edward Lee’s BRIDES OF THE IMPALER. I will never look at a Xmas tree stand the same way again. Next: L.L. Foster’s SERVANT series.
• # Not a big fan of Paramore, but “Decode” is absolutely perfect for TWILIGHT. It really captures the vibe of the books… I’m impressed.
• # The Linkin Park song, on the other hand… *gag*.
• # Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line. Reaching out to embrace the random. Reaching out to embrace whatever may come.
• # TWILIGHT reviews look 50/50. How will the Tomato-Meter fare after this weekend? Good or bad, as a fan of the books, it’s my duty to see it!
• # A newsletter from Apocalyptica AND Rammstein within a few days of each other. LOVE seeing activity from two of my FAVORITE bands! <3 …
• # So far, L.L. Foster’s SERVANT: THE AWAKENING novel is AWESOME. I can tell I’ll be blowing through that one cover-to-cover pretty quickly.
• # I made the kickin’est lasagna EVER tonight. Yummmmm….

# Jeez, my tweets these days are pretty much political or Munsters related… should I be concerned about this?

# TWILIGHT Soundtrack Review @ FEARnet: http://tinyurl.com/6r53km

# I dreamed about Heath Ledger & he was playing soccer. He looked gorgeous in his soccer jersey. I still can’t believe he’s not “here.”

# Washington already abuzz w/ Bush’s plans to block all investigations of his crimes & even to pardon everyone involved?! Can U say GUILTY?!

# Bush & Cheney stand accused of 39 grave & impeachable offenses including war crimes, torture, warrantless wiretapping & more. [Jeezus]!

# Impeach Bush to Stop Pardons [Petition Here]: http://tinyurl.com/5joj6a

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.

I’m not going to mention the amazing looking red velvet cake until I completely give in to lust and devour the entire give it a tiny taste test someday in the very near future. Instead, I’d like to fixate on a more politically correct temptation, the charming “Great American Pie Race.” What a breath of fresh air [*sniffff*... mmm... blueberry!] to see a fun and delicious way to raise funds for your chosen candidate. Basically, buy blueberry, Obama gets a buck for each pie sold. Buy cherry and McCain gets a buck a pie.

Now then, candidates and pie aside, here’s what I have to say about the election…

Vote Responsibly.

1. Ask yourself, why am I voting for [insert candidate]? Is it because he has an “R” after his name? Is it because he has a “D” after his name? Is it because my family has been republican or democrat my whole life, therefore, I must vote along that party line? Is it because he’s “just like one of us,” or because his last name is more familiar? Wrong answers… keep asking why.

2. Ask yourself, what is it about this person that scares me or makes me feel like he’s not qualified to lead this country? If the answers can only be found through chain emails, hearsay, or TV and Internet ads, wrong reasons… keep asking what.

Voting is a lot like sex. If we don’t do it responsibly, we open ourselves — and worse, everyone around us — up to communicable diseases.

Make sure before you vote that you’ve at least done your research, and by research, I mean by observing how the candidates are perceived both globally and domestically, in all types of news media, not just the mainstream-manipulating-machine. Watch factcheck.org like a mo-fo, and don’t listen to people or advertisements that cannot back their claims with concrete sources. Look up each candidate’s political records… we have the Internet now, so there’s no excuse. Look up their life stories. If you’ve missed the debates, watch them online… we have YouTube now, so there’s no excuse. The future President of The United States is applying for one of the most important jobs in the world… and we are the ones doing the hiring! Vote like you’re hiring this person for your own business, your own investments, your own bodyguard and financial adviser all rolled up into one person. There is no excuse for not doing homework — serious homework — on one of the most important hires of your life.

Do not vote out of fear. Do not vote out of loyalty or obligation. Vote your conscience, not somebody else’s. The voting booth is a sacred place, and none of us need worry about our Republican uncle learning that we voted Democrat, or vice versa!

So… join me in my campaign: think for yourself, question what you read, see and hear, and vote responsibly. And have some pie too! I’m thinking it’s a good recipe for making the American Dream thrive once again.

[Project Vote Smart] [OpenSecrets.org] [FiveThirtyEight.com Electoral Projections][FactCheck.org Wire]

[FactChecks - Obama ] [FactChecks - McCain] [FactChecks - Biden] [FactChecks - Palin]

[ Filterbank Abusers Unite! ]

SOULSNATCHER MIX Comments…

KEYVO says: I think my brain just exploded, i love it.

MADDSKEELZ says: I really don’t care that this has limited vocal samples. This is completely amazing. It reminds me of one of the Closer remixes. Singlehandedly the best industrial mix on here. Absolutely gut wrenchingly scary. Well freakin done.

GHOSTLIGHT MIX Comments…

PD17 says: so beautiful it sends chills down my spine

MALOK THE MULE says: I love this sound…the name pretty much directly describes it too, ghostly as it is. Its beauty all over. Great stuff.

JANUX says: Now THIS is what im talking about. Something unique! I love it. It doesn’t sound like everyone else. -Travis of Janux

We did not “win” the Celldweller SWITCHBACK remix contest as far as prizes or placement in the top three. We also did not make it onto the remix CD, at least not yet… I’m not even sure that a remix CD will be made, honestly… it seems that Klayton prefers widgets these days [as do most indie musicians, ourselves included!], so maybe at some point, we could wind up being featured on the Celldweller widget. That would be a dream come true, but if it doesn’t happen, that’s fine by us, because the contest benefited us above and beyond widget-stardom or CD placement in ways we could not have predicted when we first created the remixes.

It’s an honor that we were welcomed as a featured remix artist, which thrilled us about as much as [if not, more than] getting on a CD. We also received some great compliments from the Celldweller community, a few favorites are posted in this entry. But most importantly, the one outcome we could not have predicted was that it showed us what we’re really, truly capable of as musicians. We took a few risks, mixed together some genres that typically aren’t “supposed” to work together [what did we have to lose?] and made them work… I mean, really, really work. In essence, dissecting SWITCHBACK helped us further evolve our signature sound: beauty and beast [GHOSTLIGHT=Beauty, SOULSNATCHER=Beast], a mix of symphonies, choirs, crunchy guitars, fucked-up drum kits and frightening electronics… and we continue to explore that crazy Corvo concoction with each track as our debut full-length TELLTALE unfolds.

So thank you, Klayton, for letting us dive into a song you’ve written that we’ve always loved… you continue to inspire us as indie musicians, and through your work and embrace of independent musicians, we… well… know it sounds hokey, but… we sort of found ourselves. -NiNi + G9

Listen to Song and Add Comments at Celldweller.com

Listen to Song and Add Comments at Celldweller.com

“White spotlights appeared one at a time to highlight each player as he launched into the enigmatic opening strains of the title track from Worlds Collide. The cheers built to a deafening crescendo as Mikko’s thunderous toms launched the song’s first explosive synchronized cello riffs. I felt a physical blast of compressed air from the amp stacks as the low-end vibrations kicked in, hammered home by a machine-gun double kick.”
-From G9’s FEARnet Review

I have never in my life experienced a concert more perfectly than at Apocalyptica’s very first show in Dallas, TX [at the House of Blues]. At first, I was just going to string together a few videos and a bunch of photos my new-found front-row friend Shelby had captured on her camera, but then… this video just took me on an artistic journey of its own, and I couldn’t stop it [nor did I want to]! Enjoy this fan documentary, and let me know what you think of the video. Finally, if you ever get the opportunity to see these guys in concert, don’t let it pass you by… it’ll be one of the best shows of your life, I promise.

Have you seen Apocalyptica live? What do you think of the band? What are some of your favorite Apo songs? Who is your favorite band member? Register -free- to share your thoughts with me here!

[ @ YouTube ] [ Right Click For MP4 ] [ Right Click For FLV ] [ Apocalyptica.com ]

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

Try the NIGHT ETERNAL Diet and Be Instantly Transformed!
BEFORE:

AFTER:

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.

…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.

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.

So tell me: What do you think of Moonspell? Do you like the music? How about the videos? If not, why not? Do your pets like metal? Have you seen my teeth? [ Register -Free- To Comment on Moonspell and Metalhead Pets! ]

Warning: the last video in this playlist, “I’ll See You in My Dreams” is NSFW… that is, unless your boss doesn’t mind seeing decapitations, gore and zombies running about… [hey, if your boss doesn't mind, may I apply to where you work]?

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!

VIDDY-EWWW: Seen La Terza Madre? Did you survive? What did you think? Do you dare? [Register -Free- To Comment on La Terza Madre + Dario Argento!]

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]. Still, this film [much like Dario Argento] isn’t for everyone… how about you? [Register -Free- To Comment on La Terza Madre and Dario Argento!]

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

We started this new format a few weeks ago, and those of you on our older e-newsletter list have probably noticed that updated emails have been coming your way a little more often since then. We used to send maybe a newsletter every few months, but since The Chamber Door launched, it’s been more like once a week, sometimes even, twice a week. So let me explain: We’ve decided that band pimping is, in the infamous words of Metalocalypse’s Skwisgaar Skwigelf, “dildos.”

There is so much more to our creative process than writing, recording and promoting our music… so much more than that, so we’ve decided to extend an invitation to you to enter our studio any time by sharing all of that “so much more” with us here. That’s where the phrase “madness, murder and music mania” comes in.

Madness: Deranged humor, cult and genre TV, pop culture, weird hobbies and gear/fashion obsessions.

Murder: Horror and macabre topics of all varieties [especially art, literature, entertainment, music and film], as well as “The Murder,” being you, the Corvo community [y'know, a murder of crows?].

Music Mania: Hey, just because we’re musicians paving our own niche in a huge music world doesn’t mean we’re not crazy about music and totally geeked-out about other bands ourselves! We go to concerts, create fan art and rabidly collect CDs and DVDs too, so why not share music mania of all varieties, not just related to Corvo, but related to our love of music with you?

We will still post updates here on the recording process and on other big “Corvo news,” but in between that news, there’s a huge, dark, twisted world out there inspiring us, pissing us off and challenging us every moment, so… why not write about all of that creative fuel? Well… that’s The Chamber Door.

So, if you do not want to receive email updates from us once or twice a week, we’re sending out a new email subscription confirmation this week. When you receive it, just don’t click the link, and you won’t be re-subscribed. You can keep in touch with us via the RSS Feed, without getting email updates if you prefer that. If you do not get a new invitation, it’s because you are already subscribed to the new e-newsletter feed.

If you want to unsubscribe from the e-newsletter right now, there should be an “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of the current subscription emails you’ve been receiving.

We do hope you’ll stay/join us and share your own madness, murder and music mania here! The door is open…

Magic, mystery, love. It’s a book and now it’s a music video. Hear the original song for the summer’s blockbuster novel TURBULENT SEA by Christine Feehan. Find out more at
christinefeehan.com.
~COS Productions

I knew from the very beginning as we wrote Turbulent Sea that my voice would be synced up to a different person, and I’ll admit, at first, I felt a little apprehensive about it. However, it really didn’t take long for me to say, “NiNi get over it, this is done constantly in movies and on TV… Hello, Jonathan Davis and Lestat?!” When the video came out, I loved it immediately. After watching everything come together so perfectly for the book and the character “Joley,” I wouldn’t have wanted to marry the song and the video together in any other way.

I really love the unique look to this video, and am very proud to share it here as a follow-up to the posting of the song. It’s so amazing to say that we wrote the music to the video to the new novel by Christine Feehan. It’s never been done before, and truly, the most satisfying art for myself and for G9 is the work that we take on because it’s never been done before… that’s really what Corvo is all about. -NiNi

[TURBULENT SEA Video - Podcast Link]

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

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!

… what would be really interesting for people to see is how beautiful things grow out of shit. ~Brian Eno

From Daniel Lanois’ film, Here is What it Is, this musing from Brian Eno is so… real and so inspiring, I had to share it here. -NiNi
—————
Daniel: I’m trying to make a film that’s… beautiful in itself, about beauty, about the source of the art, rather than… everything that surrounds the art… and… I was hoping you might say a couple of words about that subject matter, because you’ve always operated in a relatively quiet way, and yet, you’re like a world artist…

Brian: Well, I tell you, one thing I would say about your film is that… what would be really interesting for people to see is how beautiful things grow out of shit.

Daniel *Laugh*

Brian: Because… nobody ever believes that. You know… everybody thinks that Beethoven had his string quartets completely in his head, that it somehow appeared there and formed in his head, and all he had to do was write them down, and they would kind of be manifest to the world. But… I think what’s so interesting… and what would really be a lesson that everybody should learn is that… things come out of nothing. Things evolve out of nothing. You know? The tiniest seed in the right situation turns into the most beautiful forest, and then, the most promising seed in the wrong situation turns into nothing. And… I think this would be important for people to understand because it gives people confidence in their own lives to know that that’s how things work. If you walk around with the idea that there are some people who are so gifted, that they have these wonderful things in their head, but you’re not one of them, you’re just sort of… a “normal” person, that you could never do anything like that, then… you live a different kind of life, you know? You could have another kind of life where you can say, “Well, I know that things come from nothing very much and start from unpromising beginnings, and… I’m an unpromising beginning and I could start something.

[ Newsletter Subscribers Click Here to Watch the Video on YouTube ]

If you like it, feel free to download it from our flickr site and use it for non-commercial whatevs. If you use this image for your profiles/websites, a little “shout out” to me and a link back to this site would be very appreciated!

-NiNi

When my dad and I traveled the roller coaster circuit every Six Flags summer, I used to scream “Daddy, do something!” Then we’d both scream: “Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” all the way down that first big drop. Now, I tend to scream this when I’m in the tub and I picture myself in a teeny-tiny raft, falling down the water pouring out of the faucet…

Today, I present a l’il YouTube fun straight outta my ’70s past. It’s a gem, a true gem, and I remember watching this episode as if it happened at lunch time.

Notes to Self:

1. As a kid, I used to feel sorry for Cha-ka… now, he kinda creeps me out more than Sleestaks.

2. Let me rock you, Cha-ka kan.

3. In Cha-kanese, Sleestak = Sareesataka! The moment I learned this today, I also learned that I have a rare disease called Sareesataka! Tourette’s Syndrome.

4. Holly is ME. I would totally be naming all of the dinosaurs pet names and thinking that they’re cute… that is, until I saw their teeth up-close.

5. OMG, how did I never notice the backup vocals in the opening song: “Lost-lost-lost-lost!”

6. I think I still kind of have a crush on “Will.” Tee-hee!

A Couple of Questions for You:

1. With an older a fresh, grown-up view of the show, which do you find creepier now, Cha-ka or the Sleestaks?

2. Sareesataka??!!!

A Little Personal History

When my dad and I traveled the roller coaster circuit every Six Flags summer, I used to scream “Daddy, do something!” Then we’d both scream: “Ahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” all the way down that first big drop. Now, I tend to scream this when I’m in the tub and I picture myself in a teeny-tiny raft, falling down the water pouring out of the faucet… and yes, as the audiences watches my teeny tiny raft plunge into the abyss that is the bath water, the CGI effects are just as awful. [So what about my bath time rubber ducky dinosaurs]?!

Sareesataka!

Special thanks to all of you that have downloaded the song and sent us such lovely compliments on mySpace! To the wonderful Christine Feehan fans that have found your way to us:

A WARM WELCOME TO YOU ALL!

darkness lives inside me
a secret that I hide
the light from all the rest is
lost upon the tide…

a touch of lightning, magick
leaves me marked and cold
I want, I crave, love that sells my soul

LIKE A TURBULENT SEA
PULLING AT ME
IN PASSION AND IN FEAR
I’M DROWNING…

the wave crashes in my heart
darkness follows, light departs…

LIKE A TURBULENT SEA
PULLING AT ME
IN PASSION AND IN FEAR
I’M DROWNING…

New Song by Corvo: TURBULENT SEA
[ Right Click to Download the MP3 ]

The Music: It’s not every day a band gets to talk about being commissioned by a #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author to write a theme song for an upcoming book release, but with Christine Feehan and Corvo, that’s exactly what transpired. Turbulent Sea is the 6th novel in Feehan’s popular Drake Sisters series, and the song is the official theme written for the character Joley, who is a rock star and… a witch!

The band wrote the song to be Joley’s fictional “hit single” for her “music video,” in which Christine’s daughter is the face of the heroine, and NiNi is [literally] the voice. Since the book series is considered supernatural romance, G9 wrote the song in a more romantic, Gothic pop style, completely departing from Corvo’s signature romantic horror rock sound. This is not the permanent direction the band has taken while recording debut album Telltale, rather, a unique work tailor-made specifically to fit the story and the main character.

From NiNi: Turbulent Sea has been one of those projects that as a musician, is a dream come true. It was like writing for a movie, but even better, because it’s so unique to write a song for a book , and to connect with the main character through singing! G9 and I both feel that Christine is doing something really special by crossing from literature into music and also into video for her readers, and we are honored to be part of that. I hope I’ve represented Joley’s voice in a way that will connect this beloved character even deeper to Christine’s readers. I bought the first book in the Drake Sisters series, because now I’m so personally attached to them, I’ve got to read their stories!

About The Novel: Number one New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan returns to the “erotic, exotic, and suspenseful” world of the paranormally gifted Drake sisters with the wildest sister of them all: impulsive, celebrated, worshiped… and in danger.

About The Star: Joley Drake was born with a legacy of unexpected magical gifts, but it was the gift of singing that made her an overnight sensation—a rock and roll goddess trapped by fame, fortune, and ambition. Heated by the flush of success, Joley could have any man she wanted. But there’s only man who can give her what she really needs… [ more about the novel... ]

Turbulent Sea:
Book 6 of Christine Feehan’s Drake Sisters Series Coming This Summer
Official Theme Song Written and Performed by Corvo
Original Lyrics © 2008 Sheila Clover, Circle of Seven Productions
Lyrics Adapted For Music by NiNi of Corvo
Reprinted With Permission

*Update: Here’s one of my favorite photos of Eicca, snapped at the concert. My “front-and-center head banging buddy” Shelby took a bunch of photos and some great videos and shared them with me for this… well, it’s turned into a short film about the show, really.

I had read in several places that House of Blues was really bad about not letting cameras enter the premises, so I didn’t bring one… well, wouldn’t you know it? They didn’t seem to be enforcing that on this night. Well, it turns out, I met a new Apocalyptica friend, and thanks to her, I’ve got some great stuff to work with as I continue my “Apocalyptica Fan Documentary.”

Also, read G9’s review of the Apocalyptica House of Blues Dallas [05.12.08] show at FEARnet. He captured the night so beautifully. I think I’ll be finished with the video by the weekend at the very latest. *squeee!*

[By the way, you can click the photo to enlarge it a bit.]

“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

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?] ——>

1985 Presents…
The Debut EP by SNATCH:
If The Party is in Your Mouth…We’re Coming!

Now… why only one debut EP in the Snatch discography? I know why: they were actually way ahead of their time. Had mySpace existed in 1985, these guys would have exploded [ew] onto the scene… I don’t even need to hear their music to know this.

Special thanks to [ Metal Mark ] for helping me set such a high precedent in this very first edition of *drum stick twirl* Bad Hair [Band] Day.

Click the image to enlarge… if you dare.