While recent years have seen a boom of horror soundtrack reissues, a new book is set to celebrate both the art and history of the format. Called Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl, the tome will arrive on May 13, promising to shine a light on the rich and unique history of horror movie soundtracks and their art.
The book is arriving via 1984 Publishing and presented by Toronto-based horror periodical Rue Morgue. The hardbound book is being presented in full colour, with 240 pages highlighting "the intricate (and often rare) artwork on the LP sleeves, as well as album reviews, release details, and wild backstories."
"I still remember with fondness coming across a copy of John Carpenter's Escape from New York in San Francisco, and discovering the first Death Waltz reissue Zombi 2 in Las Vegas," said co-author Aaron Lupton, Rue Morgue's music editor, in a statement. "With so much excitement out there today over beautiful reissues, colourful variants, and increasingly rare original pressings, I thought it was time to create a book that would bring this obsession to dramatic, vibrant life."
Some of the iconic soundtracks featured in the book include A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, Halloween and The Exorcist, but it also focuses on lesser-known works, such as the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, the punk and metal contribution to the '80s and more.
There are also interviews conducted by co-author Jeff Szpirglas with John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young and Harry Manfredini. The foreword was written by Mick Garris (director of The Stand and Sleepwalkers), while celebrated soundtrack composer Christopher Young did the afterword.
"I've been rabidly listening to and collecting soundtracks since buying Return of the Jedi in 1983, but working on Blood on Black Wax has been the apex of this fan obsession," Szpirglas said. "Over a year was spent sorting through cool covers, and listening to hours of the most insane and freakish soundscapes to curate this book."
In addition to the regular version of the book, there will be two limited-edition packages containing some horror OST obscurities.
The first will arrive on Record Store Day on April 13 and will come with a 7-inch featuring two tracks from the Jamie Lee Curtis-starring cult horror flick Prom Night. The tunes are Paul Zaza's "Prom Night" and Carl Zittrer's "Love Me Till I Die" — two disco tunes that have been previously unreleased.
Besides those two songs, the red vinyl 7-inch will feature two instrumental horror cues and come with artwork by the esteemed Gary Pullin. This version is limited to 1,000 copies in the U.S. and 200 in Canada as part of RSD.
You can see the full list of recently revealed RSD releases over here.
Besides that limited version of Blood on Black Wax, another will arrive on the proper release date of May 13 and will feature the full Prom Night soundtrack as a 45rpm 12-inch. Colour variants include "Bloody Disco Ball" (red splatter on metallic silver) and "Disco Acid Flashback" (tri-colored royal blue/hot pink/blood red swirl). The package also comes with a "tuxedo black"-branded Prom Night condom.
You can stay tuned for updates on the book over here.
The book is arriving via 1984 Publishing and presented by Toronto-based horror periodical Rue Morgue. The hardbound book is being presented in full colour, with 240 pages highlighting "the intricate (and often rare) artwork on the LP sleeves, as well as album reviews, release details, and wild backstories."
"I still remember with fondness coming across a copy of John Carpenter's Escape from New York in San Francisco, and discovering the first Death Waltz reissue Zombi 2 in Las Vegas," said co-author Aaron Lupton, Rue Morgue's music editor, in a statement. "With so much excitement out there today over beautiful reissues, colourful variants, and increasingly rare original pressings, I thought it was time to create a book that would bring this obsession to dramatic, vibrant life."
Some of the iconic soundtracks featured in the book include A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, Halloween and The Exorcist, but it also focuses on lesser-known works, such as the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, the punk and metal contribution to the '80s and more.
There are also interviews conducted by co-author Jeff Szpirglas with John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young and Harry Manfredini. The foreword was written by Mick Garris (director of The Stand and Sleepwalkers), while celebrated soundtrack composer Christopher Young did the afterword.
"I've been rabidly listening to and collecting soundtracks since buying Return of the Jedi in 1983, but working on Blood on Black Wax has been the apex of this fan obsession," Szpirglas said. "Over a year was spent sorting through cool covers, and listening to hours of the most insane and freakish soundscapes to curate this book."
In addition to the regular version of the book, there will be two limited-edition packages containing some horror OST obscurities.
The first will arrive on Record Store Day on April 13 and will come with a 7-inch featuring two tracks from the Jamie Lee Curtis-starring cult horror flick Prom Night. The tunes are Paul Zaza's "Prom Night" and Carl Zittrer's "Love Me Till I Die" — two disco tunes that have been previously unreleased.
Besides those two songs, the red vinyl 7-inch will feature two instrumental horror cues and come with artwork by the esteemed Gary Pullin. This version is limited to 1,000 copies in the U.S. and 200 in Canada as part of RSD.
You can see the full list of recently revealed RSD releases over here.
Besides that limited version of Blood on Black Wax, another will arrive on the proper release date of May 13 and will feature the full Prom Night soundtrack as a 45rpm 12-inch. Colour variants include "Bloody Disco Ball" (red splatter on metallic silver) and "Disco Acid Flashback" (tri-colored royal blue/hot pink/blood red swirl). The package also comes with a "tuxedo black"-branded Prom Night condom.
You can stay tuned for updates on the book over here.
