Music & Reviews: Welcome to the Horror Show by Sam Haynes

Track Listing:
1. All Hallows
2. Ghost House
3. Shadows
4. Scarecrows
5. Zombie
6. Doll House
7. Ghost Train
8. Midnight
9. Seance
10. 31-13
11. The Dark
12. Halloween Night
13. Midnight at the Funhouse
14. Endless Nightmare
15. Ghost House (Fettdog remix)
16. Scarecrows (Cheekyboy Dub)
17. Witching Hour
18. Spirit Box

Welcome to the Horror Show, the second album from Sam Haynes, is a collection of tracks that were created to be used in Halloween haunts and on horror movie soundtracks. There are sixteen individual pieces, plus two remixes; Fettdog's more aggressive remix of Ghost House and Cheekyboy's darker take on Scarecrows.

The album is very atmospheric throughout and tracks such as Ghost House, Spirit Box, Doll House, Midnight and 31-13 are particularly ominous and would be perfect for haunts and horror movies. There are, however, some more up tempo, danceable and almost "cute" tracks like Zombie, Halloween Night, Ghost Train, and Witching Hour, which would be great for Halloween parties and spooky fairgrounds.

While the influences of 70's, 80's and 90's horror soundtracks - everything from John Carpenter's Halloween and Christine scores to the Phantasm and Suspiria soundtracks by Fred Myrow/Malcolm Seagrave and Goblin respectively -  are overt, Sam Haynes manage to mix in their own brand of creepy to Welcome to the Horror Show as well. Many of the tracks have a familiar feel to them, but are simultaneously unique. 

Overall, Welcome to the Horror Show is an enjoyable and creepy album, with a great balance between horror-influenced scares and mischievous fun. It's definitely one for those with a love for movie scores and Halloween haunts.

Sam Haynes are giving away 5 free digital copies of Welcome to the Horror Show and all you have to do to win one is head over to their Facebook page and hit the "Like" button! Winners will be chosen at random on August 13th, 2013.

Websites:

• Haunt Music (Sam Haynes website) 
• Facebook
• Twitter
• iTunes

Scary Sounds: Halloween & Horror Music 3

Part 3: Horror Soundtracks 2

The next 7 in the series of entries about horrifying soundtracks!

In no particular order:

• Psycho (1960) (Bernard Herrmann)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
• Phantasm (Fred Myrow/Malcolm Seagrave)
• Rosemary's Baby (Krzysztof Komeda)
• Night of the Living Dead (Scott Vladimir Licina)
• Dead Silence (Charlie Clouser)
• Ju-On (Shiro Sato)

Videos after the cut↓

Scary Sounds: Halloween & Horror Music Part 2

Part 2: Horror Soundtracks 1

Ever since I was a child, it was always the sounds in horror that really set the eerie scene and sent chills down my spine. What is heard but not seen is always far more frightening, as it lets your imagination conjure up your worst nightmares long before you ever see them on the screen. So therefore, this entry is dedicated to the first 6 in the series of entries about excellent soundtracks!

In no particular order:

• The Omen - Ave Satani (Jerry Goldsmith)
• The Exorcist - Tubular Bells / Fantasia for Strings (Mike Oldfield / Hans Werner Henze)
• Halloween (John Carpenter)
• Suspiria Theme (Goblin)
• Candyman Theme (Phillip Glass)
• The House on Haunted Hill (1999 version) (Don Davis)

Videos after the jump↓