Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks on Vinyl

by Aaron Lupton, Jeff Szpirglas

Are you obsessed with John Carpenter's iconic music for the Halloween series? Do you thrill to the unforgettable stabs of the Psycho score, or the pounding synth of Goblin's soundtrack to Suspiria ? Do you find yourself being pulled into the hair-raising modern scores for the likes of Get Out, Hereditary , and The Witch ? You're not alone. Blood on Black Wax is a defining horror soundtrack volume that spotlights iconic franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Jaws, The Exorcist , and George A. Romero's Dead films, highlighting both the music and the amazing, often rare artwork that graces the record sleeves. It also tells the stories behind the soundtrack, from the mouths of the musicians who made them, including John Carpenter, Fabio Frizzi, Christopher Young, Harry Manfredini, Charles Bernstein, Pino Donaggio, John Harrison, and more. Aaron Lupton and Jeff Szpirglas, both of Rue Morgue magazine, have curated Blood on Black Wax to reflect their own passion for the darkest slabs of soundtrack music. Their journey into the fascinating history of horror movie scores contains reviews, release details, and wild stories about both renown and unusual releases everything from the orchestral sounds of Hammer and Universal horror, to the truly experimental albums for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eraserhead , to the outlandish punk and metal songs of '80s soundtrack albums like The Return of the Living Dead and Shocker . Go back to your favorite horror films one more time, through the jaw-dropping, spine-tingling music that helped solidify their place in cinematic history!

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Music, Art, Film, Reference, Media Tie In

240 pages, Hardcover

Published May 21, 2019

Reviews

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved everything about this - and especially the design, look and feel of it. A labour of love for horror junkies and soundtrack nutcases like me. Loved it all. Can't wait to read again.

[Nick Spacek · Rating 3 out of 5]

hey, if your book is going to be $40+tax, maybe make sure that you get a copy editor who knows the difference between 'its' and 'it's.' and figure out a way to organize -- the grouping by type, such as rock 'n' roll horror, monster movies, etc., is pretty great, but within that section, it seems like there's no real organizational process. it's not alphabetical, chronological, or otherwise, as near as i can tell.

it's also not quite complete: there are cover images of recent represses to dario argento movie scores from waxwork records, but the represses aren't mentioned at all in the write-ups. a slug noting which version they're showing would've been a big help, a la the vhs video cover art book which was released a few years back from schiffer. it's pretty, and there are some great little interviews -- and goddamn, is that prom night 7-inch which is included cool as shit -- but for all the spot-varnish ink on the sleeve, this just seems like it could've used a little more time in the editing suite.

[Diane Bandeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very visual stimulating! Might want to pay attention for grammatical errors but aside from that I thought this was a great book to enjoy with some coffee and a record playing in the background!

[Denver Grenell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my bible. As a horror score & soundtrack fanatic, this was an excellent delve into the history & release of some of the greatest horror soundtracks ever pressed to wax. It’s a beautiful coffee table book that you can dip in and out of at will. I’m inspired to make a Spotify playlist with as much music I can find from the book now to soundtrack my next read.

[Zach Johnson]

Great fun and left me with a to-listen list a mile long of horror soundtracks. Wish they had included pictures of some of the colorful vinyl they were describing, but other than that, does what it describes on the cover!

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just love these vinyl soundtrack books by Aaron Lupton! This one was perfect timing for me to read in the fall and prepare for all the horror films to watch and scores to listen to! :D

[Joshua Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

disappointed rob zombie movies weren’t included

[Scott Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It's a nice coffee table book addition to one's record collection. I learned a few things. I would have rated the book higher, but it really does have a lot of written errors. Typos abound a LOT. "George Romero" is written in one sentence, and in the following, they mention "Romeo." I actually got confused for a moment. This happens a lot in the book. The content is good, but I hope if there is a second edition, an editor will fix the numerous mistakes.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun though reading could be hazardous to your wallet. 👻