October 31

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- Settle in, Boils and Ghouls. The Cryptkeeper’s here, and he’s in a FESTERive mood. And he’s singing his own gross-out vivisections of the moldy Christmas standards, complete with his own trademark laugh and GRAVEIly voice...

It’s just plain sick. The Cryptkeeper gets a Christmas card from Hannibal the Cannibal. He tells the story of The Fright Before Christmas, in which he traps Santa in quicksand. He makes horrible, gleeful dismemberment jokes throughout ‘‘Deck the Halls with Parts of Charlie’’. Later on, he recalls ‘“The Cryptkeeper’s Family Christ- mas’’ -- the year he offed his whole family with arsenic in the turkey (I can relate, my family’s pretty dysfunctional). To the tune

| of ‘‘Good King Wenceslaus’’, no less.

Tales From The Crypt Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas (Right Stuff/Capitol)

And there’s more! So much more. Good taste prevents me from repeating the lyrics, alas. There’s a trading card enclosed. The book insert is a genuine 1950s Tales from the Crypt comic book (albeit shrunken, like my collection of heads!)!

It’s just too much fun. A few of the songs are dull (I’m not fond of ‘‘Moe Teitlebaum’’; it’s based on ‘‘Oh Christmas Tree’’, the most boring holiday tune ever written) but overall it’s just too much gruesome fun -- and it’ll make you parents wonder what you’ve been reading.

It’s revolting. I love it. It will take an honoured place next to my copy of The Nightmare Before Christmas as yet another way to combine my two favourite holidays.

(4.5 out of 5 skulls) -- Trent Drake

Panther Prints

SOUND

by Lorne Caborn

Spanner Banner Chill

BITES

Fans of Chaka Demus & Pliers may have something to look forward to with the new CD Chill on the shelves. It’s not put out by the band but rather the brother of Pliers, who goes by the stage name Spanner Banner. His dance

hall style resembles his brother’s, who also makes a guest appearance. I could easily

recommend this to anyone.

Mychael Nyman 6 Days 6 Nights

Michael Nyman has seen his popularity grow since his work on the Piano soundtrack. 6 Days 6 Nights is his latest soundtrack from the

movie of the same name and for fans of classical or instrumental music, this is a great

disc. It didn’t do anything for me personally, not being a fan of this type of music, but it’s great if you want to concentrate on your studies (maybe that’s why I didn’t

like it).

And Then Some Invention No.1

Comparing this group to other notables such as Spirit of the West and Barenaked

Ladies would be a crime, but I’ll do it anyway. The styles are similiar although, And Then Some lacks most of the lyrical skills of the other two. Hailing from Burlington, Ontario, the four piece band does have some tracks worth a try (check out #12 on the CD, it’s not listed but it’s there), but on the whole I was left dissapointed.

The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Virgin)

Coming in November is the Smash- ing Pumpkins’ latest release: a two disc collection, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Even before first listen, one is forced to concede a small interest in the Smashing Ones’ newest album endeavour. Twenty-eight tracks. Good cover art. Great title. The promo itself bills it as “‘the biggest thing since The Beatles’’.

billy corgan, james iha, d’arcy and jimmy chamberlin have followed much the same suit as their prior works have shown. Quiet. Quiet. Loud. VERY LOUD. Quiet (often this sequence appears in the same song). The syphonic melodies are con- trasted with characteristic urgent distortion. Lyrically, a sound album. With lines like ‘*T’ll never be the shine in your spit’’, you can’t really go wrong. True to the title, the melancholy is evident. Though not much has changed in their style, this is still a solid product, worthy of at least a listen. But “‘the biggest thing since The Beatles’? I wouldn’t go that far.

-- Karen Rawlines

John Bottomley Blackberry

Blackberry is Canadian musician John Bottomley’s third solo album. Written almost entirely in Vancouver, it contains a combination of excellent music and poetic lyrics inspired by the Pacific Northwest. The only fault with this recording is the nasal quality of Bottomley’s voice which leads one to believe that he has a head cold. However, the quality of the instrumental music and lyrics redeem this cassette, making it a worthwhile buy for lovers of country or easy listening music.

— Coralie Gill

Jocelyn Enriquez Lovely

Jocelyn Enriquez is a nineteen year old singer from the San Francisco area. Her disc Lovely is a collection of dance and pop music including ‘‘I’ve Been Thinking About You’’, You Are The One’’, and ‘‘Make This Last Forever’’. Jocelyn’s powerful and versatile voice is definitely an asset to this recording. People who enjoy a large variety of dance music will enjoy Lovely.

-- Coralie Gill

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