It's the most 80s holiday of the year: Halloween! A time of celebrating the darker side of life when ghosts, vampires and candy all go hand in hand. The memories of Halloween's past come to mind, the fears of old and excitement of trick or treating under the cover of darkness. Theres so many classic 80s memories I always associate with Halloween, especially the movies and TV of this classic decade.
One of the most enduring relics of the 80s is the video nasty classic: the slasher movie. The early 80s was a fertile ground of masked killers, skulking in the shadows, seeking revenge from beyond the grave by slaughtering nubile young teenagers, and always with a thirst for semi nude cheerleaders. It's a timeless style that was perfected during this time.
The lates 70s original Halloween paved the way for a cavalcade of grisly, gore drenched horror movies pushing the boundaries and scaring audiences throughout the 80s. The age of VHS brought the video nasty into the living room and the chance to scare yourself silly by renting the movie that promised the most graphic dismemberments became a staple of home entertainment. From the early Friday The 13th movies, to the Nightmare On Elm Streets' through to The Funhouse, Chopping Mall, Silent Night Deadly Night, Basket Case and onto international fare from the giallo masters with Tenebre and into the terror from space with Xtro.
New thrills and chills seemed to appear every week, upping the ante and wearing their "Banned In ....." stickers on their shiny new VHS covers like badges of honour. The age of advanced prosthetic special effects brought terrifying new experiences to glowing family cathode ray tube. Becoming a fan of these films lead to new past times, perusing Fangoria Magazine and other genre specific magazines and poring over glossy advertisements for even more brutal movies and merchandise.
The 80s will always be remembered by myself as the pinnacle for horror movies in general, much of this can be attributed to my age at the time, being a teenager and growing up in this time was the perfect age to be wowed time and time again by the latest video nasty on the shelf of the local video library... the only trick was then convincing my parents to let me watch it!
This brings us to today, Halloween 2012 and to celebrate this holiday we have a magnificent new EP from the twisted minds of Perturbator and Protector 101. Their combined efforts has resulted in the ultimate soundtrack to slash cheerleaders by in the 80s Slasher EP. The darkness is set to fatal and terror becomes your only salvation as both producers keeping the fear rapping at your window and creaking through the attic all night long.
All seven tracks make up a soundtrack from the depths of the most disturbed dens of depravity. It's a frightening and chilling experience from opening titles to closing credits and is flawlessly structured in arrangements and orchestrations. The pieces flow in and out of reality, gripping you with cold talons and threatening your very existence with a flashes of steel in the moonlight. As with all good soundtrack work there must be deliberate build up to the terrifying pay off and this is where the EP excels. The tension builds in an excruciating manner, maximising every ounce of horror and delivering visceral stabs of shock that resonate to the very core of the listeners being.
By the EP's conclusion one is left exhilerated, exhausted and ready to hide under the covers permanently. Listen with caution! And be sure you have an escape plan just in case you fall asleep and the killer comes after YOU next!
The 80s Slasher EP is present by Aphasia Records on their Bandcamp page here. This EP is a phenomonal accompaniment to this year's Halloween festivities and will promise to deliver chills from the darkside for many moons to come.
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