Tales From The Crypt: Original Music From Tales From The Crypt (Colored Vinyl) Vinyl LP Tales From The Crypt

Tales From The Crypt began as a series of horror comics that ran throughout the 1950’s, however most folks know of it from the TV adaptation that ran from 1989 to 1996 on HBO. As it was on HBO, it wasn’t subject to the same censorship as broadcast television, allowing it to far more violent, sexually explicit, and profane – a real boon to a newly gestating audience of Horror fanatics. (Hey, not every city had Mondo Kim’s.) The show is hosted by The Cryptkeeper, a cackling and dreadfully punny reanimated corpse voiced by John Kassir. (He beat out Michael Winslow (“The Man of 10,000 Sound Effects”) and Charles Fleischer (Who Framed Roger Rabbit?) for the honor.) Kassir’s Cryptkeeper closes the disc out with “The Crypt Jam”, which your author cannot come up with much of a sonic reference point besides “The KLF, but not ironic”. Either way, it’s a wacky and timely pastiche of corporate-approved hip-hop sounds of the era. The remainder of the disc is instrumental and features the iconic opening composed by Danny Elfman in addition to incidental music by the likes of Jan Hammer (Miami Vice), David Newman (Heathers), Ry Cooder (Cocktail) and Steve Bartek (of Oingo Boingo, Snow Day). “Loved To Death” is swirling keys pushed aside by slinky horns and swathes of guitar, “Carrion Death” is 6-feet-under piano and synth washes. The large roster of composers leads to a neat variety in the music, with each track shifting through several movements, cues, or vibes. This LP includes liner notes with full album credits and is pressed on “pumpkin orange” colored vinyl.

• orange colored vinyl pressing
• limited edition
• music label: Warner Bros 2019

reviewed by BE KIND REWIND 10/2019