Active participants in this year’s Halloween festivities are probably appreciating the fact that the holiday doesn’t usually come and go in a vacuum on the evening of trick-or-treating. Depending on your age and/or level of maturity, you may still be finding yourself each following morning, hungover, facepaint smeared, and in bed with a fully-donned member of the Power Rangers. What happened last night? The helmet’s on, so the only tangible affirmation of your sexual preference is the color of the ranger’s suit. It’s red. You’re a straight male. There’s no way you’re investigating further, and there’s no way you’re forgetting this year’s Halloween. Also notable: Halloween candy tends to last for weeks.
It’s important to keep in mind the relative continuance of this most ghoulish of holidays when you hear the news that this December (possibly later), Vatican Shadow (Dominick Fernow) will be releasing It Stands to Conceal, a 3xLP compilation of his most recent cassettes — Jordanian Descent, Ghosts of Chechnya, and Atta’s Apartment Slated for Demolition. While not quite as ominous as Demdike Stare (who Fernow has cited as an influence), there’s an appreciable darkness to the evolving tribal rhythms characterizing Vatican Shadow’s work. No, it’s not explicitly reminiscent of modern Halloween in the same way that Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is, but when you consider the holiday’s roots, as well as its alternative celebrations, there’s definitely a relevance to acknowledge. Aspiring and current occultists, never stop celebrating Halloween! Every day and forever! Pre-order the 3xLP set (limited to 911 copies) here.
It Stands to Conceal tracklisting:
LP I - Jordanian Descent
01. Jordanian Descent (Sharia Law)
02. Jordanian Descent (Guantanamo Military Commissions)
LP II - Ghosts 0f Chechnya
01. Encryption Nets
02. The House of the Followers
03. Peace Rage
04. The Hamburg Cell Was Born in Chechnya
05. He Held the Victims Responsible
06. Voices Came Crackling across a Motorola Hand-Held Radio
07. Chechnya’s Ghosts Loom Large in Death of Former Spy
08. Snipers as a Breed Tend to Be Superstitious
LP III - Atta’s Apartment Slated for Demolition
01. There Was a Black Banner on the Floor
02. Al Qaeda Possess Nuclear Capacity
03. Wahhabi Money Flows
04. Once This Fire Gathers Strength
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