Bagans, Khans’ Electronica Album A Standout Electronica LP

Courtesy: Zak Bagans Entertainment

Necrofusion is one of the most interesting releases in the world of electronica today.  The product of the partnership between Ghost Adventures host Zak Bagans and artist Praga Khan has resulted in an album that is as interesting as it is eerie.  The combination of Praga Khan’s music with segments of the Ghost Adventures episodes surprisingly works quite well.  They combine for a release that can’t fully be taken in from a single listen.  One of the most intriguing of this compilation’s songs would have to be ‘Poor Pearl.’  Country artist Bobby Mackey joins in with a little country twang that expertly contrasts the eerie mix of techno and the story of what happened to young Pearl.  According to the story in the song, the young woman was murdered, and her head was used as a sacrifice for a rather nefarious purpose.  Add that story in to the music and Zak’s vocal segments, and listeners are presented with a song that is both scary and enjoyable at the same time.

‘Poor Pearl’ is followed by an equally interesting song in ‘Sing For Me.’ Zak is talking to a spirit in this song who he is trying to get to sing for him.  The spirit does make contact with him, too.  It’s a little bit difficult to make out exactly what the spirit in question is saying to him without any sort of captioning that is done on the show.  But it’s that attempt to make out what the spirit is saying that makes this another of the album’s more interesting songs.  Of course, the musical backing of Praga Khan once again played its own role here.  Khan’s mastery of the craft shows yet again, making for another song that could equal the work of any other electronic artist out there today.

The album peaks at just the right point in ‘Dead Awaiting.’  The mix of heavy guitars, strings and electronics alone make for a song that as with the previously noted pieces stands out.  Add in the vocal segments of Zak asking a spirit about what happens when we die makes this far more than just an eerie track, but a song that is the best of the album.  The song opens very quietly with a guitar and piano.  Listeners then hear Zak asking the spirit in question about what happens after death.  He asks why the spirits come to him.  It’s the tone and delivery of this question combined with the sudden addition of a much heavier guitar part that makes the song that much more powerful.  By contrast, the strings set against the guitars add to the song’s power.  They help to make this the album’s highest point.

Necrofusion boasts far more than just three good songs.  There are far more that fans of electronica and Goth style sounds will appreciate.  For instance, there is the full on hit of ‘Demonator’, the creepy album opener, ‘In My Dungeon’, and ‘Good and Evil’ that listeners will love, too.  Whether for any of these or the album’s other songs, anyone who is a fan of Ghost Adventures or of electronica will find something to cheer about with this album.  It’s available now in stores and online.

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Syfy Brings Fans More Ghostly Tales In Ghost Hunters Season 7 Part 1

Courtesy: Big Vision/Syfy/Image Entertainment

Paranormal shows are some of television’s most popular programming today.  Travel Channel has Ghost Adventures.  Bio Channel has re-runs, still, of Paranormal State.  It also has new episodes of My Ghost Story, and Celebrity Ghost Stories, among others.  It also recently started up another semi-paranormal show called The Unexplained.  Even the CW has its own paranormal drama, simply called Paranormal.  The list goes on and on.  If there’s one show among the masses that stands out right now, it’s Syfy’s Ghost Hunters.  The hit show has even spawned its own spinoff, International Ghost Hunters.  The original recently wrapped the first half of its eighth season.  Its second half is expected to run sometime this Fall.  While fans wait for the second half of Season Eight to premiere, they can enjoy the first half of Season Seven.

Ghost Hunters Season Seven Part 1 is available now on a four disc DVD set via Big Vision, Syfy, and Image Entertainment.  Season Seven sees TAPS head down to New Orleans to check out an allegedly haunted old mint.  Also in Season Seven Part 1, TAPS heads up to Michigan to investigate the Mission Point Resort at Mackinac Island.  And in one of the most interesting episode from Season Seven, TAPS is called to Pearl Harbor to investigate reports of hauntings there.  This episode is actually a two-part episode.

In its trip to New Orleans, the TAPS team is asked to investigate reports of paranormal activity at the old U.S. Mint there.  The team meets security guard Jimmie Jackson, who tells them his story of seeing an entity who is believed to be William Mumford.  Mumford was hanged at the Mint after he took down an American Flag that had been raised there in place of a confederate flag.  The team spends the night in the mint, investigating reports of moaning from what was believed to be Mumford’s mother, crying over her son’s hanging, as well as other phenomena.  In the end, TAPS founder Jason and Lead Investigator Grant (who would later leave in the show’s eighth season) say that there’s no way to say for sure if the Mint is indeed haunted.  The little evidence that they managed to collect was inconclusive and that they would have to come back another time for another investigation to see if it really is haunted.

While it produced a little bit more information and evidence, TAPS’ investigation of the Mission Point Resort wasn’t entirely conclusive, either.  The team haunts for a figure known as “Harvey” who it turns out wasn’t named Harvey.  Though there really was a figure at the resort (which was previously a school) who had committed suicide.  “Harvey’s” real name is kept confidential.  It’s revealed that “Harvey” had actually committed suicide during the Winter and his body wasn’t discovered until the following Summer.  The team does record the sound of what sounds like a little girl while investigating the building’s theater.  This investigation reveals enough evidence that the team is convinced the resort is indeed haunted.

Perhaps one of the most haunted sites that the TAPS team has ever investigated is the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor.  The team goes to investigate the museum’s Hangar 37 and Hangar 39.  While there, the team hears a lot of noises that sound like people running.  One of the team members yells “bullets” a few times, which seems to cause whatever or whoever was there to take off running.  There is even the sound of running on one of the hangars’ catwalks.  At one point, the team even captures what seems to be a figure on one of the catwalks.  The evidence isn’t fully revealed until an episode after as the team is called back from Hawaii to investigate claims of a little girl being haunted by multiple spirits.  But there is little doubt, considering knowledge of paranormal activity, Hangar 37 and 79 are in fact haunted, along with most of Pearl Harbor.  Fans can find out what the evidence from the investigation reveals by picking up Season Seven Part One.

As interesting as the episodes in Season Seven Part One are, there is one glaring black eye to this set.  That black eye is its packaging.  The discs are stacked one on top of each other, rather than being given their own spots inside the slim case.  What stacking the discs potentially does is increase the chances of the discs getting scratched, thus reducing the life of the discs.  Hopefully when the second half of Season Seven is released, this is something that will be fixed.  If not, then perhaps it will be fixed in its eighth season.  Other than that, this is a set that any paranormal fan will enjoy watching.  It’s available in stores and online.  It can be ordered online at http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/syfy/index.php?v=syfy. 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.