Friendy Friday with Jonathan Fortin
Greetings Rock 'n' Rollers! Today we're going to get a little dark with horror writer Jonathan Fortin. But before we go there... I wanted to say thanks to everyone who made release week for Summer of Hush amazing! The reviews have been so wonderful. Many folks mentioned they loved the behind-the-music feel, and that was the experience I hoped to give! I just wanted to share one of the many fantastic reviews the book received, this one from Bayou Book Junkie's Kathy:
"Overall, this was a tender and compelling story that kept me invested from the first page to the last. This book juggles happiness and honesty and hopefully both can be part of their lives. I highly recommend the Summer of Hush and hope you give it a try."
And from Nicole at Divas Book Lounge...
"I especially loved Silas' band Hush, what a fascinating group of guys. I enjoyed getting to know them. They are more like brothers rather then bandmates. From the tidbits of information given, I can tell some of them have sad pasts and their own story to tell. I NEED to learn more about all of them. Hopefully, RL Merril will continue their stories in the next book....."
Not to worry, there will be more from Hush!
Okay, are you ready to dive into a little darkness?
I met Jonathan at a reading last year in August at the San Mateo Public Library. He had just been crowned The Next Great Horror Author by HorrorAddicts.net and I've been anxiously awaiting the release of Requiem in Frost! Just last week I got to hear him read (and he's so good at it!) from this story, and though his Norwegian Teenaged Girl could use some help (no, it was really awesome, I kid) the story had me totally engaged. I can't wait for life to slow down enough for me to read the rest of it!
In today's Friendy Friday post, we're going to let Jonathan take us on a little musical tour. Are you ready?
REQUIEM IN FROST - UNOFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK
by Jonathan Fortin
Requiem in Frost follows the story of Ingrid, a 14-year-old girl who develops an interest in black metal. So naturally, it makes sense for it to have a soundtrack comprised of some of the first songs she’d be exposed to in the genre.
This soundtrack isn’t official because it will never be sold, and if it was real, it would need at least one original song from the story’s fictional musical, Skansi Oppegård. Think of it as a sampler of great black metal tracks, ranging from classics to modern cuts.
The soundtrack can be accessed as a YouTube playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi2hikwEn4FE56LX5z6BK2NFtO461igJX
1. Darkthrone - Natassja In Eternal Sleep
2. Bathory - Woman of Dark Desires
3. Emperor - The Loss and Curse of Reverence
4. Satyricon - Mother North
5. Carach Angren - Pitch Black Box
6. Dark Fortress - Edge of Night
7. Immortal - Solarfall
8. Myrkur - Måneblôt
9. Ghost Brigade - 22:22 Nihil
10. Watain - Waters of Ain
11. Harakiri For The Sky - Mad World
The first two tracks set the stage, both of them short, catchy, and accessible, while still being crusty and brutal enough to satisfy any fan of the genre. The first track, Darkthrone’s “Natassja in Eternal Sleep” is a classic of the genre that perfectly captures what black metal is all about. Track 2, Bathory’s “Woman of Dark Desires,” is one of the highlights from their profoundly influential album “Under The Sign Of The Black Mark,” which was foundational to black metal and is still crunching good fun today.
By Track 3, it’s time to change things up a little, so we get our first long song with Emperor’s “The Loss and Curse of Reverence,” off of “Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk” (surely one of the finest metal albums of all time) followed by “Mother North” from Satyricon’s “Nemesis Divina” (ditto). Both tracks are over six minutes long, with complicated song patterns, showing how the genre was growing increasingly experimental and ambitious over time.
Five tracks in, it’s time to have some variety, which brings us to Carach Angren’s “Pitch Black Box,” a symphonic black metal song which involves possession and a spooky black box, which means it’s totally relevant to the story. The album it’s from, “Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten,” is a personal favorite of mine.
From there, we move onto another fun, fast-paced modern song: “Edge of Night” by Dark Fortress. This is closer to pure black metal (or as close to pure black metal as modern, well-produced music can be). It’s followed by something a bit more classic: Immortal’s “Solarfall,” off of their album “At the Heart of Winter.”
Track 8 is “Måneblôt” by Myrkur, a controversial band in the black metal community. Purists take offense to the fact that the black metal elements are combined with clean female vocals, but I feel that it shows how the genre has branched out. It’s a beautiful song that, in my mind, very much fits Requiem in Frost.
Track 9 continues the experimentation with Ghost Brigade’s sombre “22:22 - Nihil,” which feels like it belongs in a montage of disappointment and melancholy. Black metal it is not, but I feel that the song captures Ingrid’s state of mind very well.
We end on two modern cuts. Watain’s “Waters of Ain” is a 14-minute opus that many consider to be a modern classic of the genre, closing out their record “Lawless Darkness” with a mixture of aggression, brooding, and frankly awesome guitar solos. It would be a great closer, but I had another final track in mind: Harakiri For The Sky’s blackgaze cover of Tears For Fears’s “Mad World.” At the start of the story, Ingrid has just moved, and will soon start at a new school (if she survives the events of this tale). Lyrically, “Mad World” fits for a number of reasons, and this lovely cover fits the tone of the story more than any other version. Think of “Waters of Ain” as the emotional climax, and “Mad World” as the end credits music.
There are many, many wonderful songs that could be on this album. However, in the end, this is what feels right to me—a soundtrack that celebrates black metal both old and new while also mirroring Ingrid’s own journey into darkness.
I hope you enjoy both the story and the soundtrack for Requiem in Frost.
Thanks so much, Jonathan! To find out more about Jonathan and his writing, visit him on Facebook or Twitter. I'm so excited to see what he comes up with next! I'd love to giveaway a copy of Requiem in Frost to a commenter on today's blog. All you have to do is tell me what music you were into when you were 14! Easy peasy? I'll choose a winner next week!
Up next for Ro...the perfect way to round out the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...Another visit to the world of the Magic and Mayhem Universe! That's right! Garrett and Layla are back with friends from Assjacket, West Virginia and ready to take on their next task...A Gator, a ghoul and a garden shed...True love? Or a disaster in the making? Throw in a lame bunch of water witches, some family secrets, and gator boys who like to scare little old ladies and you've got a rollicking good time! Pre-order your copy today by visiting www.magicandmayhemuniverse.com
With that, enjoy your weekend! Do something spooky, watch a terrifying flick, or go pick up some pumpkins. I want to see all of your Halloween pics on my Facebook page! And Stay Tuned for more Rock 'n' Romance...
