It was the Yuletide that men call Christmas though they know in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Babylon, older than Memphis and mankind…
Five years into its reign as one of the most innovative and interesting labels currently on the planet, Cadabra Records is set to gift us this Black Friday eve with a audial nightmare surely destined to augur an even more deliciously enshrouded Christmas: H.P. Lovecraft’s 1925 story “The Festival” — billed here, correctly, as “arguably the darkest Christmas tale ever told” — read with sinister elegance by H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society co-founder Andrew Leman over a gorgeous original soundtrack courtesy none other than Fabio Frizzi, the great and legendary Italian maestro who carved his name into the walls of eternity with perception refracting scores for films such as Zombi 2 (1979), City of the Living Dead (1980), and The Beyond (1981).
“Yuletide, the ancient Christmas — a ritual that can turn into a nightmare,” Frizzi tells Decibel. “This time my music at the service of a celebration perhaps with no return. I love Lovecraft, his fantasy world and I love to tune in to him and tell creepy stories together.”
But that’s not all…
“The Festival” will be issued in a limited pressing on 150-gram vinyl, the jacket printed on a deluxe heavyweight tip-on jacket featuring newly commissioned art by Jesse Jacobi. Each record will include an insert with liner notes by composer Fabio Frizzi and a new essay by weird fiction scholar S. T. Joshi. There will be two vinyl variants available; a retail version and a variant exclusive to Cadabra customers, and all direct orders include Christmas card with new art by Joe Keinberger.
In other words, totally essential.
Check out an exclusive snippet of “The Festival” below. Preorders go live on the Cadabra Records website tomorrow.