Episode 010- The Restless Interval: Horror and Music

Music can be scary, even terrifying.  Certain combinations of notes induce nervousness and unease in the listener.  Musicians have known about these intervals for centuries.  They can induce tension, character, and depth into a song, and have been used in music throughout the world since before music theory was even a thing.  In modern music these intervals are the roots of jazz, blues, and rock and roll.  In the medieval European Christian church, however, religious leaders branded these intervals satanic – making them even more unsettling.  But it’s not just tones that can make music horrifying.  There’s a long history of folk songs telling stories of real murders in graphic detail, and these murder ballads have been popular for centuries.  Music goes right to your emotions, which makes it a fabulous way to induce horror.  In this episode I’ll talk about the “devil’s tone,” murder ballads, and other tricks of recorded music that induced horror hysteria over the years – some of it imagined, and some of it very real.   If you like the show, please consider writing a review on iTunes.  It really helps.  Thanks a lot for listening.    You can now subscribe to the Hellbent for Horror podcast now available on iTunes and Stitcher   iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hellbent-for-horror/id1090978706 Stitcher link: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/hellbent-for-horror?refid=stpr   For you, the listeners of Hellbent for Horror, Audible is offering a free audiobook download with a free 30-day trial to give you the opportunity to check out their service. To download your free audiobook today, go to: http://www.audibletrial.com/HellbentForHorror   Tritone “Diabolus in Musica” Mystery Plays: The Last Judgment  “Essentials of Music Theory” by Carl Edward Gardner Professor John Deathridge, King Edward professor of music, King's College London Giuseppe Tartini’s “The Devil’s Trill Sonata” Richard Wagner “Gotterdammerung” Murder Ballads “Pretty Polly” “The Twa Sisters” “Tom Dooley”  “Folsom Prison Blues”  “Mack the Knife”  “Stagger Lee” Jazz -Devil’s Music Screaming Jay Hawkins “I Put a Spell on You” “Yesterday and Today” Backmasking “Paul is Dead” Conspiracy White Album “Revolution 9” “I’m So Tired” “Helter Skelter” and Charles Manson Aleister Crowley -“Magick, Book 4” (1913) “Stairway to Heaven” Backmasking controversy Black Sabbath (movie) Black Sabbath (band) Horror Horror Movies Heavy Metal         #Tritone #Diabolus in Musica #Mystery Plays #The Last Judgment  #Essentials of Music Theory by Carl Edward Gardner #Professor John Deathridge, King Edward professor of music, King's College London #Giuseppe Tartini’s #The Devil’s Trill Sonata #Richard Wagner #Gotterdammerung #Murder Ballads #Pretty Polly #The Twa Sisters #Tom Dooley  #Folsom Prison Blues  #Mack the Knife  #Stagger Lee #Jazz -Devil’s Music #Screaming Jay Hawkins #I Put a Spell on You #Yesterday and Today #Backmasking #”Paul is Dead” Conspiracy #White Album #Revolution 9 #I’m So Tired # “Helter Skelter” and Charles Manson #Aleister Crowley -“Magick, Book 4” (1913) # “Stairway to Heaven” Backmasking controversy #Black Sabbath (movie) #Black Sabbath (band) #Horror #Horror Movies #Heavy Metal