Halloween Countdown: October 24 - nightmare virtuoso

From his studio lair hidden in the catacombs beneath the streets of Stockholm, the Phantom of the Pop Charts plots his next sinister move...

"Now that I've gotten Britney back in the Top 40, I shall commence work on my latest piece for Katy Perry! Revenge, sweet revenge will be mine! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Furyo - Opera in the Air (from the Furyo EP, 1984) - I haven't been shy about expressing my fondness for UK Decay, the Luton-based punk/postpunk outfit that helped launch the whole gothic rock phemomenon. Their dub-and-cobwebs classic, "Unexpected Guest." took the top slot in 2006's Halloween Countdown, and the band's For Madmen Only LP and Rising from the Dread EP make for perfect seasonal listening, be it Halloween, Christmas, or a summer holiday.

After the band's 1982 breakup, vocalist Steve "Abbo" Abbot, guitarist Steve Spon, and drummer Eddie Branch reunited as Furyo and attempted to recapture some of the old grand theatrical magic. Their efforts were less than successful -- and more than a little self-indulgent and silly --but did manage to deliver the goods in a few rare moments.