Category Archives: podcast

Spookatorium 023

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Episode 23 has arrived… tin foil hats are optional but fashionable. This time we take a peek at the life of Thomas Dyott. Dyott amassed a sizable fortune selling patent medicines under such tantalizing names as Roberton’s Infallible Worm Destroying Lozenges & Vegetable Nervous Cordial. The fortune was sizable enough to enable him to build a “utopian” village, called Dyottville (what else?) that conveniently allowed him to skirt labor laws to perpetuate his business.

From there we peek behind the curtain of opportunist psychiatry and look at the phenomenon of Spirit Release, the process of psychiatric exorcism. In fairness to the recent stories I’ve done on the exorcism/possession upswing (here’s another one), I thought we’d look at some charlatans of a different color. As well as a brief overview we look at the case of Askinra, a spirit that reportedly tormented a man who was possessed by the spirit when he was murdered in a past life.

Finally we look at the Mormon theory that Bigfoot is actually the earthly incarnation of the biblical Cain. It is accepted among some within the church that Bigfoot is in fact the doomed Cain milling about the earth as penance for the murder of his brother forever wracked with misery and virtually immortal.

Music this time supplied by…

HARVESTMAN (1:05)
BAD SECTOR (4:38)
HOLLENFURT (8:24)
GARMONBOZIA (17:35)
BELBORN (20:48)
FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY (23:44)
IMPETIGO (28:50)
LAMENT CONFIGURATION (40:19)
GOLIAH (44:16)
SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE (47:58)
BETHLEHEM (55:35)
DIE VERBANNTEN KINDER EVAS (60:36)
GAURITHOTH (63:23)
RUHR HUNTER (67:54)

With background accompaniment from
HYBRYDS

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 023

That’s it until next time…

Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 022

Posted by scottsplatter on

Episode 22 is upon us, this go around we examine numerous instances of a aural phenomenon described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead as the sound of the soul separating from the body. Buzzing and grinding sounds that build to a crescendo have been associated with everything from Near Death Experiences, Shamanic Rituals, Old Hag Syndrome and other forms of transcendent consciousness. An excellent article, called “Her Sweet Murmur” by Greg Taylor (which you can read if you click the link there) from the collection Dark Lore Vol. 1 summarizes these connections and we take a look at this one component of the article which goes further into exploring some additional sounds.

Then we travel to Ohio to review the story of the Loveland Frog. A 3-4 foot bipedal frog like creature allegedly spotted on the back roads around Loveland, Ohio in 1955 and 1972. While evidence is limited to eye witness testimony and there are reports that at least some of it may have been exaggerated or hoaxed it remains one of my favorite crypto tales.

Finally we take a look at the discredited work of Dr. Johann Beringer. He believed in the early 1700’s that fossils were in fact cast off ideas carved by the hand of God. His collection grew to encompass bizarre specimens like birds with fish heads, and even stones that bore the name of God.

It was later revealed he was duped by colleagues and they were all forgeries, but not until Beringer had published his work. Humiliated, he supposedly spent his remaining days and fortune trying to buy back copies of his book, Lithographia Wirceburgensis, which you can view through the link. His story is, perhaps, a cautionary tale for those Intelligent Design fans out there.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

CHAOS AS SHELTER (1:05)
WYRD (4:36)
NOVY SVET (9:53)
SISTRENATUS (25:31)
BODY CHOKE (28:25)
NEW MIND (32:18)
MOTH MASQUE (36:38)
BACKWORLD (45:19)
AGNES BERNELLE (49:55)
KHOLD (53:28)
SKINNY PUPPY (60:15)
BRUTAL TRUTH (63:55)
CAUL (66:45)
NEFILIM (70:19)

With background accompaniment from
BURZUM & NOCTURNAL EMISSIONS

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 022

Thanks as always for tuning in… and congrats to Aspen, the winner of the Blood of the Black Owl “S/T” CD in our first drawing.

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 021

Posted by scottsplatter on

Welcome gawkers to episode 21 of the show! This episode we examine the Jewish ritual of Kapparot – the transfer of sins into the body of a chicken and the sacrifice of the chicken prior to Yom Kippur… as well as recent performance of it in New York and the aftermath left behind. I’ve also included a short PETA video here in the notes to further give you an idea of what we are talking about. I also juxtapose this with a sensational article from the Sioux City Journal regarding a reported ritual killing.

Following this we look at the hoax of the Jenny Haniver. Oddly named this crytpotaxidermy beast constructed from dried, rays, skates and cuttlefish has been passed off as a bona fide monster since the 16th Century, and continues to be despite widely being dubbed a hoax from early on. You can buy one right here.

Finally a look at the fascinating Charles Bonnet Syndrome. The condition in which those with failing vision find their lives interrupted by elaborate hallucinations. I hadn’t heard of this until reading a great piece in the book Dark Lore Vol. 1 which I would recommend.

In addition this time we are having a little drawing from which the winner will receive a copy of Blood of the Black Owl’s self titled record on Bindrune Recordings. Details are in the show…

Music this time from the likes of…

BLIXA BARGELD (1:05)
CARPATHIAN FOREST (5:00)
TULUS (10:45)
THE ACCUSED (26:33)
HARMONY GARDEN (28:55)
MALHAVOC (32:51)
DARKTHRONE (37:14)
BABYLAND (43:23)
SUBTERANNEAN MASQUERADE (46:56)
EMBER (52:45)
DESSAU (54:57)
COIL (65:17)
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS (71:15)
NEVER PRESENCE FOREVER (76:25)

With background accompaniment from
DEL

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 021

That is it this time, leave a comment or drop an email ya ingrates.

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 020

Posted by scottsplatter on

Greetings once again, episode 20 is now up for your consumption. It is nice to reach the 20 show landmark.

This time we take a look at a rise in reports of possession, exorcisms and the mark of the beast in the news, and some things the Catholic church are doing to that end, including a treatment center for demonic possession being built in Poland.

Next up we take a look at the legacy of John “Goat Gland” Brinkley. Brinkley was a medical huckster that made a fortune off the idea that goat testicles were an excellent cure for virility issues. He became a multi-millionaire during the Great Depression peddling this idea, and even made a couple failed attempts at the Governorship of Kansas.

Finally, we look at George Daynor’s Palace of Depression in New Jersey. It’s tale of determination built from scraps in a swampy auto graveyard that became a monument to perseverance and hard work during the Great Depression. Its eccentric creator however ended up in a paupers grave, the victim of his own ambition and promotional vision.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

BIG BLACK (1:05)
CAZZODIO (3:19)
DOUBTING THOMAS (7:07)
BLACKHOUSE (21:14)
FUNERAL DINER (23:06)
DEINONYCHUS (26:16)
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN (30:00)
IMPALED NAZARENE (41:51)
16 VOLT (45:25)
HAGALAZ RUNEDANCE (49:40)
BLACK FLAG (58:33)
PINE TREE STATE MIND CONTROL (61:38)
DIVINUS BAAL & RUNA (64:23)
NEUROSIS (68:06)

With background accompaniment from
NECROPHORUS
HOLLOW EARTH

Thanks again as always for tuning in, if you have anything to say or any good stories to share feel free to leave a comment or send over an email.

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 020

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 019

Posted by scottsplatter on

Episode 19 is now up, this time out we take a look at an alleged forbidden tome called Oriuagor, and the superstitions and warnings associated with reading the work. We also look at the very real likelihood that it’s all a marketing hoax.

Next we review the life and death of Anna Goldi who was immortalized as “The Last Witch of Europe” after her execution 1782 on bogus allegations of witchery in a small Swiss town.

Lastly, we look into two fabled giant serpents, the Lindorm in Scandinavia, and the Tatzelwurm reported to live in the Alps throughout Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland. For a comprehensive look at the Tatzelwurm evidence and lore check out the feature over at Cryptomundo.com.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

NAIANDRA MURIATICA
ECONOCON
KAPO!
IBURN
HEAD OF DAVID
VENOM
NAPALM DEATH
EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN
VEIN CAGE
DEF.MASTER
GODFLESH
TEAR GARDEN
GROTUS
DREAM INTO DUST

With background accompaniment from
AESTHETIC MEAT FRONT
NOS
DEVILLOCK

Thanks as always for checking out the show, feel free to comment and don’t forget to check out the Flickr group and other features of the site.

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 019

– Prof. Gruntsplatter

Spookatorium 018

Posted by scottsplatter on

Welcome to episode 18, some of the little improvements I have been hoping to do for awhile finally got taken care of, so hopefully you’ll like those.

This time out we look at the legacy of Mary Toft, she was involved in a hoax in 1726 that drew the attention of the King of England and inspired perhaps the most famous of any trick in a magicians repertoire. Her story is outlined further in the book “The Girl Who Gave Birth To Rabbits: A True Medical Mystery,” which I am hoping to check out before too long.

Next we take a trip down south to check in on a couple of mysterious creature sightings. One is believed to be a possible Skunk Ape and the other dubbed the Beast of Bolivia, is killing dogs in South Carolina. In addition LiveScience.com ran a recent article on the possibility of using hi resolution satellite imagery to search for elusive breeding colonies of various cryptids.

Finally we take a look at the theory of palingenesy, the alchemical idea inspired by the work of Greek philosopher Lucretious that sought to explain ghosts and apparitions chemically, rather than metaphysically. The thought was that a body’s form resided in its salts, and by applying heat to those salts, you could regenerate the form of a dead or destroyed plant or animal as an apparition. This one is pretty interesting and I have been meaning to cover it for a few weeks so I hope you find it curious.

The sounds this time around are supplied by…

DISHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
DAZZLINGKILLMEN
MISSING FOUNDATION
SNOG
BLANCHE
CLAN OF XYMOX
DESCENDENTS
NAVICON TORTURE TECHNOLOGIES
VO.I.D
FLUISTERWOUD
TODAY IS THE DAY
THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN
BRUTE FORCE
CHARNEL VALLEY

With background accompaniment from
NAJ
CORPOPARASSITA

Thanks as always for checking out the show…

Professor Gruntsplatter’s Spookatorium 018

– Prof. Gruntsplatter