By Michael A. Pytak 
   
     There was a time when mail-order catalogs
were hip to your average horror afficiando.  
     Back in the day, I was a mail-order junkie, 
sending away for cool stuff from bootleg movies
to import soundtracks.  Among the pages of these
infamous catalogs lie some of the most 
interesting items you could possibly imagine.
 And Lucio Fulci's "Requiem in Blood" was no
exception.
     Lucio Fulci's "Requiem in Blood," a limited
edition CD which was released in 1995, 
showcased two of the Maestro's most popular
films, "The Gates of Hell" and "The Beyond," 
both composed and performed by longtime 
collaborator Fabio Frizzi. 
     Basically, "Requiem in Blood" is a Fulci 
double-feature…"The Beyond" opens the 
doorway to Hell, while "The Gates of Hell" 
releases the supernatural upon the world! 
     Fabio Frizzi's work on both films is, without
a doubt, the most memorable Italian horror film
music ever recorded.            
     This promotional CD, which, at the time was
prominently displayed on the cover of the 
Blackest Heart Media catalog, was originally a
limited edition release of 1000 copies, featuring
a special introduction by the Maestro himself!  
     Believe it or not, Lucio Fulci recorded an 
introduction for this release before his untimely
death in 1996.  
     This disc is a must have for Fulci fans 
everywhere! The beautiful full-color cover
features Italy's favorite whipping boy, 
Giovanni Lombardo Radice, getting the 
infamous drill press through his head!  Nice!  
     Chas. Balun provided the liner notes for this
release, in which he discusses the importance of 
Frizzi's music to the Lucio Fulci film series, and
how fans consider "The Beyond" to be one of 
the greatest soundtracks ever!  
     The disc itself features the symbol of Eibon, 
as well as one of the famous quotes from "The 
Beyond": "Woe be unto him who opens one of 
the seven gateways to Hell, because through 
that gateway, evil will invade the world."
     However, despite the craftsmanship of this 
release, the quality is, by no means, digitally 
mastered. 
     You can hear the pops and crackles 
throughout the recording.  My guess is the 
recording was taken from the original album,
which has been out of print for over a decade. 
     All in all, I have to give credit where credit is
due, and Chas. Balun's artwork is the tits!  
     Unfortunately, Lucio Fulci's "Requiem in 
Blood" is out-of-print, but if you are interested 
in buying a copy for your Fulci collection, 
eBay is the place to search!