Sound Effects: Horror & Science Fiction
If you're looking for a wealth of sounds that occur in discrete chunks--that is, in less than two-minute episodes--thenSounds of Horror, Sci-Fi, the Weirdis ideal. With 63 tracks ranging from "Wind and Shutters Banging" to "Mad Doctor's Operating Room" and "Chainsaw Starting and Running," this collection is the work of unadulterated sonic grimness. Which is to say, it's perfect if you want to set a mood in parts of the house for fright night, or if you want to play multiple CDs to keep the party guests on their toes. The sound effects aren't interwoven (for that, tryHalloween Horror: Scary Sounds from the Hex FilesorScreamin' Halloween Sounds), but they come with enough proximity to each other to keep the mind and heart racing as one bursts, only to subside and introduce another. No cheesy compressed bits here, as everything is vivid and bright--at least sonically. After all, it's all dark (except for the bizarre "Hip, Hip Hooray Cheers" or "Surf and Seagulls").--Andrew Bartlett