- Mannequins For Friends: “Transmissions”
- Etched in Embers: “Asking for Nothing”
- Shelter in Place: “Catch My Breath”
- 9th Evolution: “The New Witches”
- Calvaria: “Ghost”
Honorable mention:
Ghost
Five Songs I’m Obsessed With [5/4 – 5/10]
The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist, Pt. 4 (Updated 4/16/25)
Welcome to April – and a whole new batch of bangers! We’re a little over two weeks into the month, and already, we’ve seen a lot of great releases.
Don’t forget to check out the previous installments of The Mostly Music 2025 Playlist while you’re at it.
Here are the songs that have been added so far in April!
- I Was the Crown: “Mirage in My Veins”
- Taylor Barber: “Forever (Stripped)” – Acoustic (ft. Alejandro Aranda)
- obli_x_vion: “To the Grave” (ft. Circuit Preacher)
- Lost Hearts: “Gone Too Far”
- Linx: “Dead”
- Incite: “No Mercy, No Forgiveness”
- Ghost Bath: “Well, I Tried Drowning”
- SKNN: “Antidote”
- New Medicine: “Baggage”
- Sleep Token: “Caramel”
- Hand of the Tribe: “Smile”
- Traverse the Abyss: “Consequence”
- Empire Springs: “Circle Forbidden”
- Witchz: “The Dose”
- Rogue Island: “Ghost of You”
- To the Grave: “Sawed Off”
- Arlind: “Up at Night”
- Shadows of Spectres: “Ichi”
- Energiii: “Hekate”
- Fear Atomic: “A Bullseye on Your Heart”
- City of Strays: “Stupid and Naive”
- Pigeon Park: “The Anchor”
- Seventh Day Slumber: “Savior Machine” (ft. Nine Lashes)
- Storm Kingdom: “Deus Lapsus (The Fallen God)”
- Left to Suffer: “Set the World on Fire” (ft. UnityTX)
- Retina Sky: “Broken Wing”
- Forge the Sun: “Peanut”
- Aesthetic Perfection: “Master”
- Cold Clay Mountain: “These Hands”
- A Moment of Violence: “Breaking Me”
- Jay Gearhart: “Heaven and Hell”
- Somerseth: “In Hell I’m Gone”
- anMech: “Identify Me”
- Gillsaw: “The Beautiful People” (Marilyn Manson cover)
- In Passing: “Closer”
- Ghost: “Lachryma”
Ghost Announces 2025 World Tour
Love them or hate them, Swedish theatrical pop/metal titans Ghost have had an undeniable chokehold on the music scene for the last several years, and that has not changed in 2025. Within the past month, the band has unveiled the newest transformation of Papa Emeritus and unleashed the first single – “Satanized” – from their upcoming album, Skeletá. They announced the release date for the record, April 25th, and shared the news of a coinciding world tour.
You can pre-order Skeletá and snag tickets/VIP packages for the tour at ghost-official.com!
Europe (Spring 2025)
- 4/15 – Manchester, UK – AO Arena
- 4/16 – Glasgow, UK – Ovo Hydro
- 4/19 – London, UK – The O2
- 4/20 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
- 4/22 – Antwerp, BE – Sportpaleis
- 4/23 – Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle
- 4/24 – München, DE – Olympiahalle
- 4/26 – Lyon, FR – LDLC Arena
- 4/27 – Toulouse, FR – Zenith de Toulouse
- 4/29 – Lisbon, PT – Meo Arena
- 4/30 – Madrid, ES – Palacio Vistalegre
- 5/3 – Zurich, CH – Hallenstadion
- 5/4 – Milan, IT – Unipol Forum
- 5/7 – Berlin, DE – Uber Arena
- 5/8 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
- 5/10 – Lódź, PL – Atlas Arena
- 5/11 – Prague, CZ – O2 Arena
- 5/13 – Paris, FR – Accorhotels Arena
- 5/14 – Oberhausen, DE – Rudolf Weber Arena
- 5/15 – Hannover, DE – Zag Arena
- 5/17 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
- 5/20 – Tampere, FI – Tampereen Monitoimiareena
- 5/22 – Linköping, SE – Saab Arena
- 5/23 – Sandviken, SE – Göransson Arena AB
- 5/24 – Oslo, NO – Oslo Spektrum Arena
U.S. and Mexico (Summer 2025)
- 7/9 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
- 7/11 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
- 7/12 – Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
- 7/13 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
- 7/15 – Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
- 7/17 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Arena
- 7/18 – Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
- 7/19 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
- 7/21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
- 7/22 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
- 7/24 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
- 7/25 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
- 7/26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
- 7/28 – Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
- 7/29 – Milwaukee, WI – FiServ Forum
- 7/30 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
- 8/1 – Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
- 8/2 – Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
- 8/3 – Omaha, NE – Chi Health Center Omaha
- 8/5 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
- 8/7 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
- 8/9 – Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
- 8/10 – San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
- 8/11 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
- 8/14 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
- 8/15 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
- 8/16 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
- 9/24 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
- 9/25 – Mexico City, MX – Palacio de los Deportes
Update: Goodreads Reading Challenge 2023 (11/15/23)
My November was even slower than my October, in regard to the reading challenge. To be fair, that could have something to do with extra hours at work and my week-long trip to Colorado…
Anyway, I have only read five books since my last update. I did reach my goal of 55; time to raise the number again.
So here are the books I finished, complete with ratings and brief reviews. Enjoy, and remember to recommend anything you think I’d find interesting!
None of This is True (Lisa Jewell)
Rating: 4/5
None of This is True was an intriguing read – until the very end. The story was enough to hold my interest, and Lisa did quite well in keeping certain things shrouded in mystery. However, the big reveal was a mite disappointing and, frankly, dissatisfying. I would still recommend it, though, because not everyone will feel as I do about the conclusion.
Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)
Rating: 2/5
After hearing about Frankenstein for years, I finally decided to read it. How had I missed such a classic, right? Especially given how much I love all things horror. Well… having read this infamous novel, I feel that I could have continued living without it. I’m sure many of you will herald Frankenstein as a must-read, and I do understand its importance in literary history, but I just couldn’t get into it. Victor pissed me off. That’s the gist of my complaint. I won’t bore you with my opinion on this particular book any further.
Ghost (Kat Blackthorne)
Rating: 3/5
Ghost is the first in Kat Blackthorne’s “The Halloween Boys” series. I like the concept behind this book, and I love Kat diving into several facets of the supernatural. On the other hand, I lost my patience with Blythe, the female lead. I’ll give the short version of what didn’t win me over: everyone wanted Blythe, she accepted what was going on way too easily, and – I can’t believe I’m saying this – most of the smut was unnecessary.
Witching You Were Here (Amanda M. Lee)
Rating: 3.5/5
Amanda M. Lee’s “Wicked Witches of the Midwest” series are considered cozy mysteries, and that description is accurate. I read most of Witching You Were Here on my flights to and from Colorado. This is the third book in the series, and while I do enjoy the quirky relationships among the Winchester witches and their friends/significant others, I am waiting on a more intricate plot, or even a darker scenario like the murders in the first book. Still, these are fun and easy reads. I highly recommend grabbing your favorite blanket and a mug of tea (or coffee) and curling up with one of these books.
The Drowning Kind (Jennifer McMahon)
Rating: 4/5
My mom read The Drowning Kind first and told me that I would enjoy it, and she was right. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll say only that I was hooked from page one, I devoured this novel in three days, and this story carried me through a lot of emotions. It actually made me cry quite a bit. Read this. Read it now. Trust me.
**
I am currently reading Dracula (Bram Stoker) and The Witch of Halloween House (Jeff DeGordick).
Mostly Music Halloween 2023 Playlist
I think I actually created this playlist last year, but it has undergone some changes since then! So click the link to visit the actual list on Spotify (this is NSFW), or simply read what made the cut below! Happy Halloween, y’all!
- Type O Negative: “Love You to Death”
- Type O Negative: “Black No. 1 (Little Miss Scare-All)”
- Small Town Titans: “Monster Mash”
- Marilyn Manson: “This is Halloween”
- Ed Ivory, Ken Page: “Oogie Boogie’s Song”
- Danny Elfman: “Remains of the Day”
- Bruno Coulais, The Children’s Choir of Nice: “Coraline End Credits”
- London After Midnight: “The Black Cat”
- Avenged Sevenfold: “A Little Piece of Heaven”
- Alice Cooper: “Feed My Frankenstein”
- Depeche Mode: “Enjoy the Silence – 2006 Remaster”
- Marilyn Manson, Sneaker Pimps: “Long Hard Road Out of Hell”
- Sneaker Pimps: “6 Underground”
- Little Nell, Patricia Quinn, Richard O’Brien: “Time Warp”
- Lana Del Rey: “Season of the Witch”
- Eagles: “Witchy Woman – 2013 Remaster”
- Collide: “White Rabbit”
- Rob Zombie: “Dragula”
- Crosses: “Bitches Brew”
- White Zombie: “Thunder Kiss ’65”
- Fall Out Boy: “Uma Thurman”
- Backstreet Boys: “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”
- The Weeknd: “Blinding Lights”
- The 69 Eyes: “Lost Boys”
- Ghost: “Dance Macabre”
- Keith David: “Friends on the Other Side” (from The Princess and the Frog)
- The Alan Parsons Project: “The Raven”
- The Alan Parsons Project: “(The System Of) Dr. Tarr and Professor Feather”
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds: “Red Right Hand”
- Front Line Assembly: “Ghosts”
- Creature Feature: “The Greatest Show Unearthed”
- Jyrki 69, Steve Stevens: “White Rabbit”
- Die Krupps: “The Vampire Strikes Back”
- Panzer AG: “Monster”
- Rob Zombie: “House of 1000 Corpses”
- Rob Zombie: “Pussy Liquor”
- John 5: “Beat It”
- Anarchy Club: “Behind the Mask”
- Graveyard BBQ: “Cheat on the Church”
- Bobaflex: “I’m Glad You’re Dead”
- Rammstein: “Mein Teil”
- Ghost: “Call Me Little Sunshine”
- Ghost: “Hunter’s Moon”
- Atlanta Rhythm Section: “Spooky”
- Alice Cooper: “Welcome To My Nightmare”
- Tom Petty: “Zombie Zoo”
- Wednesday 13: “I Walked With a Zombie”
- Murderdolls: “Love at First Fright”
- Escape the Fate: “Zombie Dance”
- Escape the Fate: “Gorgeous Nightmare”
- Escape the Fate: “Lost in Darkness”
- Powerman 5000: “Black Lipstick”
- Deftones: “Change (In the House of Flies)”
- Muse: “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween”
- Strvngers: “Crucifixxx”
- Strvngers: “Necromancer”
- Crywolf: “Halloween, 1987”
- Andrew Gold: “Spooky, Scary Skeletons (Undead Tombstone Remix)”
- People in Planes: “Vampire”
- Roxy Lane: “Graveyard”
- Vampires Everywhere!: “Cry Little Sister”
- Rob Zombie: “Living Dead Girl”
- No Resolve, From Ashes To New: “Thriller”
- The 69 Eyes: “We Own The Night”
- Powerman 5000: “Horror Show”
- London After Midnight: “Spider and the Fly”
Ghost: Re-Imperatour 2023 (USA)
Ghost is touring the US again this summer! With support from Amon Amarth, the Re-Imperatour kicks off August 2nd in Concord, CA. You can get your tickets (if you haven’t already) at ghost-official.com.
- 8/2 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
- 8/4 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
- 8/5 – Airway Heights, WA – BECU Live Outdoor Venue
- 8/7 – West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
- 8/8 – Greenwood Village, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
- 8/11 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
- 8/12 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
- 8/14 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
- 8/15 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
- 8/16 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
- 8/18 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
- 8/19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
- 8/20 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
- 8/22 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
- 8/23 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
- 8/24 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
- 8/25 – Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
- 8/27 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amphitheater
- 8/29 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
- 8/30 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place Amphitheater
- 8/31 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
- 9/2 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
- 9/3 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
- 9/5 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
- 9/7 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
- 9/8 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
- 9/11 – Inglewood, CA – The Kia Forum*
- 9/12 – Inglewood, CA – The Kia Forum*
* Ghost only
30 Day Song Challenge: Day 28 – A Song You Heard Live in Concert
I have been to more concerts than I can count, so there are no wrong answers here. Lol. However, I will choose a song that was a highlight for me when I finally saw it performed live.
Ghost: “He Is”
Man Crush Monday: Papa Emeritus
I think it’s somewhat fitting that my first man crush in October is Papa Emeritus of Ghost. I actually saw the band about a month ago in Huntsville, and I must say Papa is an entrancing performer.
Positive Vibes!
The last two weeks have been really good.
Five days after seeing Shinedown in Knoxville, I went to the Spiritbox, Mastodon, and Ghost show in Huntsville. Ghost had been on my bucket list for a while, and they did not disappoint! It was fun and a little cheesy and I loved every minute of it (especially The Nameless Ghouls wrapping up their guitar duel with the instantly recognizable riff to “Sweet Home Alabama”).
And now, the days are shortening, the temperature is dropping, horror movies are starting to come on…fall is returning. Last Saturday, the college football season kicked off (ha!) and my favorite team – the Crimson Tide, of course – annihilated Utah State. We play Texas this weekend. I hope we stomp them into the ground!
Mom and I ventured out on our first quest for Halloween things on Monday. We already have our The Nightmare Before Christmas pajamas from Wal-Mart. (We buy a set every year.) I found some cute sweats that say “HalloQueen” and socks with Jack Skellington and Zero on them. Oh, and my parents got me some Hocus Pocus sleep pants for my birthday. Now I just need the Spirit of Halloween near here to open. Actually, on second thought, maybe not. Lol. I always spend too much money in there.
I’ll update y’all on my reading challenge soon, and I’m aiming to post a “3 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following” next week. I don’t have any big plans, so I should have time to sit down and put it all together.
I hope this blog finds all of you well, and Roll Tide!
