Chicago garage punk band The Goldstars has released its first full-length album in over a decade—a 13-track record dedicated entirely to the spooky season.
Titled “The Halloween Album,” the release follows several seasonal singles from recent years, including “Stroll in Hell,” “Leave Me Alone (A Halloween Song),” and “I Frankensteined U,” all of which appear on the new record. The project marks the band’s first full-length effort since 2013’s “Bad Motherfucker,” a live album featuring the late Andre Williams.
“Halloween songs just kept falling out of me,” said frontman Matt “Sal” Favazza. “It honestly wasn’t intentional, but at some point I did say to myself (and then the band), ‘Well, I guess we’re releasing a Halloween album.’ And here we are!”
For Favazza, the inspiration for “The Halloween Album” came from, and is dedicated to, late-night horror host Count Scary. “I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, and in the 80s/90s, Count Scary was a fixture around Halloween (along with Sir Grave Ghastly)…on local WDIV (Channel 4). He would host ‘scary’ B-movies and do funny bits during and in between,” Favazza explained. “Anyway, I loved how he brought humor to my all-time favorite holiday…Halloween is so over the top, and I wanted to celebrate that.”
The album covers an array of seasonal themes, from the anxiety of selecting a costume in “Let Your Freek Flag Fly (It’s Halloween Night)” to a garage-rock retelling of Mary Shelley’s classic in “I Frankensteined U.” The record closes on the heartbreak of trick-or-treat rejection with “Hallowteen” and “Want My Damn Candy.”
Featuring original cover artwork by artist Michael Baena depicting the chaotic aftermath of a Halloween party, The Halloween Album was supported by an Individual Artists Program grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
The Halloween Album is available now on all major streaming platforms.
