Something in the Room is our October Halloween series on rock mythology and haunted film sets: the legends, the people who tell them, and the work that goes on amid the scares.
Roky Erickson and the pleasure of being scared
The singer behind the 13th Floor Elevators filled The Evil One with creatures from old movies. Getting them onto a record took friends, arguments and a producer willing to keep the tape running.
Black Sabbath and the Castle They Wouldn’t Sleep In
In 1973, Black Sabbath went to Clearwell Castle hoping to break a writing block. They found a new album, a disappearing visitor and plenty of reasons not to trust their bandmates after dark.
The Mars Volta and the Board They Buried
An antique talking board, a troubled recording and the friends who helped The Mars Volta finish The Bedlam in Goliath.
