Although horror fans live in a world of technological marvels to enhance their horror films, such as the visually stunning visceral works like crazy god released on June 16, 2022, there is something to be said for the audio drama medium. While it’s easy to get a reaction to seeing something scary on screen, audio dramas through a good pair of headphones can be an extremely frightening sensory experience.
There will never be a camera that can rival the human imagination, but the awe-inspiring mix and direction of sound effects, music and voice acting can pull a listener right into the action. Many productions give new meaning to the term “spinal tingle”.
mugwort
mugwort is a horror mystery that delves into multiple motifs and storylines that will satisfy a wide audience of horror fans. Dealing with themes of small town horror, supernatural entities, Lovecraftian monsters, and even a touch of slasher here and there. Variety is definitely one of the strong points of the production, and fans will appreciate it.
The series follows Dr. Xander Crowe, a paranormal researcher experienced in the dark arts, who has visions regarding a murdered woman in the mysterious town of Wormwood. fans of X files and Stephen King’s adaptations will find a comfortable combination of elements that welcome them into a gripping, twisting, thrilling thriller with a touch of familiarity to draw in new listeners and keep them engaged.
The elevator
fans of The blurred area will immediately draw comparisons between Rod Serling’s iconic anthology series in the realms beyond imagination to that of The elevator. The elevator is a sci-fi horror series with a common thread, that of a mysterious little girl with a music box and her strange elevator to other planes of existence. Meeting Victoria could come with a journey beyond the stars or a journey through time to expose the sins of the past.
The stories that unfold are entirely dependent on who chooses to take the elevator and how Victoria perceives them. As The twilight zone before that, the podcast is more about surreal and abstract horror than guts and gore.
County Arkham
This Stanley Tucci-directed Audible Original could be described as the works of HP Lovecraft set in the modern age. Fans of the author’s work will be taken through the halls of Miskatonic University, meet familiar characters like Herbert West and Dagon, and uncover the unholy mysteries behind the horrors plaguing Arkham City.
Randolph Carter recounts the events leading up to his committal to Arkham Mental Asylum, skipping very few details. The production features an equal split of modern and classic horror as college students are exposed to grim science experiments, dark arts, and monsters lurking beneath the sea. That’s all a Lovecraft reader could wish for and more.
strange county
strange county it’s complicated, but it’s a good thing. It’s an anthology series cultivated by a fusion of various sci-fi, horror, and supernatural elements that all blend together to create both setting and drama that will immediately grab the listener’s attention.
strange county is home to magical kittens, damaged robots, alien abductions and a honking horde of demonic clowns, resulting in a spooky, quirky and comedic production that has the same flavor as something like Fighting spirit Where The lost boys. Scary when it needs to be, but it can also be lighthearted and charming.
The black bands
Most listeners will immediately think of The Magnus Archive when they consider audio horror, but The black bands offers something a little more interesting than archival recordings of paranormal, supernatural, and gruesome events. The series mixes horror fiction with a slight tie to reality, as its journalistic format feels more grounded.
The recordings consist of the work of Dr. Richard Strand, a researcher searching for the truth behind famous paranormal phenomena, and journalist Alex Regan as they examine the titular “Black Tapes” of strange occurrences never fully explained. The X-Files The influence weighs heavily on the series, but there’s also a darker mystery going on in the background of Dr. Strand’s life that unfolds bit by bit as the pair investigate each case.
Scary Stories Told in the Dark
fans of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books won’t be disappointed with this short story series hosted by writer Otis Jiry. The podcast is a series of different horror stories by a variety of different authors past and present, and it’s sure to scratch that campfire tale itch.
Many of the stories are absolutely disturbing and their content is very varied. From demonic possessions and even techno-horror, there are plenty of dark realms to explore in this anthology.
unwell
There’s something special about horror storylines coming to town, and few audio dramas capture that better than Indisposed. unwell is a paranormal horror podcast that deals with all kinds of ghostly things. From haunted houses to evil spirits in the woods, the series definitely has a lot going for it. The city of Mount Absalom sits on a veritable hotbed of the supernatural, and there are worse things than wild animals in the forest.
While the horror elements are all compelling and interesting, it’s the human interaction between the Harpers, their friends and allies, and the sinister denizens of Mount Absalom that really drives the show. From Harpers to Cultists, the characters all feel real, grounded, and compelling.
Old Appalachian Gods
Although billed as a horror anthology, each season of Ancient Appalachian Gods follows supernatural and horrifying stories about different regions of southern Appalachia. Places like Barlow, Kentucky and Baker’s Gap, Tennessee serve as the backdrop for spooky tales of ghosts, witches, cults, and unseen demons that lurk beneath the mountains and in the region’s forests.
Rural horror has a very distinct and spooky flavor to it, as such places can be simple, unassuming and very beautiful, which makes it all the more terrifying that something could be lurking just below the surface. It’s an audio drama certainly not for the faint of heart.
Alien: Out of the Shadows
There aren’t a huge number of audio dramas that take direct inspiration from famous horror movies, but Audible Extraterrestrial is ideal for any fan of monsters, sci-fi and graphic storytelling. Out of the shadows takes place after the events of the first film, bringing Ripley and Ash back into the action as they are both picked up by the crew of a mining ship who discover xenomorphs in their transport shuttles.
The audio backing is what really makes this production work, as listeners will be transported to derelict spaceships and hunted down by Xenomorphs who will drool as they choose crew members. Every click of the ship’s console, the blast of a cobbled-together weapon, and the scream of a hungry alien are all heard and felt in excruciating detail, drawing the listener deeper and deeper into the horrors of space.
Impact Winter
Shocking as it may seem to some, there was a time when vampires were freaks and not overly romanticized beloved interests cursed with a bloodsucking hunger, and Impact Winter reminds of how scary and wild vampires can be. producers of The Walking Dead comes this post-apocalyptic tale of vampires, swords, and survivors in a frozen wasteland.
Set in the English countryside and laden with abandoned castles and bunkers, this series follows a group of survivors battling vampires created in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Vampires themselves come in a variety of species, ranging from savage bloodsuckers who roam the tundra at night to Overlords who might have their own horror movie. It’s a great listen for those who need a break from the stereotypical zombie heaving.
