Witchcraft Hardware has just released their new lineup of some seriously murderous boards, tees and hats. French always puts out an amazing lineup of graphics, and this line is no different, featuring artwork by himself, Paul Parker, Andre Coelho, Murdoch Stafford and Sam Roberts. This line has everything the satanic skater needs. On tees, French has brought back some Witchraft classics, like the ‘Goatagram’ and ‘Goat Sabbat,’ but has also introduced the ‘Burning of the Witch’ design. As far as the deck graphics, Witchcraft doesn’t shy away from it’s evil roots, and presents a beautiful array of artwork. Although these make some of the sickest decks I have seen, it’s a shame to think of them actually being ridden and scratched up. But ridden they are, and well, by the Witchcraft skate team, made up of Vincent Coupeau, Garrett McNevin, Jake Snelling, Joxa, Jamie The Pirate, Sam Roberts and Tibs, who are also featured in the pages of the lookbook for this drop. After the jump, you can check out the new line and also the rad photos of the team shredding occult style, and below, read some ominous words by Witchcraft Hardware.

Welcome to Witchcraft, join the coven and come to the Sabbat.

Witchcraft is seen by those outside the sect as an organization with no purpose other than to prey on other Kindred and consume their vitae through Diablerie and to spread of dissension and rebellion throughout the younger members of Kindred society. It’s members are seen by other Kindred as callous and vicious brutes who place no value on Kindred existence, let alone human life, and seem to revel in releasing the Beast during frenzy. They are entrenched in the shredding, carrying on bizarre and unspeakable rituals unseen by outsiders.

Rumors and mistruths do indeed abound concerning the shredding, often fueled by the sect itself to prevent the Camrailla from learning too much. Most of these can be dismissed, although some of hold a ring of truth.

Shredding is the only truth, the only way.

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If you’ve stumbled across this zine chances are your days of meadow-dwelling are long since past. You no longer view the world through the hate-veil of the Fox News Corp (although, I think you should since it becomes an endless “Blood Test” scene from John Carpenter’s The Thing), and have deduced that most Muslims are not blood-crazed terrorists, the world won’t fall apart and decay suddenly in 2012, most mothers are not time-bomb murders incognito and most Skinheads are not racist, ignorant hatemongers.  At some point one of the proudest, loudest, least politically minded and certainly best looking sub-sects of the Mod culture was adopted stolen by the very people who make civilization a crumbling structure.  Entirely, although unsurprisingly, lacking the foresight to see that their newly purloined look was  largely a Jamaican/Immigrant/Black creation, these Bonheads chose simply ignore the truth and go on tarnishing a proud crest. The documentary Man Alive was filmed in 1968 and examines the Dancehall roots and Football hooliganism of the skinhead culture and while the sugar-glazed goggles of the past often allow us to overlook glaring flaws of our heroes (Paki-bashing is entirely unacceptable regardless of how great your Merc looks), these gentlemen were simply rudies intent on having a good time.  Check out the original English roses after the jump

Actual Pain has just released their Summer lineup of tees & hats, entitled All of them Witches, featuring some new designs and some classics. I am really digging the old school feel he went with, and the pyramid frame theme in the graphics; the Coven tee is dope, as a fan of the band rather than the book. Also, his embroidered occult snapback is pretty rad too. Actual Pain has become a staple in Seattle, and is set on world domination – and it will probably happen, since TJ has Satan on his side. To coincide with the release, the talented Emily Denton, the better half of Actual Pain, directed and filmed the All of them Witches lookbook with Sean Prince of Tit Pig and Gabi Page-Fort of Stickers in deep contemplation of each other, and their new clothes. Watching this video makes me miss the Northwest (or the Southwest of Canada I guess), because of the absolutely beautiful summers, and the people who are so thankful for them after months of rain. We all head out into backyards and onto roofs and patios to drink beer all day and watch the sun set at 10. When it’s summer all year round, you lose your appreciation for it. Anyway, enough of complaining about good weather…after the jump, check out the Actual Pain Summer 11 collection and lookbook video.

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Who says metal babes can’t dress up? As Women of Babylon, it is only natural to awaken our vessels with leather, lace, jewels and bones. Shamans of our souls are we, and on days when we want to conjure up the earthen goddesses in us all, we should look no further than Sisters of The Black Moon. Roughing the racks of flea markets, thrift stores and vintage shops everywhere, these moon sisters do more than just hand-me-down band tees.

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OCCULTER is a project by Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons, the brainchild of NYC-based artist Derrick Cruz. Cruz combines art and commerce in his jewelry, books and sculpture. He brings a fascination for funerary crafts, alchemical studies and First Nations mythology to his works, fusing these three elements in his handcrafted and inspired pieces. His Splinter series features earrings, a ring and a pendant cast from splinters from New York’s heritage buildings – the ring and earrings are early 1900s wood beam splinters from a Rivington Street building, and the pendant is a splinter taken from a century-old Lower East Side synagogue. Cruz ventures into the strange and wonderful with his horsehair necklaces and bracelets from his Theft of Light collection, which are immaculately braided and thick and glossy, reminiscent of Victorian hair memento jewelry. His Monolith collection features pendants that are inspired by nature’s patterns that are carved by wind and sea into rock, sand and glacier. These pendants have a dark beauty to them that I find really compelling – maybe it’s the aesthetic of erosion, a kind of decay. Cruz also offers up a cast human jaw in solid bronze coated in 24 K gold…and let me just put this on the record – anyone who buys this to grind their cigarette butts into has justly earned my hatred. OCCULTER has a depth of inspiration that is difficult to find in “dark” jewelry, which can so often fall into the skull and bones rut. It’s refreshing to see the different perspective and breadth of research brought by Cruz to his creations. After the jump, check out some of my favorite pieces from OCCULTER…

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Massive hair and evil eyes defined the Death Rock style of the 80s, the actually super fly precursor to today’s mostly cheesy goth and 100% terrible emo fashion. In my opinion, these women look amazing and are style icons; I have no idea where those bastard babies of Death Rock came from. I think this style is kind of what those Rick Owens-worshiping hipsters are going for, but please people – try a little harder. These all-black-everything outfits are as authentic and creative as they come. Plus, the sheer amount of talent and practice it takes to paint on eyebrows and eyeliner like this makes Death Rock makeup a work of art. And the hair, worn perfectly bushy by women and men alike (although I have to say, I prefer a man who doesn’t spend any time styling his hair), it a feat in itself – defying space, time and gravity to rest atop their heads like black fluffy halos. Death Rock hair is the white woman’s answer to the Afro of the 70s, labeling her anti-system and against all of society’s norms of attractiveness, but looking fabulous in her own right. As a new mother, I haven’t really found the time to brush my hair yet, but I am not averse to one day soon bringing back the Siouxsie eye. After the jump, peruse some amazing photos of Death Rock ladies of the 80s…

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Our homie Gia at Unearthen Jewelry is, in my opinion, the originator of the bullet crystal necklace, which has subsequently been copied by many. While her jewelry doesn’t have the dark vibe of the lines that I usually cover, her pieces can fit well into any metal girl’s wardrobe. She creates one of a kind pieces using earthy, rough crystals, and her presentation is as original as her jewelry. My favorite pieces above all are her vintage watches with quartz pyramid faces – the quartz is chunky and just out from the face of the delicate and carefully chosen vintage watches, and you can still tell the time by looking through one of the prismatic sides of the crystal. She also makes beautiful prism rings, where the crystals sit nestled on either side of your finger. Her OG pieces, the bullet pendants, feature roughly hewn crystal shards embedded in empty shell casings, some real and some cast, and create a contrast between the raw materials created by the Earth, and what human beings make of them. I have seen her workroom with my own eyes, and I know that she creates her pieces meticulously by hand.
After the jump, take a look at some of my favorite pieces from her shop…

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OK weird…so I was searching for things like “taxidermy,” as usual, and I came across a very interesting line of Victorian-inspired taxidermy jewelry by Loved to Death. Although I first found their Etsy store full of birds’ and bats’ wings necklaces and squirrel head pendants, in my researching I also found out that Loved to Death is a store on Haight St. in San Francisco. And then the weird part – they run the Articulated Gallery, which I inadvertently posted about in my feature on Dan Harding, who is a part of their current group show, Under the Gun. Even the Internet can be a small world sometimes. It’s not surprising that Loved to Death run a gallery, as their curio shop and accessory line evolved from their art – anthropomorphic taxidermy dioramas. Anyway, besides running a gallery that shows rad artists, Loved to Death make some freaky and fascinating pieces that they call “taxidermy memento mori,” and pay tribute to the little creatures that have passed on by memorializing them in the form of earrings, pendants and rings. Some of my personal favorites are the human tooth rings, where pristine molars are set into sterling silver ring settings. I am not sure where they get the teeth, but they assure us that all of the creatures they use in their taxidermy died of natural causes – not at their hands. They use the preserved bones of the animals in creative ways, painting or dying them and gilding their little teeth. Another amazing piece is the rattlesnake head pendant, which leaps off your chest as if it’s about to strike. Loved to Death also collaborated on some cast squirrel heart pieces with another favorite line of mine, Bloodmilk. After the jump, find your taxidermy dream come true among Loved to Death’s memento mori…

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Cvlt Nation extended family member GIVE UP is at it again with his recent release  of HATEFUCK 10. This issue contains the filth, the scum, the collected and spill-over from the elements of GIVE UP art and design. The black and white photocopy zine, 8.5×5.5, numbered edition of 75. Issue 10 features a black on black card cover with a screen printed detail 8.5×12 centerfold, and additional printed transparency pages of the most recent spew. You can pick up your copy of HATEFUCK 10 over at the GIVE UP webstore. More after the jump.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is a truly magickal place. Not only is it the occult center of Canada, it is home to a vast array of wildlife that literally live in people’s back yards. There really are no words to describe the natural beauty and power of B.C., and Vancouver Island is the jewel in it’s crown. Moon Raven Designs is based in the village of Brentwood Bay, Vancouver Island, and is run by Dianne and Michael Doyle, who handcraft stunning jewelry based on the wildlife they experience on a daily basis. Much of their collection is corvidae-inspired, and centers around raven and crow skulls and talons. However, they also venture into sea life, human anatomy, antlers and wildcats, among others. They cast in a variety of metals, and make earrings, pendants, rings and bracelets that are exceptional in their design and finish. I even found some amazing bird skull drawer pulls and a cross switchblade necklace. After the jump, find yourself a new handmade accessory by Moon Raven Designs…

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