By Gregory S. Burkart
Whether your loved one's stocking is embellished with black fishnet or crafted from spiked leather, and regardless of their preferred Holiday observance ? Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus (for the rest of us), Winter Solstice or nothing at all ? most people like getting gifts in the form of music. Some folks in the throes of chronic mix-CD mania even like giving them too. (Guilty.)

Most would also agree that the music we choose to listen to is one of the most important aspects of who we are. Even those like you and me, whose tastes run more toward scary than merry, love it when their friends and family signify how they totally ?get them? with a gift that perfectly suits their sonic taste. It's not easy, I know. In fact, it's kind of a bitch.

That's why I'm here to help.

This holiday season brings quite a bounty for those whose musical tastes are both sinister and cinematic, thanks to the arrival of two choice gems. First: to coincide with the 25th Anniversary of Blade Runner, Universal is releasing a ?Triple Deckard? delight (sorry, bad joke) in the form of a 3-CD soundtrack set. This promises to be the BR completist's dream collection, with extras guaranteed to shock your mind. Just as eagerly anticipated this month is the reissue of Jerry Goldsmith's celebrated Alien score, including a second CD of bonus cues. Check back here for detailed reviews of both.

Those who prefer to mosh around the tree this year have plenty to satisfy their bloodlust... way too many metal options to list here, but Otep's Ascension, Six Feet Under's Commandment, Chimaira's Ressurection and Daath's The Hinderers are a good start. My personal faves this year include Dimmu Borgir's epic In Sorte Diaboli, Samael's electro-tinged prog opus Solar Soul, and the latest from Japanese guitar heroes Dir En Grey, The Marrow of a Bone. Of course, no headbanger's holiday would be complete without Opeth's The Roundhouse Tapes, which documents the prog-metal gods onstage in London with a set that spans the entirety of their musical career to date. (Look for a corresponding DVD release early next year.) And although I get teary-eyed at the prospect that The Last Sucker is Ministry's swan song, it's one of the greatest albums in over a decade from industrial-metal icon al Jourgensen.

2007 also proved to be a rivethead's delight, with lots of new releases from the various dark electro genres. Groundbreaking experimental duo Skinny Puppy reasserts their dominance of the electronic scene with Mythmaker, the second release since their recent re-teaming. EBM powerhouse Funker Vogt is also back with the well-received Aviator. Wumpscut's Body Census contains some of Rudy Ratzinger?s best mischief to date; and although Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero (and its remix companion album) isn't Trent Reznor?s career high point, there's some really fresh material in there. If you really want to see their eyes light up with mischievous mirth, my award for best album title of 2007 (and a pretty good album to boot) is the new release from Combichrist (a.k.a. Andy LaPlegua), What The F*** Is Wrong With You People? At any rate, it's worth it just to see the title on someone's wish list. And of course, if you really want to scare away the carolers this year (as I always do), I recommend Eclosion from yelworC, one of the most demented avant-garde electronic acts out there.

And those of you with a chronically hard-to-please Goth on your list this year... just because they prefer to cloak themselves in a shroud of existential sorrow doesn't mean you can't bring a smile to those black-painted lips (although they probably won't let you see it). There are options aplenty out there, but some of the standouts include: Ultrashiver from Collide/Curve co-creation The Secret Meeting; Walking with Strangers, the sophomore effort from perky power-poppers The Birthday Massacre; Snog's latest electric doom-fest, The Last Days of Rome, and Blood on Your Hands by Avoidance of Doubt. Or if you want to warm the cold cockles of their black little hearts with a semi-traditional holiday approach, Projekt Records sells A Dark Noel, which assembles lots of Gothic, ambient and dark wave tunes to create a gloomy, pensive Yuletide mood ? although there's some upbeat stuff too, like Voltaire's medley ?Peace In The Holy Land.?

Now I'm not trying to corral those with dark musical sensibilities into the over-simplified compartments of Goth, Electro, Metal, et cetera... the world of spooky tunes is so very, very large, and roomy enough for just about anyone to play. You can even lure in the uninitiated by making them a mix CD of some of your mellower favorites and bringing it over for the next family get-together. Me, I created a three-CD set that included material from Italy?s legendary Goblin (including my personal fave Roller) and German electronic pioneers Tangerine Dream (Logos Live), Michael Nyman & Damon Albarn?s score for Ravenous, cool ambient material from Collide, Tomandandy?s score from The Hills Have Eyes, Alexandro Jodorowsky?s music from El Topo and even excerpts from Skinny Puppy?s Bites to name just a portion, and played it during the family Thanksgiving feast, garnering compliments from everyone there, including my 77-year-old Mother. Sure, my family may be a bit hipper than some, but I still have to commend myself for stealthily overriding the ?Sounds Of The Seasons? abomination station that had been previously oozing out of the satellite radio with no one the wiser. Depending on your audience, you may be surprised how well this works if you choose wisely. But I wouldn't recommend listing the tracks on the CDs, unless you name the mix A Velvet Acid Christmas... Nah, maybe not.

People who love strange and unusual music tend to be impressed with creativity in general, so here's another thought: One could say a band like Creature Feature creates music that is in itself a gift to horror-minded folks, so instead of just putting their new CD The Greatest Show Unearthed under the tree, why not bring your nearest and dearest even closer to these musical miscreants? They plan to kick off their next tour with The Birthday Massacre in January, so if you're anywhere nearby, consider throwing in some tickets with that oh-so-hip black scarf and gloves, top it off with a band beanie for good measure, and head off to see them in person. It will be well worth the effort.

If that's off your path or budget, an easier route would be to spend a romantic evening at the movies with Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, followed perhaps by a personally-prepared dinner of gourmet meat pies. No, seriously, that's what the wife and I will probably be doing for Christmas this year. And yes, we do have several friends, thank you very much for asking.

I don't want to get blamed for you utterly destroying the fragile psyches of your loved ones this holiday season, so I'll summarize this simply: tradition be damned, the perfect gift simply makes the recipient happy. This sounds like a no-brainer, but so many people don't even consider this. If your kid sister finds happiness listening to Puscifer, then who cares if the rest of the family shoot eggnog out their noses when they see the name of the album (which I can?t list here in its entirety)? It's not their gift anyway!