The Spectre Prison Guard that Welcomed Brocarde
to the Most Haunted Festival in the USA
Haunted gothic singer and paranormal investigator Brocarde brought her signature blend of music and the supernatural to Inkcarceration Festival last week.
Flying in from the UK, the self-styled ‘Duchess of Darkness’ was invited to conduct a ghost hunt inside the infamous cell blocks of the historic Ohio State Reformatory, in an attempt to make contact with some of the spirits said to haunt one of America’s most unique heavy metal festivals.
Brocarde, who considers Inkcarceration to be one of the most haunted music festivals in the United States, was eager to experience both its world-renowned line-up and its reputation for paranormal activity, and she was not disappointed. The reformatory’s resident spirits welcomed her with open arms as soon as she crossed the threshold.
As soon as Brocarde stepped onto the cellblock stairwell, she felt a guiding arm on her left shoulder. It was authoritarian but strangely warm, and she immediately knew who was boss. Brocarde was ushered along the narrow corridor and pushed into a cell, as though she were one of the prison’s former inmates. She immediately knew that a spectre guard was still on patrol.
“As soon as I stepped foot inside the hallowed cell block walls, I felt a firm arm on my shoulder. In that split second, I was no longer mortal; I was inkcarserated. I was guided throughout the prison by a spectre guard. I could feel his boots kicking the back of my legs with each footstep. I was no longer free, but imprisoned. The shadow figure guided me down the gallery until I reached ‘my cell’. I was pushed inside, and the guard disappeared. I could almost hear the cell door close behind me,” Brocarde explains.
“The guard didn’t introduce himself by name, but I guess his presence came with a sense of knowing. If I was a prisoner, his name would’ve become unspoken. He had vivid, piercing blue eyes. They stared attentively at me as he turned and walked back down the hallway,” Brocarde continues. “I always find it funny when people want information from spirits that they wouldn’t even get from the living world. Sometimes encounters are fleeting and unexplained, and that somehow makes them more real than ever.”
Since leaving Inkcarceration Brocarde has been researching historic hauntings at the reformatory.
Brocarde explains “I had heard stories of a prison guard coming through in paranormal explorations before arriving at Inkcarceration festival. I’ve since been researching physical appearance and a guard called Frank B. Hanger, who got murdered by inmates, he died from a blow to the head. He was 42 at the time of his death, a photograph that appeared in local media showed him sporting white hair and he had over brightly attentive eyes. As I said I didn’t know his name but that could explain what I experienced, because the eyes were very prolific.”
“Inkcarceration was a dream festival for me to explore, and I was incredibly excited to investigate the paranormal entities said to inhabit the site. This extraordinary historic location holds countless stories, mysteries and legends, and the festival creates the perfect bridge between the supernatural and powerful live music,” Brocarde said. “With the high-octane energy of the festival, I was convinced that the atmosphere would stir something from beyond the grave, and my experience didn’t disappoint,” Brocarde concludes.
Brocarde is no stranger to combining music with the paranormal. Her theatrical performances and passion for ghost hunting have become hallmarks of her career, regularly taking her to some of the world’s biggest rock and metal festivals, where songwriting and the supernatural often collide.
Earlier this year, she conducted a séance beneath the Apex Stage at Download Festival after revealing she had discovered a reportedly haunted Download Dog bobblehead hidden in her basement.
In recent years, Brocarde also held a séance in honour of the late Motörhead frontman Lemmy at Germany’s legendary Wacken Open Air festival, an experience she described as a genuine privilege.
Brocarde’s debut album, Good Attendance At Sunday School, was released in June, and she has since announced an upcoming duet with Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric, offering fans an early glimpse of the next chapter in her musical journey.
With a haunted prison, thousands of metal fans and a reputation for embracing the unexplained, Inkcarceration Festival provided the perfect stage for Brocarde’s most supernatural appearance yet.
Her personal history with the paranormal has drawn widespread attention. Brocarde first made headlines after marrying – and later divorcing – the ghost of a Victorian soldier named Edwardo. Once a sceptic, she says her beliefs changed after experiencing a haunting that convinced her ghosts were real. The pair married on Halloween 2022 before the relationship ended in an exorcism six months later.
Brocarde, who some may recognise from Channel 4’s First Dates and Tan France’s Say Yes To The Dress, continues to travel internationally investigating haunted locations, reporting on encounters with malevolent spirits and murderous ghosts, and interviewing everyone from world-renowned bands to covens of witches for her website, Brocarde.com.
Her horror-inspired aesthetic and theatrical rock style have earned praise from rock royalty, including Whitesnake’s David Coverdale, who called her an “electrifying, creative new artist”.
Recently, she teamed up with Korn drummer Ray Luzier on the track “Feed My Soul”.
About Brocarde:
Brocarde is the creator of an enchanting world where dark, haunting aesthetics meet passion-fuelled lyrics and design. Brocarde is a dynamic storyteller who marries both music and fashion in an orchestral explosion, designed to make the ears and eyes bleed. A one-woman horror story, if centuries aligned, Brocarde could almost be the secret lovechild of Edgar Allan Poe and Sylvia Plath.
In what could only be described as an effervescent melting pot, Brocarde’s bubbling cauldron is peppered with hints of Little House on The Prairie and seasoned with remnants of the Addams family values: she’s an all-consuming artist who’s not for the faint-hearted.
As someone who’s hugely motivated by the creative process, Brocarde is truly alive when creating – she’s been quoted as crediting song writing as the thing that got her through some of her darkest, most chaotic moments. As an adolescent, she struggled with fitting in and finding her place in the world, so she used to hide in the woods at school and write lyrics and poems to escape to an alternative dimension. As an adult, the skill still serves her as an outlet for her deepest, darkest, unspoken thoughts.
Brocarde has attracted attention from rock royalty, with legendary Whitesnake frontman David Coverdale describing her as “electrifying” and “powerful”, while previous collaborator and Korn drummer Ray Luzier has praised her distinctive songwriting and captivating vocal style. Brocarde and Luzier teamed up anew for her latest single, Seven Sins, which premiered at BraveWords May 15th.
Brocarde’s highly anticipated debut album Good Attendance at Sunday School dropped June 5th.
Now, the rising dark-rock artist has captured the attention of another industry heavyweight, Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric, with the pair recently filming an explosive music video in Las Vegas for their highly anticipated duet.
The collaboration began after Brocarde met Garric while interviewing his band, Beasto Blanco, at Wacken Open Air. Struck by his commanding voice, infectious energy and undeniable charisma, she later sent him a track she had always envisioned as a duet. Garric was immediately impressed. “Incredible song, great work. It reminds me a bit of musical theatre, which I love very much,” he said before laying down his vocals for the track.
While details of the release remain tightly under wraps, the collaboration promises to be a dark, theatrical storytelling masterpiece. Brocarde’s dramatic, expressive vocals combined with Garric’s rich, gravelly tone are expected to create a powerful and captivating musical partnership.
Since her spiritual awakening Brocarde has dedicated her time to learning and educating people about the paranormal world, she has travelled the world and conducted paranormal investigations in some of the world most haunted and terrifying locations. Brocarde has come face to face with the ghosts of malevolent hangmen, murders and outlaws, she has even entered a coven of powerful witches to learn witchcraft, spells and magic.
A columnist for the U.K.’s Daily Star, Brocarde’s “Terrifying Travels” is published every weekend. Brocarde is a paranormal expert, who spends her time searching for haunted hotspots. She travels the world and showcases weird and wonderful destinations that are deemed to be hotspots for paranormal activity. Her ghost whispering abilities allow her to be well-equipped in telling spooky stories, aided by her unique sense of humour and fascination for the unexplained.
Visit brocarde.com
