REVIEWS BY MARK R. HASAN, LAST CHANCE LANCE, AARON VON LUPTON, GEORGE PACHECO, SEAN PLUMMER AND JESSA SOBCZUK.
ALIEN RESURRECTION John Frizzell
SOUNDTRACK
LA-LA LAND The mixed reception that befell the fourth Alien film in 1997 also affected John Frizzell’s score, maligned at the time for being too abrasive, chaotic and extreme in the way it progressed from elegant lyrical title theme state- ments towards a central body of blendered orchestral racket. Perhaps the pioneering Frizzell, now one of the busiest horror and sci-fi composers, was ahead of his time, because the orchestral/digital marriage on this two-disc reissue (limited to 3500 copies) still sounds amazingly fresh. La-La Land’s exceptional mastering brings out many nuances and sub- tleties softened in the original CD (also included on this release), as well as favourite cues saturated with gor- geous brass writing, giving this al- ready massive score tremendous orchestral scope. Frizzell was able to assert his own style while paying slight homage to the prior Alien scores, and it’s a perfect fit for the bloody, slimy franchise. MRH 00000
tion of Ennio Morricone (The Thing), Pino Donaggio (Trauma) and maybe a bit of Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (known for his “grand state- ment” symphonies) – is further com- promised by Argento’s obvious distaste for the script’s torture porn elements. On screen, the result is a great big mess. And yet, when sepa- rated from the film, Werba’s score works as a kind of giallo tribute, or concept album. The music lacks the edge inherent to Italian prog-rockers Goblin (who scored Argento’s Sus- piria and Deep Red, among others), or the haunting allure of Morricone, but there’s an engaging narrative, and what at first seemed ill-fitting in the film now flows on CD (limited to 500 copies), aided by atmospheric bridge cues such as the furtive “Con- versation.” No composer could’ve saved Giallo, but it’s satisfying to see Werba’s music getting a second chance. MRH 000
wailing brass adds a lot of muscle to the score, but the real attraction is Wiedmann’s perfect blurring of or- ganic and digital sounds, which gives Mirrors 2 its gripping atmosphere. MRH 0000
shambling over any new ground here (although the seaside zombie refer- ences on “Krataiis” and “Reefbiter” strike us as original), but they commit to the concept 100%, making Reef- biter as bracing as a spray of sea salt against your undead face. SP 000½
ZOMBIE SURF CAMP Reefbiter
SURF
MIRRORS 2 Frederik Wiedmann
SOUNDTRACK
GIALLO Marco Werba
SOUNDTRACK
KRONOS Using a broad symphonic palette, Marco Werba composes a tender love theme, a stirring title track and a killer motif – little of which works in Dario Argento’s clumsily written, bathos-drenched police procedural. Werba’s approach – a sleek evoca-
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LA-LA LAND A number of Frederik Wiedmann’s projects have been derivative or flawed horror efforts (Return to House on Haunted Hill), but his total comfort in writing big-sounding, snarling orchestral scores finally comes through in this surprising gem. With a decent orchestra at his disposal, Wiedmann crafts a lovely balance of flowing themes for hero- ines (“Eleanor’s Lament”), a brooding title theme steeped in emotional an- guish, and kinetic action cues com- prised of rhythmic clusters and tones with steep harmonic inclines (“Slice”). Other touches include the obligatory female voice, and gentle tones that morph into tendrils of dis- sonance (as in the semi- modernist/jazz cross-mix “Loosing Her Up”). The use of synth pulses and
INDEPENDENT Here’s hoping Zombie Surf Camp manages to make some waves with this second album, Reefbiter. The San Diego quintet with a fixation on zom- bies and surfing crank out another eleven dire ditties in the vein of their heroes: The Cramps, Misfits and Dick Dale. That means a whole lot of re- verb-heavy guitar and zombie-centric lyrics with a tongue-in-rotted-cheek sense of humour. Frontman Moon Zoggie’s howls channel both Elvis and Jim Morrison on “Rotten,” and extol the virtues of being dead and loving it on “67” (“You’ll never have to wash your clothes / Or clip the nails off of your toes”). The band may not be
THE CHURCH OF COUNTRY
ABJECT SORROW Blessed Sacrament VIGILANTE ABORTION RECORDS Reverend Eepie Acob has a rasp that won’t quit and, according to his quasi- fictionalized promotional bio, it’s a rasp well-earned, tarnished by a life of heavy drinking and sorrow. Allegedly discov- ered by his soon-to-be bandmates as he lay face down “in a pool of his own blood and piss,” Eepie awoke with a message harping the end of days, ac- companied by terribly beautiful “ven- omous folk” music. As for the Milwaukee band’s inspirations on this debut album, you’d expect a mention of Tom Waits, as the Rev directly channels the crusty, gravel-throated minstrel on
THE VON DRATS Dratsylvania
SURF
STEREO DYNAMITE RECORDINGS Imagine three souped-up hot rods, driven by The Ventures, surf duo Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys, all crashing into each other on a deserted beachfront drag strip. If the mangled corpses emerged from the wreckage and strapped on their guitars, they would probably sound something like The von Drats. This Toronto horror outfit has been singing shadowy surf tunes since 2005. The debut Dratsylvania is a cool concoction of haunted organ, chilling screams and eerie werewolf howls decked out with gatling-gun drumming, twangy guitar and growling vocals. Songs such as “Torso Alley,” “Cemetery Stomp” and “Manglers and Stran- glers” will have you kickin’ up sand like the zombified corpses of eternal beach bums Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, while instrumentals such as the title track and “Return to Dratsylvania” remind you why you love campy old horror movies in the first place. Book two tickets to Dratsylvania – I’ll meet you by the water! LCL 0000½
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