OK, so how many of you can recall the not-too-distant days when horror movies had entirely original scores? No, I don’t mean the modern soundtrack kind (that which amounts to little more than a mixtape of various recording artists whom record labels are keen to promote). I mean the Guy-Sits-Down-And-Writes-Music-Specifically-For-The-Movie kind that are usually performed by whole orchestras by conductors. Sometimes even with choirs. Other times, said scores are written and performed by progressive rock groups from Italy, or composed by the filmmaker himself with a synthesizer.
The folks at Silva Screen Records most assuredly remember horror movie scores — and one of their latest releases, The Definitive Horror Music Collection, is proof.
The 4-CD set assembles some of the most memorable and iconic horror movie themes ever written, and spans an impressive 87 year gap to boot. The set begins, interestingly enough, with the more modern contributions (2009-2001) to the horror score history book. The end theme from Sam Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell kicks off the festivities, paving the way for highlights from Twilight, Dexter, Let The Right One In, and Saw to name a few.
Disc Two (1999-1984) has a few less-than-memorable pieces at the beginning Films like The Mummy and The Haunting did absolutely nothing for me, either cinematically or musically, and so their incidental scores are of little appeal to me — though it’s nice to have such a wide assortment nonetheless. The second disc picks up considerably as we venture back into the earlier years, bringing compositions from Army Of Darkness, Hellraiser, and Ghostbusters into play.
Disc Three (1983-1977) is by and far my favorite out of the whole set. Opening with the main theme from Nightmare On Elm Street, Disc Three continues its haunting slew of tunes with tracks from several John Carpenter films (including Christine, The Thing, and the first two Halloween entries) as well as a few Brian DePalma picks (Dressed To Kill and The Fury). Dracula (1979) and Alien are also represented here, but for me, the inclusion of Goblin’s creepy Suspiria theme is the money shot.
Lastly, we have Disc Four (1976-1922), which opens with favorites from The Omen and The Exorcist and moves back to the illustrious days of Hammer horror films like (Horror Of) Dracula. The earliest entries here are from The Thing (From Another World), The Bride Of Frankenstein, and Nosferatu (1922). Mixed in-between them all are tracks from Rosemary‘s Baby and Twisted Nerve.
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