The Apparatus - Goblin

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Goblin - Suspiria

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Editor's rating

8.3

out of 10

Reviewed by:
Chad Coup
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Friday, 07 December 2007
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Music Information

Track Listing:
01. Suspiria
02. Witch
03. Opening to the Sighs
04. Sighs
05. Markos
06. Black Forest
07. Blind Concert
08. Death Valzer
09. Suspiria [Celesta and Bells]
10. Suspiria (Narration)
11. Suspiria (Intro)
12. Markos [Alternate Version]

Artist: Goblin
Title: Suspiria
Genre: Progressive Rock • Instrumental
Release Date: 01 January 1977
Record Label: Cinevox
Format: Soundtrack
Country: Italy
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August 3, 2000 re-release

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Editor review

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Overall rating (weighted)		8.3
Musicianship		8.0
Composition		9.0
Experimentation		8.0
Production		8.0
Value		8.0

Horror film soundtracks are usually not impressive save for John Carpenter's minimalist scores or the brooding, eerie tones of Howard Shore's work with David Cronenberg. The 70s were a strange, exciting time for many forms of art, especially music and film. Film producers or directors would look to progressive music for groundbreaking talent to give their films an edge towards the artistic.

Goblin, from Italy, was one of the most prolific horror film composers in the 70s. The band released only two studio albums in this period that I know of, called 'Roller' and 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark.' They are more highly-regarded (and successful) as film composers. Their resume' also includes George A. Romero's 'Dawn Of The Dead' as well as a lot of Dario Argento's work as well as a lot of other Italian horror cheapies.

Perhaps their most endearing and memorable score was to Dario Argento's own masterpiece 'Suspiria.' One of the most terrifying, stylized horror films ever made, Goblin was a perfect choice to make the film's atmosphere even more intense. There is heavy keyboard and bass use, as these instruments drive Italian prog. Guitar comes in here and there and drums are kept to a minimum. The music tends to get a little disco-ey at times, but what can you do?

The main theme of the film, called "Suspiria," features a celesta. A celesta is an instrument similar to the glockenspiel, with its keys striking suspended, resonant metal bars. Their choices are with instruments used in classical music compositions such as Bartok and the famous "Nutcracker Suite." It is then layered with some really creepy whispering and some jarring, sharp-sounding keyboard. The track gets pretty bombastic by the ending, where it spirals into cosmic madness. It definitely sounds like 70s Italian prog filtered through a horror film. Other key selections are "Witch," with its shrieking vocals, reverb and orchestra hits, and "Markos" with its Tangerine Dream-esque keyboard patterns. This is horror film score at some of its finest. It can either be taken as experimental music, Italian prog, or soundtrack. It succeeds on all fronts.

This CD may be hard to come by since my version was included in the now out-of-print edition of Anchor Bay's three-disc 'Suspiria' box set some years ago. You can still find the CD through import, but it can get major pricey. If you're a fan of either the film or of Goblin, this album is a must.

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