Rob Price
Gutbrain Records
rob + gutbrain.com = email


2017 February 27 • Monday

The Exorcist was a big hit, so that meant knock-offs! The movie with our 454th Soundtrack of the Week might have been one of them: Un urlo dalle tenebre: L'esorcista Nº 2, music by Giuliano Sorgini.

The first track, "Messa nera", has a great sound, with a fuzzy, druggy drum beat and heavy organ with ethereal moaning instruments drifting in and out, kind of like Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" as an instrumental on quaaludes and repurposed as church music.

"Organo mistico" is a straight-up solo church organ number.

Then there's "Momento pop", with some wah-wah guitar chattering low in the mix and overblown flute taking the melody.

"Suore in convento" has hymn-like, pastoral and Morricone-ish elements to it, again with the flute taking the melody but this time in a much more restrained and smooth way.

After that comes a weird and eerie track, no beat or melody, just some creepy atmospheric sounds going by the title "Reparto agitati".

This is followed by "Risonanza Nº 3", another textural piece, but more minimalist with traces of drone and electronic music. Later there's a "Risonanza Nº 4". a darker, more dangerous sounding piece with some agitated human vocalizing.

"Momento pop" returns as "Momento country pop", a slower, more peaceful arrangement with the flute being very calm and some strings and piano adding a layer of lounge.

"Tensione" is aptly named. Organ drone, choppy strings, pulsating bass guitar, some sinuous figures played on reeds and strings.

Akira Ifukube came to mind for the string feature "Demoniaco", an obsessive and austere piece, though flatter and more utilitarian and without Ifukube's use of color and texture.

"Angeli neri" is a bit like "Risonanza Nº 3" but with some brief statements made by strings.

There are alternate versions of many of the cues and a long, almost ten-minute "Esorcismo" cue, which is very serious and minimalist and patient, quite impressive.