Famed mainly for their series of horror film soundtracks produced for the likes of Italian
splatter-meister Dario Argento and 'Dawn Of The Dead' creator George A. Romero, Goblin
started out during the Italian progressive rock boom of the early 1970's. Originally called
Cherry Five, they produced a single, literary-themed self-titled album(which featured, amongst
others, songs based on the works of Oscar Wilde, such as 'The Pictures Of Dorian Gray')
before internal tensions within the band saw a change of personel and the eventual switch to
the new name. Their first release was the eerie, keyboard-and-synth heavy, funk-tinged
soundtrack to Dario Argento's 'Profondo Rosso' in 1975. This was then followed up by one of
the few non-soundtrack items in their catalogue, 1976's 'Roller', an album which, along with
it's soundtrack follow-up 'Suspiria', put Goblin on the international map. 'Roller' saw the group
given a new lease of freedom unavailable on their sometimes rather constricting soundtrack
work, producing a highly symphonic blend of Italian prog, funk, rock and their trademark creepy
soundscapes which showcased the group's eclectic tastes. The stand-out tracks include the
funky 'Snip Snap', which features some impressive rhythm beats from drummer Agostino
Marangolo and bassist Fabio Pignatelli, and the epic, 11-minute long 'Goblin', in which
guitarist Massimo Morante lets rip with some quicksilver finger-picking.
Considering the audacious sounds on 'Roller' it's something of a mystery why Goblin
produced so few studio albums, with the band focusing almost exclusively on soundtrack work
throughout the remainder of the next two decades bar 1978's 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del
Bagarozzo Mark'. They would go on to form a prolific partnership with Dario Argento,
soundtracking many of his classic films such as 'Tenebrae' and 'Phenomena', and would also
forge a strong and loyal cult following across Europe and the United States. However, one
can't help but feel an opportunity was lost as the quality of 'Roller' was never again re-
produced, with the band instead opting to utilise their penchant for creating creepy sounds
over any kind of attempted album career. Maybe the commercial gains of film-work were to
prove too tempting, or maybe the band had simply exhausted themselves creatively after
producing 'Roller'. Whatever the reasons, and they could well be myriad, they did at least leave
behind this fascinating brew of sounds and styles that found this most peculiar of bands
operating at their very peak.
STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010
stefro |4/5 |
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