PHENOMENA (OST)

With the exception of the leading theme that has it's groovy, catchy and extremely chilling blood ambience, the rest of the album is rather mediocre. Phenomena is an other soundtrack written for the master of italian horror-gore-macabre cinema Dario Argento but as the movie itself, the music is not at the top of the genre. The best Goblin's soundtracks clearly belong to the seventies with a large collection of little masterpieces as Profondo Rosso, Suspiria, La via della Droga that always contain an original and very personal fusion of styles, mixing mad jazzy-groovy sections with inspired fuzzy weird (sometimes scary) keyboards interludes. Just as the average Tenebre, Phenomena is really more into the 80's and the sound of this album is rather poor, asceptical and without soul. This is a more synthesised Goblin's affair within a more simplistic approach and it remains only functional for the movie. The instrumental sections contain a few astonishing ghotic-like ambiences, largely made by moving-doom-bass lines, catchy synth lines & church like organs . However the drum is massive and artificial, it's a shame when I think about the impressive technical drum parts delivered in previous efforts. The result is rather kitschy. Not the best prog rock horror soundtrack by these intriguing italians but recommended for those who have a strong interest for vintage shocking horror eurotrash soundtrack / cinema.