IL REALE IMPERO BRITANNICO: PERCHÉ SI UCCIDONO (OST)

Released under the pseudonym "Il Reale Impero Britannica," Goblin's soundtrack to the controversial 1976 film Perche Si Uccidono is very different from most of their material. The individual songs are varied and distinctive, giving the album a compilation feel; every track sounds like a possible single, largely abandoning Goblin's trademark mystery, and instead hearkens back to their days as a backing band on Gamma. Though this is the same group that simultaneously recorded Roller, Perche Si Uccidono sounds nothing like it. It's almost as if Goblin used the anonymity of Il Reale Impero Britannica as a vehicle for these compositions that didn't necessarily fit the Goblin mold; I doubt this is the case as the name change was primarily due to Cinevox and their blocking of the Goblin name because of the movie's subject matter. Ridiculously obscure and hard-to-find for years, the album is now readily available as a digital download and is highly recommended for soundtrack collectors, Goblin fans and even instrumental music lovers.

The introductory "Epopea" is announced with a gong crash and Claudio Simonetti's keyboard onslaught. As on Cherry Five and Roller, Simonetti plays a key role, providing most of the melody single-handedly. Nowhere is this more apparent than the gentle "Ammoniaca," as Simonetti trades in the Moog for electric piano, amply assisted by swathes of tape synthesizer. "Kalu" adds real orchestration to a sleazy, funky backdrop; imagine "Barney Miller" meets Ennio Morricone. "Edda" is the first track with vocals, sweetly provided by namesake Edda Dell'Orso, who also worked with Morricone. Again Simonetti is all over this thing, dishing out tons of Mellotron and Fender Rhodes in equal measure. "Epopea (Reprise)" is a jaunty shuffle version of the album opener.

Cherry Five singer Tony Tartarini makes a guest appearance on the album's only other vocal track. "My Damned Shit" is lyrically kitschy but is still strong melodically. A symphonic tone describes "Docici E un Quarto," my favorite on the album, sounding somewhat like early Procol Harum. "Block" sees guitarist Massimo Morante step out of Simonetti's shadow, asserting himself after more of a support role. "R.I.B." is vintage Goblin, heavy on the theatrics and atmosphere. "Apotheke" previews the urban sound Goblin would adopt on many of their late-seventies soundtracks like La Via Della Droga. Lastly, "Distrazoni" offers a killer analog synth solo atop a tasty funk foundation. Perche Si Uccidono is hardly the most representative Goblin album and may not please everyone but it is one of my favorites, and I heartily recommend it.