Silva Screen Records releases the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack to Rawhead Rex, written by classic British horror author Clive Barker – most famous for creating Pinhead in Hellraiser. Directed by George Pavlou, the movie from 1986 is about an ageless demon still alive in 1980s rural Ireland, which escapes the trappings of hell to be unleashed on a local farming community. It is up to an historian to find a way to bring a halt to Rawhead’s bloody rampage. The music is composed by Colin Towns, who is also a pianist, songwriter, arranger, producer and collaborator. His previous work includes Full Circle, The Puppet Masters, Maybe Baby – and for TV, Foyle’s War, Doc Martin, and Pie in the Sky. For this one Towns visited the film set to take in the atmosphere, and met the actors. The score was recorded at CTS in London, and incorporated a sixty-piece orchestra and electronics. The format is available on vinyl, CD, and for Digital Download...

Rawhead Rex was one of the short stories which made up Clive Barker’s original Books of Blood. It was one of many of his tales which were converted for the big screen, but was not everything it could have been. The music is quite varied, though there exists a theme of peace and tranquillity interrupted by harsh and dramatic discordance. The 'Rawhead Rex Main Theme' has elements of Jaws from the outset. A piano is trumpeted over by a brass orchestral sound – loud and threatening. It turns into a nervy march. 'Welcome to Ireland' has jaunty flourishes. It’s not quite a melody. The orchestra builds but doesn’t really go anywhere. Only near the end does it sort itself out from the confusion. 'Rawhead Appears' allows taunting distant horns to introduce the high pitches common to horror. A running up and down of the scale and the stomping pace of bass drums precede a short roar. 'Nicholson’s Farm' has a distant ring come and go, before the kettle drums return to a two-tone screeching.

'Just You Wait' includes a raw noise and a low electronic bass, which is joined by a piercing ringing. The interlude of a singing choir boy fades in and just as quickly out. This one goes through several phases – mostly with disconcerting sounds and rumbling, teased by lighter moments. A diverse array of electronic sounds are utilised here. 'Boy Runs For His Life Through the Wood' incorporates wet, flickering and rasping noises, accompanied by a think synth sound. The ringing and shrieking returns. There is a dark portentous pursuit sound. 'Minty Gotta Pee' produces a country freedom flourish, with harp, pipe and piano. A feeling that all is not right enters halfway through, and it all becomes darker and more oppressive. 'The Vicarage' has innocent church music become rumbling and threatening. 'The Family is Leaving' has a piano and string piece become grand and celebratory but with foreboding undertones. It flicks between light and shade.

'Gussing Opens Book' is a dark movement, with tone and electronic atmospheres. 'Howard Discovers a Strange Glass Window in the Church' has light sounds lure us into a false sense of security, before hitting us with clicking and rattling soared over by heavy rumbling and a weird beat. A sound like a colony of screeching bats is taken over by a harrowing cacophony of angry sounds. 'Declan Goes Wild in the Church' issues a machine-like sound, and a backbeat is joined by a thriller-type pacing with orchestra and electronica. 'Howard Discovers the Power of the Stone' has a heavy stomping pace. 'Rawhead Rex End Credits' is similar to the 'Main Theme'. We end bizarrely, with a boy soprano rendition of 'There is a Green Hill Far Away'.

With fifteen mostly long tracks, you couldn’t complain about not getting your money’s worth here. Whilst not being the best soundtrack I’ve reviewed, it is a competent and pretty solid music score outing. I found it strangely soothing. I fell asleep whilst listening and had to backtrack. There are no full suites as such, but the whole creates all the pertinent moods you would want from a horror film without being too cliched. I found it to be great background music.

7

Ty Power