Paula Hammond - Features EditorThe name may not be familiar, but, if you’re a fan of Italian horror, then the soundtracks certainly will be.
This October, sees the release of a brand-new collection of Italian horror sounds from the CAM Sugar archive. PAURA is a spine-tingling collection that includes some of the most creative, unsettling, moving, and suspense-filled compositions ever written for horror films.
Arguably no genre has won an audience so vast and so devoted as Italian horror. Born in the early 1950’s, and reaching its peak in the mid-1980s, the scope and influence of directors such as Riccardo Freda, Mario Brava and Joe D’Amato has always far outweighed their modest budgets. Tim Burton, Sam Raimi and John Carpenter are firm fans. And, it was in this melange of the shocking, the strange, and the surreal, that emerged soundtracks every bit as novel and as challenging as the films they enhanced.
For decades these soundtracks have been loved and cherished–and, yes, bootlegged–by fans. Now, PAURA offers up 25 classic tracks—plus 11 never-before released—that put the horror gems of well-known composers, like Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani and Stelvio Cipriani, firmly in the spotlight. But it, quite rightly, doesn’t neglect the forgotten personalities who formed the backbone of Italian cinema either. Daniele Patucchi, Marcello Giombini and Berto Pisano are all included, alongside guests of the calibre of Edda Dell’Orso (vocalist of Ennio Morricone) and Goblin, the prog outfit renowned for their collaboration with Dario Argento.
Filled with obstinate harpsichords, chilling voices, ominous melodies, and distorted synthesisers, PAURA is effectively an all-new audio horror movie, that will both thrill and chill aficionados.
All tracks have been remastered and are offered as either a CD digipak, standard black 2LP gatefold vinyl, and red splattered 2LP gatefold vinyl via CAM Sugar / Decca Records on October 1st. A Limited Edition, deluxe tombstone boxset is available from 15th, featuring a red-splattered 2LP vinyl, with alternative artwork, poster, fanzine with original film posters and an exclusive red vinyl 45rpm featuring 2 bonus tracks: ‘L’Ossessa’ by Marcello Giombini and the previously unreleased ‘Le Facce della Morte’ by Daniele Patucchi.
PAURA is a hypnotic, sonic journey into a labyrinth of fear—and it’s released just in time for spooky season. Whether you use it as the backdrop to your Halloween party, D&D session, or just to evoke a few chills as you await the witching hour, PAURA will not disappoint.
