Nominated for nine German Film Awards (the Lolas), the Austrian/German vengeance thriller The Dark Valley (Das finstere Tal) by Andreas Prochaska features an ominous score by Matthias Weber. The movie tells the story of the mysterious Greider (Sam Riley), a lone horseman who approaches a lone village in the Alps in the late 19th century with revenge on his mind. This interesting hybrid of a film (a story set in the Alps, but made like a western) features a musical score that’s as much of an exciting blend as the story itself...

It took a few listens for Matthias Weber's score for The Dark Valley to grow on me. The album contains 16 tracks (42 min). I wasn't overly struck on the three tracks performed by different artists, but Weber's score, once you cut through the atmospheric filler tracks, is enjoyable.

There are some interesting, and quite beautiful themes embedded in 'Passacaglia Vindicta', which is a very subtle track. And there also other little nuggets to be found buried away, like 'Revenge Done'.

While it won't be to everyone's taste, there are just enough interesting themes to make it a score that's worth checking out.

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Darren Rea