Varèse Sarabande Records release the Newton Brothers' score for Oculus. Ten years ago, tragedy struck the Russell family, leaving the lives of teenage siblings Tim and Kaylie forever changed when Tim was convicted of the brutal murder of their parents. Now in his 20s, Tim is newly released from protective custody and only wants to move on with his life; but Kaylie, still haunted by that fateful night, is convinced her parents’ deaths were caused by something else altogether: a malevolent supernatural force unleashed through the Lasser Glass, an antique mirror in their childhood home...

If you're after a cliched horror score with little in the way of originality then you've found it in the Newton Brothers' release for Oculus. If ever there was a soundtrack knocked out in a lazy afternoon, this is it.

To be fair, the Newton Brothers have turned in a technically flawless accompaniment for the movie, and it showcases how diverse their style is when compared to the very different score they produced for High School. But this isn't really a soundtrack that is worth listening to on its own... well, unless you're holding a horror party and you want some freakishly spooky background music to set the scene.

While most of the score is lifeless, there are some impressive moments. 'Moving IN' is both eerie and beautiful; 'I've Seen The Devil and He is ME' sees the Brothers almost approaching a theme; 'Oculus' is another beautiful track; 'Oculus Remix' has an ethereal quality to it; and 'Oculus of Glass' is a song which will instantly grab your attention.

When accompanying the movie, I'm sure that this provides much needed atmosphere and ambiance, but as an album this doesn't work so well on its own merits. You're probably better off borrowing it and then buying the tracks you like separately through iTunes.

3

Darren Rea