Lakeshore Records release John Debney's score for Stonehearst Asylum. When young doctor Edward Newgate arrives at Stonehearst Asylum in search of an apprenticeship, he is warmly welcomed by superintendent Dr. Lamb and a mesmerizing woman by the name of Eliza Graves. Edward is intrigued by Lamb's modern methods of treating the insane until a series of unusual events leads him to make a horrifying discovery, exposing Lamb's utopia and pushing Edward to the limits of his conscience. Inspired by a short story from Edgar Allan Poe, Stonehearst Asylum is a tale in which nobody is who or what they appear to be...

John Debney's (The Call; Draft Day; Iron Man 2; Houdini; Walk of Shame) score for Stonehearst Asylum represents, not just one of his most rich and beautiful scores to date, but also one of the most rich and beautiful scores I've heard in quite some time. The soundtrack straddles that fine line between movie score and classical music.

The album contains 31 tracks (1 hr, 18 min, 58 sec) and there isn't a second of it wasted. In fact there are so many wonderful themes housed within the running time that even though I've listened to it over 20 times over the period of a couple of weeks, I've still not even begun to scratch the surface of its deep layers. Each time I listen to it, except for the occasional repeated theme, it's like I'm hearing this for the first time.

There are a few elements of John Williams's music running throughout this album. 'Opening' has a segment in it that reminded me of the opening of 'The Raptor Attack' from his score for Jurassic Park; whilst 'The Doctor's Story' reminded me of 'The Miracle of the Ark' from Raiders of The Lost Ark. In addition Saint-Saëns's 1874 'Danse macabre' (Op. 40), is included here.

So, if you're looking for a beautiful, multi-layered score that you'll not only play endlessly now, but dig out and play for years to come... then this soundtrack is well worth investing your time and money in - the rewards are well worth it.

10

Darren Rea