Cam Sugar and Decca release Paura, a new collection of previously unreleased rare Italian horror and Giallo soundtracks gems, remastered from the Cam Sugar archive – featuring the music of Oscar-winning composer Ennio Morricone, Riz Ortolani, Stelvio Cipriani, and more. It’s described as a ‘hypnotic, sonic journey into a labyrinth of fear’ ranging from the supernatural features of the 1970s to the slasher and splatter films of the 1980s. Of the 25 tracks on offer, 11 are previously unreleased. The cover features exclusive artwork by Eric Adrian Lee. Paura is available on a 6-panel CD digipak, standard black 2LP gatefold vinyl, red splattered 2LP gatefold, and a limited edition deluxe tombstone boxset featuring the red splattered 2LP vinyl, alternative artwork, a 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...

The tracks cover the years between 1971 and 1985. The English names for the Italian films represented are: My Dear Killer, The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, A Bay of Blood, Sex of the Devil, Deviation, The Dead Are Alive!, Frankenstein ’80, Autopsy, Mystery Tour, Death Smiles on a Murderer, The Sensuous Doll, Hotel Fear, Images in a Convent, Ring of Darkness, Plot of Fear, Beyond the Door, and Wild Beasts.

If I’m honest, very few of these themes or incidental pieces sound like horror films in the traditional sense. This is indeed an eclectic collection, very reminiscent of the music of the time. Most examples are mellow, moody and a little Jazzy, or they are quirky, with voices or strange noises. One has an exaggerated Jew’s harp sounding like a comical out-of-control spring. I have listened to this CD at least three times; at first it felt of interest for being so diverse, but repeated listens offered diminishing returns approaching blandness. It isn’t until the last three or four tracks that my curiosity was piqued once again. There is an atmospheric and eerily-structured keyboard horror score, followed by an Electronic synthesiser tune which is ripped straight out of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York ('The Duke Arrives', if I remember rightly). Coincidentally, both films were released in the same year. Ironically, this is by far the best piece.

Although this collection is really for diehard followers of these composers and films, and not necessarily for general consumption, one thing I was really impressed with was the packaging. I was sent the retail CD version, and it’s very nicely presented with macabre fantasy artwork and a plethora of background information. This must be worth at least one extra point.

5

Ty Power