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Terry's
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Music Reviews: | ||
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Halloween
II – Music by Tyler Bates Abattoir
Records – 2009
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"I Killed A Man" has Bates' trademark booming bottom end percussion strikes, while an off sounding keyboard part makes you uneasy. Drums boom in "White Horse" while the other instrumentation is designed to make you squirm in your seat. Bates is very effective in creating this situation for the listener/audience. "Stairs" features a bunch of appliances that were sampled to concoct an absolutely foreboding atmosphere. This music reminds me a lot of what Bates did in his ingenious score for THE DEVIL'S REJECTS. The keyboard in "Love Shack" felt like splashing in mud to create a unique audio experience. Bass notes in "I Won't Let You Down" really set a dark tone. I like how Bates uses a somewhat similar note found in the HALLOWEEN Theme but he does this by manipulating it to move up in range. It's very different and powerful. "Killing Field" moves low under the sound register to make you feel the menace of Michael Myers. The underbelly of the mix is ripped open to expose the dark evil heart of this score in "I Found Boo." You can literally hear it's heart beating death in this track. The percussion in "Rabbit In Red" reminded me of footsteps on a wooden floor coming to get you. Bates is back in attack mode in this ninth track. Little toy laser gun sounds play off what could be pachinko balls rolling into the chamber of a pachinko ball machine. The stillness of "Can I See The Pig" could be more scary than the louder tracks. The first half of "Van Kill" was almost inaudible on the speakers at at my job. The second half is like getting hit by a speeding semi. Drums boom in the distance, while other percussion builds in "Surveillance" and than brass snarls it's sharp teeth. "I'm Angel Myers" could be the most melodic piece of the score, though it's twisted and dark. The female voice in "Brackett Finds Annie" is important because it brings much needed human warmth. The thunderous drums and spooky keyboard line later in the track should give you the willies. The main terrifying sounds of Tyler Bates all come together for the climatic cue "We Are Family." "H1 Killing Spree" is kind of a highlight reel of the stuff Bates did for the previous film. Tyler Bates creates honestly terrifying music. It drives into your head and chomps at your insides. He does this in very inventive ways, as he uses real power tools and other items as instruments in his compositional arsenal. He has mastered the art of sound and his scores always deliver. I do wish Rob Zombie would have kept some of the warmth the characters made you feel in John Carpenter & Debra Hill's world. They way he has everyone drunk, drugged out physically or emotionally abused leaves little to attach your heartstrings to. For this reason, I'm certain I won't care (I haven't seen the film yet) about the characters and thus not care about their outcome. This is a huge mistake in getting the audience involved and ultimately how much they will feel about what is taking place on the screen. In other words, all the violence erupting on the screen will not matter nearly as much because of this. I can't blame Tyler Bates for this as he continues to brilliantly do his job.
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