Terry's Halloween
Reviews
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| Music Reviews | |
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The Devil’s Rejects
– Music by Tyler Bates La-La Land Records – 2005 |
| Tyler Bates has
composed an incredibly textured score rich in nuance. The soundscape of "Tiny And His
Girl/Police" is a far ranging collection of assorted instrument sounds, voices and
orchestral elements. Bates does this in a way that would make anyone uneasy watching the
movie but the music by itself is gorgeously terrifying. "Ten Cars – Twenty Five Pigs" comes rushing out of the speakers like an charging rhinoceros bringing horror. Bates continues the rush of threatening percussion with sliding, shrieking synthesizers reaching out to snatch you in their clutch. The brass is nasty and brutal. The ALIENS like drum crescendo is very intense and satisfying. High-pitched ambience grows to swoop down and escort the awesome power of "Mama Pulls The Trigger." There is a surprising break in the horrific soundscape with the country western "Ride The Horse." The way Bates produces the deadly composition of "Unwanted Guests" left me amazed at the way he is able to change electronic and orchestral elements at will. Booming percussion mixes with gyrating keyboard lines and a spooky laughing voice in "Official Clown Business." The low flutter effect in "Dirty Knees" is very unnerving. Bates & Wolfgang Matthes who performs Synthesizers and Oddities are just plain wicked in "See You In Hell." I loved the parts where the synthesizer sounds like a voice echoing. "Yellow Brick Road" is nothing like THE WIZARD OF OZ. The cranking sound in this track is real disturbing. The alarm noise going off combined with the HALLOWEEN II like high synth line makes "Another Failed Escape" extremely intense. Speaking of intense, the drill like electronic synth sound is sure to shock you senseless. A clicking sound counts down in "Adam’s Face" before all hell breaks loose in "The Rejects Were Here." Brass roars and numerous percussive instruments pound until the end. Screaming brass, crazy synthesized notes create the mass hysteria of the fourteenth track. "Road Kill" is more subdued and on the down low of the sound register. Whispering metallic sounds and low percussion rumble in the beginning of "Brother George/I Found Your Guy." The end of the track has clanging metal and machine like sounds. "Holy Guacamole" plays like a demented circus. The synthesizers in "Hand Sandwich" are downright vicious and threatening. The bottomless percussion hits really underscore this cut. "Joyride" is fun trip on the depraved audio train Bates has composed for Rob Zombie. The high anxiety sound of "Staples" will make your hair stand with fright. "You Feeling It, Brother?" Most definitely I say. "Run Baby Girl" holds nothing back from giving you a full blast of the terror courtesy of The Khaki Palms Orchestra. "Tiny Snaps Wydell" has almost a rock beat infused with demented synthesizer screaming. "We’ll Come Back For You" is the softest track on the CD with female whispering and featuring almost an Ennio Morricone western feel. The way, in which Tyler Bates uses instruments, the sounds of machines, vehicles and appliances, like he would an orchestra, is pure art. This guy is not afraid of letting the music be unapologetic and ruthless. I’m sure this approach works wonders for the film because it certainly makes for a scary audio experience. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS would be the ideal choice to put on your stereo for Halloween this year or any other time you want to be scared and spooked. Between this score and DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004) score, Tyler Bates is responsible for the two most frightening soundtracks I’ve heard this year. |
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