MP3: Hexed (2015)
Score: Very Good
Label: Bandcamp
Released: August 14, 2015
Tracks / Album Length: 13 tracks / 34 mins.
Composer: Anders Manga
Special Notes: n/a
Review:
Billed as an evocation of 70s and 80s horror soundtracks, Anders Manga’s non-film work draws from a number of classic sounds to evoke his revenge saga of an ax-wielding zombie with electronica that’s heavy in keyboards, sequenced patterns, and lots of warm bass.
Main theme variations like “Gwendoline’s Bloody Revenge,” an overt homage to Halloween, is propelled by a disco backbeat, whereas “Kill the Cult Leader” is reduced to a pulsing 90s dance track that’s quite addictive, layering subtle synth chorals with fuzzy bass and ambient keyboards.
Manga also applies feedback in “Depraved” are Lurking, a slower-paced cue that’s typical of the regular mood shifts that make Hexed a clear concept album where compositions are allowed to develop rather than hit specific scene and shock beats. Keyboards remain the dominant instrument, providing continuity to an album that flows quite neatly from a cool-yet-grisly opening track to bloody payback, and closes with an ode to a now-restful spirit. An album performed and produced with great affection.
© 2015 Mark R. Hasan. This review originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of Rue Morgue magazine.
Additional Links:
Editor’s Blog — Composer on IMDB
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Amazon.ca
Category: Soundtrack Reviews
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