Brace yourself for a descent into chilling dread with award-winning composer Chris Wirsigβs The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the musical companion to House of Goreyβs horror short film βThe Knocker.β This soundtrack develops 1830s Manchester, England layered on the unsettling mystery of a βknocker,β a figure paid to wake the sleeping.
The first track, βThe Knocker (Main Theme),β sets the stage with its mournful piano melody intertwined with deep, ominous string arrangements. The music hints at a grave danger lurking beneath the surface that builds throughout the soundtrack.
As the film unfolds, so does the music. βIt Was The Knockerβ ratchet up the suspense with sudden bursts of intimidating music that give chase before dissolving into unsettling drones as if the horror is now sneaking through the corridors and creeping up peopleβs subconsciousness.
βDevil Comes A-Knockingβ is a masterclass in building tension. The track begins with a low, heavy drone, a foundation upon which Wirsig layers an unsettling, airy buzzing. This sonic dissonance builds to a shrill melody, punctuated by waves of revs and sharp percussive pulses.
Wirsig also injects subtle and nuanced sadness, such as in βLetβs Go Back Thenβ which blends melancholic melodies with powerful, string flourishes, reflecting the charactersβ grief as they grapple with loss.
βThe Knocker (Reprise),β a final, somber iteration of the main theme concludes The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) as if reflecting on the aftermath of the filmβs events. Here, the dark string arrangements evoke distant dread that reminds the unseen danger that lingers despite the filmβs resolution.
Check out Chris Wirsigβs masterclass horror score The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Spotify.
KEEP IN TOUCH:
FACEBOOKΒ |Β INSTAGRAMΒ |Β TWITTERΒ |Β SPOTIFYΒ |Β BANDCAMPΒ |Β WEBSITEΒ |Β YOUTUBE
Review by Naomi Joan