Brace yourself for a descent into chilling dread with award-winning composer Chris Wirsig’s The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), the musical companion to House of Gorey’s horror short film “The Knocker.” This soundtrack develops 1830s Manchester, England layered on the unsettling mystery of a “knocker,” a figure paid to wake the sleeping.
The first track, “The Knocker (Main Theme),” 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. “It Was The Knocker” 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 people’s subconsciousness.
“Devil Comes A-Knocking” 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 “Let’s Go Back Then” which blends melancholic melodies with powerful, string flourishes, reflecting the characters’ grief as they grapple with loss.
“The Knocker (Reprise),” a final, somber iteration of the main theme concludes The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) as if reflecting on the aftermath of the film’s events. Here, the dark string arrangements evoke distant dread that reminds the unseen danger that lingers despite the film’s resolution.
Check out Chris Wirsig’s masterclass horror score The Knocker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Spotify.
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Review by Naomi Joan