Fabio Frizzi — Paura Nella Città Dei Morti Viventin (OST)

Here we have the 2014 CD reissue of one of the classic 1980’s Italian horror soundtracks. Paura Nella Città Dei Morti Viventi (aka City of the Living Dead) appeared in 1980, and was the first film in infamous Italian gore director’s Lucio Fulci Gates of Hell trilogy(which took also took in 1981’s The House By The Cemetery & 1983’s The Beyond).

The film was a heady yet often nonsensical  mixture of brutal/ shocking gore, & surreal gothic atmospherics.  It’s plot told of a priest who hangs himself in a cemetery, this opens gates of Hell. Pretty soon Zombies with the abilities of super strength, teleportation and levitation appear and start killing off people in the remote town Dunwich, New England. Psychic Mary Woodhouse (played by English actress Catriona MacColl) & Investigating reporter Peter Bell (played by Us actor Christopher George) teaming up to  try and stop the sinister & brutally going-ons, and close the portal to Hell before All Saints Day, or the spirits of the dead will overtake the Earth.

The soundtrack it’s self is really one of the greats of 1980’s Italian  horror cinema- due to it’s both memorable & chilling themes. It moves from mid-paced & sometimes quite funky(yet creepy) meetings of synthesizer, bass guitar  & drums, which are tipped with  anguished cry like guitar work-outs. Onto more sinister & gothic horror  edgy joinings of morbid & at times discordant  string & woodwind orchestration-that are edged with evil synth banks, & piano work, which moves from melodic & haunting, to creepy & off-kilter.

This new reissue finds the original soundtrack getting  remastered by Fabio Frizzi- making this the best version I’ve ever heard, with each instrumental texture been wonderfully defined. Also we get a new addition of a 2013 track , which comes in the form of the ten minute  “Paura nella città dei morti viventi Suite Live”- this finds Frizzi, band & orchestrator playing a wonderful new rendition of a selection of themes from the orignal soundtrack.

The release is topped off with a 16 page full colour inlay booklet, which takes in stills from the movie along with new English/ Italian write-ups about the movie from Fabio Frizzi, Stephen Thrower & Fabio Babini.

The release also comes in a vinyl version on UK’s Death Waltz Recording Company- this version takes on the films English title, with the 180g black vinyl been housed inside a heavyweight 350 GSM sleeve that features sleeve notes by Fabio Frizzi.

Simply put this new edition of this classical Italian horror soundtrack is a must have item for any self respecting soundtrack fan who digs more darker & horror fed fare. It can be purchased direct from the labels website here