Krampus (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Music by Douglas Pipes
To accompany the Christmas holidays, Renovatio Records wants to recommend listening to Douglas Pipes' magnificent score for Michael Dougherty's film Krampus, starring Toni Collette, Adam Scott and David Koechner. Sure, it's a horror movie but it's also a lot of fun! The title refers to a Germanic folklore demon, the anti-Santa Claus, who punishes children during the Christmas season who have misbehaved. In the movie, a boy accidentally summons this demon after having a bad Christmas, which sets in motion the extraordinary events that he and his family are forced to face.
After having worked together on Trick 'r Treat, Dougherty resorted again to Pipes for the music. After the wind-like howlings and bells in "A Cold Wind", the composer starts with a false sense of security with dulcimers and chimes in the light-hearted "The Engel Family". But right after, the score takes a 180-degree turn and goes all the way back to orchestral and choral horror. You'll hear nods to Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Elliot Goldenthal and even Alan Silvestri in Pipes' use of brass and strings for his superb action and suspense cues. Besides establishing and playing with his own leitmotivs for the titular creature, the young boy and her grandmother, Pipes interpolates Christmas carols into his score, in many occasions to a surprisingly chilling effect (the best example perhaps being the intentionally off-key rendition of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" in "Creatures Are Stirring"), while also including several instances of "Krampus Karol Of The Bells", a piece written Peter J. Wilhousky and arranged by Pipes. The composer even has time to take his own main theme to a lyrical and tragic mood with a piano and cello duet in the lovely "Omi's Story".
The score was originally released in 2015 by La-La Land Records in the form of a very long album including most if not all of the music composed by Pipes, though somewhat interrupted by the incorporation of full Christmas carols that generally affect the listening experience, failing to achieve the listener's mood Pipes is constantly trying to go to with his music. Renovatio Records has put together this new release of Krampus, containing the best parts of the score arranged and intertwined in a way that the score becomes gradually more intense as it moves forward, reaching some of the best highlights in the horror-comedy film music genre. This is the perfect choice for those who want to musically surprise some guests during the Christmas Eve! Happy holidays!
Track Listing:
1. A Cold Wind (0:44)
2. The Engel Family (2:52)
3. Max's Wish (2:39)
4. Bells, Bones and Chains (4:00)
5. Into The Storm/The Snow Beast (5:36)
6. Unholy Night (3:37)
7. Omi's Story (3:30)
8. Creatures Are Stirring (4:11)
9. Elfen (1:43)
10. The Shadow of St. Nicholas (2:05)
11. Sacrifice (3:49)
12. Cloven (4:51)
13. The Bell (1:05)
14. Gruss Von Krampus (End Credits) (2:11)
15. Krampus Karol Of The Bells (1:10)
Total Running Time: 44:03
Cover Artwork
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