GFF 2011: Y'all get scared now, y'hear?

Goblin are playing on Friday night. Who?, some may ask.

Goblin. The greatest soundtrack artists in the world. Forget about Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Hack Zimmer. This Italian group of musicians actually made the term ‘prog-rock’ cool with their dynamic scores for a slew of classic horror movies.

Originally called Cherry Five (crap name) and producing records influenced by Yes and Gentle Giant (crap bands), they seized a golden ticket in 1975 when Dario Argento asked them to collaborate on the music for his new film Profondo Rosso (Deep Red) with composer Giorgio Gaslini. Once Gaslini left due to ‘creative differences’ with the director, the stage was set for the renamed Goblin to run riot. A fusion of synthetic looseness and unrelenting tempo, the soundtrack perfectly complimented Argento’s wild, baroque flourishes strafing his energetic genre script.

They would go on to provide the music for Suspiria (1977), Dario’s kaleidoscopic fantasy of witchcraft in a dance academy: malevolent lullabies, rhythmic assault, howling whispers; all in such pounding, repetitive time signature as to induce seizure. As Argento arrested visually, Goblin slaughtered aurally. They would do the same in their proto-techno for the director’s Tenebrae, with its delicious, vocodered refrain of ‘paura’ (fear). To infinity and beyond: Dawn Of The Dead’s electro-dirge, Phenomena’s metallic aria; ribald musicianship bedecked with crystal plumage. It is the balance of mercurial electronica and tight, pulsating cadence that really defines Goblin.

Goblin last performed in the UK in Birmingham at the 2009 Supersonic Festival – the gig was loud, immense and I was there. (With my dad. Who was wearing Bermuda shorts. And a green fright wig. He’s not even a fan, but boogied enthusiastically.) But only two of the key players were there – Massimo Morante, guitar; Fabio Pignatelli, bass. The appearance in Glasgow marks the reunion with keyboardist Claudio Simonetti.

All together now: “Pau-oo-oo-ra, pau-oo-oo-ra, pau-oo-oo-ra.”

Never has fear been so exciting.