QUICK LOOK: Week 14-2019 /New Releases

One more week onto the most interesting new scores releases that we had this past weekend. And again many things that fans should, at least, pay a little attention to.

Actually if there is a main attraction this week, for the first time it should be a name: Benjamin Wallfisch. Three very interested releases from a composer that is capable of, always, bring something new to the table. And to maintain his own personal style, without much influence from his latest alliance with übermeister Hans Zimmer. To me, the highlight is his very fun and entertaining score for "Shazam!". A delightful adventure/action soundtrack that focus on classic hero sounds and with plenty to enjoy. The new version of "Hellboy" offers us a more dark action side of the composer. With a more dramatic pallette and "punk rock attitude" as the composer himself has explained, Symphonic and rock sounds mixed in a more aggresive score. And finally, "Hostile Planet" that contains the music that is going to surprise many people. Usually this kind of nature documentary scores go the ambient or romantic way. In here, Wallfisch go "the thriller way". An aggresive score that mix orchestra, electronics and vocals to accompany stories on how hard nature can be.

The documentary score that more people, probably, would relate to are new Netflix series "Our Planet". For that, Steven Price, goes the more conventional way with a really great melodic score that is mainly orchestral with added electronic enhancements. Good thing is that you can enjoy it as you want. If you have just a certain interest in it, you can hear the compiled normal edition that includes highlights from the whole series. But if you want a more detailed look to it, then you can go deep into the eight volumes of score (one for each chapter for a total of 400 minutes of music).

Returning from last week, we have brazilian composer Marcelo Zarvos. This time with a very dramatic score, with a lot of modern touches. In it Zarvos accompanies the real story of turbulent summer of '71, in which a lot of racial encounters decided some really important issues in "The Best of Enemies". Guitar, strings and tension underscores the story.

This week we have the return of two amazing composers. Christopher Young returns to his terror roots with a scary and very ambiental score for the updated version of King's classic "Pet Sematary". One of his tough sounding scores, that hides in it a lot of great work and a scary companion. Another return is from Ludovic Bource, who has (mainly) kept out of sight after his wonderful oscar worthy work "The Artist". In this case returns with a revenge/western like movie called "Rebelles", in which music follows a very Morricone-western sound. Serious and dramatic, but with a great classic tone that is easily enjoyable.

Finally young composer Ben Lovett, returns to fantastic and terror territory with his latest work for a Netflix film. "The Wind" tells a scary story placed on an old american western cabin. His music is aggresive and full of string work, creating his usual ambiental and dark sound. Full of dramatic and dark moments. A lot of fun to discover this last week.