PSYCHO STORM CHASER.
MUSIC BY ANDREW SCOTT BELL.
If The Storm Doesn’t Kill You He Will.
A while ago I interviewed composer Andrew Scott Bell and included his score for Witness Infection in one of last years Soundtrack Supplements, I was impressed with the composer’s inventiveness and his thematic content, which is something that is becoming less and less these days in film scores. His most recent work is for the movie Psycho Storm Chaser, and once again the composer has created a tense and at times malevolent sounding work that also includes so many rich and thematic moments, it is a score that literally overflows with dramatic content, but in the next instant yields a romantic and inspiring style and sound. Obviously one can tell by the title that this is a horror/thriller/drama, but listening to it one cannot help but notice that it contains a variation of styles and sounds, in other words it’s not all crash, bang, knock em down and drag em out stuff. I also think it evokes memories of material that we were once accustomed to via the musical dexterity of the likes of Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, and Christopher Young to name but three. Who were and in the case of Chris Young are Masters of combining both the dramatic and thematic. There is a quality present within the composer’s music here that is not that obvious in most contemporary film music, a composer that not only can elevate, enhance, and fully support a project, but a composer that is also in short able to write a good tune.
The score is filled with nuances and motifs that the composer employs and develops as the work progresses, from dark and underlying strings to icy and sinister sounding passages, that are uneasy and chilling, to striking and innovative sounds created by string instruments that are surprising and jumpy, to more thematic material again performed via the string section, with support from the brass. I would not say that the macabre sounding pieces outnumber the lighter and more melodic compositions, as they seem to compliment each other, making for a balanced and entertaining listen.
I was impressed with Witness Infection, but this I think could even outstrip that, the composer utilizing a choral sound at times to fashion a rather ominous air. He also uses low strings and a subdued percussive beat to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere that works wonderfully, add to this inventive use of pizzicato and struck strings and it is a commanding and formidable musical tour de force. There are at key points frenzied strings that swirl and weave in and out of the proceedings adding even more surprises for the listener. It’s a great score and one that does not let up. Relentless, powerful, and haunting all at the same time. Certainly, worth checking out when it is released.
Please note the score is not yet released and the review is based on an exclusive screener of the music provided by the composer. Let’s hope it will soon receive the CD release it deserves, and here at MMI we will keep you informed of any such release. ©2022 mmi.
MOVIE MUSIC INTERNATIONAL. (MMI) . 