Hammer Horror: the name rings so ubiquitously in the realms of cinema, and especially around Halloween. Hearing the name, you’re likely to picture one of a number of the British studio’s releases between the 1950s and early 1970s which boasted decadent set design and an intensity of fear and playfulness. A studio of progressive storytelling compared to other offerings of the time, in Hammer’s horror subdivision could be found Technicolor horror (and its subgenres), often sexually and socially provocative, taking classical source material and turning it on its head. Seen as vulgar to the critics, audiences loved the low-budget thrills of Hammer Horror as a refreshing alternative to Hollywood, with two actors in particular becoming distinct heroes of the cycle, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
But what are the sounds behind the horror? The wonder of movie soundtracks can be put on best display in the horror genre, and Hammer Horrors are excellent examples of this range. Few soundtracks have the flexibility to swap instrumental and melodic tones from a wide spectrum of musical genres (the chipper introduction featuring Bette Davis as The Nanny is a great example of this) before enforcing the anxiety of what’s around the corner. Built around heavy moments of percussion, strings and bass, the rousing orchestral sounds best exhibited by composers James Bernard and Harry Robertson flow into more serene states. That being said, the early soundtrack to The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) exhibited a flare of noise and avant-garde sounds. This mix features a lot of classic fear-inducing swells of orchestral anticipation, along with the more melancholic and even angelic moments of tenderness. Key figures of the golden years of Hammer Horror are featured in this mix, including Bernard (whose score for The Quatermass Xperiment began the movement), Benjamin Frankel, and Harry Robertson.
Despite its heyday being in the mid-century, it is also interesting to listen to Hammer Horror now, with the company having passed through the hands of several investors desiring to reboot the iconic brand. I recall a film released on MySpace in the mid-2000s that epitomized the UK-indie-rave-crossover of the underground culture of the time, Beyond the Rave, and was surprised to see it was a Hammer production (fun trivia, the late Ingrid Pitt, a star of many Hammer Horror earlier works, has a cameo). It felt fun to include sonic excerpts from this throwback alongside The Women in Black and Let Me In, two other Hammer pictures from the 2010s.
Here is a tense and energetic hour of the music of Hammer Horror, with plenty of orchestral twists and turns alongside moments of charm, hellish contemporary ambiance, and noise.
Tracklist:
- Excerpt, The Nanny (Seth Holt, 1965) 00:00
- Excerpt, The Quatermass Xperiment (Val Guest, 1955) 03:20
- Harry Robertson, “Opening Credits,” Twins of Evil (John Hough, 1971) 03:40
- Carlo Martelli, “Ra's Revenge,” Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (Michael Carreras, 1964) 06:00
- Excerpt, Let Me In (Matt Reeves, 2010) 07:00
- Harry Robertson, “Baron Hartog's Story,” The Vampire Lovers (Roy Warb Barker, 1970) 08:00
- James Bernard, “Killikrates Reborn,” She (Robert Day, 1965) 11:00
- Excerpt, The Quatermass Xperiment (Val Guest, 1955) 14:00
- Excerpt, Beyond The Rave (Matthias Hoene, 2008) 15:00
- Excerpt, Nightmare (Freddie Francis, 1964) 15:50
- Excerpt, The Maniac (Michael Carreras, 1963) 19:20
- James Bernard, “Finale and End Credits,” Scars of Dracula (Roy Ward Baker, 1970) 21:20
- Excerpt, The Women In Black (James Watkins, 2012) 25:55
- Excerpt, The Quatermass Xperiment (Val Guest, 1955) 26:25
- James Bernard, “The Goat of Mendes,” The Devil Rides Out (Terence Fisher, 1968) 26:35
- Excerpt, X The Unknown (Leslie Norman, 1956) 28:35
- Excerpt, Beyond The Rave (Matthias Hoene, 2008) 29:55
- Tristram Cary, “Opening Credits,” Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (Seth Holt, Michael Carreras, 1971) 30:55
- James Bernard, “Opening Credits,” Frankenstein Created Woman (Terence Fisher, 1968) 33:20
- Excerpt, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Terence Fisher, 1959) 34:25
- Excerpt, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (Freddie Francis, 1968) 36:00
- Excerpt, Taste the Blood of Dracula (Peter Sadsy, 1970) 38:10
- Excerpt, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (Freddie Francis, 1968) 40:30
- James Bernard, “Finale and End Credits”, Scars of Dracula (Roy Ward Baker, 1970) 43:00
- Excerpt, Rasputin the Mad Monk (Don Sharp, 1966) 46:00
- Excerpt Vampire Circus (Robert Young, 1972) 48:15
- Mario Nascimbene, “Entering Kuma,” The Vengence of She (Cliff Owen, 1968) 53:00
- Benjamin Frankel, “Curse of the Werewolf,” The Curse of the Werewolf (Terence Fisher, 1961) 58:00