"The Skeleton Key"
Score Composed by Edward Shearmur
Audio Clips: Ben Escapes | The Conjure Room

Edward Shearmur has quietly been paving himself a nice career. I've really enjoyed his varied style, with diverse offerings such as "The Governess", "Reign of Fire", and "The Count of Monte Cristo." What finally made soundtrack fans take notice, however, was Shearmur's adventure score for "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." It was an accomplishment that showcased his talent in a genre that sorely needed a boost. Now that Shearmur is a couple of scores removed from his flight with the good Sky Captain, and I thought it would be interesting to see what he is up to with his latest project, "The Skeleton Key."

Before I go on, I must be up front -- I'm not normally a fan of horror music in any capacity. Typically, I find too much of this genre of music to be too generic. There have only been a few instances when a horror score has really impacted me, therefore, these types of soundtracks typically find a quick burial in my collection. But as always, I take on a review with an open mind, and that is what I have done with this release.

So how is this soundtrack? Aside from a clutter of non-score song tracks, Shearmur's music plays out very well. It's a horror score that transcends the genre because it has individuality and not just the standard crash and bang motifs of most horror film soundtracks.

The thematic context of the score features a blues texture to it, with solo guitars leading the way to more ominous musical tracks. These passages of blues music are more creepy than terrifying, and create a musical canvas unique to the film.

Additional sections of the score feature some vibrant and energetic percussion that really make for an intense listening experience. Shearmur really kicks forth a nice rhythm for the chase scenes. Those of you familiar with Graeme Revelle's rejected score for "Eaters of the Dead" will find pleasant similarities between the two soundtracks.

The darkest, most terrifying moment on the soundtrack for me is during track 5, when 'Ben Escapes.' It features a moment in which horns erupt, echoing twice through a percussive chase sequence, and the effect comes across quite eerie and startling. Not to be missed!

Overall, while Shearmur's score made for a pleasant surprise, the inclusion of songs scattered throughout the score proved to be a distraction. I would have rather seen the album comprised of Shearmur's music as opposed to what we ended up with, but that would have left the disc with just about 25 minutes of music. At the very least, I wish the non-score tracks could have ran straight, leaving the score portion of the soundtrack running uninterrupted. As it is, you may find yourself skipping through one track to another to get to Shearmur's music, because as it stands, the madness of the voodoo song tracks are tough to listen to under any circumstance!

Final Score: Shearmur continuous his creative ascent to the top of the scoring ranks with a horror score that proves to be interesting and energetic. Had there been more score, and less songs to contend with, this CD would have received a higher grade.

(Score tracks are in bold)

Audio Clips: Ben Escapes | The Conjure Room