Music Review: Giallos Flame, Archivio Giallo, Volume One

By Jeffery X Martin

Fans of horror movies from the 1980s know that half the fun of those flicks was the crazy synthesizer-heavy soundtracks they all seemed to have. Haunting melodies, strange electronic sounds, and spatial effects only served to accentuate the atmosphere, making the blood and guts more shocking.

It’s a weird groove to fall into, being a fan of music like that. You start bringing up musicians like Claudio Simonetti, Fabio Frizzi, Riz Ortolani, or Alan Howarth and most people stare at you like you’ve lost your mind. Then you start bringing up the movies those people have scored. Have you not seen Zombi? The Beyond? Buio Omega? How about The Fog? The original Dawn of the Dead, for cryin’ out loud?

You get a lot of blank looks and sympathetic nods, lots of people silently blessing your heart.

Ron Graham, the mastermind behind Giallos Flame, understands that pain. His instrumental work is devoted to keeping the spirit of that music alive. Archivio Giallo, Volume One is a kind of greatest hits collection, songs inspired by the great Italian horror movies of the past (and some American flicks, too). He has nailed that unique sound, which is instantly recognizable and deliriously addictive.

This is the soundtrack to the private horror movie playing in your head when you should be falling asleep.

His songs are designed to be evocative of the movies that inspired them, and horror fans will find clues to which ones in the track listing. There are songs based on 2019: After the Fall of New York, House at the Edge of the Park, The Fog, The Beyond, and Profondo Rosso (Deep Red).

Understand: this is not some kind of “tribute band” endeavor. It’s not like going to see the guy pretending to be Randy Rhoads-era Ozzy at the Bombay Bicycle Club. This is original music, an addition to an estimable canon, celebrating some of the most underrated composers and musicians of our time. Getting that vibe correct requires precise sound replication and, more important, the right mood. Giallos Flame does both of these things, every time, on every track.

If you’re not a fan of giallo films or horror in general, there are still plenty of reasons to listen to Giallos Flame. In a lot of ways, this music is absolutely beautiful. Deceptively simple, the music weaves its way over and around your brain like a tight straw hat. It is full of surprises and great whooshing sounds moving in between the channels. You could easily play this during a particularly tense evening of Monopoly, if you’re not going to watch horror stuff. The battle for Boardwalk and Park Place will never seem as important as it will that night.

With the recent triumphant American tour by giallo soundtrack masters, Goblin, this is the perfect time for Giallos Flame to gain more recognition. Let Archivio Giallo, Volume One play, and pay attention to the images that float through your mind. You may find yourself dreaming of ghost-leper-zombies with black gloves and straight razors making their way through a post-apocalyptic desert world.

That’s not bad, is it?

Archivio Giallo, Volume One will be released on April 7 from Rotary Tower, a distribution channel through which you can stream, license, or purchase music.