This 1975 soundtrack made an impressive debut for
Goblin, a legendary group of Italian soundtrack specialists. Originally known as "the Cherry Five," this quintet was commissioned by Italian director Dario Argento to create a soundtrack for his terrifying thriller Profondo Rosso. The resulting album took the group to the top of the Italian charts and helped them build a worldwide cult reputation. Profondo Rosso is an ambitious affair that blends jazz, prog rock, and heavy metal into an effective and totally distinctive style. The title track is an impressive exercise in dynamics, building tension as it moves back and forth between a quiet, intricate riff doubled on acoustic guitar and keyboard, with a full-blooded variation of that theme led by surging, gothic-sounding organ. Other highlights include "Death Dies," a frantic piece of jazz whose pounding piano riff was later sampled by
Beck, and "Mad Puppet," an atmospheric excursion that slowly adds layers of keyboard to a hypnotic, serpentine bass riff. However, the cut that prog buffs will probably like most is "Deep Shadows," a frenetic slice of
King Crimson-style jazz-rock that slows down midway for a dazzling mid-tempo section where a mesmerizing rolling piano line duels it out with snaky solos from the bass and electric guitar. All in all, Profondo Rosso is a powerful album that will appeal to both soundtrack fans and prog rock addicts. ~ Donald A. Guarisco