Goblin Rebirth
Goblin Rebirth
Relapse Records
Release Date: 30 June 2015
Review by Thomas Riley Lanyon
Goblin Rebirth is the latest band formed from the fragmented Goblin, an Italian progressive rock band that rose to prominence in the mid 1970’s, most notable for their acclaimed soundtrack work on Dario Argento’s horror classics, Profondo Rosso and Suspiria. Bassist, Fabio Pignatelli, and drummer, Agostino Marangolo, the original Goblin rhythm section, return here with Goblin Rebirth, whose self-titled debut serves as the soundtrack to an imaginary film about the birth of a dwarf-like monster.
Typically, the success of a motion pictures score or soundtrack relies heavily on its relationship with the image and how they interact and are enhanced by one another. Here, there is only music. Therefore, it is all the more remarkable what Goblin Rebirth have achieved, conjuring vivid imagery for a film that does not exist, through the effortless fusion of 1970’s prog-rock instrumentation and vintage horror-score atmosphere.
This combination is employed with a tremendous sense of control throughout the entirety of ‘Goblin Rebirth’. Opener, ‘Requiem For X’, weaves eerie synths and whispered voices into a driving rock groove, a perfect beginning that propels the listener onward through this dark, twisted tale. ‘Back in 74’ and ‘Book of Skulls’ highlight the immense talent of Fabio Pignatelli, whose fluid, creeping bass lines serve as the spine to the body of this record. On the latter of the two tracks, his bass crawls amongst the droning sci-fi keys of keyboardists, Aidan Zammit and Danilo Cherni, to create one the most evocative pieces on the album. It’s like Mulder and Scully meets King Crimson, and it’s brilliantly bizarre and wonderfully weird.
We then enter, ‘Forest’, and things begin to change. The prog instrumentation is gone, replaced by quiet, humming synths, delicate chimes, and a beautiful, female vocal track, that all gently build before opening up into a skilful guitar solo, courtesy of guitarist, Giacomo Anselmi. Finally, our journey takes us through ‘Dark Bolero’ and into ‘Rebirth’. The former boasts big, bold strings and chanted, ritualistic like vocals, making it one of the most orchestral, and score-like tracks on the record.
‘Rebirth’, like every great finale, synthesizes the elements found throughout the album into one cohesive whole, showcasing the immense talent this band, and each of its individual members, wields. Goblin Rebirth have crafted a stunning debut album, an album that recreates what Pignatelli and Marangolo’s former band did so well, while at the same time created something new and exciting, something theatrical and grand, something that is, ultimately, a whole lot of fun.
