La Via Della Droga＜Colored Vinyl＞

When Cinevox began reissuing the album catalog of Goblin in the late '90s, they also issued some new albums featuring Goblin soundtracks that had never been given a proper release. One of the most interesting albums from this group was La Via Della Droga, the soundtrack to a 1977 Italian crime thriller that chronicled the adventures of an undercover police officer as he infiltrated a European drug ring. The score plays down the horror theatrics that dominated chilling scores like Suspiria and Profondo Rosso in favor of a low-key sound that is reminiscent of a '70s television police drama. Most of the cuts on La Via Della Droga are dominated by stripped-down, funky interplay between the guitar and bass: the main title blends a mid-tempo groove from the rhythm section with a guitar solo reminiscent of David Gilmour, while "La Via Della Droga (Seq. 10)" evokes an intense atmosphere through the percolating interplay between its guitar and basslines. Other cuts push a frantic percussive attack the forefront (the conga-driven "La Via Della Droga (Seq. 11)") or work hypnotic, minimalist synthesizer riffs into the mix to build suspense ("La Via Della Droga (Seq. 2)"). The end result is a tight, tense thriller score that is notably different from the group's more famous scores but can be enjoyed by Goblin fans just the same. ~ Donald A. Guarisco