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BLONKSTEINER, ALESSANDRO  Cannibal Apocalypse (Apocalypse Domani)  LP   (Death Waltz)   29.98


���� Finally got this recent reissue of Alessandro Blonksteiner's cannibalistic prog-funk score to the early 80's chunkblower Cannibal Apocalypse (aka Apocalypse Domani) in stock, one of the more obscure works issued this year on horror soundtrack imprint Death Waltz. I'm glad to see it, though, as this quirky score is a real blast. If you're a fan of the soundtrack to Fulci's The House By The Cemetery, you no doubt remember the bizarro Blonksteiner contributions like "Blonk Monster" and "Blonk Fascia", right? Well, for 1980's Apocalypse Domani, famed Italian cinematic fantasist Antonio Margheriti enlisted Blonksteiner to tackle the entire score, which is from I can tell his only other foray into scoring horror movies. Because of that, Blonksteiner is comparatively unknown outside of hardcore horror-score collector circles, but it's worth investigating if you dig the funkier, jazzier stuff that bands like Goblin were doing in the late 70s/early 80s. Previously only available on vinyl as a rare Italian import from 1980, it's finally back on wax, primed to be rediscovered by fans of the craziest Italo spookprog.

���� Domani itself is a more obscure early 80s Italian horror offering, despite a killer genre cast that includes the great John Saxon in a lead role alongside long-suffering Italo-splat regular Giovanni Lombardo Radice playing the role of "Charles Bukowski". Chronicling the chaos that ensues when a group of army vets fall under the demonic effects of a cannibal virus that the poor saps contracted whilst in a POW camp together in 'Nam, shit hits the fan almost immediately as the film takes off on a deranged spree of flesh-chomping mayhem, ocular atrocity, and urban savagery in the streets of Atlanta, Georgia, woven around a tragic love story and culminating with one of the most eye-popping scenes of abdominal carnage via shotgun ever put to film.
Needless to say, it's a must-see if you're addicted to that particular era of Italian horror. And in classic Italian fashion, the opening theme is a beguiling piece written for strings and jazz flute, a gentle and moody arrangement that's pretty far from you would expect as the introduction for the nutzoid carnage to come. From there though, Blonksteiner's score delivers some seriously sweat-soaked prog-funk, alternately sounding like something that could have come off a late 70s cop show, or suddenly blasting you with chilling strings; there's also lots of nostalgic soft-jazz sax, the eerie, wah-drenched Goblinesque prog of tracks like "Apocalypse And Love" and "Dreadful Night", tense tribal drumming sequences and swells of Simonetti-style synth-dread, all spiced up with a smattering of disco fever. It oozes early 80s atmosphere. So great to have this available again, and in a gorgeous presentation that includes a printed insert with lengthy new liner notes written by Radice; it's fascinating reading, humorously detailing his coke-fueled ordeal during filming.


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