The discovery and subsequent release of the "Cabal Cut" of Clive Barker's 1990 epic Nightbreed was one of the most buzzworthy events of the past few years in horror cinema circles, unearthing a more complete and coherent version of Barker's film that fans had been clamoring to see for years. Restoring whole scenes and other elements from the film that for years had been thought to be lost, this expanded Barker-approved version offered an entirely new look at the film, fleshing out the storyline and characters considerably. I've been a fan of Barker's dark fantasy saga about the lost city of Midian and its monstrous inhabitants ever since Nightbreed landed on VHS, so I was as stoked as anyone to see the long-rumored "complete" version of this unique film. And what better time to than now revisit the huge score for Nightbreed, composed by Danny Elfman. Recently issued by Waxwork, the Nightbreed score has surfaced amid the current soundtrack-vinyl reissue craze, and it's a nice addition to the collection, one of Elfman's rare forays into horrific territory.

Like almost all of the Barker film adaptations, this grand vision of monsters and maniacs was well suited to a sweeping orchestral scores, and Elfman brought a mythic, majestic grandeur to these pieces. Blending heroic themes and maudlin romantic touches, this breathless, bombastic orchestral score summons booming percussion (including lots of tribal drumming) and fearsome choral voices to invoke a feral wildness behind the visions of the swarming underground city of Midian, injecting bursts of terrifying atonality and hellish voices into the busy score. More subdued passages feature ghostly piano, children's voices and clanking percussion, which mingle with growling brass and guttural cello, with wispy snake-charmer flute melodies flitting in and out of the arrangements. If you're familiar with Elfman's work, you'll hear all of his signature touches, the sense of wide-eyed wonder, the swells of angelic plainchant, those blasting crescendos that most of his scores are known for. But for a composer better known for more whimsical sounds, he deftly captures a dark, malevolent atmosphere here that fits the film wonderfully, and makes this my favorite score of his. Like other Waxwork reissues, this is beautifully presented, and the LP also includes the song "Country Skin" from the soundtrack that had originally only appeared as a bonus track on certain releases of the score, an odd country-western rendition of the older Oingo Bongo song "Skin" sung by Michael Stanton, with subtly grisly lyrics that become chilling when heard in the context of the film. Issued on 180 gram vinyl in heavyweight gatefold packaging, with a printed inner sleeve.