Hierro
Zacarias M. de la Riva
" another good orchestral score from ZacarÃas M. de la Riva "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Hierro is a Spanish psychological thriller about a mother who lost her son, and continues to search for him on the island El Hierro, despite people around her continuously telling her he passed away. The plot itself looks a lot like El Orfranato but the critical response has been a lot less positive. However Spanish horror movies have been receiving good orchestral music recently, and one of the founders of that success is Zacarías M. de la Riva. Considering MovieScore Media previously released his praised Imago Mortis score, it comes as no surprise they continue the trend with Hierro.
The score is a mix between eerie mystery, heartfelt emotion and sheer bloody horror. The piece that keeps it together is a nice theme, performed both on solo piano and solo violin. The score might open with a mixture of all the styles in "Titles" and with an unnerving atmosphere in "Car Accident", but it really begins once you spot the main theme for the first time in "Aquarium".
The highlights are the horrific moments, because there de la Riva pushes the boundaries of the score to a propulsive level. In "Diego Disappears" the suspenseful build-up gets another level through the brassy encore. In "Hallucination" and "The Teacher" mystery and rambunctious music join forces, while "Mateo Burgos and The Green House" and "German Woman" deliver the listener a bombast of trumpet shrills which only the likes of Goldenthal can equal.
Yet besides the horror lies the mystery and the emotion. While the journey of mother Maria is a continuous mysterious search for her son, the emotional loss is nonetheless apparent throughout the entire score. In "Headquarters" and "The Island" the main theme gets performances by both the piano and violin, creating sometimes a The Village-like effect, only to be resolved by the importance of the choir. In "Diego", "Requiem for a Caravan", "Wake Up and Remember" and "Farewell" the choir delivers the listener the feeling of grief, resolution and understanding, giving enough away to feel and understand the climax of the film. All in all, what began as a mysterious and horrific score ends with a resolving and heartfelt ending.
While Hierro suffers sometimes from the annoying fact that the music loses your attention whilst listening to it, the album is still pretty strong in bringing you immediately back once it delivers its worthy material. In the horrific elements, Hierro can compete with the best, in the emotional level Hierro can comfort and sooth you and its mysterious side Hierro will bring you effective music. All in all, another good orchestral score from Zacarías M. de la Riva.
Tracklisting
1. Titles (2.44)
2. Car Accident (1.40)
3. Aquarium (0.37)
4. Diego Disappears (3.27) Excellent track
5. Headquarters (1.51)
6. Hallucination (2.20)
7. Bathroom (1.08)
8. The Island (1.24)
9. The Teacher (2.16)
10. Running (0.58)
11. Mateo Burgos and The Green House (4.44)
12. Wohnwagen (1.34)
13. German Woman (2.43) Excellent track
14. In the Car (3.03)
15. Hide and Seek (2.00)
16. Hospital (2.40)
17. Diego (1.55)
18. Requiem for a Caravan (2.00)
19. Wake Up and Remember (4.20) Excellent track
20. Farewell (4.41)
21. H2O (2.51)
Total Length: 50.56
The score is a mix between eerie mystery, heartfelt emotion and sheer bloody horror. The piece that keeps it together is a nice theme, performed both on solo piano and solo violin. The score might open with a mixture of all the styles in "Titles" and with an unnerving atmosphere in "Car Accident", but it really begins once you spot the main theme for the first time in "Aquarium".
The highlights are the horrific moments, because there de la Riva pushes the boundaries of the score to a propulsive level. In "Diego Disappears" the suspenseful build-up gets another level through the brassy encore. In "Hallucination" and "The Teacher" mystery and rambunctious music join forces, while "Mateo Burgos and The Green House" and "German Woman" deliver the listener a bombast of trumpet shrills which only the likes of Goldenthal can equal.
Yet besides the horror lies the mystery and the emotion. While the journey of mother Maria is a continuous mysterious search for her son, the emotional loss is nonetheless apparent throughout the entire score. In "Headquarters" and "The Island" the main theme gets performances by both the piano and violin, creating sometimes a The Village-like effect, only to be resolved by the importance of the choir. In "Diego", "Requiem for a Caravan", "Wake Up and Remember" and "Farewell" the choir delivers the listener the feeling of grief, resolution and understanding, giving enough away to feel and understand the climax of the film. All in all, what began as a mysterious and horrific score ends with a resolving and heartfelt ending.
While Hierro suffers sometimes from the annoying fact that the music loses your attention whilst listening to it, the album is still pretty strong in bringing you immediately back once it delivers its worthy material. In the horrific elements, Hierro can compete with the best, in the emotional level Hierro can comfort and sooth you and its mysterious side Hierro will bring you effective music. All in all, another good orchestral score from Zacarías M. de la Riva.
Tracklisting
1. Titles (2.44)
2. Car Accident (1.40)
3. Aquarium (0.37)
4. Diego Disappears (3.27) Excellent track
5. Headquarters (1.51)
6. Hallucination (2.20)
7. Bathroom (1.08)
8. The Island (1.24)
9. The Teacher (2.16)
10. Running (0.58)
11. Mateo Burgos and The Green House (4.44)
12. Wohnwagen (1.34)
13. German Woman (2.43) Excellent track
14. In the Car (3.03)
15. Hide and Seek (2.00)
16. Hospital (2.40)
17. Diego (1.55)
18. Requiem for a Caravan (2.00)
19. Wake Up and Remember (4.20) Excellent track
20. Farewell (4.41)
21. H2O (2.51)
Total Length: 50.56