Our favorite holiday? Easy: Halloween. We're eagerly counting down the days to All Hallows Eve, and we're doing it by enlisting some of our favorite rockers to make their picks of the creepiest, most disturbing, goriest shit ever. Today, Mike Patton — who may best known for his work with avant-rock groups like Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas and Tomahawk, but has also scored fright flicks and voiced on-screen monsters — gives us his picks for the five most spine-tingling horror soundtracks. Check it out below — if you dare.
The Omen (Score by Jerry Goldsmith)
This bombastic score absolutely made the movie. If you watch the film with the sound muted, you will see what I mean. Beautiful choir textures that, over time, have become iconic in the horror genre.
Rosemary's Baby (Score by Christopher Komeda)
Simply put, one of the simplest and most haunting themes ever written.
Kwaidan (Score by Toru Takemitsu)
Special electronic effects were created for this core by breaking large chunks of wood. If that doesn't convince you, then check out the film: It is one of the most elegant and haunting you may find.
The Birds (Nonmusical score by Oskar Sala)
An incredible score with no known musical 'notes.' The entire score was produced by an early electronic instrument called the 'mixtrautonium,' and is an amazing example of how sound design and sound effects can be fused with image to great musical effect. Hats off to director Alfred Hitchcock for realizing this and creating a truly terrifying sonic bastard.
Sounds of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion
This is not a "film score" per se, but it might as well be. The dialogue and cues are so vivid that the listener is immediately transported into the dark recesses of Disneyland. I can't think of a scarier place to be.
