By Ben Lovett

Back to basics for a new Hellraiser score.

After nearly 35 years and a set of diminishing DTV sequels, Hulu have rebooted the Hellraiser franchise with a reimagining of Clive Barker’s original The Hell-bound Heart which had formed the basis of the first film back in 1986. Where the original movie had a fondly-remembered score by Christopher Young, which was highly rated at the time, and has a classic melody that’s still much-loved by horror and soundtrack fans, this remake is scored by Ben Lovett, who has scored a number of horror and indie films, such as The Signal, The Ritual, Synchronicity, and The Old Ways. And unrelated to the Mumford And Sons keyboardist of the same name.

As befits a reboot of an 80s classic, there a lot of synth in the score, but it neatly eschews sticking to the usual droning void sound of typical modern horror scores. Rather it brings its own sound right from the outset, with “Box Of Blood” having a more operatic bass note to it, sprinkled with light bells in places, and the inevitable beating heart. “Mansion Party” starts off with a nice piano riff before evolving into a more electronica zone, and ending up with that bass horror movie tone, nicely varying the common tropes in order to avoid simply redoing them. It’s off to a good start for Lovett.

This blend of the 80s, the modern, and the classic continues with the likes of “Audience With God,” which brings us a near-John Carpenter vibe that works very well as part of the listening experience tool and this is an album to listen to, and to enjoy, as well as a score to accompany a film.

By “Point Of No Return” – another highlight – we’re getting some great operatic quality bass synths channelling the atmosphere of a cathedral organ trying to be a choir, and this kind of instrumentation continues throughout, popping up repeatedly for a distinctive vibe to the album, and even rescuing the otherwise disappointing “March Of The Cenobites” to give them a nice theme – even though it’s definitely not a march.

“Puzzles Of The Past” is a noteworthy highpoint because here Lovett really becomes open in referencing the fact that this is a franchise reboot, and so it builds towards a pleasant and chilling set of notes that will be nice for new listeners and give a real bonus thrill to fans of the series. This really sets the score up for “Such Sights To Show You,” which gives us a lovely, gorgeous, melodic bit of classical sounding class, which will doubtless make an impression on newer franchise, horror, and soundtrack fans. Those who remember the original Hellraiser, however, will instantly recognise it: it’s Christopher Young’s original theme. There’s then a stunning remix of it for “Hellraiser 2022 End Titles Suite” which blends it beautifully with other tracks from the score.

There may be a drinking game for fans in trying to spot when it’s been referenced earlier, upon subsequent listenings…

Verdict: This is a good blend of 80s and modern horror stylings, with proper melodies, good themes, and a nice line in mixing bass, organ sounds, and eerie lightness. Fans of the original movie and Christopher Young’s theme will get something of an extra bonus joy out of it, but those unfamiliar with it won’t lose out; they’ll just think it’s new… 8/10

David A McIntee