Night Cobra

After spilling gallons of blood and fighting tirelessly, after only two albums with Napalm Powerwolf shot straight to the pole position of the official German album charts (and another album made it into the top three!). After selling out venue after venue and thrilling bigger and bigger hordes of fans, the time is right for a new chapter: The Sacrament Of Sin which offers a dozen metal psalms forged for all eternity!

This 2-disc release of Herrmann's first score for Harryhausen is a lavish delight. Firstly, both discs are presented in full stereophonic sound - the full-bodied monaural descriptor being entirely wrong for the disc-1 complete score. This presentation utilizes the same remastered music stems that the Sony blu-ray disc offers, and is sonically splendid. The second disc is the original soundtrack album re-recording, all stereo except one track, and it's the familiar version that's been a collector's item for many years. The soundtrack album was conducted by Muir Mathieson, and contrary to Herrmann's opinion of it, it's a robust presentation of the original score. A masterpiece, right up there with the likes of Moross' THE BIG COUNTRY, North's SPARTACUS, Rosza's EL CID, and Jarre's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA.

On their 12th release, art-pop act Stereolab float deeper into the post-rock atmosphere. They still draw from Ennio Morricone and Henry Mancini when creating their own fantasy soundtracks, but Sound-Dust lacks the dynamic interplay that invigorated Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night. The disc is all easy-listening lounge that's almost too gentle on the ears. There are no urgent sonic experiments, and only three tracks really spark to life: "Spacemoth," "Captain Easychord," and the Kubrick-inspired "Gus and the Mynah Bird." "Easychord" is the catchiest song on the album, containing the CD's most ebullient melody-emitting, warped, country-twanged notes. Beyond that, Stereolab fans should prepare for a very sedate, mature affair.