ROLLER

Famed mainly for their series of horror film soundtracks produced for the likes of Italian splatter-meister Dario Argento and 'Dawn Of The Dead' creator George A. Romero, Goblin started out during the Italian progressive rock boom of the early 1970's. Originally called Cherry Five, they produced a single, literary-themed self-titled album(which featured, amongst others, songs based on the works of Oscar Wilde, such as 'The Pictures Of Dorian Gray') before internal tensions within the band saw a change of personel and the eventual switch to the new name. Their first release was the eerie, keyboard-and-synth heavy, funk-tinged soundtrack to Dario Argento's 'Profondo Rosso' in 1975. This was then followed up by one of the few non-soundtrack items in their catalogue, 1976's 'Roller', an album which, along with it's soundtrack follow-up 'Suspiria', put Goblin on the international map. 'Roller' saw the group given a new lease of freedom unavailable on their sometimes rather constricting soundtrack work, producing a highly symphonic blend of Italian prog, funk, rock and their trademark creepy soundscapes which showcased the group's eclectic tastes. The stand-out tracks include the funky 'Snip Snap', which features some impressive rhythm beats from drummer Agostino Marangolo and bassist Fabio Pignatelli, and the epic, 11-minute long 'Goblin', in which guitarist Massimo Morante lets rip with some quicksilver finger-picking. Considering the audacious sounds on 'Roller' it's something of a mystery why Goblin produced so few studio albums, with the band focusing almost exclusively on soundtrack work throughout the remainder of the next two decades bar 1978's 'Il Fantastico Viaggio Del Bagarozzo Mark'. They would go on to form a prolific partnership with Dario Argento, soundtracking many of his classic films such as 'Tenebrae' and 'Phenomena', and would also forge a strong and loyal cult following across Europe and the United States. However, one can't help but feel an opportunity was lost as the quality of 'Roller' was never again re- produced, with the band instead opting to utilise their penchant for creating creepy sounds over any kind of attempted album career. Maybe the commercial gains of film-work were to prove too tempting, or maybe the band had simply exhausted themselves creatively after producing 'Roller'. Whatever the reasons, and they could well be myriad, they did at least leave behind this fascinating brew of sounds and styles that found this most peculiar of bands operating at their very peak. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010