Coil - The Unreleased Themes For Hellraiser (1987)

Coil scoring Hellraiser sounds so right, doesn't it? Why Clive Barker turned down the finished soundtrack and went with the traditional orchestral fare reserved for American blockbusters is a mystery, then. After all, this is the guy whose literate depravity shocked the late 1980's out of its proverbial socks. According to some, Barker found Coil's output stomach-churning - and meant it as a compliment - but couldn't risk putting his audiences through aural torture on top of Pinhead's visual one. Well, it's our loss because what Coil did back in 1986 was far superior to what we eventually got.

In any case, Coil did release their Hellraiser stuff later on in 1987 with the seductive subtitle The Consequences Of Raising Hell. This was the fourth big release for the band that same year, so one could be forgiven for expecting some drop in quality. The soundtrack, however, is total immersion in scary atmospherics, kicking off with the mysterious "Main Theme", building it up with the most appropriate "Box Theme" immaginable, only to culminate with "Attack of the Sennapods". If you believe you have the guts, I dare you to put this on late at night at full volume.

1. "Hellraiser Themes" – 2:45
2. "The Hellbound Heart" – 2:19
3. "Box Theme" – 3:02
4. "No New World" – 3:53
5. "Attack of the Sennapods" – 1:51
6. "Main Title" – 3:12

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NOTE: Please, be kind and purchase any Coil releases if you like what you hear. Also note that some of the songs on the CD version of this 16-minute EP are missing from the cassette version to leave room for other creepy sounds Coil made for the film - so if you are lucky enough to find the cassette, do treat it as a true rarity.