Varèse Sarabande release George Streicher's original score for Howard Lovecraft and the Frozen Kingdom. The movie tells the story of a young H.P. Lovecraft. Before he becomes the famed horror writer, young Howard Lovecraft is a curious and imaginative boy living with his mother. But after she unwittingly gives Howard the legendary Necronomicon, he is transported to a dangerous and frozen world populated by horrifying creatures. After saving and befriending one such creature – Spot – Howard and his new friend set off on a perilous quest to save the kingdom and get Howard home. But Howard soon finds out that not everything is as it seems and not everyone is to be trusted...

If I'd played this without realising what I was listening to, I'd have bet money on the fact that this was a Danny Elfman score that had previously passed me by. In places there was a distinct flavour or Elfman's gothic work on Batman.

It was interesting to learn that Streicher is a huge fan of both John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith's work, as his music here does reflect a time period when they wrote some of their most impressive music. This reminded me so much of some of the incredible scores that were being delivered in the '80s and '90s that I really can't find anything to moan about here.

The album contains 27 tracks (1 hr, 12 sec, 45 sec) of beautiful, melancholic music with a touch of gothic. There's plenty of Williams and Goldsmith in here as well as the occasional homage to James Horner and Alan Silvestri.

10

Darren Rea