AA.VV.
Spawn O.S.T.

This Review is affectionately dedicated to AlessioIride and the realization that it is always wrong to stop at the first Impression.

Prologue: in 1997, the cinematic adaptation of the Cult Comic of the '90s was released, specifically Todd McFarlane's "Spawn", which, thanks to certain graphical and script insights from the author, became a reference of the Decade in its expressive form, the Comics. The Film was accompanied by a Soundtrack, and this is the pretext of this review, in which I will talk very little about music. (...and let's hope not to end up among the Literary Cases...)

Act I, Hell's Pencils: McFarlane, born in Canada in '61, became famous in the '80s for a courageous restyling of Marvel's quintessential character, Spider-Man. Encouraged by public acclaim (less so initially, from critics), he decided to embark on creating a character of his own. Thus, in '92, Spawn was born, published under the banner of the "independent" Image. The success was immediate (issue No.1 is still the best-selling independent comic in the States).

Success was essentially linked, besides McFarlane's distinctive style (which can also be found on the cover of Korn's "Follow the Leader"), to innovative plot and script characteristics. Spawn is an atypical hero; he is Al Simmons, a former CIA agent who, remorseful for the wrongdoings committed in the name of "Justice," is killed by his superiors and ends up in the Underworld. Here, he makes a deal with the demonic hordes, particularly the demon Malebolgia, to see his beloved wife again. The demon, however, deceives him, sending him back among the living, five years later, and in the form of an Infernal Creature. Here, poor Al discovers that his wife has started a new life with one of his superiors and former best friends. The shock is tremendous; destroyed by pain and following an amnesia, he decides to rebel against the infernal schemes (he is supposed to become, on the day of Armageddon, a General in the Infernal Troops) and obviously chooses to be hunted by Malebolgia and his lackeys. He will find refuge among New York's "rejected" and will embark on his new life, accompanied by his new form, infernal powers, and a Sentient Cloak. The fact that Spawn is not a classic superhero (he does not necessarily defend the weak; his actions are decided by his mood, and he can be terribly wicked) and the plot, always teetering between Mystery, Noir, and pure Horror, quickly garnered the approval of enthusiasts worldwide, making it probably the most important comic of the '90s. Personally, it was never one of my favorites from that decade (that was Gaiman's "Sandman"), but its historical and imaginative value is objective and should be recognized, in my opinion, by everyone. McFarlane currently only supervises the stories of his creature and prefers to dedicate himself to his hockey team, the Edmonton Oilers.

Act II, The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions: Directed by Mark Dippé and co-scripted by McFarlane himself (who seems to be working on a sequel ten years later), "Spawn" is one of the worst comic-based films in history. Faithful only in parts and overly pyrotechnic, it sacrifices the comic's Noir-Dramatic atmosphere for special effects and does not fully express its Horror potential, choosing to cater too much to a youthful audience rather than a slightly more mature one. This is aggravated by the disappointing performances of the actors, with the usual Leguizamo being the only saving grace in the role of the terrible Violator.

Act III, Infernal Tunes:

1. Filter & Crystal Method– (Can't You) Trip Like I Do
2. Marilyn Manson & Sneaker Pimps – Long Hard Road Out Of Hell
3. Orbital & Kirk Hammet – Satan
4. Korn & The Dust Brothers– Kick The P.A.
5. Butthole Surfers & Moby – Tiny Rubberband
6. Metallica & Dj Spooky – For Whom The Bell Tolls (The Irony Of It All)
7. Stabbing Westward & Wink – Torn Apart
8. Mansun & 808 State – Skin Up Pin Up
9. The Prodigy & Tom Morello – One Man Army
10. Silverchair & Vitro – Spawn
11. Henry Rollins & Goldie – T-4 Strain
12. Incubus & Dj Greyboy – Familiar
13. Slayer & Atari Teenage Riot – No Remorse (I Wanna Die)
14. Soul Coughing & Roni Size – A Plane Scraped It's Belly On A Sooty Yellow Moon

For a work that draws inspiration from a mix of genres and a continuous succession of emotions, choosing how to adequately accompany the vicissitudes of a complex character like Spawn from a sonic perspective must not have been easy.
It must be said that if the Film was a failure in terms of adaptation, the O.S.T. was a relatively successful operation.

The choice was to entrust collaborations with the realization, but what stands out is that the "pairings" were chosen on dichotomous stylistic bases and i.e. artists from the world of electronics (Dance, Techno, Drum and Bass...) were paired with others from the world of "Hard" music (Metal, Crossover, Alternative Rock...) and often also in opposition of Geographic Origin, bringing together artists from both Oceanic shores.
What adds to the value is that the performances, in most cases, are not simple remixes but can be considered on the level of First Works.
Fully immersed in the '90s atmosphere, this Soundtrack is a somewhat genuine, albeit decidedly catchy, report of those years and represents an ideal handover with the O.S.T. symbol of the '90s, namely that of "The Crow" (which is, however, obviously superior), transitioning from a fascinating monolithic (can we say it?) dark atmosphere to a cocktail of varied and decidedly devastating sounds. A comparison that may seem forced, but those who experienced certain things live will probably agree with me. In a different but equally important way, a similar operation was done for the "Judgement Night" Soundtrack ("Cubalibre" in Italian... sigh!).

From a personal perspective, the presence of artists I love deeply, like Sneaker Pimps (the song made with the Reverend is definitely not bad...), Orbital, Dust Brothers, Rollins, Goldie, Slayer (nonconformist collaboration with the excellent ATR), Roni Size etc. etc., makes this album a work to keep jealously for nostalgic evenings...

If I have to pick a couple to elevate to the altar, I would choose without a doubt the beautiful "(Can't you) Trip like I do" by Filter with the Crystal Method, which, if I'm not mistaken, was also a single, and the union between Butthole Surfers and the "trickster" Moby. To cast away, if I have to mention any, I would say that Tom Morello and Prodigy could have done better, and neither is the Metallica/Dj Spooky pair in the remix of "For whom the bell Tolls" the best, but these are tiny flaws in an otherwise very valid work.

Epilogue: I don't think the album was already present on DeB, in which case I apologize for the duplicate. I ask the Editors not to send me to the Literary Cases (I know I have crossed into other forms of Art, but I considered it necessary, have mercy, please...), I apologize for the length, next time I will keep it short, I promise... and a warm greeting to everyone...