Fans of European horror movies – especially from the '70s and '80s – are probably on an intimate basis with the Italian rock band Goblin. Their most famous and memorable works include the scores for George Romero's epic Dawn of the Dead and Dario Argento's 1977 classic Suspiria– one of the loudest, weirdest and most terrifying film soundtracks ever created.
While Goblin has been active in various incarnations since their foundation in the mid-'70s, and core member Claudio Simonetti has played their music at US shows with his side project Daemonia, Goblin's original co-founders – Simonetti and Maurizio Guarini – have never performed together in North America. But that's all changing this October, when they bring the full Goblin lineup to perform the entire Suspiria score live at the first Housecore Horror Film Festival in Austin, Texas.
The brainchild of metal icon Phil Anselmo (Pantera) and bestselling true-crime author Corey Mitchell (Pure Murder), the Housecore Horror Film Festival is a three-day (October 25-27) underground fan event “celebrating the twisted line where horror films and heavy metal meet.” Anselmo declared his love for the band in a statement to the press: “Goblin is, in my view, one of the ultimate horror bands in the history of the genre,” he said. “I still listen to them often, especially on tour. To have Goblin play the Housecore Horror Film Festival is like I'm living in a strange, dark dream, where nothing is quite geometrically correct, but I want to keep delving further while Goblin dirges onward underneath the bleak imagery... All hail the mighty Masters of The Macabre timbres!”
Maurizio Guarini added that the band is “beyond excited to bring the sounds of Goblin and Suspiria to the United States for the very first time... and to be able to perform the score before a live audience while they watch Dario Argento's masterpiece on the big screen is incredible.”
This history-making appearance is part of a growing list of acts slated for the fest, including Down, Crowbar, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals, EyeHateGod, and Warbeast. Famed horror filmmakers will also make special guest appearances, including José Mojica Marins (aka “Coffin Joe”), Jörg Buttgereit, and Jim VanBebber. Attila Csihar (Mayhem) is also staging a special one-time show, creating “sonic manipulations” to accompany a screening of the silent film classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
Additional guests, performances and screenings will be announced soon at the fest's official site and Facebook page. Stay tuned for more news!