OST: Gli occhi freddi della paura / Cold Eyes of Fear - Ennio Morricone

For the amazing soundtrack for Castellari's Cold Eyes of Fear (1971), Morricone called on the services of Gruppo di Nuova Improvvisazione - the legendary avant garde and, as you can guess from their name, improvisational combo of which he was a founding member. Tortured trumpets, harsh guitars, plucked piano wires and meandering bass lines are instantly reminiscent of the maestro's work for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) and many other gialli of the period. Just to put the album on is to instantly immerse yourself in the strange and perverse world of that genre.

However, because of the experimental and improvised structure (or indeed non-structure) of the piece there is no sweetness and light in the form of a lush main theme featuring a breathy, sublime Edda Del'Orso vocal to break up the tension here. No, sir - with this one you're all alone in the dark. Gli Occhi... is an incredible, essential record, not only a classy soundtrack to a pretty decent film but also a classic of the experimental and free jazz genres.Take a journey into the darkness with Morricone today- if you're feeling up to it.

Massive respect and thanks to MorriconeRocks and Morricone1, the original uploaders of these video clips.