Steve Moore - Cub OST [Relapse - 2015]Steve Moore seems to be everywhere these days. If it's not a Zombi release or tour, it's solo. His latest comes to us in the form of a motion picture soundtrack. Considering Zombi's roots and influences, this makes perfect sense, and is a bit surprising it took this long to happen. The aforementioned film, Cub, is a Belgian horror flick about a deranged poacher that decides to switch his focus to poaching young kids. I have not caught the flick yet, but if Steve's score is any indication, it'll be cold, grim, and unsettling. Steve Moore's work with Zombi has shown us the synthy, rocking, almost progressive side of his career. His work on Cub, though, shows a more traditional, almost John Carpenter-esque approach to song structure. This is understandable, as his solo work focuses more on the spacey, synthy drift than his group recordings. This works very well in a film score, as the music is there to highlight the film and add layers of depth to what's on the screen. Rich synths abound on Cub, and despite the darkness, there's a certain warmth to them. Subtle vibrato on pieces like "The Treehouse" add a lot of character and emotion to the soft, short notes. The thoughtfulness is contrasted by a series of looped notes that keep the track grounded and add a creepy, hospital vibe. But, for every airy piece, there's a grim counterpart ready to chill the soul. Propulsive, menacing percussion starts off "Sam vs Kai," before the synthy drones envelop the listener with melancholy lows. Light oscillations help to disorient the listener, and the sonic bewilderment really takes hold. And while songs like "The Truck" and "Finale" rock with a Carpenter styled beat (John, that is, not Karen), they stand on their own as solid, engaging pieces, not just fanboy mimicry.
Having been a fan of Zombi since they first broke onto the scene, it's really great seeing how Steve Moore has progressed both in the band and as a solo artist. His love of film and scores is apparent with the devotion on display on Cub. Having never heard of the film until given this review, Steve's soundtrack has me really interested in checking it out. A score strong enough to sell a film has to count for something, right?   Paul Casey
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