I often see people complain that there have been few, if any, good scores released in 2021. While there may have been a few slower months, October continues the trend of nearly endless good scores. There were almost too many for me to keep track of: I only discovered Simon Franglen’s score to The Curse of Turandot in early January! As always, if you think I’ve missed any scores from this month (or any past months), leave a comment or get in touch and I’ll check them out!

As has been the trend for this year, there have simply been too many excellent scores for me to do even these brief writeups on (not to mention the difficulty it trying to keep track of them all!). The upside, of course, is there’s a ton of great music! Make sure to scroll to the end of this article for a list of even more October scores to check out!

Have a quick read about each of these excellent scores below then be sure to give them a listen. Be sure to see what other scores you may have missed by reading past editions of this column.

Titane – Jim Williams (review)

Long one of my favorite indie composers, Jim Williams seems to do something new and exciting with every score. So, when I first heard Titane I was somewhat let down. While it has some mesmerizing moments near the end with its Baroque grandeur, the majority is an almost industrial minimalism that creates a nearly nonexistent listening experience. But after repeat listenings and slowly digesting the film, everything fell into place. The journey from restrained, metallic reverberations and noise peppered with ritualism into a full-blown religious spectacle echoes that of the film’s main character Alexia. Williams’ Titane is a subtle, clever way to embody a character, and though it makes for an inconsistent listen, works brilliantly to picture.

The Last Duel – Harry Gregson-Williams

Harry Gregson-Williams has carved out a niche of fantastic scores for medieval/medieval-fantasy films, like Kingdom of Heaven, Shrek, and the two Disney Chronicles of Narnia entries. He returns to this style with The Last Duel. However, despite the film’s believable 14th century depiction, the score doesn’t always stay loyal to this setting, using an anachronistic palette ranging from 15th century viols to modern synths. But this never breaks the immersion. It’s a chilling, often liturgical work with bursts of unexpected vibrancy whose joys are always extinguished.

Halloween Kills – Cody Carpenter, John Carpenter, and Daniel A. Davies (review)

How many times can familiar themes be used before they lose all life? Like The Shape, it appears the music of the Halloween series is unkillable. Cody Carpenter, John Carpenter, and Daniel A. Davies are back with Halloween Kills, and so are the iconic melodies that John Carpenter first made famous over forty years ago. But here they’re even uglier, grittier, burnt and battered and relentless. The trio give us some welcome respite in more emotional, introspective moments, until the pummeling nightmares return and we’re back in full flight.

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – Marco Beltrami

The score for 2018’s Venom was a surprisingly middling affair from the normally exciting Ludwig Göransson. Perhaps as a result, Marco Beltrami has replaced Göransson in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Unlike the more serious prior entry, Beltrami fully embraces the ridiculous, over-the-top nature of Sony’s Venom portrayal. He balances a recurring, almost Gothic piano motif (which maintains a constant sinister edge) with unexpected elements like crunchy guitar riffs and swooning dubstep. It is a menacing façade under which lies a silly, mischievous core.

A Few More Scores

As sometimes happens, too many good scores released in October for me to cover! Check the rest of them out:

  • The Curse of Turandot – Simon Franglen
  • Adventures of a Mathematician – Antoni Komasa-Lazarkiewicz
  • I am Belmaya – Marie-Anne Fischer
  • Mayday – Colin Stetson (interview)
  • No Time to Die – Hans Zimmer
  • What Breaks the Ice – Alex Weston
  • Lovely Boy – Paco Martinelli
  • No One Gets Out Alive – Mark Korven
  • Bright: Samurai Soul – LITE
  • The Forgotten Battle – Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch (interview)
  • Lamb – Totí Gudnason
  • So Vam – Alexander Taylor
  • Ariaferma (EP) – Pasquale Scialo
  • The Art and Soul of Dune – Hans Zimmer (review)
  • Bentornato papa -Silvia Nair
  • Broadcast Signal Intrusion – Ben Lovett
  • The French Dispatch – Alexandre Desplat
  • Last Man Down – Alexander Arntzen
  • Night Teeth – Drum & Lace and Ian Hultquist
  • Warning – Gregory Tripi
  • Antlers – Javier Navarrete
  • La Fracture (EP) – Rob
  • Last Night in Soho – Steven Price
  • Madres Paralelas – Alberto Iglesias
  • Maixabel – Alberto Iglesias
  • Snakehead – Roman Molino Dunn

If these sound interesting, here’s a playlist with some select tracks from a few of the above-scores!