The appropriately named prog rock band Goblin is most famous for their collaboration with Dario Argento on his gory giallo films, especially Suspiria, arguably Argento's most well-known and best film to date. Goblin provided Argento with unforgettable soundtracks to Tenebre, Phenomenon, and Deep Red, as well as Argento's 2001 film Sleepless, which brought the band back together again after 22 years. I'm ashamed to say I have not yet seen Sleepless, but after sitting through Argento's more recent movies like Do You Like Hitchcock? and even Mother of Tears, I'm a little wary.

Goblin also supplied soundtracks to other Italian horror movies, as well as giallo and soft porn director Joe D'Amato's Beyond the Darkness. They did the soundtrack to George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, aka Zombi, under the name The Goblins; much later, Shaun of the Dead used one of the songs from the soundtrack in their film as one of many sly nods to the zombie classic.



Goblin's guitars, synth, and what sound like chimes, bells, and even a xylophone here and there, combine with their panting, groaning, sighing, and heavy breathing to add the perfect touch to Argento's signature creepy '70s horror. It's also worth noting that when he wasn't composing unforgettable soundtracks for spaghetti Westerns, Ennio Morricone also worked on a number of Argento films, like the recently rereleased Four Flies on Grey Velvet, The Cat o' Nine Tails, and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, as well as John Carpenter's The Thing. Morricone received an honorary Oscar in 2007; Goblin has yet to be acknowledged outside of a small group of Italian horror fans and prog rock freaks. (And, according to their website, at least one Second Life player, who created Goblinland!)

Goblin released a music CD in 2005 called "Back to the Goblin," which you can order on their official website. It's Cyber Monday, so you know you wanna get this little goodie for your favorite horror freak!

Check out the official US trailer for Suspiria below. Plenty of other Argento clips are on YouTube so you can add a little Goblin to your day.