Unreleased Soundtrack Music from George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead

For many years the complete soundtrack to George A. Romero's classic zombie horror Dawn of the Dead has been one of the holy grails of soundtrack aficionados. Sure, the score composed by Italian co-producer Dario Argento's associates the Goblins has long been available, even with alternate takes and outtakes, but the mass of library music preferred by Romero for his director's cut of the film – Argento handled the continental European version and release, Romero the US one – has long eluded us.

Now, thanks to the efforts of trash culture ephemera specialists Trunk Records (Flexi-Sex, Death Line etc) and DOTD fanatic Joel Martin, 14 of the most memorable cues have been located and compiled into one labour-of-love package of "Unreleased Soundtrack Music"

The disc kicks off with Herbert Chappell's The Gonk AKA 'that mall muzak', followed by Lemel's Cosmogony Part I and Towren's Sinestre, both generically moody and atmospheric but consequently harder to place. Track four, P. Reno's 'Cause I'm a Man, is however immediately recognisable, bringing visions of redneck posses blasting away at zombies as society collapses all around them.

With its warbling synthesiser noodling Figment's Park starts off sounding as if it should be by Goblin, but isn't being – along with track six Mask of Death, heard accompanying one of the action scenes if I recall correctly – by one J Trombey. More synth work follows with the brief Scarey 1 and Scarey 2 by D Scott, really little more than 20 second suspense cues, as is Trombey's Dark Earth.

The mall montage scene is another immediately recognisable piece, to which fans may wish to supply their own voice over of special offers in imitation of the film's pre-recorded announcements. Track 11, Barrage by Trombey, is another straightforward suspense cue, though the more conventional/traditional instrumentation makes it sound more like something from the 30s or 40s.

Pierre Arvay's Desert De Glace is altogether moodier, with its gentle bell-like dynamics, and is followed by Simon Park's Sun High, recognisable as the record playing when Fran, Peter and Stephen have temporarily settled down to a life of bourgeois domesticity in the by now secured mall.

The disc is rounded off by P Lemel's Dramaturgy, another ominous if generic suspense cue.

Hardly for the average soundtrack listener then, but a real delight for the Dawn of the Dead fan to whom it is aimed. For best results listen whilst visiting the mall…

More information on the various Goblin soundtracks to the film.

Trunk Records page