1990 I Guerrieri Del Bronx/I Nuovi Barbari

• Artist: Claudio Simonetti/Walter Rizzati
• Rating:
• Release Date: 2000
• Total Time: 74:16
• Type: Compilation (best of), Soundtrack, Instrumental
• Genre: Soundtrack

Review

After The Road Warrior became a worldwide hit in 1982, opportunistic filmmakers around the world began cranking out their own post-apocalypse action films. A notable center of this activity was Italy, where filmmakers continued to churn out Road Warrior-styled films into the mid-'80s. These films tended be threadbare low-budget affairs, but often boasted interesting musical scores that fused rock and soul styles with an emphasis on electronics. A good example of the music that fueled these films can be found on 1990 I Guerreri Del Bronx/I Nuovi Barbari, a disc that pairs the scores of two films made by prolific Italian director Enzo Castellari. The music for 1990 I Guerreri Del Bronx (released in the U.S. as 1990: The Bronx Warriors) was composed by Walter Rizzati and utilizes a full rock band lineup to create a score that mixes the guitar bombast of hard rock with the thick, bass-driven grooves of funk and the minimalist synthesizer lines of 1980s electronic pop. Good examples of this style include "Bronx 1990," where ethereal synth riffs and melodic electric guitar solos soar over a tight, suspenseful groove from the rhythm section, and "Bronx Traffic," which layers ominous guitar shadings over a programmed synthesizer riff. The music for I Nuovi Barbari (released in the U.S. as Warriors of the Wasteland) was composed by Claudio Simonetti, formerly of Goblin, and forsakes the rock-tinged style of 1990 I Guerreri Del Bronx in favor of a minimalist style built entirely on synthesizers and drum machines. The end result isn't as melodic and accessible as the other score, but it offers plenty of highlights for those who can get into its strictly electronic style: "Nuke Is Over" layers soaring synthesizer riffs over a programmed rhythm track whose forceful beats border on a hip-hop sound, and "Alma the Amazon" showcases some gentle electric piano soloing against an ethereal synthesizer backdrop. All in all, 1990 I Guerreri Del Bronx/I Nuovi Barbari is too much of a specialized cult affair to maintain the interest of the average listener, but offers up plenty of diversion for fans of Italian soundtracks and for post-apocalyptic film cultists. ~ Donald A. Guarisco, Rovi

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