Challenging & remarkable, THE NORTHMAN OST stands tall on its own

ROBIN CAROLAN & SEBASTIAN GAINSBOROUGH

The Northman OST (Sacred Bones)

For Robert Eggers’ latest pagan celluloid rampage, The Northman, he has enlisted a duo who share his love of pushing the envelope and a taste for the avant-garde. Sebastian Gainsborough (aka electronic producer Vessel) joins forces with Tri Angle label boss Robin Carolan to create a whopping beast of a soundtrack. As challenging as this music can sometimes be, it certainly succeeds in matching the film’s blood-soaked visuals blow for epic blow.

There is an argument to be made – and I’m making it – that while the score perfectly complements the frenzied action on screen that is The Northman, it may be even better consumed as a stand-alone work in its own right. The startling sound of a war horn bellowing at the beginning of The King or the descent into madness that is Mound Dweller are visceral thrills that, divorced from competing visuals, are only enhanced by one’s imagination. A truly remarkable aural journey.

words ADAM JONES