Search - Alan Howarth :: Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Score for four more eerie sounds than actual music.

Chadwick H. Saxelid | Concord, CA United States | 10/14/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Working solo this time, Alan Howarth, long time composing partner with John Carpenter, creates a refreshingly creepy sound for his 'score' for Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.With the exception of the Halloween Theme and the staccato chase theme there is no real music to be found on the album, just a chilling sonic impression of evil and menace. Recommended to fans of the off beat, where 'music' is more an audible sensation than a coherent theme."

Among one of Howarth's best scores.

Phillip Collins | Medway, Ohio USA | 04/01/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alan Howarth, long-time musical collaborator with John Carpernter, acted as the sole composer for this score. While retaining much of the thematic continuity intrinsic to the Halloween scores of the past, Howarth presents new and interesting elements to these compositions. For instance, the first track begins with a soft variation on Carpenter's traditional melody. However, he submerges this classic theme within a dense amalgam of ghostly sounds. Already, a mysterious ambiance is established, leaving listeners uncertain of where this score will take them. Given the fact that ten years have elapsed since the original Halloween, this uncertainty is a very appropriate way to begin. The first track acts as a segue for the re-introduction of Carpenter's famous theme, which Howarth executes with renewed vitality. Once the den of haunting sounds abates and the familiar pulsing melody of Halloween commences, listeners will feel their hearts racing.Howarth successfully re-invents the music of Halloween. No doubt, this score represents a milestone in the Halloween franchise and deserves a place on every fan's CD rack."

A fine effort

Phillip Collins | 11/06/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With the Halloween 4 score, Alan Howarth was somewhat freed from the contraints of the John Carpenter compositions. The result is that there are less elements of the original themes and scores. Beyond that the soundtrack plays to Howarth's strengths more than weaknesses. The score is very full in it's synthetic symphonic nature. While it doesn't have the themes and motifs found in the compositions of Carpenter, Howarth kept the tension up in this score and used his skills as a studio master, coupled with his experience with the genre to complete a fine effort in the series."