Bad Samaritan
Released by Varèse Sarabande, 2018
29 Tracks with a total running time of 69 min.
Music by Joseph LoDuca

The score for Bad Samaritan is one of those that doesn’t rely on a melody or theme base music, but simple sounds. Now this can be difficult if not done correctly. You can’t just create some creepy sounds with some strings and expect that to carry a score, or a movie. But LoDuca has created a score that is over an hour long, that starts out with some very slow and peaceful tracks before picking up the tempo, such as in the track The Heist. But when you get to tracks like Devil’s House, that is when the scary elements start to kick in, very slow paced, with some strings, long and drawn out, which builds that tension and suspense, which goes on for over 5 minutes!

As the score progresses, the volume, the tension, and pace, build, getting quite frantic by the time you get to the end of it. I think the composer really shines on the more quieter tracks, which I feel builds the suspense without being obvious to the listener. A good example of that is in the track Sandy, where just using a certain style of percussion builds the tension nicely, without going down the usual audible path.

If you’re looking for a score of themes and composed melodies, then you won’t find it here. But you will find an hour long continuous build of tension and suspense that will get your heart racing along with it.