A History of Violence

This is not the sweeping fantasy of Howard Shore's more famous work: it is a claustrophobic, psychological autopsy of the American dream. The music feels like a shadow stretching across a sunny porch.

It begins with a sense of normalcy, warm strings and a hint of folk like melody, but there is always a low frequency hum of anxiety beneath the surface. It is the sound of a past that refuses to stay buried, manifesting in sharp, jagged orchestral movements that feel like a physical blow.