David Alexander Hess

'The Last House on the Left' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (album stream)

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Oct 15, 2013

If you've seen Wes Craven's 1972 film The Last House on the Left, chances are you'll never forget it. However, the same goes for listening to its soundtrack. Composed by actor/musician David Alexander Hess, who you may remember as psychopathic killer Krug Stillo in The Last House on the Left, it's a wildly eclectic and deeply moving piece of work, something both horror and music fans alike will be reminded of on October 21 when Belgium's One Way Static Records reissues the soundtrack. If you don't believe us, you can get in early on the release by streaming it in full on Exclaim.ca.

While the film itself is a seriously dark piece of work, that's not always true of its score, which often offsets the movie's dark and twisted nature. Among the sprawling reissue's tracks, you'll find everything from beautifully arranged pastoral folk tracks ("Wait for Rain"), stark electronic experimentation ("Phyllis Spills Her Guts"), downright buoyant countried instrumentals ("Mari's Birthday Surprise") and fuzz-filled psych rompers ("Urban Snatch").

As One Way Static so wonderfully explains, "David's work here contains some truly beautiful songs, the discovery of which, for some, may be in stark contrast to the brutal displays of sadism and violence for which he was known to purvey onscreen. The fact that Hess could perform as both the poet, and the monster, is a testament to his skill as an artist. The soundtrack to Last House on the Left is a brilliantly unique and diverse mixture of farcical comedy, poignant, reflective folk music and instrumental experimentalism. Hess constructed a wonderful counterbalancing entity, which serves only to accentuate the impact of the movie."

As previously reported, the label will press the soundtrack on multiple deluxe formats, including a lavish vinyl edition, as well as on CD and digitally (a cassette version was also released as part of Cassette Store Day).

You can pre-order The Last House on the Left soundtrack here directly from One Way Static, though North American customers can pre-order the album here via Light in the Attic.

And of course, stream the entire release below.

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