The Fury

AMG Review of The Fury

Jason Ankeny
All Music Guide

John Williams channels the sound and spirit of the legendary Bernard Herrmann in his score for Brian DePalma's horror classic The Fury -- no simple homage, however, the music instead expands and even challenges Herrmann's profoundly influential approach to the genre, and proves one of Williams' finest efforts. While the score's lumbering brass, tumbling woodwinds and eruptions of dissonance clearly reference Herrmann, Williams retains his own signature harmonic strengths, and though the music bends beneath the weight of Herrmann's brand of apocalyptic clamor, it never breaks, emphasizing melodic evolution even in the face of pure, unadulterated noise. So too does Williams accentuate humanity in even the most evil and portentous cues -- in paying tribute to Herrmann, he creates perhaps the most personal and potent music of his career to date.