Ghosthouse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: A Sonic Haunting That Sticks With You
Piero Montanari’s Ghosthouse Original Motion Picture Soundtrack isn’t your typical horror flick score. Released in 2016 under Terror Vision, this album feels like a time capsule from an era where synths ruled the underworld of cinema. It’s got that retro-electronic vibe mixed with eerie orchestration—like someone took a haunted house and plugged it into a Roland keyboard. The music dances between spooky soundscapes and unsettling beats, making it perfect for both die-hard fans of stage & screen scores and anyone who digs electronic chills.
Let me tell ya, there are two tracks here that burrowed straight into my brain and refused to leave. First up is “Stairway to Hell.” I mean, c’mon—that title alone screams cult classic. From the first note, it grabs you by the collar and drags you down some shadowy corridor. There’s this relentless pulse, almost mechanical but tinged with something humanly desperate. It’s not just scary—it’s sad too, like the ghosts trapped inside the movie itself are trying to tell you their story. By the time the track ends, you feel like you’ve been running away from something invisible yet totally real.
Then there’s “Fish Dreams,” which honestly caught me off guard. At first listen, it sounds kinda goofy—like what would happen if fish could DJ at a rave. But the longer you sit with it, the weirder it gets. It starts playful, all bubbly synths and quirky bleeps, but then these darker undertones creep in, like the water's getting murkier. Suddenly, you’re not sure if you’re floating or drowning. It’s unsettling in the best way possible, leaving you wondering whether to laugh or shiver.
Montanari wears so many hats on this project—he composed, orchestrated, conducted, even wrote the liner notes—and you can tell he poured his soul into every second of it. Kudos to Collin Jordan for mastering because the clarity lets each spine-tingling detail shine through. And shoutout to Earl Kess for the artwork; it matches the vibe perfectly—creepy but cool. Oh, and props to Roberto Spadoni and Simon Boswell for adding their magic touch to a couple of tracks. They brought extra layers of weirdness that make the whole thing pop.
What strikes me most about this soundtrack is how personal it feels. Sure, it was made for a film, but it stands alone as its own beast. Listening to it without watching Ghosthouse, you still get pulled into its world—a place where fear meets fascination. You don’t need visuals to imagine the creaking doors, flickering lights, or ghostly whispers. The music does all the talking.
Here’s the kicker though: while most people might file this away as “just another horror soundtrack,” I think it’s more than that. It’s proof that music doesn’t have to be polished or predictable to stick with you. Sometimes, the stuff that’s rough around the edges—the stuff that makes you uneasy—is exactly what stays in your head long after the credits roll. Or maybe I’m just saying that because now I can’t stop humming “Fish Dreams”… either way, worth a listen.
