That MT is just....a solid playlist staple, concert and show-worthy, always.
The chorus, a huge London orchestra, Nic Dodd's beautifully overboard orchestration and reading, colliding with Joel Goldsmith's ideas. It's just a gonzo amalgam of sword & sorcery and underneath the crass, created at the behest of the producers ("I hear....Motley Crüe), yet these strange, disparate elements make for a terrific score.
I revisit this once a year and am always entertained.
I get this mixed up with the other one who's title I can't remember. Not a fan of the heavy metal aspects of the score but if I recall most of it is great.
The rock/heavy metal electric guitar irritates the hell out of me. You like it, fine, but it's an interruption inside cues for me. I just wish that was recorded separately, so I could enjoy the score more.
That MT is just....a solid playlist staple, concert and show-worthy, always.
The chorus, a huge London orchestra, Nic Dodd's beautifully overboard orchestration and reading, colliding with Joel Goldsmith's ideas. It's just a gonzo amalgam of sword & sorcery and underneath the crass, created at the behest of the producers ("I hear....Motley Crüe), yet these strange, disparate elements make for a terrific score.
I revisit this once a year and am always entertained.
Anyone else??
Everything you said was spot on. Early in my soundtracking days, this one annoyed the hell out of me because I thought if I wanted to listen to some heavy metal, I'll listen to one of the numerous metal albums in my collection. Big drums and electric guitars didn't belong in the film score world. I know, how naive and dumb of me. But I returned to this many years later, and I now every time it pops up on my "MY FAVOURITES" playlist, the volume goes to eleven!!!
It's a stunning score that blends the big fantasy orchestral themes a la Basil Poledouris' Conan along with head-banging hair metal to create a wholly original sound which was then implemented into scores like John Debney's THE SCORPION KING and Christopher Gordon's highly underrated OUT OF THE SHADOWS!
Haha cheers Erik! It's odd because it shouldn't work, as my impression is Joel grafted the metal element in quickly IIRC as stated in an interview maybe in Soundtrack magazine?
I usually like my metal not touching my orchestra, but this oddball works. Besides, there are some very good ideas in Goldsmith's score, nice motifs, strong main theme.
I'd like a reissue with Joel's original intentions on one disc. The second disc the expanded of what we have. I remember him saying that he had to redo a lot with the rock n roll stuff- when the producers realised the film was shite.
The metal/guitar bit doesn't bother me. In fact, I quite often love that combo. Metallica and Michael Kamen's S&M album, the use of orchestra in Boingo's "Insanity", Dimmu Borgir or Satyricon with orchestra etc. It's more the balls-to-the-walls, non-stop action music that can get a bit heavy on my ears. But when I'm in the mood for it, sure, I go for it.
