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Composed by
JOHN DEBNEY

Rating
* * * *

Album running time
40:21

Performed by
UNNAMED ORCHESTRA
conducted by
PETE ANTHONY
Tuvan throat singing
ONDAR
Duduk
CHRIS BLETH
Ram's Horn, Tibet Long Horn
LOREN MARSTELLAR
Boy Soprano
THEO LEBOW

Orchestrations
JOHN DEBNEY
BRAD DECHTER
FRANK BENNETT
DON NEMITZ
CHRIS KLATMAN
PETE ANTHONY

Engineered by
ALAN MEYERSON
Music Editor
TOM CARLSON
Produced by
JOHN DEBNEY
ROBERT TOWNSON

Released by
VARESE SARABANDE
Serial number
 302 066 099 2

Artwork copyright (c) 1999 Universal Studios; review copyright (c) 2004 James Southall

 

END OF DAYS

Impressive gothic horror score

A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

In common with many of Arnold Schwarzenegger's films, End of Days is ludicrously enjoyable despite being unbelievably stupid.  Released just days before the start of the new millennium, the movie sees Satan turning up on Earth in search of a bride so he can bring about the apocalypse - all very nice.  Gabriel Byrne hams it up as Satan, with Schwarzenegger playing an ex-cop who's mankind's last hope.  The Governor is truly hilarious here, even moreso than usual, but that only adds to the enjoyment.  John Debney is now enjoying the best days of his career so far in the wake of his excellent score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and it's interesting to revisit some of his scores from earlier in his career.  Sadly for him, they are almost all for excruciating movies, but I think some listeners would be surprised by the level of quality often present. 

End of Days is a distinctly superior horror score.  Known primarily for his music for lightweight comedies and family movies, Debney has actually tackled the horror genre on a number of occasions; this is almost certainly his finest effort within it.  He came up with a deliciously eclectic mix of elements to produce a pleasantly original approach, combining traditional orchestra, electronics, choir and "ethnic" elements.  The opening title cue is certainly a highlight, with the beautiful sounds of a solo boy soprano both opening and closing the piece, sandwiching some excellent music for orchestra and choir.  Elsewhere, it is true that there is a little too much dull suspense music for the album to be entirely satisfying, but when things get going, boy does it pack a punch.

"Subway Attack and Escape" is the undoubted highlight, mixing pulse-pounding action music, choir (both real and sampled), a Tuvan throat singer (who produces a truly disconcerting sound), the boy soprano and electronics into one truly thrilling whole.  Things get truly apocalyptic towards the end in "The Eternal Struggle" and "Redemption", which underscores our hero saving the day (or, if you don't want spoilers, perhaps he doesn't, who knows?) with some lovely modal writing.  End of Days is a score with many fine moments, easily one of Debney's most satisfying, and would make an excellent first port of call for those wanting to explore the breadth of the composer's output before The Passion (though clearly it shares little in common, musically, with the later score for an altogether more sensible movie based upon Christian theological notions).  

Most striking is just how much effort must have gone into this.  While electronic manipulation of acoustic music is hardly a new thing, it is almost unfailingly a very bad thing, but here Debney and his collaborators (apparently led by a gentleman called "cEvin Key", who we can only assume is four years old given the infantile way he likes his name to be written) have quite obviously spent a hell (excuse the pun) of a lot of time getting everything together and just right, with the final mix being just about as good as these things get.  This is a fine example of a modern day action score that actually works both in the movie and on the album.

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Tracks

  1. End of Days (2:52)
  2. Porcelain Man (1:17)
  3. The Shooter (1:41)
  4. The Tunnel (1:44)
  5. Alley Fight (2:18)
  6. Baptism in Blood (1:42)
  7. Helicopter Pursuit (3:06)
  8. Satan Walks the Streets (1:46)
  9. Crucifixion (2:10)
  10. The Beast Comes a Callin' (2:08)
  11. The Gates of Hell (2:41)
  12. Subway Attack and Escape (4:46)
  13. Jericho Finds Faith / The Possession (2:45)
  14. The Eternal Struggle (1:46)
  15. Redemption (2:40)
  16. End of Days (alternate) (2:44)
  17. End of Days (dance mix) (2:06)