Under normal circumstances, hip hop and techno music are not the first genres I am attracted too. But when they gather together to form a backdrop for some kung fu fighting, sword swinging, trash talking vampire slaying, let's just say that's a different story. I have always enjoyed the music that has been brought together for the Blade films, and this is no exception.
One thing I like about some soundtracks, is that they feature music that was written for the film, and isn't just a compilation of stuff that has already been released. This album does just that, it brings together techno and hip- hop artists and creates songs that actually have to do with the action in the screen in some way.
It opens with the track "Fatal" by The RZA. Which is a track that gets right into the mood of the film. Dark, deadly, and orchestrated. RZA shows a steady hand delivering his lines over a nicely crafted beat, which features a Lou Reed sample. "Daywalkers," from Ramin Djwandi and RZA, is another track that will get me to stop and listen to it. Kool Keith and Thee Undertakerz track, "Party in the Morgue," is notable for the electrified voice delivering that same line. Lastly, the instrumental track "Blade's Back" by Ramin Djwandi is rather haunting.
Overall, it is a fine disk. Not sure how often it will get play, but it does have some memorable tracks. Honestly, my feelings a rather divided on what I really think about it. It is not the usual type of music I listen too, but some of it stands out, especially when RZA is in control. If you are a fan of any of the artists, it would probably be worth it, or if you are a big fan of the tracks you remember from the film. Other than that, it will probably sit around more than it gets spinned.
As I'm writing this, I just popped the disk back in the player, and something else has stuck me. The integration of hip hop beats and orchestra on some of the tracks. It creates an interesting bed of music for the rhymes on top of it. It is an interesting sound.
The deluxe edition comes with a bonus DVD. The disk has a few nice features on it. First off, it has a short animation called Blade: Blood Thirsty which follows Blade as he attempts to retrieve his serum. It is an interesting work, no dialogue, purely music and action driven. It is a bit short, clocking in around three minutes, but it packs a lot of action into that time. The animation looks a little strange, almost like something you would see online, like a Flash animation. Next there are a number of image galleries featuring conceptual art for the animated short and the film, Trinity, closing with an all too brief poster gallery.
Also on the disk are a few behind the scenes featurettes. One is the making of Blood Thirsty, which isn't too in depth, but it does give a brief look at all the work that went into the project. The meat of this lies in the behind the scenes of scoring the film. It features interviews with director David Goyer and co-composers The RZA and Ramin Djawandi. It is interesting seeing how they work, especially RZA. I have always enjoyed his movie work, and is one of my preferred members of the Wu-Tang Clan. The planning that went into the music is impressive, as is this combination of hip hop and orchestra.
Lastly, the disk has, what it calls, Liner Notes. They are notes written by David Goyer that give a little more depth to the song collection. I read some, and they are interesting, but they are not liner notes. It is a text option on the disk, and depending on your TV, may not be easy to read, as the text is rather small. I would have preferred these to be actual liner notes.
Bottomline. It may not be the best soundtrack out there, but it does have some interesting music. I would recommend it just for the tracks from RZA and Ramin, their work together is impressive. The Deluxe edition would be the one to get, as the animated short and the behind the music scenes are definitely worth seeing.
Mildly Recommended.
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