Babylon A.D.
Atli Örvarsson
" Insomnia patients beware, Babylon A.D. proves to be effective beyond words "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
While the movie was an average one trying to make a point, it basically failed to deliver whatever story it was trying to tell. The score by Atli Örvarsson can't begin to even show a bit of a reason to think it would be intriguing at all. Babylon A.D. is one of those albums that just meanders along, delivers you underscore and bleak music devoid of any intentions apart from serving an already bleak movie. It is a mere riddle why albums like these receive a spot on the market place, because it holds nothing what makes filmmusic interesting. If insomnia's your pain, Babylon A.D. is your game.
Considering how it begins, you would never believe it would take such a road downhill. With "Aurora's Theme (Agnus Dei)" the score opens somewhat eerie, but soon it has the virtue to grow into a vocal / string elegy that presents us the theme of Aurora. It is a touching opening cue that surely stands strong besides the best track of the album, namely "Babylon Requiem". This is a building choral piece using the Aurora theme well. It is wonderful how the first part is subtle build up and the second part a spiced up version of the build up, with strings and everything attached. Needless to say, it is something you would never expected to hear in a score like this.
As said it is then also nearly incomprehensible it goes downhill from then on. Of course you can accept underscore, but not when it continues to present it in one cue after another. In "Aurora Borealis" the Aurora theme returns on piano and the suspense and beats in "Leaving the Monastery" are still kinda fun. But what if you would hear this for the continuation of the score?
The occasional whirl of some instrument, the moody "The Cold Walk" and "Mystery Package", the mysterious "Skyscraper", the utterly boring throat singing in "The Marketplace", the vocal and piano version of Aurora's theme in "Toorop is Home", the utterly moody "The Monastery is Destroyed" and so forth.
The only notable exceptions are "Too Many Refugees" which is a pumping choral laden piece that awakes us from our hibernation with the Aurora theme and the piano version in "Aurora and Toorop", but by track 11 you're surely ready for a full and total wintersleep. By then even the faintly interesting "Rover Chase" and "Train Travel" begin to lose an interested ear because the beats and suspense building begins to sound more like a Remote Control piece for electronics.
Babylon A.D. is like The Days of our Lives. In the soap of all soaps it doesn't matter if you miss seeing it for months, they will still be at the same old scene in the same old house. And you could go for a walk during Babylon A.D. and get back and the sound will still be the same after all that time. This album warrants the listening experience by ending it at track 6. Because after that the only notable moments are when the Aurora theme returns in the already repeated versions. And then you will miss what is basically an utterly moody underscore experience. It are albums like these that don't need a CD release. It is devoid of any interesting points (apart from the first 2 tracks) and from track 11 it is probably the most dangerous thing on the planet to use at night whilst driving a car. It is literally that boring.
Tracklisting
1. Aurora's Theme (Agnus Dei) (4.07)
2. Babylon Requiem (5.34)
3. Aurora Borealis (2.32)
4. Leaving the Monastery (2.20)
5. The Cold Walk (2.47)
6. Too Many Refugees (2.52)
7. Aurora and Toorop (1.34)
8. Snow Travel (2.08)
9. Rover Chase (2.41)
10. Entering New York City (2.20)
11. Mystery Package (1.51)
12. Skyscraper (1.55)
13. The Marketplace (2.38)
14. Toorop is Home (2.30)
15. The Monastery is Destroyed (3.18)
16. Train Travel (1.56)
17. Are you Affrait to Die? (2.23)
18. Are you a Killer, Mr. Toorop? (2.12)
19. Sister Rebecca (2.43)
20. Future Vision (1.32)
21. Save the Planet (1.05)
22. Leaving the Monastery (Fox Version) (1.57)
23. One Child at a Time (2.44)
Total Length: 57.50
Considering how it begins, you would never believe it would take such a road downhill. With "Aurora's Theme (Agnus Dei)" the score opens somewhat eerie, but soon it has the virtue to grow into a vocal / string elegy that presents us the theme of Aurora. It is a touching opening cue that surely stands strong besides the best track of the album, namely "Babylon Requiem". This is a building choral piece using the Aurora theme well. It is wonderful how the first part is subtle build up and the second part a spiced up version of the build up, with strings and everything attached. Needless to say, it is something you would never expected to hear in a score like this.
As said it is then also nearly incomprehensible it goes downhill from then on. Of course you can accept underscore, but not when it continues to present it in one cue after another. In "Aurora Borealis" the Aurora theme returns on piano and the suspense and beats in "Leaving the Monastery" are still kinda fun. But what if you would hear this for the continuation of the score?
The occasional whirl of some instrument, the moody "The Cold Walk" and "Mystery Package", the mysterious "Skyscraper", the utterly boring throat singing in "The Marketplace", the vocal and piano version of Aurora's theme in "Toorop is Home", the utterly moody "The Monastery is Destroyed" and so forth.
The only notable exceptions are "Too Many Refugees" which is a pumping choral laden piece that awakes us from our hibernation with the Aurora theme and the piano version in "Aurora and Toorop", but by track 11 you're surely ready for a full and total wintersleep. By then even the faintly interesting "Rover Chase" and "Train Travel" begin to lose an interested ear because the beats and suspense building begins to sound more like a Remote Control piece for electronics.
Babylon A.D. is like The Days of our Lives. In the soap of all soaps it doesn't matter if you miss seeing it for months, they will still be at the same old scene in the same old house. And you could go for a walk during Babylon A.D. and get back and the sound will still be the same after all that time. This album warrants the listening experience by ending it at track 6. Because after that the only notable moments are when the Aurora theme returns in the already repeated versions. And then you will miss what is basically an utterly moody underscore experience. It are albums like these that don't need a CD release. It is devoid of any interesting points (apart from the first 2 tracks) and from track 11 it is probably the most dangerous thing on the planet to use at night whilst driving a car. It is literally that boring.
Tracklisting
1. Aurora's Theme (Agnus Dei) (4.07)
2. Babylon Requiem (5.34)
3. Aurora Borealis (2.32)
4. Leaving the Monastery (2.20)
5. The Cold Walk (2.47)
6. Too Many Refugees (2.52)
7. Aurora and Toorop (1.34)
8. Snow Travel (2.08)
9. Rover Chase (2.41)
10. Entering New York City (2.20)
11. Mystery Package (1.51)
12. Skyscraper (1.55)
13. The Marketplace (2.38)
14. Toorop is Home (2.30)
15. The Monastery is Destroyed (3.18)
16. Train Travel (1.56)
17. Are you Affrait to Die? (2.23)
18. Are you a Killer, Mr. Toorop? (2.12)
19. Sister Rebecca (2.43)
20. Future Vision (1.32)
21. Save the Planet (1.05)
22. Leaving the Monastery (Fox Version) (1.57)
23. One Child at a Time (2.44)
Total Length: 57.50