Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Film Scores
Ryan Shore
" Excellent compilation "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Composer Ryan Shore has had a fruitful collaboration with Swedish label MovieScore Media, and it was only fitting that we would see someday just how fruitful it was. And with Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Film Scores we just get what we were expecting. A Compilation of various short films, epic dramas and stirring adventures, MovieScore Media has once again given us a reason to investigate and take notice of the lesser known composers.
I'm sure then that starting with the heroic Rex Steele is the right way to go. A short animation, Rex Steele offers us Shore's more rousing voice and it isn't difficult to like what you will hear. The short noble "News on the March" and the heroic splashing "Bosom of Terror" are then of course impressive openers. Sadly "Bosom of Terror" is a serious rip from Horner's rousing The Mask of Zorro. Nonetheless the short selection gives us lovely orchestral and choral music, such as the choral "Eval Schnitzler", the rousing heroic "The Wrench" and "Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher". In short, they will all please you.
Besides that, we receive various musical selections of other movies Ryan Shore worked on throughout his career. For the clay animated version of the events of Hiroshima in 1945, Shore constructed a restrained yet beautiful ethnic score, this for Shadowplay. The lovely "Shadowplay", the dance like "Playing Soldier", the sad "Family", the stunning cello moment in "Aftermath" or the beautiful main theme version in "A New Home" are proof that Ryan Shore has definitely got potential for a wider audience (something MovieScore Media is working hard on to show you as well). It's so sad then that most of the tracks are also some of the shortest of the album, because Shadowplay is definitely one of his most brilliant.
Luckily the pride continues through all sorts of genres. The warmer Americana flows through the veins of A Letter from the Western Front, one of Shore's earliest scores in his career. Yet Shore's talent was already then obvious. The score flows pleasantly forward in the manner good music needs to flow, and with attention for thematic development. The main theme in "June 9th, 1918" is soft and lovely, while "Wake Up, America" is noble. Yet it is all more real when Shore has got the time to take the music somewhere. So the 2 minute "The Confrontation" comes over as the strongest one. Yet don't forget the stirring send off in "Silence" too.
And so we continue to walk through Shore's impressive repertoires. The waltz like "Cadaverours" and the cold like "Study Montage" show but a part of Shore's more on edge approach, leaving you behind with the feeling that sometimes you don't need to do stuff you're afraid of. But we shouldn't be afraid to exploit the diverse music of Shore, because with the ethnic tilted "Inherent Darkness and Enlightenment", the upbeat "Scouts Honor", the sweet "Little Mary Suite" or the uplifting cheerful "Twas the Night", you're experiencing music that has more heart than one might imagine.
Luckily we'll end with another batch of excellent reminders that Shore has seriously got what it takes. After the comedic delights of Prom Night, we reach Articles of War. While it may start with another influential rip (namely Rain Man in "Articles of War" and "Dear Dad"), we reach the more original music soon enough with "First Solo Flight", a lovely and noble Williamsesque piece, followed by true Williamseque action material in the rhythmic and aggressive trumpet delights of "October 17, 1944". The rhythmic drums in "Dakota Zephyr" get an amazing finish when Williams comes back to taunt us some more, leaving us to end with "The Truth".
In short, I was already pleased with Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer of Ryan Shore, but it didn't gave me a full, honest and clear picture as to what Ryan Shore is now fully capable off. Luckily I've gotten this picture now. Ryan Shore is definitely a composer with potential. This series of short scores and selections provide us with music that's structured, developed and emotional in all boundaries. Whether heroic, emotional or comical, Shore is providing an original and thematic voice that can only lead him to something bigger, something better. Let's hope so for the future of film music that this happens one day soon. But for now, you can please your hunger with the excellent Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Film Scores.
Tracklisting
REX STEELE: NAZI SMASHER
1. News on the March (1.13)
2. Bosom of Terror! (1.49)
3. An Amazon City! (0.42)
4. Eval Schnitzler (1.46)
5. The Wrench (1.43)
6. Will They, Won't They? (0.26)
7. Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher (1.24) Excellent track
SHADOWPLAY
8. Shadowplay (2.14)
9. Playing Soldier (1.50)
10. Alone (0.49)
11. Family (2.26)
12. Aftermath (1.12)
13. Akio's Realization (0.41)
14. Leaving Home (0.43)
15. Rescuing Baby (0.46)
16. A New Home (2.54) Excellent track
A LETTER FROM THE WESTERN FRONT
17. A Letter from the Western Front (0.43)
18. June 9th, 1918 (1.54)
19. Wake Up, America (1.04)
20. Preparations (0.39)
21. The Confrontation (2.15) Excellent track
22. Silence (1.33) Excellent track
23. End Titles (0.58)
CADAVEROUS
24. Cadaverous (1.57)
25. Marvin (1.01)
26. Professor is Dead (1.42)
27. Study Montage (2.57)
28. See DeMarco (0.48)
29. The Beeper (1.56)
Music from Various Short Films
30. Inherent Darkness and Enlightenment (2.44)
31. Scout's Honor (0.42)
32. Little Mary (1.09)
33. 'Twas the Night (3.00)
PROM NIGHT
34. Meet the Parents (1.20)
35. Angie's Intentions (1.16)
36. The Revelation (2.23)
ARTICLES OF WAR
37. Articles of War (1.20)
38. First Solo Flight (3.44)
39. October 17, 1944 (1.07) Excellent track
40. Dear Dad (1.59)
41. Dakota Zephyr (1.57) Excellent track
42. The Truth (2.00)
Bonus track
43. Rex Saves the Day (0.11)
Total Length: 65.14
I'm sure then that starting with the heroic Rex Steele is the right way to go. A short animation, Rex Steele offers us Shore's more rousing voice and it isn't difficult to like what you will hear. The short noble "News on the March" and the heroic splashing "Bosom of Terror" are then of course impressive openers. Sadly "Bosom of Terror" is a serious rip from Horner's rousing The Mask of Zorro. Nonetheless the short selection gives us lovely orchestral and choral music, such as the choral "Eval Schnitzler", the rousing heroic "The Wrench" and "Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher". In short, they will all please you.
Besides that, we receive various musical selections of other movies Ryan Shore worked on throughout his career. For the clay animated version of the events of Hiroshima in 1945, Shore constructed a restrained yet beautiful ethnic score, this for Shadowplay. The lovely "Shadowplay", the dance like "Playing Soldier", the sad "Family", the stunning cello moment in "Aftermath" or the beautiful main theme version in "A New Home" are proof that Ryan Shore has definitely got potential for a wider audience (something MovieScore Media is working hard on to show you as well). It's so sad then that most of the tracks are also some of the shortest of the album, because Shadowplay is definitely one of his most brilliant.
Luckily the pride continues through all sorts of genres. The warmer Americana flows through the veins of A Letter from the Western Front, one of Shore's earliest scores in his career. Yet Shore's talent was already then obvious. The score flows pleasantly forward in the manner good music needs to flow, and with attention for thematic development. The main theme in "June 9th, 1918" is soft and lovely, while "Wake Up, America" is noble. Yet it is all more real when Shore has got the time to take the music somewhere. So the 2 minute "The Confrontation" comes over as the strongest one. Yet don't forget the stirring send off in "Silence" too.
And so we continue to walk through Shore's impressive repertoires. The waltz like "Cadaverours" and the cold like "Study Montage" show but a part of Shore's more on edge approach, leaving you behind with the feeling that sometimes you don't need to do stuff you're afraid of. But we shouldn't be afraid to exploit the diverse music of Shore, because with the ethnic tilted "Inherent Darkness and Enlightenment", the upbeat "Scouts Honor", the sweet "Little Mary Suite" or the uplifting cheerful "Twas the Night", you're experiencing music that has more heart than one might imagine.
Luckily we'll end with another batch of excellent reminders that Shore has seriously got what it takes. After the comedic delights of Prom Night, we reach Articles of War. While it may start with another influential rip (namely Rain Man in "Articles of War" and "Dear Dad"), we reach the more original music soon enough with "First Solo Flight", a lovely and noble Williamsesque piece, followed by true Williamseque action material in the rhythmic and aggressive trumpet delights of "October 17, 1944". The rhythmic drums in "Dakota Zephyr" get an amazing finish when Williams comes back to taunt us some more, leaving us to end with "The Truth".
In short, I was already pleased with Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer of Ryan Shore, but it didn't gave me a full, honest and clear picture as to what Ryan Shore is now fully capable off. Luckily I've gotten this picture now. Ryan Shore is definitely a composer with potential. This series of short scores and selections provide us with music that's structured, developed and emotional in all boundaries. Whether heroic, emotional or comical, Shore is providing an original and thematic voice that can only lead him to something bigger, something better. Let's hope so for the future of film music that this happens one day soon. But for now, you can please your hunger with the excellent Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Film Scores.
Tracklisting
REX STEELE: NAZI SMASHER
1. News on the March (1.13)
2. Bosom of Terror! (1.49)
3. An Amazon City! (0.42)
4. Eval Schnitzler (1.46)
5. The Wrench (1.43)
6. Will They, Won't They? (0.26)
7. Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher (1.24) Excellent track
SHADOWPLAY
8. Shadowplay (2.14)
9. Playing Soldier (1.50)
10. Alone (0.49)
11. Family (2.26)
12. Aftermath (1.12)
13. Akio's Realization (0.41)
14. Leaving Home (0.43)
15. Rescuing Baby (0.46)
16. A New Home (2.54) Excellent track
A LETTER FROM THE WESTERN FRONT
17. A Letter from the Western Front (0.43)
18. June 9th, 1918 (1.54)
19. Wake Up, America (1.04)
20. Preparations (0.39)
21. The Confrontation (2.15) Excellent track
22. Silence (1.33) Excellent track
23. End Titles (0.58)
CADAVEROUS
24. Cadaverous (1.57)
25. Marvin (1.01)
26. Professor is Dead (1.42)
27. Study Montage (2.57)
28. See DeMarco (0.48)
29. The Beeper (1.56)
Music from Various Short Films
30. Inherent Darkness and Enlightenment (2.44)
31. Scout's Honor (0.42)
32. Little Mary (1.09)
33. 'Twas the Night (3.00)
PROM NIGHT
34. Meet the Parents (1.20)
35. Angie's Intentions (1.16)
36. The Revelation (2.23)
ARTICLES OF WAR
37. Articles of War (1.20)
38. First Solo Flight (3.44)
39. October 17, 1944 (1.07) Excellent track
40. Dear Dad (1.59)
41. Dakota Zephyr (1.57) Excellent track
42. The Truth (2.00)
Bonus track
43. Rex Saves the Day (0.11)
Total Length: 65.14