ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2012)

British film composer Henry Jackman first caught our eyes when he took on composing duty for the 2009 computer animation Monsters vs. Aliens. Upon some research, we found out that he has been involved in several high profile projects with the renowned Hans Zimmer. Films Jackman worked on include Tha Da Vinci Code (music programmer), The Dark Knight (music arranger) and Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (additional music).

Over the years, Jackman has gone solo and been working on several big titles like X-Men: First Class and Puss in Boots. This year, he takes on the summer blockbuster to come up with a hard hitting score for this Timur Bekmambetov directed film.

The style for this score blends electronics and the traditional orchestra to create a 45 minute album chockfull of bold and brazen music guaranteed to please any action score fan. This is evident in “The Horse Stampede”, an all out cue with pulsating beats and vivacious brass performances. “Battleat Gettysburg” is another track which will leave an impression with listeners for its effervescent spirit.

The darker and more menacing tunes on the soundtrack (it is a movie about a vampire hunter after all) can be heard in tracks like “What Do You Hate?”, “Rescue Mission” and “All Slave to Something”. While there is nothing particularly memorable about Jackman’s music on this album, it serves the genre well enough to get a recommended rating.

There are quieter moments on the album as well. The opening track “Childhood Tragedy” is a somewhat melancholic introduction to Jackman’s compositions, while “Mary Todd” is an affecting display of strings. “The Gettysburg Address” and “Late to the Theatre” are inspiring compositions which showcase the composer’s versatility and ability to create bold summer movie music.

Concluding the listening experience is the no holds barred “The Rampant Hunter”, which will leave you in a state of shock with its unabashed music arrangement of electronica.

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: (20) The Gettysburg Address

Review by John Li