#haslinger

Overall the soundtrack is under the line of average score but clearly fits the film and I think to the director it’s the only thing that matters.

Score: 5/10

The cult film series Underworld returns with another film this time called Awakening. Even though every film from the series wasn’t that good with the critics they somehow return and make another one and still don’t learn from their mistakes. This time Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warriors Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Paul Haslinger is an Austrian composer who started his career with the German electronic music group Tangerine Dream. He is known for his scores for the Underworld films(first and third) and for the X-Men Originis: Wolverine video game and also the Sleeper Cell I: The Enemy is Here which earned his first Emmy Award Nomination. His latest project was ‘The Three Musketeers’ which was a good score for not so good film.

The Underworld: Awakening score is much like you expected: percussiony, metallic with electric guitars, a take which he inherited from his last two scores for the Underworld film series. It’s more like the ‘Underworld Rise of the Lycan’, which means that it’s a ambiental take on the score rather than a melodic one. The tracks that are supposed to be the main themes that will drive through the film are undeveloped and undone. This score once again confirms that he can very well fit in Hans Zimmer’s Control Production very well. There are tracks that don’t really need to be on the soundtrack and need to remain just in the film like "Raiding the Army Surplus Store" (3), "Non-Human Aggressor" (4), "I was Subject 2" (5), "I've Never Seen a Child Like This" (7) and "Then came the Purge" (14). In the track "The Melancholy of Resistance" (21) he tries to create and pull off another love theme like he did in the first film but fails. The popular love theme “Eternity and a Day” isn’t used which is a pity. But although I dissed a lot of the stuff on this soundtrack there is also a bright light like tracks "Reclaiming the World" (20), "Reanimation" (13) and "If You Knew Him as I Did" (10) which are a strong addition. Overall I think the soundtrack is under the line of average score but clearly fits the film and I think to the director it’s the only thing that matters.

The Purge ***

Underworld Awakening Main Titles ***

Raiding the Army Surplus Store **

Non-Human Aggressor **

I was Subject 2 **

Arriving at the Coven ***

I've Never Seen a Child like This **

This is Not One of Us ***

I know Exactly What You Are ***

If You Knew Him as I Did ****

Prepare the Armory ***

The Uber-Lycan ***

Reanimation ****

Then Came the Purge **

Selene Returns to Antigen ***

Find Her and Destroy Her ***

The Lycan Van Escape ***

I Heal Instantly ***

You Came Back ***

Reclaiming the World ****

The Melancholy of Resistance ***