The Core

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Why disaster movies fail is beyond me, why good ones fail is further beyond me? Jon Amiel's spectacular movie of 2003 wasn't perhaps the most believable but at least it build on strong developed characters, a great arsenal of visual disasters and carried an emotional level that could teach many movies still a lesson or 2. Anyhoo I loved it as the movie it was presenting in the first place, disaster and spectacle, but I got to care for a great cast, and wonderful music over it can make it even better. And that's The Core ladies and gentlemen. For several months the score to The Core was unreleased, and namely for Christopher Young fans and fans of strong orchestral music this was a shame. And then Young's obscure The Tower was released. And completely unexpected for those fans who purchased that score, they received a free 2 CD promo of The Core with it. What a wonderful gesture of the people of Intrada and especially Young himself who released it! And like that, finally The Core was released to the market where it belonged. Of course, Young enthusiasts will especially like the surprising tone the score carries because its different then one might expect to hear at first. Its large, gothic at times and wonderfully melodic but still carries a different taste around the whole tone, perhaps covering a wrong theme for the movie at first but when you hear the whole picture, this score takes a life of its own and then everything makes sense the way Young intended. And then The Core makes sense. Starting CD 1 is 'The Core' and this is the begin of the theme with the apocalyptic choral after touch, along with the subtle electronics and growing suspense, flutes playing part of the theme, theme later heard on horns with choir and a heroic flourish near the end sets the tone for the more heroic moments. In this score cue alone you hear a difference what Young intended, make it large but still fresh and daring, and in this regard the score's ultimate effect doesn't disappoint.

The next score cue is already then a doozy in its entire regard namely 'Resurrection in Descent', its suspense on orchestral levels, with added vocals but above all 2 main important things, the use of an apocalyptic choir over a rising atonal play and then the main theme with large surrounding choir, take it from me, both fit together extremely well. And then the real apocalyptic examples are heard, namely 'Origami Lava' with its use of choral wonder, atonal choir with the growing trumpets that signify danger and some lovely use of soft choir near the end, while 'A Terror Tocata' is the real atonal piece of the score, which perhaps is good once and a while because then here the real darkness and doom of the movie is foretold. 'In Drucke ick Moet Sterven' is perhaps the weirdest name of all (we know how Christopher Young likes to create the most insane names for his soundtracks) but the score around it is fascinating nonetheless, this is starting with light magical strings (which sound like Cocoon sometimes) but also beats and a growing use of heroic choir and trumpets make it extremely relaxing to hear, but also fun. That Young doesn't shy away from the rain of electronics is clear in 'Tactile Shifts' where he uses this along with strings to set the suspense in motion, underscoring the descent of the spaceship to earth, which it effectively succeeds in while 'Project Destiny' has again the explosion of choir and the trumpets to sign in the action and heroics along the way. 'Mantle Passage' is the excellent rhythmic action track, with theme variations, pounding drums and Poltergeist like horns, all in the name of Young creating apocalyptic action music. And 'Cor Cordium' has the strings ala Cocoon to close the first disc. The second score may start heroically and uplifting, there is still a lot of darkness to await you.

With 'Liberté' you have the wonderful music when the production of the ship is underway, and Young underscores this with an uplifting heroic and growing choral theme which strikes gold the moment you hear it. However, we are back soon to rhythm and 'Diamonds are Forever' is a relative to Aliens, with a rushing feel we add electronics, whirling brass and bells to it and you just are witnessing a James Horner rebirth. The softer underscore in 'Moved to the Core' leads to the choral laden 'Interred Servants' (watch out for the horns ala The Lost World), but especially wonderful is that Young makes the rhythm happen through the choir and in return the choir the rhythm. 'Saknusemm' has a few other surprises waiting for you, like the suspense strings that Beltrami uses so much in the middle of the track, together its a lower darker and more broodier track and the drum rhythm ala underscore of Aliens helps in this. The ending of 'Unobtainium' is frantic and fast and leans more to the rhythmic non melodic crashing of sounds, but this for a more then adept effect. 'Stellar Phrenology' begins hopeful and leads to a main theme laden display where the brass and choir lead the track in a wonderful manner before a softer ending is noticed with solo violin and soft strings. 'The Terranaut March' is the good closer of the second disc with the theme on choral strength, some pumping suspense music and then back emotional music, basically shifting between these styles to end things nicely. I don't know what's missing of The Core because frankly for me, it doesn't miss a thing I wanted to be heard. The score is large and perhaps a bit over the top but nicely sums up either the apocalyptic style of the movie or the heroics of the characters, and that in the style Young hasn't achieved in doing yet. At times I hear Aliens in it and while temp tracked, these are small parts for mere seconds. In the end The Core is a wonderful shot in the canon and a nice over the top soundtrack that does just about everything right. Now get Young's depth charger and save your soul with this winning core.

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Tracks

Double Disc

Disk One: 46.23

1. The Core (4.38)

2. Resurrection In Descent (6.03) Excellent Track

3. Origami Lava (7.06)

4. A Terror Tocata (3.22)

5. In Drucke Ick Moet Sterven (4.29) Excellent Track

6. Tactile Shifts (5.52)

7. Project Destiny (5.30)

8. Mantle Passage (4.32) Excellent Track

9. Cor Cordium (4.49)

Disk Two: 40.14

1. Liberté (3.31) Excellent Track

2. Diamonds Are Forever (3.14)

3. Moved To The Core (3.13)

4. Interred Servants (4.21)

5. Saknusemm (7.12)

6. Mundus Subterraneous (2.46)

7. Unobtainium (6.24)

8. Stellar Phrenology (3.51) Excellent Track

9. The Terranaut March (5.37) Excellent Track

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=== Link to Composer Site: Christopher Young ===