Deep Blue Sea

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Trevor Rabin is hot property, he is the kind of composer that isn't known for his melodic high art style but he nonetheless scores blockbusters up the wazoo. Con Air, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Gone in Sixty Seconds, you name it because Rabin is there to deliver a high rocking score to the proceeding. Deep Blue Sea, the only picture Rabin scored in 1999 is another well selling movie and above all just shark-delicious in its horror and action effect. So what do you expect when you have sharks literally ripping their victims without consequence, remorse or pity? In musical styles nothing melodic since this is the kind of dissonance that music requires. On the other hand, it is what the rest brings of music that concerned me more, since knowing how the score sounded in a way. And here is where Deep Blue Sea is rather good to be fair. The score has at times a rocking attitude of power, a beautiful sense of fine melody and more then ever the choral power of The LA Masters Chorale, which brought epics like First Knight to life. This especially makes the score, just like Armageddon way better, and it gives epic qualities to some of the spectacular apocalypse like terror sequences in the movie, thank goodness present on the disc.

The score starts surprisingly with the last track, 'Aftermath' which brings forth two successful themes. First is the main theme, a rather heroic action packed theme a la Media Ventures yet here in the typical expected sedated style, strings and choir make it appealing and downright beautiful (as heard in the trailer of A Beautiful Mind). The other theme is for the wonder of science and the sharks themselves, for the cure they carry. Heard in the film for when Thomas Jane surfaces with the shark in the lab, this theme is short but gloriously enjoyable. 'Susan Softens' is another track I just love, with the third theme of the score, a wonderful epic theme almost for the laboratory itself, named Alcatraz floats. This theme above all is stunning and I mean truly stunning in 'Anarchy', the best score track on the album. Here first the main theme is served as an action theme before choir supports the cable braking scene, suspension is brought to the ultimate climax and the choir explodes in giving the laboratory theme a breakthrough in movie music magic. During the scene it is fantastically in place with the explosions. On disc it is to be said even more stunning then before. Yet, speaking of themes, Rabin created another one and only heard several times on the disc. 'Main' creates its own Jaws four note main theme which is equally menacing yet more angry and faster then Williams' classic two note motif. It nonetheless works immensely in capturing the sense of danger for the trapped survivors in the sinking laboratory.

Of other tracks we easily remember 'Journey', creating the furious pace of an attacking shark (variation on the four note shark theme) before once more epic choir is used in giving a climax. For the rest the occasional atonal dissonance is heard but never to the degree that the score actually becomes less interesting through it. The movie above all required serious noises and not sweet melody when a shark rips a human in two. Understand that first when you start listening to the score. Deep Blue Sea is above all a very nice surprise. Rabin's music is bold, epic and insanely spot-on the money. It supports the harrowing threat and suspense of the movie quite tremendously and it again proves that Rabin has talent for these kind of movies, just as Armageddon is Deep Blue Sea over exaggerated but fun. If people see this score as Jaws then forget what ever I said above. When people will see it as something different, then they will appreciate the bombast and the epic sound of a composer trying to create a name for himself. All in all Deep Blue Sea delivers much for a horror score, short listen and shark biting snapper.

Expanded Edition

In 1999, Rock guitarist Trevor Rabin (fresh of the success of Armageddon) composed the horror shark movie Deep Blue Sea, which captured not only our worst and fearsome enemy in a cold blooded killing mood but also a wonderful and killer soundtrack of Rabin himself, one which offered both the mix of powerful dissonance with a spectacular set of fresh ideas. The added support of the The LA Master Chorale was equally a good move since Rabin made good use of their capabilities in the score. I've really begun appreciating the music since for just a mere 30 minute release, it captured a lot of good moments with some spectacular use of the choir and Rabin's sense of melody, of which Deep Blue Sea is one of his best in the row. Yet, as always I didn't have enough what I wanted and thought the expanded bootleg might offer a bit more of Rabin's successful score for Renny Harlin's cool movie. It did but not in the style that I'd hoped to hear, it is more a toolkit of mixing and occasional testing.

The first 10 tracks of the 12 released are exactly the same as presented on the original album, being as highlights especially 'Aftermath', 'Anarchy' and great added moments of excellence in 'Susan Softens' and 'Journey'. These were followed by two unmentioned tracks, running for 12 minutes but they are not what they seem at first. 'Aftermath "Alternate Version"' is merely the first track repeated (covering the main theme version reprised 6 times in what is normally only 2 reprises) and followed immediately in the mix with the last 30 second cue, again reprised by its exact replica. The other track is 'Alternate Versions', of which alternate sounding moments appear. Its more like a testing ground of ideas, the shark theme, moving from ideas from tracks 2 and 3, but also containing several very short signs of new music, like the helicopter music of the very opening sequence and also several different and cool sounding versions of score. Its not like this is a hindrance because it is enjoyable, cool and above all good listening. But new it is not and 6 times the main theme simply mixed after each other isn't also my idea of added material. This is why Deep Blue Sea "Expanded" isn't receiving the same quotation as the original. Because it doesn't directly promise as what it normally should do, meaning adding expanded signs of material to the already released cues.

Complete Edition

Unbelievable but true is the case surrounding Deep Blue Sea, a most entertaining action horror film containing sharks who are as lethal as a gun for the scientists trapped in the underwater laboratory in the big blue ocean. Rabin, the composer saw his enjoyable bombast being released in various ways too, stating the unbelievable nature of the music, containing not all the music on the normal release by Varčse and not even on the expanded bootleg which was just a mixing job that worked to please me, but didn't contain new stuff. However, Deep Blue Sea "Complete" or the promo is different, since it mixes too music together but offers us also new music in return, basically the first 10 tracks are the same, just a bit different in order which works since it opens here with the actual opening shark theme. However, new tracks are 'Shark Attack' which presents the main theme of the score, the shark theme, a powerful synthetic laboratory mix and then the attacking music of the sharks in action. I do not know which scene this music underscores but the next I'm sure of, 'End' which is the final battle with Thomas Jane and LL Cool J killing the final big shark. Here we have the wonderful variation on the Anarchy choral music theme or basically the theme for Alcatraz itself and it follows the final moves with an unbelievable mixing job, containing the action version of the main theme, choral based fanfares and alternations of various themes. It isn't very grand in its structure since it stops wherever it wants too a bit but its big fun and it has the aftermath sequence in initial screen order. 'Suite Montage' has every moment recapitulated and even if they are variations on it, its different from the expanded album and it offers simply pleasing results. The complete promo is in the end as enjoyable as the normal release, it offers new music but it also suffers a bit from its mixing at times. However, together these scores do show that Deep Blue Sea is still one of Rabin's best in the business.

Deep Blue Sea: ***1/2
Deep Blue Sea "Expanded Edition": ***
Deep Blue Sea "Complete Edition": ***1/2

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Tracks

Single Disc

Deep Blue Sea

1. Aftermath (2.46) Excellent Track

2. Susan Softens (2.24) Excellent Track

3. Journey (4.46)

4. Main (3.05)

5. Hunting In Packs (1.43)

6. Experiment (4.27)

7. Jim Returns (1.17)

8. Shark Side (4.26)

9. Anarchy (4.23) Excellent Track

10. Doctor's Orders (0.34)

Total Length: 30.13

Deep Blue Sea "Expanded"

1. Aftermath (2.48) Excellent Track

2. Susan Softens (2.24) Excellent Track

3. Journey (4.49)

4. Main (3.05)

5. Hunting In Packs (1.42)

6. Experiment (4.29)

7. Jim Returns (1.23)

8. Shark Side (4.26)

9. Anarchy (4.23) Excellent Track

10. Doctor's Orders (0.34)

11. Aftermath "Alternate Version" (5.53)

12. Alternate Versions (6.12)

Total Length: 43.05

Deep Blue Sea "Complete"

1. Main (3.12)

2. Susan Softens (2.31) Excellent Track

3. Aftermath (2.53) Excellent Track

4. Journey (4.53)

5. Hunting In Packs (1.48)

6. Experiment (4.34)

7. Doctor's Orders (0.39)

8. Jim Returns (1.26)

9. Shark Side (4.33)

10. Anarchy (4.28) Excellent Track

11. Shark Attack (3.34)

12. End (7.30)

13. Suite Montage (6.12)

Total Length: 48.45

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: Trevor Rabin ===