CD REVIEW - Apocalypto


Apocalypto
Music by James Horner
Hollywood Records 383 8782 (EU)
14 Tracks 60:39 mins

Following his great success with the subtitled Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson looks to repeat his success with another subtitled effort, Apocalypto, which is set towards the end of the once great Mayan civilisation, and features a cast of unknown actors.
Following his alliance with John Debney on Passion, Gibson returns to his usual composer of choice, James Horner, who has written an interesting score, utilising woodwinds and percussion, as well as the voice of Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, with whom he previously worked with on The Four Feathers, although his vocals are much more subtly used this time.
Those of you used to hearing large orchestral scores from Horner may be somewhat disappointed in this effort, which alternates between atmsopheric, sombre and somewhat tragic flute, synth and vocal passages, and percussive action sequences; but there is genuine power to some of the cues like "Entering the City with a Future Foretold" and "Sacrificial Procession," and excitement in the chase music that makes up much of tracks 9 to 12. This is immediately followed by the powerful, martial opening to "Civilisations Brought by Sea, which gives a hint as to how the story will end, with Ali Khan's vocal lament alternating with bird song, New World style, in the closing "To the Forest."
Those who complain that Horner's music shows little variation from score to score should find this refreshingly different.