CD REVIEW - FIFTY DEAD MEN WALKING + NEWS FROM TOP DOLLAR PR


Fifty Dead Men Walking
Music by Ben Mink
MovieScore Media MMD 0004
21 Tracks 46:38 mins

Director Kari Skogland's Fifty Dead Men Walking boasts some big names in the cast, including Sir Ben Kingsley and Charmed's Rose McGowan, but stars Kim Sturgess in this true story of Martin McGartland, a street hustler from Belfast who was recruited by the British Police to infiltrate the IRA during the '80s.
The score is provided by another new name to me, American Ben Mink, whose music for the film won him a Leo Award for Best Musical Score in a Feature Length Drama. It appears to be another score which combines electronics with live instruments, principally electric guitars and drums, getting under way with the brief percussive action of "Gunshot," before continuing with the beat-driven, rhythmic mover "Street Fighting." "Dark" continues in the same rhythmic manner, though tense and threatening. "Blue" has more of a disco vibe to it; then its back to the action with the intense, thumping "Mickey & Marty." "In the Car" is a bluesy little guitar track, and is followed by the nervous "Heart Racing," with its surprising religious choral both concluding this track and leading into the following "Scary" which is suitably dark and, well, scary.
"Road Block" gets off to a beat-driven start, but quickly turns suspenseful, before ending on a distinctly Irish note, with electric fiddle playing something of a celebratory jig. "Dead Graves" is a suitably mournful affair, and is followed by the purposeful "Danger." The solemn "Swear In" features what sounds like electric cello, or maybe just violin in another Irish flavoured track. "Libyans" predictably has an Eastern percussive vibe; whilst the most pleasant track thus far follows, "Last Sweet," with its tender acoustic guitar work.
Oh no, I thought, when I read the next track title, "Scotland," but it's actually quite an easy-going piece with piano lead, the composer thankfully not resorting to the pipes! After this, it's back to the action with the tense, rhythmic, "He's a Toit." More Irish flavour follows with "Violin Pie," the cue starting atmospherically, before racing to a rhythmic conclusion. "Martin Jumps" continues in the same vein, before taking a darker, menacing turn.
Eclectic Violin briefly returns at the start of "Pregnant Again," before more tense, rhythmic material takes over. The purposeful, yet somewhat jarring "Ambulance" follows, with electric violin returning to introduce the closing folk song "We Will Have Won," by unknown (at this time) male vocalist.
Available to download only, go to http://www.moviescoremedia.com/fiftydeadmenwalking.html
for samples and details of how to secure your copy of the score.


From Top Dollar PR:-


SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF
EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR - THE SOUNDTRACK
Epic Original Score Performed by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra


New York - June 26th, 2009 -Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing
relationship with SEGA®, proudly presents Empire: Total War(TM) - The Soundtrack
featuring the musical score from the latest installment of The Creative Assembly's
multi award winning Total War(TM) PC gaming franchise. Empire: Total War - The Soundtrack
will be released on June 30th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works
www.sumthing.com, and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital
www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes®.

Empire: Total War - The Soundtrack features the epic orchestral score composed by
Richard Beddow (Viking: Battle For Asgard), Richard Birdsall, Walter Nair, Simon
Ravn and performed by The Slovak National Symphony Orchestra at the Slovak Radio
Concert Hall in Bratislava. The score was orchestrated and conducted by Nic Raine
(Viking: Battle For Asgard) and the soundtrack was produced by lead composer Richard
Beddow.

"Undertaking the challenge of the music production for Empire: Total War was no
simple task," said composer Richard Beddow. "The game needed music to convey its
size and breadth, covering the various countries at war, delicately accompanying
campaign gameplay and underpinning the various cinematics and events in the game."
Empire: Total War is set in the 18th century, a turbulent era that is the most requested
by Total War's loyal fan base and a period alive with global conflict, revolutionary
fervor and technological advances. With themes such as the Industrial Revolution,
America's struggle for independence, the race to control Eastern trade routes and
the globalization of war on land and sea, Empire: Total War delivers one of the
richest and most dynamic PC RTS game experiences of all time. For more information
on the game, please visit www.totalwar.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video
game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.

SEGA, the SEGA logo and Empire: Total War and Viking: Battle For Asgard are registered
trademarks or trademarks of SEGA Corporation. The Creative Assembly is a trademark
of The Creative Assembly Limited. All rights reserved.

About SEGA® Corporation

SEGA® Corporation is a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside
and outside the home, encompassing consumer business, amusement machine sales and
amusement center operations. The company develops, publishes and distributes interactive
entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC,
wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer
Entertainment Inc. SEGA® Corporation's Web site is located at http://sega.jp.

About Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc.

Since its creation in the late 1990's by the world-renowned song writer, musician
and record producer, Nile Rodgers, Sumthing Else Music Works has become the acknowledged
industry leader in licensing and distributing video game soundtracks. Possessing
full in-house services worldwide, from retail marketing and sales through physical
and digital distribution, Sumthing is partnered with the world's leading video game
developers and publishers including BioWare, Bungie Studios, Capcom, Crytek, Eidos
Interactive, Epic Games, Gearbox Software, Microsoft, Mistwalker, Rare, SEGA, Silicon
Knights, Sony Computer Entertainment and Ubisoft. Their catalogue of titles includes
the best selling video game soundtrack of all time, Halo 2: Volume One, as well
as award-winning titles including: Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars,
Halo Trilogy, Gears of War 2, Fable II, Too Human, Brothers In Arms, Crysis, Advent
Rising, Fable, Gears of War, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 Volume Two, Halo 3, Hitman:
Blood Money, Hitman: Contracts, Jade Empire, Kameo: Elements of Power, Mass Effect,
Red Steel, Unreal Tournament 3 and many others.

Sumthing Else Music Works and Sumthing Distribution logos are copyright of their
respective companies. All other names of products mentioned herein may be the trademarks
of their respective owners.