VELASCO & REAGAN SCORE DARKSIDERS


Cris Velasco and Mike Reagan, two of the top videogame composers, whose names both graced the Award-winning God of War soundtrack, have united to score the new THQ action adventure title Darksiders, in which players take the role of War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in an landscape set 100 years after the biblical apocalypse.
The composers' publicists Top Dollar PR kindly sent me a promo CD featuring some 27 minutes of their 60-minute score, which was recorded with full choir at Skywalker Sound, and features much percussion.
The "Main Theme" opens with a haunting boy soprano vocal over menacing drum bursts before erupting into a powerful choral and percussive march. Rhythmic percussion continues to drive subsequent tracks in a relentless forward motion, permeated by boy soprano or choir and ethnic instruments. It's all very primal and tribal in nature, even the savage brass of "Spirit Stalker."
The final cue, "Last Judgement" has a real biblical feel to it, with the soprano voice returning to lead the choir to a powerful conclusion.
A great listen if you are a fan of this kind of forceful, percussive, choral and largely primitive-styled film or game score, and yet another excellent example of how game scores are often more interesting and enjoyable than what's on offer at the movies these days.
It is a great shame that there is no news at present of a commercial release of the score, the so you'll just have to experience this splendid music in the game (released in the US and UK last month), which is of course where it is primarily intended to be heard.
For more information on the game visit http://www.darksiders.com, and to learn more about the composers visit www.MonarchAudio.com & www.MikeReaganMusic.com.