Dredd
(Original Film Soundtrack)
Composer: Paul Leonard-Morgan
Running Time: 51 min.
Released: 2012
Opinon Stars: ★★★★★
If Ramin Djawadi’s Iron Man soundtrack were married to the Daft Punkian techno of Tron: Legacy, their child would probably sound something like Dredd. Which is to say: slick, hard-hitting, and very, very cool. It’s a knockout. I haven’t seen the film yet – it’s rather popular on Netflix and therefore hard to get – but I’ve no doubt the score fits it as snugly as a bullet casing. (Watch the trailer and I’m sure you’ll see what I mean.) The fusion of rocking action cues with brooding electronic soundscapes works beautifully here. Final result? The kind of music that makes even dishwashing seem like an epic task.
Standout tracks:
- She’s a Pass
- Mega City One
- The Plan
- Mini-Guns
- Order In the Chaos
- Taking Over Peach Trees
- Apocalyptic Wasteland
“I wanted to create a really gritty, urban score for the film, not a typical Hollywood, glossy score. I pictured a sound which fitted a future set in 100 years time, so traditional orchestra went out the window.” ReelScotland recently conducted an interview with Paul Leonard-Morgan; you can read it here.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Dredd, and even better things about the soundtrack. But I make it a point never to listen to a soundtrack before seeing the movie; so much of a movie is given away just by track titles and musical cues, at least for someone with a trained ear and a phonographic memory. Regardless, your praise for this soundtrack really makes me want to see the movie, if only to listen to the soundtrack.