About the Soundtrack: Geoff Zanelli teams up with director Howard McCain to create the music for, "Outlander," a movie I first thought might have been a sequel to 2007's "Pathfinder." In the movie, an alien crash lands on earth during the Viking era and brings with him a captive monster from a conquered planet. An interesting, rather wild plot serves as the premise for Zanelli's music and it's an opportunity he embraced enthusiastically. His score, in a limited release from La-La Land Records, offers over an hour of music from the film and can be purchased from the label's web site.
What You Need to Know: When I first listened to "Outlander," I wasn't exactly enthralled by it. It wasn't until I heard it a second time that I warmed up to it. By the third run, I was completely on board with what Zanelli had put together for this sci-fi actioner. There is a superb main theme in use that was camouflaged a bit during my first go with the soundtrack but after my repeat engagements, I heard it loud and clear and loved every note.
"Outlander" might overwhelm some listeners with its edge. Indeed, the intensity I first heard is what perhaps distracted my focus from some of the more thematic elements that can be enjoyed. If you give this score a chance, as I did, you will come to realize that the main theme is a memorable one that ties in with the content of the film nicely. More so, when this melodic theme is heard in some of the more softer incarnations, such as when performed with featured instruments, you'll find that it has a gentle side to it as well.
In the liner notes, Zanelli touches on the thematic elements of the score and shares the touch points of the characters he wanted to represent with the music. With that, there is also a secondary theme for the dragon creature of the film that is more atmospheric in nature but still effective. And when talking about sci-fi touches, there is a nice use of electronic keys that signify, at least to me, a presence of galactic influences which I felt was a fitting inclusion. When you add all these pieces into the mix, this makes for a rather nice, well rounded soundtrack.
While I feel the sound design could have used a bit more easing, there is plenty to enjoy about Geoff Zanelli's "Outlander." It's a score with teeth but also one with a melodic edge that will speak well to you if give it the opportunity. "Outlander" also continues to show that Zanelli has a solid foundation for writing thematic material and one can hope that he receives opportunities that can showcase his skills a bit more commercially.
Final Score: If at first you don't succeed, try again! Such is the motto for listening to "Outlander," an above average score that takes a couple attempts before it excels. For fans of ferocious action cues and thematic direction, I would recommend that you give this one a listen...or two.
