Review by Ryan Keaveney

Rating: ***

While guzzling (light) beer and smashing potato chips into my face while I rock out to The Final Destination (in the interest of journalism), it’s interesting comparing Brian Tyler’s main titles (“The Final Destination”) with Shirley Walker’s for the first film (simply titled Final Destination). The FD film series truly has morphed into a head-banging (literally) smorgasbord of outrageous gore stunts (sadly, digitally realized — what happened to latex gags in the Savini tradition?). And that’s clearly evident in the music too. Where Shirley’s main title was a svelte, deep-churning melody for strings, basses and uneasy brass, that same melody jettisons over top a crushing bed of electric guitar knashing and brain-blendering drum rhythms in Brian Tyler’s sequel score. Before you accuse me of shopping from the Arnold Palmer Collection at Sears, let me say this — Brian’s approach is entirely appropriate, considering gone is the idea that a dark force (fate or death?), acts like an invisible hand (or a pissed of Dr. “I want my skulls!” Klopek) setting these mouse-trap-like slaughter sequences into motion to claim the lives that escaped it. Admittedly a series that didn’t start with very lofty goals, The Final Destination has arrived right where it should be, accentuating the elaborate eliminations but stopping just short of employing an onscreen timer, counting down to the next delirious demise.

Brian Tyler has treated film music fans to some effective horror-scoring in the past, notably the crisp Darkness Falls and darkly comic Terror Tract, but lately his efforts have straddled a more contemporary, programmed sensibility with muscular symphonic action scoring (Fast & Furious, Eagle Eye, Bangkok Dangerous). The Final Destination is Brian taking both of those worlds and ratcheting up the bombast, while foregoing any semblance of subtlety. That’s certainly an approach worthy of appreciation in the horror film music genre, however The Final Destination is more straight-ahead action/thriller scoring. Witness the forward-thrust theatrics of the very busy “The Raceway”, “Revelations” and “Stay Away From Water”. All brisk action cues full of thick layers of percussion loops and rhythmic brass lines, however, somewhat fright free. It’s like the characters of Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift were on a date with from Eihi from Audition.

Brian Tyler

One of the score’s major strengths are the “talky” moments, where Tyler manages to add a certain amount of malevolence to exposition (“Nick’s Google Theory”, “Questioning”), which helps to make otherwise dull scenes somewhat atmospheric. These “dull” scenes, of course, fall between scenes of the filmmakers burying victim after victim.

Once again the composer foils the most anal of film music geeks, as Tyler presents his score in a top-heavy way, loading up the beginning of the disc with plenty of boom. “Nailed”, from the climax of the film, is slotted in third here. I personally have no problems with a composer sequencing their albums out of film order, but it does tend to inspire very dull message board threads.

The score was recorded in Prague and then mixed by the composer. Whereas Brian Tyler has been known as an advocate for fully symphonic scores, The Final Destination at times is mixed in away that gives some of the more frenetic action music a slightly synth-y feel (the racing strings in “The Movie Theater”, for example).

The album closes strong with a thirteen-plus minute suite of music from the film, specifically recorded for the album. Shirley Walker’s theme from the original film appears here, as it does sprinkled throughout the rest of the album (“The Final Destination”, “Raceway Trespass”, “Premonition”.) This is a classy move by Brian, considering few (perhaps none?) other film composers in today’s hyper-paranoid film scoring environment would pay homage to a beloved colleague, and allow another’s thematic material the spotlight. Considering Shirley scored three Final Destination films (none of which received commercial albums) this is a fitting tribute to her contribution to the series.

Certainly not a spine-tingle-inducing effort, but there’s enough here for thrill-seekers looking for neck-snapping, face-breaking, gut-splattering, face-melting, skin-tearing… Film music.

Music Composed and Produced by Brian Tyler; Orchestrations by Brian Tyler, Dana Niu, Robert Elhai, Brad Warnaar, Andrew Kinney and Pakk Hui; Conducted by Brian Tyler; Mixed by Brian Tyler; Original Theme Composed by Shirley Walker; Label: Varese Sarabande; Availability: In-print; U.S. Release Date: May 19, 2009

01. The Final Destination (2:56)
02. The Raceway (3:08)
03. Memorial (2:47)
04. Nailed (3:22)
05. Nick’s Google Theory (1:30)
06. Revelations (2:29)
07. Raceway Trespass (1:40)
08. Stay Away from Water (2:38)
09. Flame On (1:46)
10. Moment of Joy (1:18)
11. Signs and Signals (2:51)
12. George Is Next (1:13)
13. Car Washicide (3:05)
14. Newspaper Clues (1:59)
15. Premonition (1:52)
16. The Salon (3:55)
17. Questioning (1:04)
18. Death of a Cowboy (2:10)
19. Gearhead (1:58)
20. Sushi for Everyone (2:54)
21. The Movie Theater (3:03)
22. You Can’t Dodge Fate (1:28)
23. The Final Destination Suite (13:29)

Total Playing Time: 64:22