Vendetta: Position Music Orchestral Series Vol. 6
by Jo Blankeburg
Vendetta
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Vendetta: Position Music Orchestral Series Vol. 6 Composed by Jo Blankeburg
Position Music(2011)
Rating:
7/10
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“What the music
lacks in subtlety, it makes up for with relentless orchestral and
choral anthems, all of which are nigh on certain to get the blood
pumping.”
Revenge of the Orchestra
Review by Richard Buxton
It has been almost a decade since CORNER STONE CUES’ “Requiem For A
Tower”, a re-orchestrated version of CLINT MANSELL’s “Lux Æterna”, took on
a life of its own in the LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS trailer. Since
then, trailer production music has made leaps and bounds as the primary
source of musical backdrops for Hollywood films. The likes of IMMEDIATE
MUSIC, TWO STEPS FROM HELL and POSITION MUSIC have all been at the
forefront of motion picture campaigns such as STAR TREK, PIRATES OF THE
CARIBBEAN and IRON MAN. As the popularity of trailer music continues to
surge, many production companies are releasing volumes of music to the
public. One of the latest to come from POSITION MUSIC is VENDETTA,
composed by JO BLANKENBURG.
A German pianist, BLANKENBURG’S music has previously been heard in
marketing campaigns for HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON and THE WOLFMAN. With
VENDETTA, BLANKENBURG offers listeners 37 minutes of unashamedly brash,
epic music. What the music lacks in subtlety, it makes up for with
relentless orchestral and choral anthems, all of which are nigh on certain
to get the blood pumping.
Being a volume of trailer music rather than a film score, one must
approach VENDETTA from a different perspective. Whilst the various tracks
are mostly of a similar fashion in their gradual ascent towards a
show-stopping climax, never do they maintain a definitive theme, something
a film score is more often than not expected to. This does perhaps rob the
score of an overall cohesive continuity between tracks, but it also
provides fresh ideas in each new composition.
Beginning with “Dystopic” (1), BLANKENBURG pulls no punches with his
introduction to VENDETTA. The intense tone is set immediately, and the
pensive strings and guitar are quickly joined by a pounding drums and
haunting vocals. It is at the halfway point that the track truly takes off
as the chopping strings up the ante in a style that conjures up memories
of the various 300 film trailers.
Following this is a somewhat more expansive piece, “Satorius (2) that
emphasizes the use of choir to drive forward. The scurrying strings that
open the piece maintain omnipresence throughout as the orchestra
eventually combines for a trademark pounding trailer music finale.
In hearing “Imperatrix Mundi” (3) it becomes apparent that the general
sound and structure of the music heard in VENDETTA has already become
ingrained and is unlikely to change significantly. The consistently edgy
strings and the moody vocals provide ample excitement, an excitement that
expectedly repeated in “Juggernaut” (4). As the fourth track reaches its
mid-point the greatest downfall of VENDETTA is illuminated. So similar are
the majority of the tracks in their objective, it often becomes difficult
to tell the tracks apart, or at least recall specific moments of the score
simply based on memory alone. This is often a problem experienced in
trailer music, and it is therefore hard to criticise based purely on this,
as the nature of trailers often demand specific templates. The unstoppable
incline heard in “Hymn of the Apocalypse” (5) is echoed in most of
VENDETTA’S tracks, varied slightly each time.
Despite this, the likes of “Praetorian Guards” (6) and “Kingdom of Avilion”
(12) provide just enough exclusive flavour and thrills to stand above the
rest as the highlights of VENDETTA. The straining string ostinato combined
with stirring brass and vocals paint a powerful and evocative picture, a
picture that would serve well in the kingdom of TROY. While the latter
offers a similar texture, with the addition of a more prominent choir that
textures the piece with a solemn heroism.
The inexorable quest for an increasingly more epic sound that is heard
across the 14 tracks of VENDETTA is focused that listening to each track
consecutively may prove to be too much of a good thing, prompting the
listener to seek out something of a more subtle variety in order to catch
a moments rest. Trailers are made to have a lasting impact on a viewer,
and the music must emphasize this. It therefore might be preferable to see
VENDETTA as a mood-governed experience, rather than a journey into
boundless thematic ideas and adventure. As trailer music giants TWO STEPS
FROM HELL begin to offer publically accessible albums, audiences are
becoming increasingly spoilt, and POSITION MUSIC’S opposition grows ever
stronger. Despite this, VENDETTA will certainly suffice as an efficient
solution to anyone in need of a quick epic-action fix.
