Highlander Endgame

Composer: Stephen Graziano & Nick Glennie-Smith
Lable (Release Year): GNP Crescendo (2000)
Availability: ****
Rating: ***

Highlander: Endgame really comes out from nowhere. Not only the last installment was released 6 years ago, but the TV series has also ended for several years. I have not heard a word about the movie until a month before it came out. It's intriguing why they make the movie now rather than during the peak of the TV series. Not surprisingly, the movie did not draw a crowd and just come and gone. Despite the mis-timing, the movie could still inspire a great score. Hopefully something like Michael Kamen's score for the original Highlander. The score features the work of 2 composers: Stephen Graziano and Nick Glennie-Smith. Their approaches are quite similar. Unforunately, however, they are similar in an uninspiring way.

The score starts with a beautiful Gaelic tune "Bonny Portmore" sung by Jennifer McNeil. The "Opening Titles" opens with a poignant piano solo. The Gaelic music (pipes and drums) soon kicks in. It sounds like a mix between Braveheart and The Last of the Mohicans. While it has a promising start, it soon goes downhill rather quickly. The rest of the track are non-memorable synthsizer/synth chorus music over drums. "Motorcycle Gang Fight" and "Driving To Loft/Getting Duncan/ride To The Grave" are electronic heavy techno tracks. They are not bad but just uninspiring. "Say Goodbye To Kate/Last Supper Slash" and "There Can Only Be One!" are standard ambient synth tracks that has occasional good moments. "Prelude/The Song of the Pooka" is probably the best and most enjoyable track of the album. It is a moody and relaxing Gaelic tune that features McNeil's vocal again.

Like Graziano's "Opening Titles", Mancina's "The Legend of the Immortals" has a promising start: great Gaelic flavor and melodies. However, like the "Opening Titles" also, it soon falls to some non-memorable synth music. "Connor and Duncan Fight Together", "Duncan Visits The Loft", and "Killiing An Old Friend" are good tracks with Gaelic sound but they are too short. "Attack At The Loft" is a rock track with electric guitar. It is not over the top but it has a decent motif to make it quite enjoyable. The album closes with a rather not interesting Gaelic/electronic/ambient track "In Memory of Connor".

In general, Highlander: Endgame offers not much listening pleasure, except the 2 Gaelic songs. The score is quite standard. It probably works well for the movie but does not sound interesting when listening alone. No hurry in picking up this score.



    Track Listing:
  1. Bonny Portmore (Stephen Graziano) (3:46)
  2. Opening Titles (Stephen Graziano) (10:18)
  3. Motorcycle Gang Fight (Stephen Graziano) (4:46)
  4. Driving To Loft/Getting Duncan/Ride To The Grave (Stephen Graziano and Todd Wollon) (2:37)
  5. Say Goodbye To Kate/Last Supper Slash (Stephen Graziano) (3:32)
  6. Heather Cuts Her Hair (Nick Glennie-Smith and Stephen Graziano) (1:08)
  7. There Can Only Be One! (Killing Kell) (Stephen Graziano) (6:53)
  8. Prelude/The Song of The Pooka (Stephen Graziano and Rob Caims) (3:33)
  9. The Legend of The Immortals (Nick Glennie-Smith) (10:33)
  10. Connar and Duncan Fight Together (Nick Glennie-Smith) (0:45)
  11. Duncan Visits The Loft (Nick Glennie-Smith) (0:54)
  12. The Hidden Room (Nick Glennie-Smith) (1:16)
  13. Attack At The Loft (Nick Glennie-Smith) (6:07)
  14. Killing An Old Friend (Nick Glennie-Smith) (2:17)
  15. In Memory Of Connor (Nick Glennie-Smith) (3:57)
    Total Time: 62:22


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