Search - Various Artists :: Underworld Evolution: Rise of the Lycans

Surprisingly beautiful mixture of industrial and rock

Z. Freeman | Austin, TX | 03/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While all fans of the Underworld films have come to expect epic vampire- and werewolf-filled battle sequences, the more musical fans have also come to expect top-notch soundtracks filled with a high level of quality tracks, often almost doubling as something like a rock/industrial score. And the soundtrack to the third film in the series doesn't disappoint on the quality front, featuring impressive artists like AFI, Alkaline Trio, The Cure, and Puscifer (the alias of Tool and A Perfect Circle's Maynard James Keenan), all expertly remixed by Renholder (album producer Danny Lohner).



From the creepy, crawling rhythm of Genghis Tron's "Board Up the House" (with the throaty, oft-repeated command to "hide upstairs and wait" backed by a throbbing, occasionally screaming beat) to The Cure's sensually pulsating "Underneath the Stars" (featuring the always evocative Milla Jovavich providing backup vocals), the soundtrack for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is no "one-track" pony repeating the same expected stylings over and over. As producer, Lohner makes sure to instill his tracks with a general sense of continuity, providing a theme that gives the entire album a definite dark feel that carries effortlessly between the heavier and quieter songs, keeping Blaqk Audio's "Stiff Kittens" from going overboard with heaviness and, similarly, keeping Thrice's "Broken" from becoming too soft.



Overall, this album is a surprisingly beautiful mixture of industrial and rock acts that deliver a steady stream of darkly melodic tunes mixed to near perfect, though at times it could be argued that Lohner perhaps overmixes a bit. Also, listen to King Black Acid's "Let's Burn" for an example of one of the three tracks on the album that have been placed here "untouched" - as pointed out by a fan in a comment below. Fans of the Underworld films are sure to find plenty to like here and even those who have never laid eyes on a single frame will be more than impressed with the mixture of tracks."

Almost as strong as the first Underworld soundtrack!

MD | Virginia | 05/18/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was a HUGE fan of the first Underworld soundtrack. It was raw, heavy and it featured some of my favorite artists. From the opening 'Awakening' track to the utterly mesmorizing 'All of This Past', the first Underworld soundtrack was close to perfection in my eyes.



The Rise of the Lycans soundtrack does not fall far behind. I have had the CD for about a week now and listened to it all the way through on repeat during a roadtrip this weekend. With every additional listen, I found myself loving it all the more. Granted, just like with the first Underworld soundtrack, there are a few bad apples (my opinion), but the Rise of the Lycans soundtrack succeeds overall in providing great driven, dark, and addicting beats.



Admittedly, music preferences are subjective but these are a few of the standout tracks from the album:



1. Lighten Up Francis (JLE Dub Mix) - Puscifer

2. Underneath The Stars (Renholder Remix) - The Cure (f/ Maynard James Keenan/Puscifer and Milla)

8. Board Up The House (Renholder Remix) - Genghis Tron

9. Stiff Kittens (Jnrsnchz Blaqkout Remix) - Blaqk Audio

16. Steal My Romance - Ghosts On The Radio (this is becoming my favorite track on the soundtrack!)



Songs that I found myself skipping everytime they started to play (again, just my opinion):



3. Nasty Little Perv (Renholder Remix) - Perry Farrell (irritating and subpar lyrics)

6. Over And Out (Renholder Remix) - Alkaline Trio

10. Broken Lungs (Legion Of Doom Remix) - Thrice (too slow and uninteresting)

12. I Want You To - Black Light Burns (simply not my cup of tea)



Overall, this is a great rock/industrial soundtrack with some outstanding remixes by danny lohner. I would highly suggest it to anyone who enjoyed the first Underworld soundtrack as they are both along the same lines in terms of the type of content. The Rise of the Lycans is a refreshing soundtrack that has managed to, yet again, introduce me to some outstanding artists and fresh material."

An Original and Thoroughly Enjoyable Listening Experience

Phoenix Child | USA | 03/13/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rise of the Lycans is the third installment in the Underworld saga, and its soundtrack had a lot to cover in regards to the fairly epic movie. "Rise of the Lycans," thankfully, regains nearly all of the originality and thoughtfulness of the first soundtrack that was utterly lost on the "Evolution" soundtrack, and fully satisfies both as a soundtrack to the film and as an awesome mix.



Virtually every song on this CD is remixed or reproduced for an original Underworld sound, and the new material will satisfy any fan. The emo stylings of the "Evolution" soundtrack are thankfully nearly completely excised, leaving "Rise of the Lycans" in a darker, more industrially-based rock scene. The masterful remixing by the ever-talented Danny Lohner (credited on the Underworld soundtracks as `Renholdër') keeps the metal from being too harsh at the same time as keeping the softer tracks from being too lulling.



My personal favorite and the track featuring the most famous rockers is "Underneath the Stars [Renholdër Remix]," contributed by The Cure. The vocals of the lead singer float smoothly over the track as the remix blends with the original rock, and the song is lent great power by the blend of featured artists, a combination of The Cure, Puscifer, Maynard James Keenan (of Tool fame), and the ever-beautiful vocal stylings of Milla Jovovich (credited in her singing capacity simply as Milla), who contributed the luscious "Rocket Collecting" to the original "Underworld" soundtrack.



"Underworld: Rise of the Lycans" opens with Puscifer, who again contributes a fine opening, followed up with lush new tracks from Deftones, AFI, Alkaline Trio, and William Control (featuring Matt Skiba). The swelling sounds of the opening slip into some generally good tracks that don't leave you wanting, leading up to Combichrist's masterful "Today We Are All Demons [Beneath the World Mix]."



"Rise of the Lycans" misses a beat after this with some fairly mediocre tracks - in particular the emo-styles of Drop Dead, Gorgeous as they contribute the generally whiny and annoying "Two Birds, One Stone." The album, however, jumps right back from this dangerous ledge that "Evolution" unfortunately fell from with King Black Acid, ending with the lovely "Steal My Romance" by Ghosts on the Radio.



In the end, Rise of the Lycans is a slightly darker, more industrial sound than the previous Underworld albums, but it is a 7-League-Boot stride greater than the "Evolution" soundtrack and more than lives up to the great example set by the original Underworld soundtrack album.



4.5/5 Stars"