Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Last updated
Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Axe-Giant-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack-Album-Cover.jpg
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedAugust 16, 2013
Genre Soundtrack, Dark Ambient
Length46:36
Label Entity Productions
Producer Edward Douglas
Midnight Syndicate chronology
Monsters of Legend
(2013)
Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
(2013)
Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering
(2015)

Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is both the seventeenth album and third movie soundtrack by the gothic horror instrumental band, Midnight Syndicate. The album features Edward Douglas' score to the 2013 horror film Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan and the song The Ballad of Paul Bunyan, performed by Hick'ry Hawkins. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Background and album information

In a 2013 interview, composer, Edward Douglas described the soundtrack:

(Director) Gary Jones wanted the film to have a feel similar to classic monster movies like King Kong . I found myself trying to channel my inner Max Steiner and Bernard Herrmann, in an effort to achieve that big, dramatic, classical sound. The monster in the film is American folklore legend, Paul Bunyan, so it gave me the opportunity to work with some 19th century American instrumentation as well. I think the result is a soundtrack that will sound both familiar and at times very different from what Midnight Syndicate has done to this point. [4]

Later, Douglas said that the Axe Giant soundtrack represented some of his favorite scoring work to date, adding that it both challenged him and allowed him to spread his wings a composer [5] The soundtrack includes the song, The Ballad of Paul Bunyan, written and performed by country punkabilly artist, Hick'ry Hawkins with lyrics that summarize the film's plot. [5] [6]

Reception

Side-Line Music Magazine praised the soundtrack, citing the tracks, S.T.U.M.P.s Meet Bunyan and Bunyan on the Move as being indicative of the "epic arrangements and horror atmospheres" that make the band special. [7] In their reviews, Tim Gross of Gross Movie Reviews and Michael Allen of 28 Days Later Analysis horror websites both singled out Minnesota 1894 as an example of the score's diversity. [8] [3]

Track listing

All music is composed by Edward Douglas, except where noted

No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."Axe Giant Main Title" 1:49
2."Minnesota 1894" 2:18
3."Babe's Grave" 1:41
4."S.T.U.M.P. Medley: The Adventure Begins / Meeks' Theme / Sgt. Hoke's Theme / March to Destiny" 4:36
5."Bunyan at Babe's Grave" 1:56
6."S.T.U.M.P.s Meet Bunyan" 4:14
7."No Escape" 4:13
8."The Legend of Paul Bunyan" 6:53
9."Zack's Last Stand" 2:21
10."Bunyan's Cave" 2:23
11."Bunyan On the Move" 3:57
12."Final Showdown" 2:59
13."Legend's End" 2:57
14."The Ballad of Paul Bunyan"Hick'ry Hawkins2:52
15."Meeks at the Cabin" 1:27
Total length:46:36

Personnel

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Les Baxter</span> American composer and conductor (1922–1996)

Leslie Thompson Baxter was an American musician, composer and conductor. After working as an arranger and composer for swing bands, he developed his own style of easy listening music, known as exotica and scored over 250 radio, television and motion pictures numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Goldsmith</span> Film composer (1929–2004)

Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor known for his work in film and television scoring. He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, Poltergeist, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, and The Mummy. He also composed the fanfares accompanying the production logos used by multiple major film studios, and music for the Disney attraction Soarin'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Horner</span> American composer (1953–2015)

James Roy Horner was an American composer of film scores. He worked on over 160 film and television productions between 1978 and 2015, and was the winner of two Academy Awards, among many other accolades. He was known for the integration of choral and electronic elements alongside traditional orchestrations, and for his use of motifs associated with Celtic music.

Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo that has been working primarily in the genre of neoclassical dark ambient music since 1997 and is based in Chardon, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> (album) 2003 soundtrack album by Midnight Syndicate

Dungeons & Dragons is a studio album by the American musical group Midnight Syndicate, released August 12, 2003, by Entity Productions. The album is designed as a soundtrack to the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and was produced by Midnight Syndicate at the request of Wizards of the Coast, the company that owns the rights to the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Midnight Syndicate was approached by game designers at a gaming convention where they had set up stall, and they agreed to produce the album.

<i>The 13th Hour</i> 2005 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

The 13th Hour is the sixth studio album by Midnight Syndicate, released June 7, 2005, by Entity Productions. The album took listeners on a journey through a haunted Victorian mansion through the blend of symphonic gothic horror instrumental music and horror-inspired soundscape the band had become known for. Since its release, it has become one of the band's most popular titles, winning awards in the gaming industry and inspiring the prequel-themed album, Bloodlines, in 2021.

<i>Out of the Darkness (Retrospective: 1994–1999)</i> 2006 compilation album by Midnight Syndicate

Out of the Darkness is a retrospective album by Midnight Syndicate, released July 4, 2006, by Entity Productions. The album features re-recorded and re-mastered tracks from the band's early years (1994-1999). The 24 tracks on the album include 4 previously unreleased songs.

<i>Vampyre</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

Vampyre: Symphonies from the Crypt is the fifth studio album by Midnight Syndicate, released August 13, 2002 by Entity Productions. Centering on themes surrounding vampire lore, gothic literature, and classic horror films, the album featured the band's "symphonic horror" blend of dark, synth-created orchestral music and soundscape. The album features cover art by fantasy artist, Keith Parkinson.

<i>The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</i> 2008 soundtrack album by Midnight Syndicate

The Rage: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was both the ninth album and first movie soundtrack by the band Midnight Syndicate, released February 26, 2008. The album features the score to the 2007 horror film, The Rage, composed by Edward Douglas.

<i>The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates</i> 2008 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

The Dead Matter: Cemetery Gates is the tenth album of the band Midnight Syndicate, released in 2008. The album consists of original music in band's orchestral, gothic, horror soundtrack-style inspired by the themes in the horror film, The Dead Matter.

<i>Halloween Music Collection</i> 2010 compilation album by Midnight Syndicate

Halloween Music Collection is a best of album by the gothic, horror instrumental band, Midnight Syndicate, released on July 30, 2010. Featuring a selection of tracks made popular through the music's exposure in the Halloween, haunted attraction, horror music, and role-playing game industries.

<i>The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</i> 2010 soundtrack album by Midnight Syndicate

The Dead Matter: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was both the twelfth album, and second movie soundtrack by the band, Midnight Syndicate, released July 30, 2010. The album features the original score to the supernatural horror film, The Dead Matter (2010), composed by Edward Douglas, as well as other gothic rock and heavy metal songs from the film. The album also contained several remixes of previously released Midnight Syndicate material including one performed by related act, Destini Beard.

<i>Pacific Rim</i> (soundtrack) 2013 soundtrack album / Film score by Ramin Djawadi

Pacific Rim: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released on digital download from Amazon.com on June 18, 2013, and CD June 25, 2013. The physical version of the soundtrack was released on July 9, 2013, three days before the theatrical release of the film itself.

<i>Monsters of Legend</i> 2013 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

Monsters of Legend is the sixteenth studio album by the gothic horror instrumental band, Midnight Syndicate. Advertised as a tribute to the Golden Age of Horror, the packaging featured images from Universal Classic Monster films Bride of Frankenstein, Werewolf of London, and Dracula. The album featured the blend of dark orchestral music, sound effects, and audio storytelling that the band had become known for.

<i>A Time Forgotten</i> 2012 studio album by Destini Beard with Midnight Syndicate

A Time Forgotten is the second collaborative remix album by vocalist Destini Beard and Midnight Syndicate, the first being the 2010 EP, The Dark Masquerade. The album blends Destini's original lyrics and vocals with previously released songs from Midnight Syndicate's albums. The theme of A Time Forgotten centers around a once-thriving Victorian-era hotel that has suffered a fire and is now haunted by its past residents. The album also included an original song written and performed by Destini entitled, My Last Goodbye, and an electro dance remix of Farewell Forever from The Dark Masquerade EP by Pat Berdysz of Encoder.

<i>Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering</i> 2015 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering is the eighteenth album by the gothic horror instrumental band, Midnight Syndicate. The album features a mix of re-imagined Christmas carols and original compositions in a style similar to the band's other gothic, paranormal, and Halloween-themed releases. Midnight Syndicate founder and composer, Edward Douglas, said it's one of his favorite albums they've ever created.

<i>Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan</i> American 2013 independent horror film

Axe Giant: The Wrath of Paul Bunyan is a 2013 independent horror film produced, written and directed by Gary Jones. It follows a group of juvenile delinquents who unwittingly disturb the legendary Paul Bunyan while embarking on a rehabilitation excursion in the woods, invoking his deadly wrath.

<i>Bloodlines</i> (Midnight Syndicate album) 2021 studio album by Midnight Syndicate

Bloodlines is the fourteenth studio album by Midnight Syndicate, released August 20, 2021. It is a prequel to Midnight Syndicate's popular 2005 haunted mansion-themed album, The 13th Hour providing an additional backstory to the cursed Haverghast family and the occurrences that happen before The 13th Hour's narrative begins. Bloodlines is a "cinema of the mind" or "faux soundtrack" album similar to its predecessor, where the track list is a scene guide to a movie that must be imagined while listening.

<i>It</i> (soundtrack) 2017 film score by Benjamin Wallfisch

It: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2017 American film It. An adaptation of the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, the first of the two-cinematic parts is directed by Andy Muschietti, and featured musical score composed by Benjamin Wallfisch. Wallfisch had influenced several works from film composers, notably John Williams and Alan Silvestri's works, while creating the score for It, and uses orchestral music in order to reflect the period of 1980s setting. A preview of the song list was released by WaterTower Music on August 25, 2017 and the soundtrack album consisting 38 tracks, were digitally released on September 1. A limited edition double LP was released on October 27, that consisted of a 18 tracks in the original score and remaining 29 tracks, that was released separately. The score received positive response from critics, appreaciting Wallfisch for the orchestral approach for the soundtrack.

<i>The Shape of Water</i> (soundtrack) 2017 soundtrack album by Alexandre Desplat

The Shape of Water (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the Academy Award-winning film of the same name. It featured 26 tracks — most of the tracks were from the original score composed by Alexandre Desplat and some tracks are incorporated songs, being originated from the 1940s and 1960s as the film is set during the Cold War period. The film, directed by Guillermo del Toro, who also co-wrote the script with Vanessa Taylor, stars Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Octavia Spencer.

References