Hellboy [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

 (18 customer reviews)

One might expect the music for Hellboy to be loaded down with throbbing percussion and blaring brass, but the opposite is true. Marco Beltrami has written a sensitive score that has more to do with the characters and their relationships than battle scenes. The tracks Liz Sherman, Rooftop Tango Father's Funeral and Investigating Liz come immediately to mind as music having well developed themes that are even more rewarding when heard again. There, of course, are great dramatic moments when Hellboy battles the villains, but Mr. Beltrami does not go for a cheap effect and is nicely descriptive; the track entitled Soul Sucker has a nice spooky quality. In short, this is a thoughtfully composed score that is charming, thrilling and atmospheric. It is a film score than can be listened to again and again for the quality of the music and a CD you will not get tired of.

I remember when Marco Beltrami was hacking away at trash like Scream and any other teen slasher flick that came around. I also remember he had one decent theme come out of any of them, which was Sidney's Lament. I then remember him falling into the role of "ubiquitous background score guy" through the rest of the nineties, with a passable score to Blade II and ending up with crap like Terminator 3.Finally, he gives us something to actually -want- to remember! With his score to Hellboy, Beltrami gives his fans and newcomers alike a thematically rich, near-simplistic yet supremely satisfying take on an otherwordly story. His incredible opening title, the pounding and brassy battle sequences and somber funeral elegy are all features well worth a listen. Two tracks stand out above the rest, ultimately: The cleverly twisted BPRD theme, which to me is the musical embodiment of wit and charm, and the climactic finale "Stand By Your Man", in which he overcomes his...Read more

Marco Beltrami is a very interesting artist, indeed...Possessing a style that is unique in it's approach to harmony, dissonance, and the mating of electronic elements with symphonic,
Marco is quickly establishing himself as someone who not only has a strong individual voice, but knows how to build on the strengths of his forbearers.Hellboy is a phenomenal piece of composition. Highly memorable, and addicting like the best kind of drug, the score brilliantly transitions from epic thematic material, to quiet and emotional motifs that bring a deep level of heart and power to the film.The film and the score are masterworks in the genre and should be
experienced by any who love great film, and great music.Cheers Marco, you've arrived with this one!Ben Isaac