Alan Silvestri – Van Helsing

Transylvania
Welcome to the Vampire capital of the world. Silvetre opens up the track with a frantic riff of both the strings and the brass, and immediately introduces a chorus in this short and sweet piece. He shifts the tone to more ominous in the 2nd half. 2.5/5

Burn It Down!
Expanding on what is apparently one of the key themes from the previous track, Silvetre starts it off right where the previous track ending. A slow beginning with harsh drums and strings lends itself to a more tense and balmy affair. 1 minute in and then the mood shifts, and it is positively expansive and its scope and reach. Drums in the background beat to a steady, intense cadence. The brass provides a threatening lift to the sound. As it approaches its final third, it begins to almost wist with the full orchestra, pleading for some action to be taken. The chorus rounds it out with what I believe is Latin chanting. 3.5/5

Werewolf Trap
It’s very much a song created to spring a trap, as per its name. Shorter in length, it is gushing in threats. It’s clear that our heroes are taking a defined risk in this piece, with a very John Williams construction. 2.5/5

Journey To Transylvania
A chorus and a frantic, pouncing orchestra starts this one off before a Spanish guitar enters the fray. A guitar is always a welcome addition, but musically it’s not that appealing. 3/5

Attacking Brides
If I told you this was in a Looney Tunes piece, it wouldn’t be too far off, at least in its beginning. Stressed strained strings immediately introduce you into a world of caution and peril. So far, this soundtrack has lacked nuance, and it’s a little frustrating, and I’m waiting for something more. I get the feeling that we’re going to be putting a frontal assault on a fortress or castle soon. As we approach the tail end of the piece, a choir comes into full fruition, improving the quality of the sound and moving into a Howard Shore Lord of the Rings vibe. 2.5/5

Dracula’s Nursery
It starts off with a sound that sounds like a squeaky door on a hinge, but then transitions into a more typical brass setup 40 seconds in. It’s a bombastic introduction before it levels off again a minute in. After a minute more of silence, the bombastic sounds return in an escalating pattern, signaling a decent intensity, but then it drops again. It’s highly inconsistent. Around 3 minutes in, a more steady, piano-based motif takes over before the bombastic sounds return again 3 minutes and 40 seconds in. The inconsistency really makes it difficult to get in the mood on this one. 2/5

Useless Crucifix
It starts off slowly, but then hints at something larger almost immediately. It’s a rushed, thrilling sound with drums and the brass going off in heavy tones. We also get a hint of a victory theme every now and again, but it’s not exactly consistent in its construction. But, after 2 minutes, I’m fatigued by this piece. 2.5/5

Transylvanian Horses
It’s a typical running-away from danger song, but I actually am enjoying this one, at least for the first minute. But, that minute ends and we are thrust into silence and an eerie overtone. Once the overtone dissipates after another minute, we’re put back right into a battle piece. It’s loud and aggressive, with a frantic choir coming in at the end to finish it off. 2.5/5

All Hallow’s Eve Ball
A complete change of pace, it’s very clearly a ballet-style piece. The problem is that it’s not a very compelling one. If I had asked an artificial intelligence to write a ballet piece, this is what I would get. It lacks in any real emotional depth for a ballet piece. Until, we get to the halfway point. From there, it escalates quite nicely and it brings in some emotion that’s been sorely lacking from the whole album, until it crumbles away with a minute left into a more aggressive battle track again. 3/5

Who Are They To Judge?
We get some emotional depth tied in with a more aspiring piece here. But the depth really isn’t there enough to justify it as a good standalone track. 2.5/5

Final Battle
The whole time I’m listening to this album, I can’t help but think of how little emotional intelligence it has. Alan Silvestre is capable of much more, but I’m very curious what his cues were. What were you thinking? This piece, as expected, is a battle track through and through. But the broader issue is that the whole album is a battle track. It’s draining on the listener. This one is bombastic with a choir providing a decent complement the whole time. But it’s 6 minutes of banging your head against a drum. Only the last minute makes it worth a listen in any respect, as a floating escalating motif shows its shadow, only to be taken away by the drums. 2.5/5

Reunited
The one saving grace on this whole album is “Reunited.” It just doesn’t have some emotional depth, it is emotional depth. It’s an absolutely lovely piece of a track. The brass and the strings actually take some time away from each other, and they provide a yin and yang complement to what is a glorious send-off to this album. In fact, I’ve heard this song before and that’s why I wanted to review the whole album; to say I was disappointed in the rest of the album is an understatement. “Reunited” is a wistful longing piece of a love once lost. It’s phenomenal in its delivery, and I’m always shocked at how good it is once I come back to it. It is a testament of how to make something that can be sad and hopeful at the same time. 6/5