Anaconda

Randy Edelman is usually known for scoring comedies and the rare action film. When it was announced that he was going to score a horror film, a creature feature no less, that came as a bit of a shock for score fans. It was about as surprising as John Debney scoring that genre. The film, Anaconda, was nothing special and didn't make a big impact on the genre, despite a decent box office performance. What was interesting about the film, however, was Edelman's score.

There is very little subtlety in Anaconda. The opening track establishes a brooding orchestral melody intermixed with percussion and sounds of the swamp. Also thrown in throughout the score, adding a slightly South American ethnic feel, are wind flutes. Much of Edelman's score is dark brooding material which gradually crescendoes until exploding into bombastic orchestral material. Occasionally there is some interesting thematic material, be it orchestra or piano.

As far as Anaconda goes, it is surprisingly good. Listening to it and not knowing who it was composed by, you would assume alot of different things. Randy Edelman would most likely be the last thing to come to mind. The album is fairly short, but the material does give you a good grasp on Edelman's score for the rest of the film. It's also bittersweet, as it does showcase some impressive talent from the composer that you rarely ever see.