I will make
it no secret that Isao
Tomita's score for the 1974 disaster movie Prophecies
of Nostradamus is one of my favorite soundtracks
of all time. The music worked well in the feature film,
but arguably works even better as a stand alone experience.
Although many of the movie's cues are very enjoyable, the "Main Title" in particular is simply brilliant,
featuring light chorus work and drumming that work to
create both an energetic yet very foreboding theme. The
score's true standout piece, though, is the "New
Guinea Expedition" that has a wonderful "big
band" type of feel to it. "Hell on Earth"
is another nice track, although more notably for how grim
and appropriate it sounds for that scene in the movie.
A couple of tracks do miss their mark here, such as "Cannibalism,"
but the score as a whole more than overcompensates for
this. The soundtrack is a very contemporary one though,
utilizing synthesizers and some subtle guitar work, so
it isn't for everyone; however, for those who already
have a taste for music from this decade they will more
than likely be enamored by Tomita's wonderful score.
This
release from VAP is a real gem too, as it
features around 19 minutes of extra material, mostly focusing
on the vastly different non-synthesized cues. These tracks are especially valuable as they weren't included in the company's 2001 Toho SFX Champion Festival set. It should
also be noted that the booklet for this release is abnormally
large at 24 pages, as it covers the banned feature film
in good depth before diving into previous vinyl releases
and a thorough rundown of the tracks.
Overall, Tomita created a fairly dated yet otherworldly score for the 1970's disaster movie. While the score might not be for everyone's tastes, its most assuredly an unforgettable and enjoyable soundtrack.
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