Mark Isham - Blade (2 LP)
- LP
- 2 piece(s)
- 2024
- 45 tracks
- 1 uur, 12 min
- soundtrack
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4.3
Average of 3 reviews
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In 1998, New Line Cinema brought us the action-horror vampire tale “Blade,” an early Marvel comic adaptation featuring the Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan character. Wesley Snipes stars as Blade, or “The Daywalker,” a half-human, half-vampire determined to eradicate vampires from the Earth. Immune to sunlight and backed by his armorer Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), Blade is a formidable force with an arsenal of sharp weapons, martial arts skills, and a fierce attitude. He also struggles to control his growing thirst for blood, which is kept in check by street supplements and Whistler’s tech expertise. When Blade discovers his connection to the megalomaniacal Frost (Stephen Dorff), the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. Director Stephen Norrington enlisted the talents of acclaimed jazz trumpeter and synthesist Mark Isham to score the film. Isham’s two-word brief for the music was “evil” and “ambient.” Though an unconventional choice, Isham’s work proved Norrington’s instincts were spot-on. His ethereal score for the 1986 thriller “The Hitcher” showcases his ability to explore psychopathy, making him a fitting choice for “Blade.” Isham had to create an effective yet unobtrusive score that complemented the film’s various source music pieces. Unlike the sequel scores by Marco Beltrami and Ramin Djawadi, Isham’s music stands alone, thriving as a separate entity from the narrative. It blends industrial sounds, monothematic strings, and eerie synthesized and percussive tones. With Isham handling the electronic parts and Ken Kugler orchestrating his tormented string compositions, the Hollywood Studio Symphony and choral work supervised by Joan Beal delivered a stellar score. Isham admitted on the film’s commentary that he’s not a fan of other film composers and avoided using a temp track featuring the likes of Eliot Goldenthal. While there are similarities between the synthesizer applications in “Alien 3” and “Blade,” Isham’s tone is more abstract, influenced by artists like Art Lande and Brian Eno. Norrington’s plan to include existing contemporary songs, such as the techno remix of New Order’s “Confusion,” Junkie XL’s “Dealing With The Roster,” and the dreamy “Soleil” and “Eclipse” by Germany’s Solitaire, as well as The Harmonic Choir’s “Rainbow Voice,” required Isham to work closely with the sound editors for music spotting. The mix of original score and pre-existing techno, hip hop, and other songs results in a fragmented presentation of Isham’s contributions, with many of the 45 tracks running under a minute. The end of 2024 saw Varèse give Isham’s work a long-overdue makeover with a clean and punchy remastering by Chas Ferry and Melinda Hurley. An unfortunate typo lists 46 cues, but only 45 are present—track 19, “Pearl” is missing, with the gargantuan bone white creature’s immolation represented by “Pearl Fries” (noted by Isham as 3M12, “Blade Takes Files” on the isolated score). “Born Of Blood Then” opens the film in 1967, with the pensive first half of the opening title music, “Headed For Trouble,” titled onscreen as “Now.” When Blade crashes a crimson-soaked rave, “Blood Club Voices” mark his arrival with awed strings and chorus. As Blade brutally punishes the cocky vampire Quinn (Donal Logue), the musical torment of “Quinn Stapled And Torched” and the growling ferocity of “Quinn Chows Down” hint that our hero may be fighting a losing battle. When Frost explains his plans for global domination to a cynical elite “House Of Lords,” a lengthy, brooding ambient rumble underscores his deranged ambitions. Querulous effects swirl as N’Bushe Wright’s sympathetic hematologist Dr. Jenson “Karen Awakens” to realize she has been infected by Quinn, offering her expertise to develop a serum to quell Blade’s growing bloodthirst. “Daywalker” introduces Blade’s melancholy theme—brave yet solitary, contemplative but vulnerable. Although not an Isham creation, the sacred throat singing of “Rainbow Voice” is absent, likely due to licensing fees, but is present on the abbreviated album. Ominous church organ is introduced when “The (ancient) Transcription is Completed,” foreshadowing the inevitable return of La Magra, the Blood God. “The Beating” opens with a pummeling struggle as Whistler encounters Frost’s sleazy thugs, while “Death Of Whisper” gives Blade’s savior and father figure an appropriately funereal send-off. The metallic clanging of “Intruder” recalls Brad Fiedel’s “Terminator 2” scoring, while the defiant strings and chugging synth effects articulate Blade’s new thirst for revenge. The epic “Temple Of Light” quotes Blade’s theme, accompanied by brief silences that recede with dolorous organ and apocalyptic strings. The hellish choruses for “Blood Relations” are slowed by a piano reading of the Blade theme. As the La Magra blood god “Ritual Continues” with sinister effects, “The Thirst Always Wins” explores primal, scratchy sounds as Blade is forced to seek sustenance from Jenson. The rebirth of the “Blood God” is met with a cacophonous array of crashing cymbals, bleak horns, and varied textural seasonings. Limited to 2,000 copies, this highly sought-after deluxe treatment of one of Mark Isham’s best-remembered scores requires numerous listens to savor its authentically rendered largesse. But once hooked on Isham’s densely laden sonic frights and drama, listeners shall be forever addicted to the bounty of music on this silver platter.
The tunes on this album are a 5, but the missing tracks deduct at least a 1. I get that it's common for soundtracks to skip a lot of pieces, but this release left out some truly amazing stuff that should've been included. It's only 33 mins long! Basically an EP! Some of the tracks aren't even full. It's good, but it could've been so much more.
The vinyl's color is absolutely eye-catching, but the sound? Even more impressive. It's so clean, crisp, and clear, it shakes the windows—definitely a hit for me. I'm not too fond of this cover art, but the quality on the inside totally compensates for it.
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| Date | Lowest price | Average price |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 30, 2025 | $39.99 | €39.99 |
| Dec 31, 2025 | $39.99 | €41.48 |
| Jan 31, 2026 | $39.99 | €41.48 |
| Feb 28, 2026 | $39.99 | €41.48 |
| Mar 9, 2026 | $39.99 | €39.99 |