31 Days 31 Scores
October 15th
“And it shall come to pass that in the end days the beast shall reign 100 score and 30 days and nights. And the faithful shall cry unto the Lord, ‘Wherefore art thou in the day of evil?’ And the Lord shall hear their prayers. And out of the Angel Isle he shall bring forth the Deliverer; the holy Lamb of God who shall do battle with the beast. And shall destroy him.” Only it won’t be the beast that is destroyed, it’ll be the Nazarene.”
Welcome Back to “31 Days 31 Scores”. Today I look at the score to the 1981 film “The Final Conflict” by Jerry Goldsmith. This third chapter of the Omen saga opens up with a sort of familiar theme and while it does not use “Ave Satani” the basic elements are there creating a more mature opening for an older Damien Thorn. The choir subtly chants its way through the score creating a creepy mood. Goldsmith was at the top of his game here and crafts a wonderful vibe with subtle brass and dissonant strings. Modern composers should take note that this is the way to do horror. Goldsmith doesn’t bash you over the head with the orchestra nor does it drone, it sits in the shadows and he uses it to get inside your head with low dissonant sound and subtle orchestration. “The Second Coming” is a gorgeous cue with a similar pace to the opening of “Alien” but with a more religious “God” choir for obvious reasons. “The Hunt” breaks away from the quiet to bring us a brighter cue with subtle touches of sinister orchestration and a great use of horn to remind us of a sounding bugle during a hunt. “The Blooding” does remind me a little of the “Ave Satani” but only for the first part, the rest is the more mature theme for Thorn. “Parted Hair” comes out of the gate immediately with rapid fire chant and the just as quickly returns to subtle strings, flute and choir. The score ends with the cue “The Final Conflict” a mostly triumphant cue with the return of the “God” choir and triumphant brass and a wrap up suite. What more needs to be said? “The Final Conflict” is Goldsmith at his best and the Deluxe Edition released by Varese is great.
Join me tomorrow for more 31 Days 31 scores where “They said it was over. They were wrong!”