Verdict
Summary
The film may have been a missed opportunity but the music is one of the best scores of the decade. Essential!
Review: I’ve always thought that the movie Priest was a missed opportunity; it has some really interesting ideas and themes which are sadly pushed to the back to be replaced by average CGI vampires.
It reeked of studio interference and rather than being a post apocalyptic movie detailing how a fascistic church now runs the world, it became a forgettable hour and 20 minute action/horror movie.
Thankfully, the best thing about the movie is the score by Christopher Young which is frankly one of the greatest scores of all time.
It is a Gothic masterpiece with a memorable theme tune, stunning choirs a genuinely epic feel.
The main theme entitled Priest (oddly enough) is arguably the highlight but my personal favourite track is A World Without End. Starting off quietly and building into a haunting melody with some of the best choral music I’ve ever heard, it truly is something special.
Cathedral City Blue oozes menace and mystery as it starts off with a low key voice, which sounds oddly like a raven, then the theme comes in and has a spectacular finale. There isn’t a dull moment with every track creating amazing visuals in your mind which no film could live up to.
The one thing you can say about this score is that it doesn’t sound like any other movie score. It is utterly unique and I consider Young one of the very best composers in the business. He doesn’t get the name recognition of Zimmer or Williams but he’s right up there with them. He also did the stunning score to Hellraiser 2.
Young has created something really special with the Priest score and it’s a great shame that it may end up being forgotten. If you like BIG sounding orchestral action/horror movie music then Priest is utterly essential and is one of the best action/horror scores you will ever hear, trust me.
