Zanobard Reviews

Benjamin Wallfisch’s grandly wondrous soundtrack for Twisters features some truly breathtaking orchestral performances, that alongside some fantastically adventurous and mysterious new themes for Kate and the twisters respectively and a country music style that harkens back to the original Twister make this sequel score well worth checking out.

So before we get started, let me just address the thematic elephant in the room right off the bat; unfortunately, while certain stylistic references are indeed made (which we’ll get into later) none of Mark Mancina’s themes from the original 1996 Twister score are reprised in this sequel soundtrack. The specific reasons why are unknown, but I suspect it’s probably because none of the original film’s characters return in this new one which makes it a standalone sequel more than a direct one, so thematically perhaps they just decided to make a clean slate of it as a result. While normally I would be a bit more up in arms about this – especially given how genuinely fantastic Mancina’s motifs for the original were – this time I have to say, I’m not too upset, and there’s a pretty specific reason why; while I do really love and miss those Mancina themes, Benjamin Wallfisch’s style and motifs for standalone sequel Twisters here are genuinely fantastic. I maintain generally with sequel soundtracks that if you’re going to take the risk and not use the original themes (if there are any to use anyway), you better at least have a damned solid new score to back up that decision – and Wallfisch really, genuinely does here. So without further ado – let’s get into it.

The score for Twisters begins with “Nature’s Masterpiece”, and it’s here that we’re introduced to one of Wallfisch’s brand new themes; the one for the twisters themselves. Lightly ethereal piano notes open the track, with the composer’s rather wondrous motif for the titular wonders of nature echoing adventurously through alongside similarly striking strings and mysterious-sounding vocals. The sense of sheer fascination that the new motif evokes here is breathtaking in style, and very fitting indeed. The theme then continues somewhat into the subsequent “Team Kate”, before lighter and more upbeat strings then enter the fray and a rather playful orchestral tone ushers the cue to its end. “Javi” then introduces the actual theme for Kate Carter (a former storm chaser and main character of the film, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones), a five note piece that plays in a similarly upbeat manner to the previous track but now on a playful guitar alongside the piano-based twisters motif and additional strings, evoking a very country music-esque feel overall. We’re then introduced to the album’s first major action setpiece in “This Car’s Gonna Fly”; cautiously optimistic strings open the track before tense drums, vocals and brass build a chaotic pace in volume and intensity, reaching several thunderously dramatic crescendos before the emphatic track then finally crashes out at just past the five minute mark.

Kate’s theme plays quietly and solemnly on melancholic strings in “Aftermath”, though this gentle worry doesn’t last for too long as the subsequent “She Told Us East” then leaps grandly into centre stage with country music intermixed wonderfully with loudly bombastic and rather heroic orchestra and even a thunderously emphatic electric guitar for two frankly fantastic-sounding minutes. It’s here as well that the influence of Mark Mancina’s Twister score really becomes apparent, with that same playful guitar-twang style from the original bleeding clearly through to that same mesmerising effect. It is a bit of a shame that the themes themselves don’t reprise in these moments too though, standalone sequel status aside. Tensions then start to dial back up in “Shifting Path”, with dramatic drums playing alongside worrisome strings, wondrous vocals and some very Mancina-esque electronics. Kate’s theme makes a brief appearance at just past halfway through, before thunderous brass and increasingly tense vocals then crescendo the track to a close. The playful country music then returns in “The Race” for two happily enjoyable minutes, before the mysterious twister motif reprises on those same piano notes in the opening of “Complete The Triangle”. The hopeful country and electric guitar combo then briefly return until tense strings and crashes of drums usher in a dramatically worrisome pace and some very Mancina-esque vocals set a god-like ethereal tone for an impending tornado that then whirlwinds the action until cue’s end.

The nearly five minute “Rodeo” opens moodily on low-pitched brass and eerie electronics, with the full orchestra then building quietly and rising in worrisome intensity for the next few minutes until Kate’s theme thunders dramatically through on louder, more confident brass. From here the aforementioned instrumentation leads a tense charge with further brief reprisals of Kate’s motif until the track finally fades to a frightening close. Solemn strings are then the focal point of “After The Storm” with Kate’s theme interspersed throughout, playing morosely. “Tornado Theory” reprises the twisters motif but now on even more mysterious and wondrous-sounding electronics instead of piano notes, with a brief vocal crescendo cementing the dramatic stature of these wonders of nature before the aforementioned piano notes then also reprise. The happily upbeat country style returns with Kate’s theme leading on strings in “Everyone In Position” before action kicks back into gear in “Refinery”; frantically-paced strings and bursts of worried brass lead a dramatic charge for most of the four minute runtime here, with brief hints towards both Kate’s theme and Mancina’s eerie electronics for the twister from the original film. “Kate’s Theme” then offers an extended look at the titular character’s now well-established motif, this time on gentle strings and piano notes, and I will just take a moment to say that it really is a fantastic theme by Wallfisch; it’s memorable, adventurous and versatile, and works brilliantly all across the album.

With the soundtrack now approaching its end, “El Reno” introduces itself with tense crashes of drums before ushering in further action with frantic strings and a tensely brass-based rendition of Kate’s theme. Standout Cue “Twisters” however then takes this established action and dials it up to eleven, as the thunderous heroism that the entire score so far feels like it’s been building towards finally happens. Tension occupies the first minute before this then fades in favour of a sheer orchestral force as Kate’s theme leaps powerfully into centre stage. Grandiose brass, pounding drums and ever-frenetic strings give the motif a happily lengthy and genuinely breathtaking surge of pure musical adrenaline here to incredible-sounding results, with a powerful rendition of the twisters motif in the back half then sealing this as the very best track of the album. With things now starting to wind down, “You Did It, Kate” offers a gentler, more thoughtful string playthrough of Kate’s motif before final track “If You Feel It, Chase It” reprises that cheerful country music style one last time with Kate’s theme leading in similarly optimistic style on strings, which then all fade to a gently peaceful close.

Overall, Benjamin Wallfisch’s breathtakingly adventurous and unapologetically thunderous work for Twisters makes for a genuinely spectacular listen from start to finish here. His impeccably-crafted orchestral style hints gently towards Mark Mancina’s original Twister while very much forging its own path, and that orchestra combined with the playful country tone is an absolute delight throughout (see “She Told Us East” for the best example of this). Thematically Wallfisch also has his eye very much on the ball here, with an appropriately equal parts mysterious and wondrous piano & vocal-based motif for the twisters themselves playing counterpointedly to an at times quietly thoughtful and other times poundingly heroic theme for main character Kate. That second motif in particular there is fantastically versatile, playing in all manner of style all across this excellent album and not once outstaying its welcome (for best performances though see “Kate’s Theme” and “Twisters”). All-in, the incredible-sounding orchestra, impeccable action and the well-crafted themes almost entirely make up for the fact that Mark Mancina’s incredible score for the original Twister is only hinted at here and themes are sadly not reprised, but the “standalone sequel” aspect of this new film I suspect is probably the culprit for that creative decision, and in fairness, if it wasn’t obvious enough from the above; Wallfisch’s new score here is pretty fantastic in its own right, so its hard to fault it too heavily for being light on Mancina.

The first three minutes of standout cue “Twisters”. Just… wow.

Score: 8/10

Standout Cues: Kate’s Theme/Twisters

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