The phenomenal power anthem for Backdraft is the height of Hans Zimmer’s impeccably ’90s music here, with its standout appearance through “Hard Lesson To Learn” combined with tremendous brassy action across the album making for a genuine career highlight.
The score for Backdraft comes from a time (an amazing time in my opinion for film scores) where over the top power anthems were all the rage in movie music, and in that manner this dramatic firefighting soundtrack by Hans Zimmer certainly doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it actually gets to the point pretty much immediately in Intrada’s two disc expansion and remastering of the 1991 film score, as opening track “Main Titles” introduces Backdraft‘s aforementioned anthem and main theme straight away. Rumbling drums open the four and a half minute cue, with quietly hopeful brass starting to build said theme alongside light woodwinds. As the music continues the drums then start to get louder and begin to march, with the brass also rising in dramatic nobility. This proud orchestral ensemble then holds the main theme enthusiastically high, cementing its grandiose tone and building it to a heroic surge at around two minutes in. All-in, there’s no denying the raw power of Backdraft‘s anthem; it’s bold, proud and unapologetically epic, and sticks in your head instantly like all good ’90s power anthems should. From the two minute mark however the theme vanishes, with wary strings and blasts of tense brass taking its place. A solemn new motif on militaristic brass then echoes in the final seconds of the track, cementing a new mood of sadness and loss before the music fades to a quiet close.
High-pitched, rather serene strings and brass open “The Real Thing”, occupying much of its runtime before fading in favour of a gentle piano introducing another of the score’s themes; a motif for Stephen and Brian McCaffrey, the protagonistic firefighter brothers of the film. The similarly short “One Case Won’t Do” then simmers with moody electronic ambience and synth, with “Burnt Out Beamer” afterwards continuing this style in a slightly more upbeat manner with light percussive hits (à la Zimmer’s Rain Man). Eight minute setpiece “Mannequin Fire” then opens with a quietly noble rendition of the main theme on determined brass, before warier strings and cold vocals start to seed a darker, murkier tone to orchestrally represent the threat of fire. Thudding drums then kick this ominous atmosphere up into dramatic action territory from the three minute mark, with tensions rising alongside anxious interspersions of the main theme until the action finally fades right before the track ends. Crashing drums then occupy the first minute of “Save My Baby” with aggressive brass reaching deafening levels, before the music then shifts in the second with orchestral triumph reaching a heroic crescendo. The solemnly militaristic brass of earlier then reprises in the thirty second “You Win” before high-pitched and rather unnerving strings establish a wary mood through “In Another Life” alongside atmospheric electronics.
“Show Me Your Firetruck – She’s Hot And Smokey – Tim Burns” (what a track title) opens in a rather wistful manner as the brothers motif plinks on quiet piano, before ominous synth overtakes at the two minute mark and a blast of tremendously determined orchestra then roars aflame shortly after. The track then closes with resolute brass playing the solemn motif from the end of the “Main Titles”, which we’ll call the loss theme for ease. Thudding percussion then thunders into centre stage at the start of “After The Fight” before fading in favour of solemn piano, with “What’s This Job All About?” afterward continuing this downtroddenness with moody, withdrawn piano and strings. A love theme of sorts then debuts on wistful woodwinds, strings and piano in the short “The Ex Is Back?”, stirring with quiet romance until fading just as quickly as it arrived. This softer tone does also continue somewhat into the subsequent “I Just Can’t Anymore” but then shifts in the back half as a more suspicious, warier mood arrives on strings. After aggressive pounding action suddenly crashes back into the fray on loud brass and synth in the short “Swayzak’s OK”, “Who Doesn’t Love Fire?” then echoes eerily in its opening minute with coldly ominous electronics and anxious strings. As the cue continues, this newly malevolent mood builds and becomes more prominent, particularly in the final minute, with creepy swathes of brass and synth abound.
The mammoth “Final Fire – Who’s Your Brother?” is the action finale, coming in at a whopping nineteen minutes long, and it begins with ominous electronic ambience. Wary hints toward the brothers theme then intersperse with said atmosphere before pounding drums, strings and determined Days Of Thunder-esque synth stride into frame. The action then properly gets going at eight minutes in, with crashing brass and drums clashing with the earlier synth for a ferocious while. The loss theme then provides a brief respite before the thunderous action resurges until a minute or so before the end of the cue, where woodwinds, strings and vocals settle into sorrow with a sombre reprisal of the brothers theme. The subsequent “Funeral” then plays mournful procession renditions of both the main and brothers themes with marching drums, strings and brass at the forefront, with the latter motif in particular getting a phenomenal focus towards the end of the track. Final and Standout Cue “Hard Lesson To Learn” is then the big, bold moment we’ve been waiting for as the main and brothers themes charge heroically back into the fray for their loudest, longest and indeed proudest rendition yet with soaring brass, marching drums and upbeat vocals all at the helm. Zimmer really did compose an absolutely impeccable power anthem for this film, and no more plain is that statement than through this wonderful closing track.
Overall, Hans Zimmer’s Backdraft is an immensely entertaining ’90s action score. The highlight is naturally its power anthem main theme, which first proudly appears in the opening “Main Titles” before darting heroically across the album as a motif for the noble firefighters themselves. The more heartfelt theme for the protagonistic McCaffrey Brothers then grounds the score emotionally, with its appearances through the quieter “The Real Thing”, “Show Me Your Firetruck” and the mournful “Funeral” all showcasing its versatility, though its champion rendition alongside the main theme in the powerfully standout “Hard Lesson To Learn” simply can’t be beaten. A gentle though underutilised love theme is also present (“The Ex Is Back?”) as is a nobler motif for sacrifice and loss that appears prominently at the end of “Main Titles”, and an ever-present ominous synthy atmosphere for the constant danger of fire in the film. All these thematic ideas are woven well together across the score through a dramatically brass-heavy orchestral style – as was the wonderful form for a lot of ’90s action soundtracks – with finale action setpiece “Final Fire – Who’s Your Brother?” being the best of the frenetic bunch there. All-in, Backdraft might not be quite as amazing as The Rock – but you can’t deny the raw power of its main theme.
Score: 8/10
Standout Cues: Final Fire – Who’s Your Brother, Hard Lesson To Learn
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