odzilla fans who thought that their favorite movie monster's most recent big-screen appearance was in last year's Godzilla 2000: Millennium might be surprised to learn that a new picture titled Godzilla vs. Megaguirus has since been issued in Japan. Although that adventure has yet to debut officially in the United States, diehard devotees of "the Big G" can already revel in the production's music. That's because, as part of its ongoing Godzilla soundtrack series, GNP/Crescendo Records recently released a lively CD featuring more than two dozen cues from the film.
Resounding drums and muted brass impart a suitably massive feel to the disc's first cut, "Fateful Confrontation." This composition also contains a strong combative cadence that recurs in ensuing works like "G-Proximity," "Godzilla vs. Griffon" and "The Ultimate Battle Appearance." Various other selections display zestful motifs, too. Joyous trumpets herald the launch of an ultramodern flying warship in "Griffon Sallies Forth," just as buzzing violins announce the arrival of an alien insect swarm on "Meganula-Great Plague." At the same time, potent percussion and harsh strings generate a powerful, imposing air on such tunes as "Godzilla vs. Megaguirus" and "Suicidal Counterattack."
Along with the 26 cues culled from the movie, the collection also offers a couple of additional Godzilla goodies. A section labeled "Bonus 1" showcases two "Alternative Ending Themes"--"The Fury of Godzilla" and "The Decision of Godzilla"--by famed composer Akira Ifukube, and "Bonus 2" spotlights six brief sound effect samples, including "Godzilla (Footsteps)," "Megaguirus (Wings Humming)" and "Megaguirus (High Frequency Wave)."
Mediocre monster music
When Akira Ifukube, whom the liner notes reverently refer to as "Godzilla's musical 'father'," wrote the score for the first Godzilla motion picture in 1954, he crafted a striking work that masterfully captured the immensity and frightening force of the mammoth movie monster. Sadly, Michiru Ohshima's soundtrack to Godzilla vs. Megaguirus lacks such potency, depending instead upon motifs that are largely formulaic and repetitive. As a result, despite a few convincing numbers, more often than not the cues are pedantic and pedestrian.
The most effective themes tend to be those that employ subtle intonations. Soft strings intertwine with deep bass and scurrying percussion on "The Ominous Gigantic Egg," a succinct melody that produces a perilous yet strangely serene ambiance. A mournful woodwind dominates "Painful Life's Work," engendering a melancholy but somewhat anxious atmosphere, just as the lengthy "Ending Theme" serves as a rather restrained though aptly foreboding finale.
Unfortunately, Ohshima's ability to accent more action-oriented scenes is far less accomplished. The blaring horns and inordinately vigorous beat of cuts such as "The Ferocious Lifeform" and "Earth's Greatest Deathmatch" sound a lot like overblown cues from the original Star Trek TV series,
while potentially viable motifs on other compositions consistently repeat without any significant development or alteration. The two impressive "bonus" tracks from Ifukube further serve to emphasize these shortcomings. There are some decent tunes on Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, but, on the whole, "the Big G" deserves a far better musical complement than this mediocre effort.
