When I first saw the film "Watchmen" in 2009 I was totally mystified by it. I'm not a comic book fan and I had absolutely no knowledge of the lore required to fully enjoy the film. Clearly this wasn't the sort of show for me.
Yet, ten years later I decided to watch a new TV series based on the same characters. This time around I enjoyed things much more and I'm sure that this was due, in part, to the fantastic music by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of the band Nine Inch Nails.
Here we have the first volume of the soundtrack that features artwork for a fictional album called "The Book of Rorschach" by the equally fictional band Sons Of Pale Horse. Whilst I have no doubt this fake sleeve approach was artistically satisfying (and nothing I have seen before) it is a bit annoying as you have to look online to see what any of these tracks are actually called.
When I received this album it was quite badly scratched and had all kinds of clicks and pops straight from the manufacturer. After a little resistance the band's official UK webshop sent me a replacement that wasn't scratched, bit it doesn't play quite as flawlessly as I expected either.
The first few opening tracks of this album are atmospheric wonders that set the scene for both the TV series and this record. I can't imagine sitting down and coming up with something as good as the fourth track "Nun With A Motherfucking Gun" and not having the biggest smile on my face. The analogue synths, rapid percussion and throbbing bass combine perfectly on what is one of the highlights of all three volumes of the soundtrack.
Cues like "Kattle Battle" and "I'll Wait" sound like they have been lifted straight from a Nine Inch Nails album and it is clear that Reznor and Ross put just as much effort into their soundtracks as they do for their other work. Another highlight is "The Brick" which somehow manages to sound new and innovative but clearly carries the distinctive DNA of the composers. The music here is much more electronic than more recent Nine Inch Nails releases and I prefer it as a result. 4/5
