Every few years, some piece of pop culture jumps up, grabs hold of us and just won’t let go. In this case, it was the unassuming prequel to Zach Snyder’s Army of the Dead. Considering they both deal with zombies, perhaps the surprise (and parallel) was quite funny, even serendipitous.
What really comes alive in this heist film, which are usually fun by nature, is the music. At times, it is white-hot to match the energy (and calamity) fueling this team of discarded dorks. Other times, it is somber and anguished as these characters wear their emotions on their sleeves. Further, the sound pulsing through the speakers is so unexpected – you won’t find a retro elegance that matches the superior wit of sophisticated burglars – and that is when this effort really shines.
So who are the masterminds who cracked this musical code? That would be Steve Mazzaro and Hans Zimmer. This dynamic duo craft a quirky soundscape that works because of the contrast and counterpoints: energy and patience, modern and classical, drum and base and yodeling, not to mention sound effects, synths and symphony. Yeah, that’s all in there and more.
The harmony to it all is an endless bounty of riches which make tracks like “The Test”, “Cathouse”, “A Life Less Ordinary”, “That’s My Bike” and “Ludwig Dieter” a playful collection of triumphant, tempo-heavy, tricked out and, sometimes, tender ear worms.
The score to Army of Thieves is very robust and dynamic but has tons of heart. An added layer of texture and color are the very faint echoes of some overlooked Zimmer titles from years past (like Matchstick Men and even Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron) but this packs a punch that lands like The Rock by way of Sherlock Holmes. Oh, it’s just so good and all too easy to get lost in the feverish fun of it all.
We spoke with Mazzaro to discuss this and many of his other projects, namely HUGE efforts like No Time To Die, Dune, and Man of Steel. The young composer is as skilled at writing as he is highly technical; he has a brilliant ear for music which helped him land his big break with Zimmer a decade ago. And he’s skyrocketed since then working for and with superstar directors like Christopher Nolan, Ron Howard, Mel Gibson, and Denis Villeneuve.
Before we get to the interview, we just want re-emphasize that this sensational sound to Army of Thieves deserves more attention. Was it nominated for an Academy Award? No, it was not. And to that, we have some harsh words for the academy courtesy of a certain cinematic gingerbread man…”bah whizzers on you guys!!” Maybe it’s just me, because we’re both quirky, but I think Dieter is the kind of guy who would likely quote Shrek 2 regularly.
Anyway, allow us to warm up our instruments as we talk film music, franchises and Final Fantasy with Steve Mazzaro!
Check out more of Steve’s work at his official site here: www.stevemazzaro.com
