Normally, when I receive a soundtrack to review, I’m at a
disadvantage because I haven’t seen the movie. In the case of
Universal Soldier – The Return, I have a good excuse – the
movie isn’t out in the theaters yet! (The movie is scheduled to
open on August 20.)
You’d almost expect any soundtrack to a movie featuring
professional wrestler Bill Goldberg to be filled with good hard
rock and heavy metal. And while there are some good (and even
surprising) performances on this disc, there are also some major
disappointments. It’s kind of like walking in a minefield; things
feel good until you make that one bad step.
The most notable inclusion on this disc is “Crush ‘Em,” the
latest track from Megadeth, and a track from their upcoming album.
Dave Mustaine and crew go for a new sound on this song – and,
unfortunately, it’s not a great move for Megadeth. Sure, I realize
that any band that has been around for over 15 years has to change
and adapt as they get older, but when compared to what they
recorded for
Cryptic Writings, “Crush ‘Em” sounds like a leftover
track.
One of the more pleasant surprises comes from The Flys, a band
that I hadn’t discovered until hearing their rendition of Ozzy
Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”. (Only one complaint: the song isn’t
allowed to finish by going into the third verse. Sorry, but I’m a
purist at heart.) The true-to-form rendition, as well as the
amazing harmonies, make me very curious about this band – and
something tells me I’ll be picking up their album for my own
enjoyment very soon.
The Clay People – one of the more exciting acts to come out of
the industrial metal category over the last 18 months – is always a
welcome addition to a soundtrack, but while I love the track
“Awake,” couldn’t someone have selected a different track? (The
same song was featured in Dee Snider’s horror movie
Strangeland.) Another pleasant addition to this soundtrack
is Static-X’s “Bled For Days”; this band is one worth watching in
the very near future. I truly think they’re onto something.
With all the wonderful surprises and inclusions on
Universal Soldier – The Return, there are some rather ho-hum
moments as well. For one, Anthrax is a band who have had some great
songs over the years; why choose one from their neutron-bomb
Stomp 442 for this disc (“Fueled”)? In another vein, Gwar is
not a band I would call one of my favorites; I heard their album
America Will Be Destroyed and almost lost my lunch. Yet,
their inclusion on this disc, “Saddam A Go-Go,” is almost, well…
tame.
A few other bands on this disc were okay, but I didn’t hear
anything special in their performances to merit pulling them out
for major mention. Some of these bands included One Minute Warning
(“Remain Calm”), Jact (“Magic #3”) and D Generation (“Hatred”).
Universal Soldier – The Return has some moments that will
make you proud to be a rocker, as well as some moments that will
have you scrambling for the nearest foxhole. It’s worth checking
out – but tread lightly.
