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COVERAGE - SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox – Music From The DC Universe Animated Original Movie
Studio: La-La Land Records
Release Date: September 10th, 2013

Synopsis: La-La Land Records, Warner Bros. Animation and DC Comics present the original motion picture score to the DC Universe Animated Original Movie Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Acclaimed composer Frederik Wiedmann (Green Lantern: The Animated Series) seizes the opportunity to work with a live orchestra and unleashes a stupendous superhero score that propels this action-packed, fan-favorite DC Comics storyline. Fans of Wiedmann's Green Lantern: The Animated Series scores will be delighted with what the composer has delivered here. Produced by the Frederik Wiedmann and MV Gerhard, and mastered by Doug Schwartz, this special release is limited to 2000 units and features liner notes from the composer and the filmmakers.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Music By Frederik Wiedmann
1. The Incident 2:18
2. Rogue 2:03
3. Justice League 3:47
4. Mother 1:08
5. Sin City 2:32
6. The Beginning of the End 1:06
7. Inside the Batcave 1:44
8. Chased by Amazons 2:17
9. Atlantian War 3:53
10. Recreation 1:22
11. Redux 3:11
12. Flash Reborn 1:05
13. A Darker Past 1:26
14. Hal Jordan 1:48
15. Superman 1:31
16. Faster Than Bullets 1:56
17. The Mission of a Soldier 1:35
18. Aquaman's Army 1:05
19. Worlds Collide 1:29
20. Aquaman vs. Wonder Woman 1:36
21. Thawne's Play 4:01
22. I Changed Something 2:09
23. The Fallen 2:37
24. The Blood of Hope 1:51
25. Last Man Standing 3:14
26. Hell of a Messenger 4:01
27. This Is Classified 1:44
28. Lost Family 0:36
Total Album Time: 59:04

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox Soundtrack Review
By James Harvey

One thing that caught me by surprise with this release is how, even when following traditional heroic themes and styles, Frederik Wiedmann is still able to come up with something truly original and spectacular. He makes his heroic themes sound momentous, the action beats earth-moving, and the devastating scenes...well...devastating. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is another fantastic effort by Wiedmann, and is probably one the best DC Universe Animated Original Movie score to date.

And I'm sure that last comment is one that's been said here time and time again, but the composers on these movies keep knocking it out of the park repeatedly. Some efforts have been better than others, yes, but, in the end, they are almost always able to pull out something amazing for these soundtrack releases, and Wiedmann's Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is no different.

What's so great about Wiedmann is how he's able to move from track to track, each usually wildly different than the one before, without skipping a beat. Listen to the third track, "Justice League," then the fourth, "Mother," then "Sin City." Each are incredibly different from the previous track but here, he creates a flow between the three that, despite their wild variances, they don't seem to far apart from each other. There's some thematic semblance that actually keeps them together, which is the movie's story. He's able to use that as a key part to these tracks, to tie them together despite how different they actually are.

This soundtrack moves along at a blistering pace for the most part. We get some great, intense tracks like "Atlantean War" coupled with the more somber "redux," or the heroic (but with a hint of darkness) "Flash Reborn." And, actually, once the soundtrack hits "World's Collide," it doesn't really slow down. There are a few moments where our characters catch their breathe or take stock of the situation, like "I Changed Something," but the pace stays fast on its' feet until we get to the perfect "Hell of a Messenger," an excellent track which wraps up the film's story with a nice emotional beat before the soundtrack wraps up with a couplew additional tracks.

The work we get from Wiedmann here is considerably different then his work on Green Lantern: The Animated Series. As I said above, Wiedmann goes for more of a traditional take on the DC heroes here, but that doesn't mean his work is any less emotional or riveting here. He turns around some pretty gut-punching tracks, particularly "Hell of a Messenger," that really sells the strong themes of the movie's story. In fact, what I find this soundtrack shows, particularly of Wiedmann's skill, is how adaptable he is to the source material. He can do something wild and cosmic, like on his work with the aforementioned CG-animated series featuring a certain Emerald Knight, but here he can deliver a traditional, exciting heroic score that doesn't sound boring or repetitive. In fact, he actually adds some surprising depth to it all. It takes tremendous skill to take something so established and bring something to it in such a way that it doesn't detract or sound awkward.

Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox gives Wiedmann his shot at DC's epic super-hero team and he thankfully smashes it out of the park. Granted, it's a very dark, twisted take on the superhero group, who are actually absent for the majority as the Flash is thrust into the spotlight, but his take on the group is fantastic. He's also able to make the dark undertones and emotional core of the story dominant throughout the soundtrack without it actually overpowering anything. It's a riveting listen that has me really, really hoping that we'll get to hear more of Wiedmann's work on further DC Comics animated adventures featuring the Justice League. As much as I enjoyed his unique styles on Green Lantern: The Animated Series, I'm really curious to see what else he could pull off with a traditional super-hero score. Until then, I'll just have to keep Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox is regular rotation. Highly Recommended!


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