MEISTER DES TODES [Master of Death] by Ian Honeywell – Soundtrack Review

Ian Honeyman has written music for TV, short films and feature films working alongside Klaus Badelt on Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. His latest soundtrack is for the German TV thriller Meister des Todes which is based on the real life situation of German arms companies illegally selling to conflicted areas of Mexico.

As Ian informed me “The score is made to complements the “real” nature of the film with an immediate, unusual sound, recorded on unusual instruments such as rebeca, tenor violin, oud, and a variety of guitars, pianos and other traditional instrument played in non-standard ways (bowed, scraped, tapped) in various studios around Los Angeles, with some orchestral and percussive elements.”

This is a moody and atmospheric score with no discernible theme or motif, but what is gripping are the sounds Honeywell manages to get from his array of stringed instruments. Going To Mexico positions the films subject matter with vibrant percussion building to an orchestral sweep and a discordant ‘scratchy’ string sound.

Riot starts with a jazzy, jangly [the only word for it] guitar which certainly rattles the nerves. It follows through with pulsating electronica which at times has a video game feel to it, the cue sustains well in it’s 8 minute 18 seconds duration.

Full Auto is very cool again with disturbing string sounds and driving percussion. I like the background feel to the string pieces, it’s displacing and very eerie and certainly adds to the claustrophobic mood of this soundtrack.

It’s an accomplished and well mixed score and I’m looking forward to the next Honeywell endeavor.

Digitil download from Amazon and iTunes

On Spotify

1. Going To Mexico (2:16)
2. Riot (8:18)
3. Back Home (1:51)
4. Guerrero (2:42)
5. Protest (3:37)
6. Delivering Guns (3:06)
7. Full Auto (2:55)
8. Repentance (1:08)
9. Shooting (2:02)
10. Traitors (2:50)
11. One Of The Boys (4:07)
12. For Your Own Safety (1:26)
13. Beach Demonstration (1:28)
14. Victor And Penelope Killed (1:30)
15. I Have Nightmares (2:05)
16. Worldwide Demand (3:16)
17. German Boy (3:10)
18. Blame (2:16)
19. King Of Guns (4:49)
20. Everyone Has His Price (2:27)