The Prophecy is a theological/supernatural thriller, and a bit of a cult item, largely because Gregory Widen's script exploits the possibility of human fate and faith being threatened when the forces of good and evil duke it out on Earth, and average humans end up with physical and intangible shrapnel from the manipulations and confrontations between good and bad angels.

Although he didn't have a lengthy period to research, develop, and compose an ornate score for the film, David Williams managed to give Widen's tightly budgeted directorial debut a compelling score, and his marriage of sound samples and synths still evokes the major dramatic points of the film.

The opening cue, “All About Faith,” certainly establishes the film's spiritual themes, with samples vocals that include solo and full chorus, with percussion and woodwinds that oddly evoke the ancient history of South America than the Middle East.

“The Prophecy” theme is a tight encapsulation of Gabriel's selfish efforts to overthrow God's kingdom, and Williams uses rather eerie chords and subtle percussion to hint at the imminent battle, while a solo voice is reprocessed using a fragmenting, flinching effect, which certainly hints at something spiritually exquisite and pure that's about to be cut into irreparable pieces. The effect also reappears in the very short “No Giving In,” and much meatier “Confession.”

There's also some nice rhythmic textures, somewhat reminiscent of Tangerine Dream's Near Dark score, in which an insistent bass pulse and synth vocals are layered into a propulsive motif, as in “Thomas and Simon.” It's one of several themes that recurs throughout the score, giving the hour long CD a decent level of thematic diversity.

More chilling material pops up in “Out the Window,” with glistening dissonance and insect-like screeching dominating the cue's more aggressive outbursts of fury. “Refuge” also showcases some tightly rendered transitions, as swells from a rustic violin converge and blend with short vocal orations. Ambient pulses support passing clouds of vocals, distant rumbling, and agitated strings in “Jealousy,” and the pulsing motif is carried on in “Fate,” which offers strong waves of bass pulsing between vocalized harmonies.

Williams admittedly balances his efforts between score and sound design, but his musical approach to sound samples are nicely constructed to support the thematic material in Widen's intriguing script.

As with prior releases, Perseverance has included a lushly illustrated booklet, which includes an interview with writer/director Widen (best known for creating the characters for and writing the original Highlander film), and composer Williams, whose own career includes the scores for Phantoms (1998) and the disasterous Supernova (2000). In both works, Williams crafted a smooth blend of orchestral and electronic material, which transcended the serious flaws of those films.

Perseverance has thus far released Williams' music for The Prophecy (1995) and The Prophecy II (1998).

© 2007 Mark R. Hasan