Mark Isham

The deeply unsettling The Mist captures composer Mark Isham at his most challenging and daring, eschewing melodic convention in favor of alien soundscapes and atonal techniques that perfectly capture the accompanying film's sinister suspense. The score is almost devoid of humanity, instead championing sound as a self-contained means to an end -- Isham's atmospheric silence, rhythmic clusters, and tactile dissonance combine to communicate brilliantly something distinctly unknown and beyond. Varese Sarabande's soundtrack edition appends Dead Can Dance's equally otherworldly "The Host of Seraphim" as well as "The Vicious Blues," a jazz-era tribute recovered from Isham's score to 1994's underrated Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide