The soundtrack's a lost art. Back in the '90s, soundtracks went platinum on a regular basis. Today, few of them do massive numbers—with the exception of anything High School Musical-related. On the other end of the spectrum though, The Crow soundtrack was a smash hit. It perfectly fit the film's darkly satanic vibe with a slew of now-classic tracks from the likes of Pantera, Stone Temple Pilots and The Cure. It's also an old industry joke that the soundtrack for Last Action Hero actually fared better than the movie did due to a couple of killer Alice In Chains songs. That said, it's not easy to put together a compelling compilation of music that not only suits a film's atmosphere, but also isn't available on standard releases. That's especially true in this day and age when everything—including b-sides—is free online. However, the Twilight soundtrack gets it right. For the most part, the songs all have prominent real estate in the film, and there are some unreleased gems to give fans that little extra something. Plus, it'd make a great playlist for any vampire, especially one that's high school age.

This isn't simply an "inspired-by" compilation. These tracks transport the listener into the movie's world because they're culled from the scenes themselves. There are even a few exclusive songs that stand out. Paramore's "Decode" and "I Caught Myself" both tow the line between pop purity and goth emotion. "Decode" segues from a dreamy melody into a massive chorus, and singer Hayley Williams's voice reaches down to the underworld and back. "I Caught Myself" is equally ethereal, brandishing another pop gold chorus that's painfully gorgeous. For heavy hitters, there are album cuts from Linkin Park ("Leave Out All the Rest") and Muse ("Supermassive Black Hole"). Even though fans will already be familiar with both songs, they nevertheless meld with Twilight's vibe.

Perry Farrell's "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" is like a spacey satellite party all its own, complete with a cheerleader-style chant and bouncy lyrics about, well, "going all the way." The indie tracks on the record really cackle with a vampiric vitality. "Full Moon" by The Black Ghosts is a dark little folk number a la "The Battle of Evermore," and Blue Foundation's "Eyes On Fire" is equally hypnotic with its swirling melody and painful harmony howls.

In the end, Twilight revives the soundtrack by offering it up to the undead. Get biting!

—Rick Florino
11.12.08

Since Stephenie Meyer's hugely popular series of vampire books, -Twilight, included thank-yous to the bands that inspired her writing, it makes sense that the Twilight soundtrack includes some of her favorite acts. Chief among them is Muse, whose darkly funky "Supermassive Black Hole" kicks off this mix of alt-rock brooding (Linkin Park, Collective Soul) and more eclectic -- but still mostly melancholy -- tracks. Paramore contributes two tracks, the churning "Decode" and the soaring ballad "I Caught Myself," neither of which match the best moments from the band's albums, even though Hayley Williams' crystalline vocals make a fitting backdrop to Bella Swan's supernatural love triangle angst. Most of Twilight follows suit with slickly dark songs like Mutemath's "Spotlight (Twilight Mix)" and Blue Foundation's "Eyes on Fire," and while they're not bad, they are predictable. The Black Ghosts' spookily folktronic "Full Moon" and Perry Farrell's dance-tinged "Go All the Way (Into the Twilight)" offer some changes of pace, with the former working better than the latter. The album's last moments offer a few glimpses of originality, even if actor Robert Pattison (aka beautiful teen vampire Edward Cullen)'s "Never Think" is heavily influenced by Jeff Buckley. Iron & Wine's "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" and Carter Burwell's "Bella's Lullaby" close the album on a relatively high note, elevating some of the overly typical choices earlier on the soundtrack. Even if it's often too predictable, Twilight fits the mood of the books -- and the musical tastes of the books' fans -- well enough to make it a reasonable success. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide