Massive Attack – Unleashed: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2005, FLAC)

https://mega.nz/#!jRQ1AaID!HpyivNS_RchW-f8B4DoLI6ruRi6JBV1-_NXq7J7OosE

The soundtrack was created by Massive Attack. It was released under the name Danny the Dog, in 2004. In 2005, Virgin Records re-released the soundtrack under the title Unleashed, with two bonus tracks. Neither version features the song "Aftersun", featuring vocals by Dot Allison, that appears in the end credits of the film. The classical piano solo played in several scenes of the film is Mozart’s Piano Sonata No.11 "Andante grazioso".

Interesting and pleasant, but the soundtrack to Louis Leterrier’s Danny the Dog will throw longtime Massive Attack fans for a loop. The band’s trademark deep sound is untraceable for the most part. It’s probably a testament to how hard they stuck to the soundtracking rules, but this program music is rather run-of-the-mill, especially when compared to Massive Attack’s proper albums, which — to be fair — would overtake most filmmaker’s visuals. Harpsichords play over neo-noir beats and guitars echo forever as tension builds, and while the band’s keen sense of sonic structure is intact, they’re layering things much less than usual here and traveling some previously explored territory. Tracks like "Everything About You Is New" with its reverberating piano, and the faux rocking "The Dog Obeys" are so undistinguished you look have to look twice at the cover to make sure Massive is behind this. The Coil-esque "P Is for Piano" and the funky-fun "One Thought at a Time" almost make it worth it for everyone, but only the hardcore fans are going to get much out of the rest. They can pick away at the recordings and try to figure out who did what while everyone else waits for the next real album.

Review by David Jeffries, Allmusic.com

This is not typical Massive Attack, which is not to say it’s bad: far from that. "Danny the Dog", the soundtrack recorded by the band to a Hong Kong-based production by French movie maestro Luc Besson, is a great album, one that definitely exceeds "100th Window" (and also, it must be said, a first time for Besson: where he does not collaborate with longtime musical partner Eric Serra -they haven’t worked together since 1999).

For lovers of the "soundtrack genre" (if there is such a thing), this work falls a little to the left of Craig Armstrong (not surprisingly, since he worked with the band in the past). But, with the exception of the more urban tracks, it reminds of the music to "Long Walk Home" by Peter Gabriel too. In general, it comes across more like the music to a Michael Mann movie than one produced by the director of "The Big Blue", "The Professional" or "The Fifth Element".

Having been released in time for the holiday season, this is one great soundtrack to wrap up 2004, and certainly one deserving a special space… good to be disected with headphones, and I particularly at night. Rain, cheese and wine are up to you. The music comes loaded with enough spirits.

Review by Manny Hernandez, Amazon.com