At first glance, “House of Wax: Music from the Motion Picture” appears to be one of those rare soundtracks that actually makes more money than the movie that spawned it.
With tracks from perennial hard rock favorites such as Marilyn Manson, Disturbed, Deftones, and the Prodigy, this disc promises to take your mind off Paris Hilton–for at least a few minutes. Sadly, once you hear it, you remember why it has been awhile since we’ve heard any buzz about those aforementioned favorites.
The problem with this disc is that the tracks from the established bands like Deftones, Marilyn Manson, and the Prodigy sound like something from 1998, and the supporting tracks do little to boost the overall value of the disc.
This soundtrack also had some poor song choices that leave the listener with a bad aftertaste of adult contemporary. This soundtrack couldn’t decide whether it wanted to rock you like a hurricane, or rock you in a rocking chair.
The Stooges’ “Dirt”, which is reminiscent of psychedelic rock of the early 70s, effectively kills the mood set by the first half of the disc. There is a time and a place for acid rock. Unfortunately 2005 and this soundtrack isn’t it.
Joy Division’s “New Dawn Fades” plays more like a lullaby and threatens to put the listener to sleep. Then there’s the Von Bondies and Har Mar Superstar, who could easily tour with Kelly Clarkson, if they were good. Their pop-driven beats and uninspired lyrics lend themselves perfectly to the mid-teen pop rock scene.
Despite all this, “House of Wax” does have its redeeming qualities. Strong tracks like “I Never Told You What I Do For A Living” by My Chemical Romance and “Gun in Hand” by Stutterfly keep things interesting in between played out tunes from the Prodigy and Deftones, and Dark New Day’s “Taking Me Alive” ends the disc on a high point.
If heavy guitar riffs, and inaudibly screamed lyrics are your thing, then this album may be a good pick-up, minus tracks eight through 11.
If you’re looking for something new from your old favorites, pass on this.
Although there are some bright spots on this soundtrack, they are only enough to earn a disappointing C+. This disc plays exactly like one of Paris’s adult videos: a lot of hype and eye candy, but with lackluster performances and an inability to maintain your interest for more than 10 minutes.
