This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
The Stoning. Flagellation. Dark Choir. Raising the Cross. It Is Done.
Nope, they’re not the latest batch of tunes from some U.K. goth wussies or Florida death-metal thrashers. They’re some of the compositions that form composer John Debney’s score to The Passion Of The Christ. In contrast to the controversial film, however, there’s nothing too provocative to be found in these 15 moody works. Or even anything too stirring. Steering a course somewhere between New Age, neo-classical and Middle Eastern ambient, Debney combines chanting, choirs, ehtnic instruments, ominous percussion and stirring strings into a series of dark, somber soundscapes that may work well as filmic backdrops, but don’t really have enough song structure to stand up to repeated solo listening. Unless you’re truly passionate about the film, you might want to give the soundtrack a pass.
