Track Listing
The Punisher’s Job
Billy Escapes
Boot Struggle
Station Assault
Visions
Off The Leash
Amy’s Three Card Monty
Girl Fight
Nice Heels
Krista’s Reflection
Pilgrim’s Dream
Valhalla
Vertigo
Touching God
War on Our Doorstep
Gym Showdown
Street Shootout
Help with the Russians
The Whirlwind
Hell Bent
Frank’s Farewell
If there’s one thing that really stands out in The Punisher’s second season, it’s the music. After his impressive work on the first season, Tyler Bates returns to compose the second season’s soundtrack with an eclectic mix of guitar riffs, ambient string segments and pounding electronic drums. The acoustic and electric guitars work harmoniously together and the three distinct styles of track utilized through the soundtrack keep the tracks cohesive while injecting deep meaning reflected through Frank’s struggles in the show.
The soundtrack opens with the main theme of the show, The Punisher’s Job. This driving guitar-dominating track perfectly captures the moody tone of the TV show and sets the foundation for what’s to follow. From here, a combination of tightly produced distortion, echoes and a combination of three styles come together for the second track, Billy Escapes. It’s a really clever worked piece of ambient music too as the rest of the soundtrack then branches out to explore each of these styles individually.
The various fight sequence music, including Station Assault, Girl Fight and Gym Showdown all work off a pounding drum beat that mostly follow the standard BPM (beats per minute) you’d expect from dance music. These tracks work well to build up the tension and reflect the violent brutality of Frank at work.
Boot Struggle, Amy’s Three Card Monty and Frank’s Farewell predominantly feature an acoustic or electric guitar and act as reflective tracks; a way to catch our breath after the adrenaline-soaked fight sequences. There’s ecoes of The Last Of Us and Red Dead Redemption’s soundtracks at play here and it works so well to really show the inner conflict Frank deals with in the show.
Nestled between these two styles is a more electronic-fused sound. Echoing synths, a heavy use of string segments and teasing elements of familiarity with guitars and drums helps tie the entire soundtrack together. There’s a cohesiveness here and a moody tone that isn’t always easy to capture in instrumental format but it’s done to perfection to really heighten the emotional weight of the series.
Tyler Bates has produced a stunning album here, one that perfectly captures the mood and emotional weight our characters carry with a heavy burden in the show. While The Punisher 2 unfortunately felt bloated and overlong, the same cannot be said for the soundtrack. This 21 track album is a beautifully composed piece of music and one worth experiencing again and again.
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Verdict - 9/10
9/10