System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has flexed his dynamic vocal skills once again, this time belting out a cover of over-the-top Blue Öyster Cult track "Godzilla" for the soundtrack to the new entry in the destructive lizard's expansive canon titled Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Composed by score specialist Bear McCreary of Battlestar Galactica and The Walking Dead fame, this take on the rock classic highlights the more ostentatious, soaring end of Tankian's impressive range by incorporating militaristic marching arrangements, string-heavy orchestral arrangements, and a plundering, triumphant beat that trudges on violently slow like the scaly crusher's taloned toes through the streets of Tokyo.
McCreary told Rolling Stone the song is, "perhaps the most audacious piece of music I have ever produced" and cites drummer Gene Hoglan's (whose resumé includes stints with Testament and Death) "blistering double-kick drums" combined with Tankian's "distinct vocals" as the glue that brought the whole thunderous production — that also features taiko drumming and chanting — together. The talented lineup was rounded out by Brendan Smalls, Hoglan's bandmate in and the mastermind behind satirical heavy metal cartoon Metalocalypse and its almost too-good real life band counterpart Dethklok.
The film will feature an all-star cast, including the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, and Sally Hawkins, and is directed by Michael Dougherty, best known for his writing work on X2 and Superman Returns. Godzilla won't be the only menace who shows up in the film though; a team of god-like monsters including Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah will show up to wreak havoc on human existence as well.
Check out the film when it premieres on May 31st, and hear the soundtrack in full below when it drops one week earlier on May 24th.
Track listing:
1. Godzilla (feat. Serj Tankian)
2. Godzilla Main Title
3. Memories of San Francisco
4. The Larva
5. Welcome to Monarch
6. Outpost 32
7. Ice Breaker
8. Rise of Ghidorah
9. Old Rivals
10. The First Gods
11. Rodan
12. A Mass Awakening
13. The One Who is Many
14. Queen of the Monsters
15. For Andrew
16. Stealing the Orca
17. The Hollow Earth
18. The Key to Coexistence
19. Goodbye Old Friend
20. Rebirth
21. Fog Over Fenway
22. Battle in Boston
23. Redemption
24. King of the Monsters
25. Ghidorah Theme
26. Mothra's Song
Below, watch Part 1 our exclusive three-part "The Art of Work" series with Serj Tankian, in which the iconic vocalist/multi-instrumentalist invites us into his home studio for a discussion about the evolution of his creativity — how painting, writing symphonies and composing for film are all logical extensions of the aggressive expression he's most known for as the frontman for System of a Down, and why "sticking to one formula" is the kiss of death for an artist.
