No doubt when David Arnold's name was seen inscribed on the posters for Stargate, film music fans were scratching their heads, but from the opening bars, Arnold's score struck a chord (as it were) with those longing for something that brought back some hint of past epics. Similar thoughts are doubtless passing through those spotting the name of Harald Kloser for The Day After Tomorrow. In Hollywood terms, Kloser doesn't even really have any minor credits; almost all are either in TV, with a few German films here and there. I must confess that I was fairly optimistic that Kloser would produce something striking - this kind of opportunity for epic scoring is comparatively rare and Emmerich's films have invariably supported fine scores, peaking with Arnold's Independence Day and Godzilla (one of the film's truly redeeming features) - but in truth The Day After Tomorrow is surprisingly low key.
The titular opening cue is bracing enough, set over ominous snares with a heavy feeling of dread, but the ensuing tracks don't really build on the menace or whip up the kind of frenzy that marked out the early portions of Independence Day. True, Tidal Wave is suitably gargantuan, but Kloser's fundamental problem is that there is little in the way of melodic hooks to propel things forward. Later action set pieces, notably Superfreeze, drive along with appropriate conviction, but there is little of note to recall afterward. As there are only a smattering of epic destructions set to music on disc, the gentle interludes don't have so much to compete with and brief, but delicate cues such as Bedtime Story and the suitably moving Cutting the Rope don't get lost. Unfortunately, although the sentiment is right, in purely musical terms, neither are exactly earth shattering (if you'll pardon the pun).
Perhaps one redeeming feature that may please those unimpressed by Arnold's scores for Emmerich is that Kloser has almost no time for patriotism. The cue most likely to take a turn for the worst is President's Speech, but here there is none of the rousing fervour of the ID4 equivalent, but a more gentle lyricism that is extremely fetching and a highlight of the score. The Human Spirit and Burning Books continue in this vein bringing an unexpectedly quiet score to a subdued conclusion. Anyone hoping for something melodramatic and bombastic will likely be disappointed; the action is brief and a little perfunctory, and the majority of the quieter tracks aren't hugely inspiring either. Maybe I was expecting too much, but The Day After Tomorrow just doesn't deliver the expected aural spectacle, but nor does it ratchet up quite enough tension or generate enough inspiring human drama to be fully satisfying, pleasant though it is.
PS. I know it's pathetic and immature, but I can't help but be amused that a credit of co-composer is noted for Thomas Wanker. Seriously. Wanker apparently wrote quite a bit of music for the latter series of Buffy. It doesn't seem that any of his music for The Day After Tomorrow appears on the album. I just hope he doesn't live up to his name.
Rating ~ 
Total Time ~ 38:18