Ranking All The Songs from The Mortal Kombat Soundtrack
Surprisingly, there have been five Mortal Kombat movies. Three of them have been live-action while the other two have been animated. However, when people talk about a Mortal Kombat soundtrack, chances are very good that they are talking about the one for the original live-action movie from 1995. This is because said release was surprisingly popular, as shown by how it became the first electronic dance music release to go platinum in the United States. Something that was possible because the soundtrack consisted of electronic dance music for the most part.
17. “A Taste of Things to Come” – George S. Clinton
There isn’t much to be said about this track. It does its job well enough. However, the very nature of its job means that there isn’t much to comment on.
16. “The Invisible” – GZR
“The Invisible” isn’t inaudible. However, it still isn’t the luckiest of names out there. The song is very generic-sounding. More pertinently, it is very generic-sounding in a not particularly enjoyable way.
15. “I Reject” – Bile
It is possible to see why someone would enjoy this song, particularly if they are used to this kind of music. Unfortunately, it also comes off as being rather screechy.
14. “Twist the Knife (Slowly)” – Napalm Death
This is another song that can be considered an acquired taste. It has power but it is dragged down by its issues in other regards.
13. “What U See/We All Bleed Red” – Mutha’s Day Out
Mutha’s Day Out was an alternative metal band around for a relatively short period of time from the early 1990s to the mid 1990s. The song is interesting enough but isn’t much more than that.
12. “Utah Saints Take on The Theme from Mortal Kombat” – Utah Saints
Amusingly, the Utah Saints are an English duo who have been around since the early 1990s. This track is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It has its own virtues. Unfortunately, its position is quite a bit lower because it is overshadowed by the much better-known version of the Mortal Kombat theme.
11. “Unlearn” – Psykosonik
The Mortal Kombat remix of “Unlearn” is interesting. On the one hand, it manages to be haunting, which isn’t the easiest emotion to evoke. On the other hand, it can feel a bit out of place on this soundtrack. There are people who love it. The same can’t be said for others.
10. “Zero Signal” – Fear Factory
Fear Factory is a heavy metal band that has been around since the late 1980s, though with some interruptions here and there. They have a fair amount of renown, not least because they have managed to release a fair number of notable songs. “Zero Signal” has plenty of energy packed into it but it can’t claim to be Fear Factory’s best work.
9. “Goro Vs. Art” – George S. Clinton featuring Buckethead
This is the kind of thing that one would expect from a boss fight. To be fair, that makes sense because a Mortal Kombat movie is a Mortal Kombat movie. Unfortunately, there have been some very memorable boss fight themes that can be found out there. In comparison, this one isn’t that memorable.
8. “Blood & Fire” – Type O Negative
Type O Negative was a gothic metal band that earned the nickname of the Drab Four because of its focus on death, romance, and depression. “Blood & Fire” is very much in line with that reputation. Moreover, it manages to be striking in a good way.
7. “Burn” – Sister Machine Gun
“Burn” has managed to earn a very respectable position on this list. It has a certain hypnotic quality that enables it to do quite well even if it isn’t quite the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of Mortal Kombat.
6. “Demon Warriors Final Kombat” – George S. Clinton
Given the name, it should come as no surprise to learn that this one is another boss fight theme. However, “Demon Warriors Final Kombat” is superior because it has a much increased sense of suspension. It still falls short when compared with the best of the best boss fight themes that can be found out there, but that isn’t much of a condemnation.
5. “Goodbye (Demo Version)” – Gravity Kills
Gravity Kills was an industrial band that was active from the mid 1990s to the early 2000s and then from the mid 2000s to the early 2010s. “Goodbye (Demo Version)” is very much a breakup song. Fortunately, it manages to be quite enjoyable while being thoroughly 1990s.
4. “Control” – Traci Lords
“Control” was another notable song from this soundtrack that saw a great deal of play in the clubs. Traci Lords has stated that it was written about a drug addiction. However, its lyrics are ambiguous enough to support other interpretations, which can be a lot of fun for people with time to spare.
3. “Halcyon + On + On” – Orbital
Speaking of which, “Halcyon + On + On” was also written about a drug addiction. In this case, it was inspired by the Orbital brothers’ mother, who was addicted to the tranquilizer Halcion for years and years. Strictly speaking, this track is a remixed version of the earlier-released “Halcyon.” However, there is a reason why it has managed to become the better-known of the two, as shown by how it has been used in not just Mortal Kombat but also a number of other works.
2. “Juke Joint Jezebel”
This is one of the most notable songs on this list. For those who are unfamiliar, “Juke Joint Jezebel” is the industrial band KMFDM’s single best-known song, which is no mean accomplishment considering that it is one of the bands that brought the genre to mainstream audiences. The Mortal Kombat version is a remixed version. However, there are those who like it better than the original. For that matter, this is the more substantial of the two tracks as well.
1. “Techno Syndrome (Mortal Kombat)” – The Immortals
Chances are good that interested individuals can guess that this would be the number one track on the Mortal Kombat soundtrack. It is extremely cheesy but it manages to be extremely catchy as well, thus enabling it to become an iconic track of the mid 1990s. “Techno Syndrome” is the Mortal Kombat track, as shown by how a new version was specifically made for the new live-action movie in 2021.
