Rock band Mastodon for Jonah Hex soundtrack

Jonah Hex follows the titular disfigured bounty hunter (played by Josh Brolin) on a quest to stop veteran Confederate soldier, Quentin Turnball (John Malkovich) from raising a ghost army in a bid to win the already-lost American Civil War. Based on the DC Comics, this period western is far from your usual gunslingin’, rootin’ tootin’ effort and so requires a sound that’s also a little different. Enter the heavy rocking quartet from Atlanta, Georgia to provide Jonah Hex with the rough and ready musical score needed.

On the project, the band’s bassist/ singer, Troy Sanders reveals: “Director Jimmy Hayward [ Horton Hears a Who! – go figure!] played scenes for us and gave us all day long to create music that matched the emotion of the scene.” He continues: “It was flattering to be given 100 per cent creative control in this movie. It was very pure, it was real creative and totally spur of the moment.”

Spur of the moment it might have been, but it’s something the band are proud of despite criticisms they’re selling out. To this charge, Sanders argues that their involvement, and that of the film’s stars, wasn’t financially motivated. “[The budget] covered our studio fees, but it was a break even deal,” he reveals. “[John] Malkovich, [Josh] Brolin and Megan Fox all took pay cuts to be a part of this movie – that alone speaks volumes about how much people care about this film.”

“We sacrificed another two weeks away from home to give away an album’s worth of material for nothing in return but satisfaction in being a part of something incredible.” This “something incredible” is scheduled to hit cinemas this summer – expect the unexpected.

[via Starpulse]