Song premiere: Serj Tankian debuts track from new historical fantasy film

As a Lebanese-born Armenian from Los Angeles, Grammy-winning musician and activist Serj Tankian has a well-bred appreciation for world history and culture. His latest project, a musical score created for the film Furious — The Legend of Kolovrat, shows off his ability to combine all his interests and talents into one place.

Furious — The Legend of Kolovrat is a Russian historical fantasy set in the 13th century. Directed by Ivan Shurkhovetskly, it tells the story of the Ryazan knight Evpaty Kolovrat, the leader of a 17-man squad that defends against thousands of Mongol warrior hordes and their leader, Batu Khan.

Yahoo Music is pleased to debut a track from the score, “Fedor’s Last Stand,” which Tankian created to spotlight a pivotal moment in the plot.

“‘Fedor’s Last Stand'” is a melodramatic slow-motion fight scene where Prince Fedor distracts the enemy so that his friends can escape to safety,” he explains. “It ends with his death after a fight against all odds. The music is epic and emotional and divided into three parts: the fight, the last stand, and Batu Khan’s exit. Epic orchestra and choirs highlight Parts 1 and 2, while staccato pianos, percussion, and Tuvan chants the Part 3.

“Funny story, the hammering piano piece at the end has my son yelling over it recorded on an iPhone, then layered with percussion and Tuvan singing. I really wanted to use that piece in the film.”

Adds Tankian: “I’m a huge fan of historical action films, so I welcomed the opportunity to create my first epic score for Furious. We used a full orchestra with epic percussion, a huge choir, ethnic instruments, and a wall of electric guitars. It’s truly a kick-ass score.”

Furious — The Legend of Kolovrat, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released by Lakeshore digitally on Dec. 8.