Wrath of the Mechanical Monsters (Live Recording) - Randall Standridge, Concert Band, Grade .75

About Wrath of the Mechanical Monsters
A couple of years ago, I wrote a piece entitled Mechanical Monsters. It was my first stab at writing Grade .5 literature, and I was very pleased with the results. The piece seemed to resonate with students and conductors alike, which tickled me to no end. The B-movie idea of robotic monstrosities roaming the landscape is very much to my personal tastes, and I’m glad so many enjoyed it. And just like any B-movie, I thought, “well, why not do a sequel.”
There are a million reasons not to do a sequel.
Unlike something original, a sequel comes laden with expectations, the central question people ask being: “Will this live up to the first one?”
I don’t know. I hope so.
Much like my Santa the Barbarian series, as well as the ongoing Starfire, 16th Empire, and Darklands sagas, I promised myself I wouldn’t write another one unless I had a really good idea. So, I sat on it for a few years. Eventually, titles started occurring to me, all styled after the title of horror sequels from the ’50s and ’60s. Bride of the Mechanical Monsters. Attack of the Mechanical Monsters. Son of the Mechancail Monsters. Day of the Mechanical Monsters. Mechanical Monsters Beach Party A-Go-Go.
No, no, no, no, and (as fun as it sounds) no.
Then, on a napkin in a restaurant, I wrote the following: Wrath of the Mechanical Monsters.
Bingo.
This satisfied the B-Movie title I was looking for, while also suggesting that I incorporate the chant tune Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) into the work. I also knew I needed to make it a little bit more challenging rhythmically and harmonically, as it needed to be a logical continuation of the educational concepts of the first one.
So, here we are again, my friends. In the work, you will hear sirens and the sound of marching mechanical monstrosities as they make their way into the city to wreak havoc on the general populace and bring their own brand of musical destruction to the cityscape. Beware, my friends, for the day of reckoning is upon us! Run for your lives! They’re here! They’re here!
Peace, Love, and Music (and imminent destruction…again! Mwahahahahaaa!)