On Deadly Ground suffers without the orchestral firepower customary to
Basil Poledouris' most memorable action scores, but its quirks -- most notably the addition of Inuit throat singers Qaunaq Mikkigak and Timangiak Petaulassie -- rescue the music from complete forgettability. Because
Poledouris' action efforts operate in such bold, grandiose strokes, their impact is dulled in the hands of the smaller-sized orchestra employed here (presumably to compensate for the additional costs of star/director Steven Seagal's hair plugs). Still, the composer excels at evoking the narrative's emphasis on Alaskan ecological hazards and native mysticism, installing vocals and celestial electronics to capture the otherness of life in the Last Frontier. ~ Jason Ankeny