"Underworld" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Underworld (Music From the Motion Picture) / Underworld (Original Score)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What does a vampire–werewolf war sound like in the early-2000s? Underworld answers with two entwined releases: a songs compilation produced by Danny Lohner (as Renholdër) that leans industrial/alt-metal, and Paul Haslinger’s sleek, propulsive original score. Together they turn trench-coat gun-fu into a club at midnight.

The movie runs on chrome-blue mood and percussion that bites. Lohner’s album corrals scene-adjacent bangers (Puscifer, A Perfect Circle, Skinny Puppy, Finch, more) and a celebrated Bowie rework; Haslinger’s score drives the hunt with clipped ostinatos, sub-bass, and string surges. The balance is deliberate — songs define the mythos in marketing and credits; score handles almost everything on screen between.

Genres in phases: industrial & post-hardcore — aggression and tech (Skinny Puppy, Dillinger Escape Plan, Finch); alt-rock/anthemic — romance vs. fate (A Perfect Circle, Trust Company); art-pop noir — Bowie’s “Bring Me the Disco King (Danny Lohner Mix)” for decadent melancholy; and hybrid score — Haslinger’s electronic/orchestral engine for stalk-and-strike set pieces.

How It Was Made

Two parallel albums shaped the film’s identity. The songs OST — branded “Music From the Motion Picture” — was produced by Nine Inch Nails alumnus Danny Lohner (credited as Renholdër) and released with Immortal/Roadrunner/Lakeshore; it features new mixes and contributions he curated and often reworked. The separate original score, composed by Paul Haslinger, arrived as its own CD with cue-based track titles. The film itself credits Haslinger for the music, with Lohner’s selections heard most prominently in marketing and the end-credits run.

Tracks & Scenes

“Awakening” (The Damning Well — Wes Borland, Richard Patrick, Josh Freese & Danny Lohner)

Where it plays:

Used as the franchise’s mission-statement cut and tied to the film’s marketing/credit identity; associated with the guns-drawn early momentum and fan-cited during the first werewolf-change sting and into the end-roll hand-off.

Why it matters:

Sets the industrial/alt tone — serrated guitars over a stomping groove that became shorthand for Underworld’s aesthetic.

“Judith (Renholdër Mix)” (A Perfect Circle)

Where it plays:

Over Lucian’s body-horror self-surgery beat — the track underscores him pushing Selene’s silver bullets out of his torso; snarling guitars punctuate the transformation pain.

Why it matters:

A familiar anthem, re-weaponized: Lohner’s mix foregrounds menace, making Lucian’s resilience feel inevitable.

“Rev 22:20” (Puscifer — Maynard James Keenan & Danny Lohner)

Where it plays:

End-credits centerpiece — arrives after the first credits cue, then takes over the roll. Dark, sensual, slinky; a definitive association with the film’s exit.

Why it matters:

Introduces Puscifer to many listeners and cements the franchise’s goth-club DNA the moment the lights come up.

“Throwing Punches” (Page Hamilton)

Where it plays:

Credits rotation — follows “Rev 22:20” in the end-roll sequence as a pummeling, riff-driven release valve.

Why it matters:

Leans into the film’s fight-as-choreography ethos with Hamilton’s mathy attack.

“Bring Me the Disco King (Danny Lohner Mix)” (David Bowie feat. Maynard James Keenan & John Frusciante)

Where it plays:

Album highlight and promotional cut; its slow-burn nocturne frames the film’s doomed-romance undercurrent more than a specific onscreen beat.

Why it matters:

A rare, brooding Bowie collaboration — the Lohner/Keenan/Frusciante version became a cult favorite beyond the film.

“Rocket Collecting” (Milla)

Where it plays:

Low-key interlude flavor associated with the compilation’s moody stretches; its appearance is primarily album-side identity rather than a foregrounded plot moment.

Why it matters:

Milla Jovovich’s ethereal cut adds a smoky, late-night counterweight to the otherwise jagged set.

Trailer song: “Red Tape” (Agent Provocateur) — marketing only

Where it plays:

Prominent in the theatrical trailers; not in the film proper.

Why it matters:

Locked the brand association for many viewers — if you remember the trailer’s pulse, it’s this.

Score Highlights (Paul Haslinger)

Standout cues:

“The End of an Era/Opening,” “Deathdealers Deploy,” “Darkness Deep Within,” “Eternity and a Day,” “Selene vs. Viktor.” Expect electronic pulses under tight strings and metallic hits timed to edits; the score also leads the first end-credits moments before handing off to the songs set.

Notes & Trivia

• The songs album was produced/curated by Danny Lohner (as Renholdër) and features multiple Renholdër mixes alongside contributions from APC, Skinny Puppy, Finch, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Trust Company, and more.
• Puscifer effectively debuted to many listeners here — “Rev 22:20” is a signature credit-roll moment.
• The score album is a separate release; the movie itself is overwhelmingly score-driven between titles and credits.
• Trailer ID note: the widely circulated “Official Trailer 1” online is catalogued with ID 2_IoL7g5Ub8.

Reception & Quotes

Critics were mixed on the film but often positive on the soundworld — the industrial-goth palette and Haslinger’s propulsion. The franchise and its albums built a durable cult following.

“Music: Paul Haslinger.” Underworld (2003 film) – production credits

“Dark, brooding, sad, and twitchy… [Bowie’s] rearrangement [is] the soundtrack’s strongest piece.” Bill Aicher, Music-Critic (on the Lohner Mix)

Interesting Facts

• Dual release: “Music From the Motion Picture” (songs) and “Original Score” are separate CDs — a common 2000s practice here done with unusual cohesion.
• Renholdër signature: Lohner’s alias threads the album — short interludes (“Now I Know,” “Down in the Lab,” “Falling Through the Sky”) glue the set like mini-cues.
• Trailer memory: If your brain hears a pounding breakbeat when you think of the movie’s ads, that’s Agent Provocateur’s “Red Tape.”
• Vinyl revival: The songs album later received a 2xLP issue, keeping the cult current.
• Credit choreography: The end roll begins with Haslinger, then slides into “Rev 22:20,” followed by heavier cuts.

Technical Info

• Title: Underworld — Music From the Motion Picture; Underworld — Original Score
• Year: 2003
• Type: Songs compilation (produced by Danny Lohner) + Original score (Paul Haslinger)
• Labels: Immortal/Roadrunner/Lakeshore (songs); Lakeshore (score)
• Key songs (album): The Damning Well “Awakening”; Puscifer “Rev 22:20”; A Perfect Circle “Judith (Renholdër Mix)”; David Bowie “Bring Me the Disco King (Danny Lohner Mix)”; Skinny Puppy “Optimissed”; Finch “Worms of the Earth”
• Score highlights: “The End of an Era/Opening,” “Deathdealers Deploy,” “Eternity and a Day,” “Selene vs. Viktor”
• Trailer music: Agent Provocateur — “Red Tape” (not in the film)
• Release context: U.S. theatrical release September 19, 2003; albums streeted September–October 2003

Questions & Answers

Who composed the film’s score?

Paul Haslinger — a hybrid electronic/orchestral score released as a separate album.

Who produced the songs soundtrack?

Danny Lohner (as Renholdër). He also contributes short interludes and remixes that make the compilation feel cohesive.

What plays over the end credits?

The roll starts with Haslinger, then Puscifer’s “Rev 22:20,” followed by heavier cuts (e.g., Page Hamilton’s “Throwing Punches”).

What’s the trailer song everyone remembers?

“Red Tape” by Agent Provocateur — used in marketing, not the feature.

Is Bowie really on the album?

Yes — “Bring Me the Disco King (Danny Lohner Mix),” with Maynard James Keenan and John Frusciante, is a marquee track.

Key Contributors

Sources: Discogs (track & credit details for both albums); Apple Music (OST metadata); IMDb Soundtracks (screen credits); SoundtrackINFO (Q&A placements, trailer song, end-credits order); Underworld fan wiki (album overviews, track listings); Wikipedia (film credits: Music by Paul Haslinger); YouTube (official trailer).

November, 20th 2025