Original Soundtrack - XXX (Movie Cash Version) (Enh) (Ltd Ed) (CD)

All Music Guide

He's a new kind of secret agent. He throws out the martinis, but keeps the promiscuity. He's sly, not suave. He doesn't cotton to conventions -- he creates his own rules. He apparently doesn't really care about music, if the soundtrack to XXX is any indication of Vin Diesel's musical taste. Where James Bond had John Barry, XXX has a bunch of alt-metal meat heads and hardcore hip-hop hombres providing a soundtrack for the extreme sports that provide XXX's background. Yes, it's another soundtrack specifically directed at its target audience, and while it can't be faulted for that, it's hard not to wish that there were less of the dunderheaded Hatebreed and Rammstein (who have never sounded more stupid than they do on "Feurer Frei," with its chorus of "Bang Bang"); especially because there are good moments: Drowning Pool's "Bodies" sounds better than ever in the mix by Chris Vrenna; Gavin Rossdale's first solo track, "Adrenaline," is Bush with a hip makeover; and Queens of the Stone Age s...how why they're considered the great hard rockers of their time by delivering melodic -- that's right, melodic -- counterpoints to the verse and chorus in their contribution, "Millionaire." The hip-hop is more or less a wash, and while there isn't anything particularly noteworthy anywhere here, it does sustain its mood throughout; which is all that it really needs to do. Still, it's hard not to think that a new kind of secret agent should at least have something more than mood music for his soundtrack, especially if he isn't going to wind up with his own theme. [Also available as Movie Cash version.] - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read more Less