Modern soundtrack review (under construction)

The Halo 4 soundtrack was originally released on 1 CD. Later, I discovered that there’s a 2CD extended version with more contributions from Kazuma Jinnouchi. Halo 4 may be the best example of a rabid fanbase ruining a brilliant work of art. I think that the soundtrack is far superior to the previous iterations, with Davidge adding some depth and complexity that was in previous Halos, which I’ve generally found to be repetitive and tedious.  However, the 2nd CD does not do this extended soundtrack many favors.

Awakening
Good morning, Mr. Master Chief. Davidge starts off his interpretation of the Halo universe with an immediate call to action. A pulsing strings section mixed with a slight choir and drums provides an exciting, pounding experience. There’s immediate complexity, but the tonality isn’t that pleasant. Davidge hints at some of the themes that will permeate the album, specifically used in “117,” but you don’t get the payoff that you’re hoping for. 3.5/5

Belly of the Beast, 2.5/5

Requiem

It feels like a Daft Punk or M83 track, with the way that the electric noises intermix and then eventually hit, but it lacks some real payoff. 3.5/5

Legacy

Religious in its sound with the way that female vocals play with an almost non-existent backing, this track is extremely addictive in its sound. It’s not the best religious song I’ve ever heard, but I’m satisfied with the way the vocalist sighs her way into your eardrums. The highlight is the singer, make no mistake. 4/5

Faithless

A bass and drum-heavy battle track, I’m not too impressed as I’m listening through. It’s highly generic. 3/5

Haven, 2.5/5

Nemesis, 3/5

Ascendancy, 2.5/5

Solace

After a series of generic battle pieces, you get a softer piece that has a strong emphasis on the harp/piano combo, although I can’t be certain which instrument it really is. A soft female singer accents the backdrop of the piece, and there’s a sense of scope of scene. The orchestra is really quite nice here too, giving a much-needed source of pleasant diversity. 4.5/5

To Galaxy

And here’s where the material starts becoming brilliant and utterly outshadows anything on the previous Halo soundtracks. Galaxy is a whirlwind of just brilliant battle setup. Using rising action and scaling chords, this piece is a testament to how a good setup to a battle track works. After the first half of the piece finishes off, then you get the majestic action of the 2nd part. It sounds like an evolution of “The Rock,” with heavy drums, bass, brass, and a mix of electric elements. The way that it ascends in terms of scale is just perfect. You feel satisfied as the action ramps up. 6/5

Immaterial, 2.5/5

117

When you ask the internet about this soundtrack, there seems to be a general theme that the best song on the 1st CD is 117. And let’s be clear. They may be right, although I have soft spots for Arrival and Green and Blue, just from my memory. 117 is a magical piece that perfectly balances sweeping strings, rising and falling action, and drums. It’s highly emotional and highly invigorating, with immense diversity in sound. This track was written by Kazuma Jinnouchi, a composer I’m not familiar with. Jinnouchi does an excellent job at creating a diverse sound. When he’s ready to drop, he uses the drums to great effect, with a deep bass hit in the last 2 minutes as the final motifs start to show their face. As the piece rounds out, the excitement hits you, and the choir takes over, accompanied by frantic strings. It’s just sublime. 7/5

Arrival

And right after the magical piece that was 117, you get another one, composed again by Neil Davidge. Arrival is a masterclass of creating tension through the same motifs. Every time that you complete a set, you feel satisfied with the payoff. Davidge does an excellent job giving you the satisfaction that you crave when each set drops. Then he changes the notes up, creating both ascending and descending structures. As you would expect from a professional, these shifts in tone are well executed. If I was going to describe Arrival, it would be a “success” track. After an incredible fight, you came to finish it. The use of strings, brass, drums, and the whole orchestra plays its part. I just love this piece. 7/5

Revival

It’s a very gothic sound. A male choir dominates this one, with alternating chants. Honestly, I like it, but I don’t love it. But it really picks up in tonality near the end, with various electric elements combining with the traditional gothic orchestra. I bet this one is amazing live. 4/5

Green and Blue

You want emotion, you get emotion! You want to feel loss; you earned this loss! That’s what green and blue are. It’s a magical piece. Soft and slow the whole way through, you get additional instruments adding to the sorrow. It starts with… bells? I don’t know how it works; I can’t figure the instrument out, but it’s very sci-fi. Then a piano chimes in with a few notes, and finally a sorrowful violin takes over. Another beautiful piece, and one that I think matches “Across the Stars” from John Williams in emotional heft. It’s that good. 7/5

Atonement

A very prominent female chorister opens this one up. She’s singing by herself, and I’m okay with it. It doesn’t really seem to resemble any theme that has presented itself in the soundtrack so far. Halfway through, the tone shifts to include more of the orchestra, with a low rumbling undertone until the full orchestra comes into the fray before it gives us a taste of the five last piano notes. 4.5/5

Gravity, 2/5

Wreckage

A much slower rendition of 117. The tonality is lower too. It’s an embrace of what makes 117 so appealing. There’s not a lot of complexity here, which drags it down slightly, but it’s still a very enjoyable listen. 4.5/5

Aliens

I was sleeping on this one, my expectations were low. A slow start was very disappointing, but then the last third introduces an atmospheric chorus. It’s much better than it has any right to be, but the first half ruined the song overall. 3/5

Kantele Bow, 1.5/5

Pylons, 2.5/5

Escape, 2.5/5

Swamp, 1.5/5

Push Through, 2.5/5

Convoy, 2.5/5

To Galaxy (extended)

You know when a song is great, and you think, “Man, I wish that this song was longer.” That’s what is happening with this piece, or so you think. To Galaxy was already an excellent track. However, this one is more of a tease. You wait for the drop to hit, and you never really quite get it. Still, this one is enjoyable enough. 3.5/5

Lasky’s Theme

Some real emotion here. Lasky’s theme is a mix of strings and piano backing with traditional orchestra elements. It’s patriotic in its sound, which makes sense given the character. At the same time, it’s restrained. The rising action gives resemblance to “Pearl Harbor.” The 2nd half then hits, and it reminds me of Steven Jablonsky’s “Transformers.” 4.5/5

Foreshadow 1.5/5

Cloud City, 3/5

This Armor, 3.5/5

Intruders,2.5/5

Mantis

As you ransack whatever part of Earth that is being affected, you will feel safe knowing you have this Halo theme with you. A highly electric but orchestral piece, the fast tempo and diversity of sound give this track a bit of a hit. It has some other themes embedded within it as well, such as the 117 theme. It’s a good piece. 4/5

Sacrifice

An emotional remix of the 117 theme graces us here. It’s a slower rendition but retains a decent tempo. The chords and themes are just more drawn out. Frankly, I love it. I think the change in tempo creates shades of a somber core. Frantic strings play this one out as the drums and horns really have it. It lifts and lifts until it ebbs away. 5/5

Never Forget (Midnight Version)

I don’t quite know what “midnight version” refers to, but this piece is good. I have to assume it’s a darker piece, you know, less light at midnight. Or perhaps it’s always darkest before dawn. In any case, this track offers up a theme that I can’t quite remember in a new fashion. Halfway through, trumpets give way. It’s uplifting. And from a tonality standpoint, it’s quite good. There are compression artifacts in the recording, so you do get some peaking and blown-out lowlights, but it sounds so much like “Avatar” that I don’t care. 5/5

Majestic, 3.5/5