Halo 2 Original Soundtrack

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Volume One
Volume One cover
Studio album by Various Artists
Released
2004
Length 69:20
Label
Producer Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori

The Halo 2 Original Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the Bungie 2004 video game Halo 2, developed by Bungie Studios. It consists of two volumes, which were released almost two years apart. Volume One was released on November 9, 2004, and contains some arranged instrumental pieces as well as 'inspired-by' tracks from bands such as Incubus and Breaking Benjamin. Volume Two was released on April 25, 2006; this volume contained all the game music arranged in a suite form. All original music was composed Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori. The "Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix", the first track on Volume One, was released on November 22, 2007 as a free downloadable track for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on the Xbox 360.[1]

Contents

[edit] Volume one

Volume One's tracks are a combination of composed arranged pieces and inspired-by songs; as the soundtrack was finished before all the in-game music was completed, none of the tracks written by O'Donnell appear in-game in the same arrangement.[2] Most of the bands featured, including Breaking Benjamin and Incubus, were enthusiastic about adding music to the soundtrack;[3] Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger said that "Halo is the only videogame that ever inspired us to write a whole suite."[3]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix" - (Guitarist: Steve Vai) – 4:11
  2. "Blow Me Away" - Breaking Benjamin – 3:25
  3. "Peril" – 2:46
  4. "Ghosts of Reach" – 2:22
  5. "Follow (1st Movement of The Odyssey)" - Incubus – 4:15
  6. "Heretic, Hero" – 2:34
  7. "Flawed Legacy" – 1:58
  8. "Impend" – 2:21
  9. "Never Surrender" - Nile Rodgers & Nataraj – 3:35
  10. "Ancient Machine" – 1:38
  11. "2nd Movement of The Odyssey" - Incubus – 7:40
  12. "In Amber Clad" – 1:39
  13. "The Last Spartan" – 2:18
  14. "Orbit of Glass" – 1:18
  15. "3rd Movement Of The Odyssey" - Incubus – 6:40
  16. "Heavy Price Paid" – 2:31
  17. "Earth City" – 3:06
  18. "High Charity" – 1:59
  19. "4th Movement of The Odyssey" - Incubus – 9:07
  20. "Remembrance" – 1:17
  21. "Connected" - Hoobastank – 2:39 (Bonus Cut)

[edit] Volume two

Volume Two
Volume Two cover
Studio album by Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori
Released
Length 68:48
Label
Producer Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori

The Halo 2: Original Soundtrack Volume Two is the complete collection of the Halo 2 score. Unlike Volume One, it does not feature any 'inspired-by' contributions from separate artists. The volume's music is formatted in a 'suite' structure that corresponds with the chapters within the game, or order to create a "music representation" of the video game.[2]

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Prologue" – 2:35
    1. "Rising" – :20
    2. "Cloistered Expectancy" – :25
    3. "Weight of Failure" – 1:50
  2. "Cairo Suite" – 9:42
    1. "Cold Blue Light" – 1:54
    2. "Waking Spartan" – 3:36
    3. "Jeweled Hull" – 2:03
    4. "Chill Exposure" - 2:09
  3. "Mombasa Suite" – 6:41
    1. "Metropole" – 1:29
    2. "Broken Gates" – 2:47
    3. "Encounter" – 2:25
  4. "Unyielding" – 3:04
  5. "Mausoleum Suite" – 8:10
    1. "Destroyer's Invocation" – 4:36
    2. "Falling Up" – 1:49
    3. "Infected" – 1:16
    4. "Shudder" – :29
  6. "Unforgotten" – 2:09
  7. "Delta Halo Suite" – 11:29
    1. "Penance" – 2:32
    2. "Wage" – 2:42
    3. "Leonidas" – 2:28
    4. "Dust and Bones" – 3:44
  8. "Sacred Icon Suite" – 7:26
    1. "Cortege" – 3:38
    2. "Opening Volley" – :28
    3. "Veins of Stone" – 3:20
  9. "Reclaimer" – 3:03
  10. "High Charity Suite" – 8:27
    1. "Rue and Woe" – 1:30
    2. "Respite" – 2:17
    3. "Antediluvial" – 2:22
    4. "Pursuit of Truth" – 2:18
  11. "Finale" – 3:10
    1. "Great Journey" – 1:15
    2. "Thermopylae Soon" – 1:55
  12. "Epilogue" – 3:49
    1. "Beholden" – 1:03
    2. "Road to Voi" – 2:19
    3. "Subsume" – :27

[edit] Reception

Reception for the two halves of the soundtrack varied. Volume 1 received both praise and criticism for the other artists that appeared on the soundtrack; Soundtrack.net's review found that the inclusion of Hoobastank and Breaking Benjamin as well as Incubus made the soundtrack more harsh sounding but overall lacked cohesion.[4] On the other hand, G4 TV found the four-part Odyssey by Incubus comprised "a progressive rock/fusion jam the likes of which haven’t been recorded since the 1970’s."[5]

Nuketown.com declared that Volume 2 was the soundtrack that fans had been waiting for;[6] other publications agreed, saying that it "feels like the real soundtrack to Halo 2".[7] IGN found the soundtrack ultimately enjoyable, but felt that the more traditional orchestration that appeared in Halo 2 clashed with the ambient and electronic sounds that had appeared before, making the album "divided".[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Morgenstern, Alexis (2007-11-21). Halo 3's Mjolnir Mix Guitar Hero III Track Available For Free On Thanksgiving. gamingbits.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-09.
  2. ^ a b O'Donnell, Martin (2006). "Introduction". Album notes for Halo 2 Original Soundtrack: Volume Two. Sumthing.
  3. ^ a b Traiman, Steve (2004-11-06). 'halo 2' Soundtrack Bolsters Game Push. allbusiness.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
  4. ^ Brennan, Mike (2004-10-13). Soundtrack.net: Halo 2 Volume 1 OST. soundtrack.net. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
  5. ^ Damigella, Rick (2004-11-09). Rick’s Picks: Halo 2 Original Soundtrack, Volume 1. G4 TV. Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
  6. ^ Newquist, Kenneth (2007-11-03). Halo 2 Soundtrack, Vol. 2 Delivers the True Halo Experience. nuketown.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  7. ^ Goh, Alex (2006-05-09). Halo 2 Soundtrack Volume 2 Review. futurelooks.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-28.
  8. ^ D., Spence (2006-05-05). Halo 2 Original Soundtrack Volume Two. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
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