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Halo: Reach Soundtrack Deserves A Listen
O'Donnell and Salvatori's excellent soundtrack is available for purchase; it's currently one of the best-selling soundtracks in the US.
Amid all the ridiculously loud explosions, plasma rifle fire, and dying Spartans, you might not have been able to fully appreciate the great score that accompanied Halo: Reach. But you're in luck. The soundtrack is available sans alien sound effects and morose conversations about the fall of humanity.
The two disc soundtrack is currently for sale over at Amazon for $12.99, and it seems to be doing pretty well for itself. It's sitting at #1 for anime and video game soundtracks, and a healthy #2 in overall movie soundtracks (a category that apparently includes video game soundtracks when they get really big).
What can you expect out of the score? O'Donnell and Salvatori's longtime collaboration explores some new territory, implementing strong melodic lines that feel very much inspired by world music tonalities at times. Several tracks dip into ambient non-melodic sounds to evoke the terror of the Covenant attackers on Reach. Overall, though the Reach score moves away from many of the familiar Halo melodies that characterized the earlier installments, there's still plenty to enjoy here. As usual, the composer team succeeds at bringing high-energy heroism through blazing guitar riffs and sweeping orchestra lines, with more than a touch of poignancy and contemplative moments, often communicated through O'Donnell's unmistakable piano parts.
It's a great listen. Check out some of the sample tracks over at Amazon, and you'll likely want a copy for yourself.
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