Customer Reviews

Halo 2, Vol. 1

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Yes, Incubus and Hoobastank and Breaking Benjamin are on here. And yes, that music is all in the game. Instrumentally, that is. A lot of people immediately scream that they can't imagine hearing some of the music in game, when they actually did, and didn't notice because the instrumental versions were used. If you hate Hoobastank and Incubus, never fear, the instrumental portions of their music are the primary focus and their lyrics are more or less thrown over them. Thus, even the greatest hater is still going to love the power of the music behind the people.

Marty O'Donnell and crew do it again. The soundtrack for Halo was one of the best videogame soundtracks ever produced, and Halo 2 might even up the bar. Long, flowing orchestrial pieces give way to thumping techno beats and intense musical queues that immediately create awe and wonder, or the urge to go out and save the world.

Fans of guitar solo features from the origional game (a la "Rock Anthem for Saving the World") will be especially pleased, as the "Holo Theme Mjolnir Mix" pounds out an amazing start to this soundtrack. Fans of the Gregorian-style chants and the tribal rhythms that dotted pieces in Halo will also be pleased- many of the old themes have been brought back and updated to carry their impact into the new game. "Ghosts of Reach" is definately going to be a recognizable track for Halo fans.

A great, great album on it's own merit made better by the videogame it represents. And heck, it's even got some pop influence to boot! Don't let the inclusion of a few big names keep you away from the rest of the content of this album- the pieces add to and back up Marty's work- they don't replace it.

There are a lot of complaints about the rock songs on this album, but most of them sounded fine to me. (We can X Hoobastank, since it really doesn't seem to have anything to do with the game, soundwise or not.) Save for that one, last track, I love the rest of the CD. "Follow" by Incubus is one song that I repeat all the time... in fact, it was that song that pushed me over the edge and made me buy the soundtrack. Hearing it in-game was a blast. (It's IN-game, so it is part of the game soundtrack, not just added in.)

The "problem" here is not that there is rock on the album: Halo is changing, this game is more intense than the first, and from what I've played, I like the new sound. It can't always be just Marty, and the fact that some big bands contributed to the album really shouldn't be that big of a deal. I have tremendous respect for Incubus, actually, because they composed four different pieces of music for the game, most of them over five minutes in length. (By the way, think it's too long? Think of it like a symphony... then it makes sense.)

My only real complaint is Hoobastank's song. I don't really like it. And "Never Surrender" throws me off a bit after listening to beautiful orchestral scores and intimidating rock songs--you want to talk about being out of place on an album? ^^;

Yea this Cd is great. Martin O' Donnell is one great composer! This music is highly recommended...especially is you like the first one...which is also amazing. The rock stuff actually is not that bad, but it takes up alot of the cd. Like the others have said i hope they put more of Martin's stuff on vol. 2. I emailed Nile Rogers, who produced this Cd, and he said that the rest of Martin's music would be included in vol. 2! Now here is my analysis of Halo 2 vol. 2.

(Rating 10 highest 0 lowest)

01. Halo Theme Mjolnir Mix-This is a great mix. Steve Vai is awsome on the gutiar, which is played with the excellent halo theme! (9)

02. Blow Me Away-Actually I thought this was a well done piece. It plays instrumental in the game though and i hope that is released on vol. 2!! (8)

03. Peril-This is a very happy track. Not to be played while blowing up grunts! (5)

04. Ghosts of Reach-This track resembles (Track 25. Dust And Echoes) on the original halo soundtrack. When the percussion kicks in at the end it sounds great! (6)

05. Flow (1st Movement)-I first heard about Incubus when I heard their "Warning" song, which is great. I listended to them on here and they are not that bad. This is one of their best tracks on the Cd. (10)

06. Heretic Hero-Great song, which echoes (Track 6. Walk In The Woods) on the original soundtrack. Very cool. (8)

07. Flawed Legacy-Amazing song. This is why Martin gets his music published! This one is similar to (Track 20. Perchance To Dream) on the original. (10)

08. Impend-Starts off with a teary beginning, but then swithces over to a very technoish style. There is a beat that sounds like a heartbeat which is creepy. Nice track! (8)

09. Never Surrender-...uhhh...no...they should of gotten prodigy or crystal method to do this one, but it gets a 1 for tryin (1)

10. Ancient Machine-Another creepy track, but its not that good (3)

11. 2nd Movement-Hmmmm...this one is kind of slow at the beginning, but when it hits the second minute it gets alot better. Great gutair! (8)

12. In Amber Clad-Wow this is probobly my favorite track on this Cd. This one echoes a song that didnt make it to the original soundtrack (Actually to be found at bungie.com). Great beat and gutair!!! Very cool! (10)

13. The Last Spartan-This one plays on most of the trailers for halo 2. Great song (7)

14. Obrbit Of Glass-A very ambient piece...you could fall asleep to this one...not sayin it bad or anything lol (5)

15. 3rd Movement-Another cool one that has a trumpet in it...it dont really sound like halo though. Not bad. (6)

16. Heavy Price Paid-This song plays at the menu screen on halo 2. Very slow and teary..especially when the piano comes in..WOW! (10)

17. Earth City-AMAZING!!! Wow this is great. Martin is awesome! This is Halo 2 in a nutshell! I like the last 25 seconds!

18. High Charity-This one is another slow moody track. (6)

19. 4th Movement-Great bongos at the beginng. Ineresting and nice closing for Incubus! (8)

20. Remembrance-Another slow song to sign off O' Donnell. See ya in vol.2.....and possibly halo 3!!! (4)

21. Connected-Hoobastank never should of had anything to do with Halo!!! (0)


As you can see this is one great soundtrack. Get it if you like good music, someting to relax to, or of you like halo.

I became interested in Halo when I heard my son and his father playing the game. I was so drawn in by the music that I learned to play, and since have become an enthusiast. My understanding is that the first soundtrack came out only after much public outcry for the CD.

Like the first Halo soundtrack, the original score for the follow-up game is beautifully composed and arranged. O'Donnell and Salvatori use a counterpoint of sweeping orchestral themes and human chants against military and/or majestic rhythms. In texture and feel, the music is very reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's unforgettable score from "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly". The triumphant military beats against the mournful melodies are heart-wrenching, both when you are actually playing the game and when listening to the CD. In both Halo 1 and 2, the soundtrack is a combination of power and sorrow, exploration and loss.

In the Halo 1 soundtrack, the first rock rhythms were introduced in the track "Rock Anthem for Saving the World". Although not to my taste, my 10-year-old son listened to the song over and over. These new tracks on the Halo 2 CD (as well as the song "Blow Me Away", which I believe was in the end credits of the game?) are in spirit keeping with that classic rock feel. These songs are high energy but lack the haunting quality of so many of the the orchestral tracks. Also, the variations on the trademark Halo melody played by these musicians sound embarrassingly amateur in comparison to the score. I believe this is inevitable due to the richness and the complexity of the orchestral arrangements. The "rock" songs would be fine on their own, but they pale in comparison.

The main problem with the CD is that the new tracks are interspersed randomly with the orchestral score tracks. When the rock tracks start they are very jarring. I still give this CD 5 stars (which I definitely also give the score to Halo 1). What I suggest is that you buy the CD, and make your own copies, with all of the orchestral songs on one CD, and the rock songs on another. I plan to do so with my copies of Halo 1 and 2. I look forward to Volume 2 of this soundtrack.

I do not usually review music, because it is an extremely subjective form of art. So, I am writing this as a fan of the original Halo soundtrack.

First of all, I give high praise for Martin O'Donnell and his associates, because that portion of the CD is fabulous and breathtaking. If you've listened to the first Halo, a few times at least, you'll most definitely notice that some of the music is essentially the same, but made more colorful by a wide assortment of new instruments. Especially impressive is the use of the guitar in at least two tracks, numbers 1 and 12. There are several completely original tracks as well, and two have been used to advertise the game widely to the public, so they will sound familiar. But out of all of them, track 2, Peril, is my personal favorite. It adds a sense of mystery and danger, while managing to sound almost cheerful in its presentation.

As far as the inspired music goes, I will not bash it thoughtlessly like some reviewers here. Again, it will be mostly subjective, but several of the tracks seem to fit into the genre, and sound almost like ending-credits types of songs, like Blow Me Away. Never Surrender sounds more like a techno/dance/trance mix and I don't know why something that makes you want to put up your arms and dance is in there. I happen to agree that they don't belong intermingled with the instrumental music. I had the fortune of being able to burn and rearrange it, putting all the rock at the end of the CD, and it definitely sounds a lot better.

Those minor gripes aside, I feel that this Volume 1 stays true to the core story of the game, and is definitely worth buying if you liked the first one. I do hope that Volume 2, the mystery of its release date looming over me like a dark shadow, includes everything else that was left out. Both of them together will make a complete and unforgettable soundtrack.

Now... pretty much I'm writing a walk-through of another brilliant soundtrack written by Michael O'Donnell and I would like to say thanks to Bungie for making such a brilliant first person shooter. This soundtrack is really for the average gamer that played Halo/Halo 2 and likes the soundtracks, and I would recommend this for the average person that likes to listen to music. The Halo 2 tracks still keep the same elements of the first Halo soundtrack, with a few additions inspired by the first Halo. What I'm trying to say is that this is a soundtrack that is great with a few additions to the music to show that Halo 2 is a more intense game that deserves more intense music.
Here's the walk-through.

1: Halo MJOLNIR mix:
This is an excellent remix of the first Halo's main theme. The crafting of the guitar makes the violin not sound out of date on the first game, but this gives that intense feeling inside the song.

2: Breaking Benjamin's BLOW ME AWAY:
This song does relate to the game in some way (maybe through the lyrics) and is intense in some parts with great "fuel for the soul" guitar parts.

3: Peril:
The staccato (I think that's how you spell it) gives that "now I'm curious" feeling that relates to that one level where you first hear that song. Excellently crafted.

4: Ghosts of Reach:
It has that holy feeling and that "I did not deserve death" feeling inside a part of the track, and really bet it picks up beats later. The slow beat makes a dramatic feeling inside the track.

5: Follow (1st Movement of the Odyssey)
It is fast pace, intense, and sounds a little bit familiar. It's a good song, and may sound random at some parts, but you'll see it's not random at all later in the track.

6: Heretic, Hero:
It does deserve the title, I don't know why, but this track sounds familiar from the first game soundtrack. The drums give it a great beat that matches the pace. It is familiar, and it has the brave dude feeling in it.

7: Flawed Legacy:
Perchance to Dream: It reminds me of killing those sleeping grunts at that one level in the first halo. It deserved that title and it has a drum set now! Wow... anyway time changes and so did the title.

8: Impend:
I like that drum that gives that Heartbeat and that desperate feeling. The background is dramatic, but still supports the title and it sounds really familiar. This is a good track.

9: Never surrender- Nile Rogers.
Nile Rogers did a great job at remixing the opening suite. I like this track, and the fast pace drums make the song intense. Reminds me of Linkin Park's SESSION song that I loved. I like this song, and the fact that it is remixed doesn't make it bad.

10: Ancient Machine
Scary, Slow, I seriously don't know where or how it got the title, but the ambience is dark, spooky. Reminds me of the flood, like I bet it's supposed to, and... Yeah!

11: 2nd movement of the Odyssey:
The song might sound random at first, but they did a great job with the guitar and the drum set and has that "relax! It's just another day" feeling. The base totally takes away the random feeling later.

12: In Amber clad:
I like what they did to the heartbeat-slow drums and the guitar to make the atmosphere like the band was surrounded by Amber and they are trying to explain it through music. Good job here. It reminds me of the first halo's WALK IN THE WOODS.

13: Last Spartan:
I love this song I love this song I love this song. The song is like "I'm maaaaarching off to kill some baddies." Then transitions to that slow dramatic part. They did a great job with this song and the violins and everything else in the song. This was the song, I bet, was on the teaser trailer on Halo 2. The trailer got me SO excited the first time I watched it, and they got great timing too. I saw it the day I beat the game on Halo. Wow. Such a great trailer and such a great song.

14: Orbit of Glass:
This song REALLY REALLY deserved the title. It made me feel like the room was filled with chandeliers. Really well made. It gives that golden feeling inside your chest, and it's a really good song.

15: 3rd Movement of the Odyssey:
Could sound random, but believe me. Listen for the bass guitar and it will never sound random anymore. They did a good job on the song making it give a "What's going on here" feeling.

16: Heavy price paid:
Even though this is a really strange title, the song has that feeling in it that makes you sad at the bottom of your heart. They did a REALLY good job at the piano and the background to support it. I like this song and it makes you sad in a good way, like a sacrifice had to be made.

17: Earth City:
I REALLY REALLY LOVE THIS SONG! It was in that e3 demo, it's fast paced and military-like. The piano was really fast and great. The drums had that really supported the main part of the song. The best part of the song was the ending. THE ENDING! The end has a very special suspense that I like. Like, in the series "24" in the end of every episode, there would be so much "nose-bleed" suspense, your eyes and your brain will start begging you for more. Like 24, this song is addicting.

18: High Charity.
Sad song, like something very dear to you had to be sacrificed for good. This is like it was made in remembrance for something old and friendly. This really had a good title that matched the feeling of the song.

19: 4th movement of the Odyssey:
They did a good job with the drums in this song, it gives that that feeling like something old and ancient and evil. The fast pace supports the feeling in the song, like it can't live without it.

20: Remembrance:
This reminds me of MAW in the first Halo album, and to put many words in several, it does give Remembrance. The song's feeling is unique, I can't explain.

21: Connected:
I am a Hoobastank fan, and I did like reason. It got boring after I completely memorized the song. The recording was in the wrong place, so, the song might seem crappy, but in reality it isn't. The lyrics do relate to the song, and I'll let you find out who's connected to whom.



The Game is great, the Sound is great, the graphics are great, the storyline is REALLY great, and the album has rock to show how time progresses in the game, to show how fast things change in time. Michael did a good job at the music and I'd like to thank him.

IF YOU THINK THIS REVIEW IS NOT USEFULL, YOU'RE A DANG FOOL!

I understand every business has a bottom line. In this case, Microsoft decided that it might help to include a bunch of stuff that... well, sucks, but sounds good to the sort of people who like music that sounds like disjointed noise.

Marty O'Donnell is by far one of the most gifted and brilliant music men I have ever had the joy of hearing. As a connoisseur of stage, motion picture and video game music scores, I can easily place him among the greats. His incisive vision (and ear) is an alchemy of sound and music that can take an already incredible game and add an immersiveness that makes the game experience ten times better. He's an essential to the Bungie team.

Every last O'Donnell track on this soundtrack is genius and worth listening to all by itself. If you enjoyed Halo 2's score, you'll enjoy his work. If you enjoy feature film scores in general, be prepared to be shocked that video games can have such a cinematic feel. Marty's sense of epic is awe-inspiring.

Why do the non-Marty O'Donnell tracks not belong? Why are they so often complained about in these reviews? It's the same reason that Shakespeare is never filed beside MAD Magazine in the library.

Halo 2's soundtrack is truly epic. Diluting it with such pedestrian music as Hoobastank is justifiable grounds for disappointment. At the cost of a few REALLY amazing tracks, you've got music that most buyers of this CD won't care about. Just the same, it's worth the buy. Let's hope for a more pure volume two.

I highly recommend this cd to any halo fan. My favorite songs were In Amber Clad, Peril, and Earth City. In Amber Clad gives an awesome sensation of rock, but it is not hard rock at all. Peril gives an energetic feeling, but there is absolutly no rock at all which is good. and Earth City is from the E3 demo when Master Chief is in the city riding in a warthog with other marines. I am pretty dissapointed that they put in the words to Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamin, the song was great in the video game without the words, but the words kind of ruin it. The one by Hoobatank does not go at all with Halo 2. All of the Odysseys were terrible too but overall I give the soundtrack 2 thumbs up.

The Halo 2 soundtrack stays true to the spirit of the first one, but with some weird additions, like the Incubus tracks. Don't get me wrong, I love Incubus and the songs on this soundtrack are good for the most part, but they have no place amongst the moody ambient pieces that are actually featured in the game. The only song that I don't like is "Connected" by Hoobastank. As one reviewer put it, it's "wretched and useless". One other alt rock group, Breaking Benjamin, contributes to the soundtrack with a song that actually does appear in the game, only without the vocals. The song features some good old fashioned alt rock guitar work, and though it isn't complicated or even technically apt, it still evokes the feeling of wielding a large automatic rifle against alien scum... something that I look for in a song. The best guest appearance, in my opinion, is that of Steve Vai, who takes the Halo theme to new hights with his shred guitar version. All in all, a good soundtrack.

When Halo was released I was surprised and amazed at its musical quality. So much so I bought the soundtrack myself. However after listening to the Halo 2 soundtrack I don't want to go back. Martin O'Donnell has created what is one of the most inspired game scores I have ever heard. While the music itself remains true to the original, it manages to create a new niche for itself among the Halo universe. From the orchestral title theme, with excellent accompaniment by Steve Vai, to the ambient "Ancient Machine" this soundtrack is packed with quality.

Part of what I feel has made this soundtrack what it has become, is the inclusion of music producer Nile Rodgers, who managed to snag the aforementioned Steve Vai as well as Incubus, Hoobastank, and Breaking Benjamin who all lend their own original songs. Many think that the addition of these bands is an annoyance but I strongly disagree. All of the bands churn out some great radio worthy tunes that add to the atmosphere of the game. Incubus deserves special mention, their song "Follow" is divided into four sections totaling over 24 minutes in length, and is best described as a musical epiphany for the band.

With its sweeping orchestral scores and the masterful inclusion of rock, this can appeal to not just Halo fans but anyone who enjoys music. And I would be more than happy to spend my money on it, and already have.