Customer Reviews

Matrix Reloaded: The Album (Clean)

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(50)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Bought this CD the day it came out and it was well worth it. While not perfect it still has the right combination of metal, classical score, and techno/hip-hop. Sometimes all those elements are fused into one song! I'll go song by song:

Disc 1:
1: "Session" by Linkin Park: Very un-Linkin Park; haunting, beautiful, melodic and atmospheric all at the same time.

2: "This is the New Sh*t" by Marilyn Manson: Unlike the title suggests, this is nothing new. Not impressive or very good.

3: "Reload" by Rob Zombie: Metal mixed with techno and Zombie's vocals. Very hard and rough. LOUD!

4: "Furious Angels" by Rob Dougan: Beautiful, plain and simple. Easily one of the best songs on the soundtrack. Mixing of orchestral music with techno beats results in a song that lets you close your eyes and almost feel the Matrix.

5: "Lucky You" by The Deftones: Very mellow, moody and haunting. Beautifully done and very fitting for the soundtrack.

6: "The Passportal" by Team Sleep: Techno mostly, not much to say about it. Mid tempo.

7: "Sleeping Awake" by P.O.D.: Never been a POD fan, and this song hasn't changed that fact. More of the same from them. Not sure why its on this soundtrack other than for the lyrics. Musically it doesn't fit with the rest of the songs.

8: "Bruises" by Unloco: Have never heard of the band before, but this song makes me want to listen to more of them. Good heavy song.

9: "Calm Like a Bomb" by Rage Against the Machine: Classic, a song by RATM almost seemed inevitable after the ending of the first movie.

10: "Dread Rock" by Oakenfold: The song most likely alludes to the Twins, The two men in the matrix who are dressed in white and can go all ghostly. Techno and typical Oakenfold but very good.

11: "Zion" by Fluke: More techno, although this one is less hectic and more tribal than "Dread Rock." Most likely will be used in the movie during the Zion scene.

12: "When the World Ends (Oakenfold Remix)" by Dave Matthews Band: BIGGEST surprise of the soundtrack and easily the best song on the first disc. Matthew's voice is creepy and haunting and the remix by Oakenfold fits right in with it. Should play over the end credits. Beautiful song and a big change from the original, which was featured on the DMB album "Everyday."

Disc 2: Score
1: "Main Title" by Don Davis (Pure score, sounds like the original.)
2: "Trinity Dream" by Don Davis (Pure score.)
3: "Teahouse" by Juno Reactor featuring Gocoo (Amazing track! Tribal Drums!)
4: "Chateau" by Rob Dougan (Like 'Furious Angels,' another brilliant song!)
5: "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by Juno Reactor/Don Davis (good track)
6: "Burly Brawl" by Juno Reactor vs. Don Davis (BIG, loud and fun.)
7: "Matrix Reloaded Suite" by Don Davis (more straight score)

Extras as well, including trailers and a documentary on the making of the video game that ties into the movie. If you're a fan of the first movie's soundtrack, then definitely purchase this one.

With The Matrix Reloaded - The Album, for the price of 1 CD you get 2 - both the soundtrack and the score. The soundtrack is "just ok" for the most part, featuring some songs that were played during the film and 10 minutes of credits, and some that were not. The CD gets off to a pretty good start with the wordless Session by Linkin Park. Marilyn Manson's track is aptly titled, as indeed it is Sh**. Reload by Rob Zombie is OK, but nothing we haven't heard from him a hundred times before. Next is the instrumental version of Furious Angels by Rob Dougan. This is my favorite track on the soundtrack, even though it really belongs on the score CD (and probably would be if not for all the CD-ROM material on the 2nd disc). Lucky You by Deftones sounds like it has potential, but it never really goes anywhere. The Passportal by Team Sleep (never heard of them) isn't terrible, but it sure isn't very exciting. The soundtrack would be greatly improved if instead of featuring the 3:23 Sleeping Awake by P.O.D., there was 3:23 of silence (EOD). Bruises by Unloco (never heard of them) is OK, but again, nothing special. Calm Like A Bomb by Rage Against The Machine is great, like most everything by RATM, but I've heard it a hundred times before. Dread Rock by Oakenfold isn't bad, but it's not great either. Zion by Fluke sounds similar to the previous track. I was kind of surprised by When The World Ends (Oakenfold Remix) by DMB came on when I was sitting through the credits of Reloaded waiting for the Revolutions preview. The vocals are normal enough, but it's coupled with techno music, making for a track that's interesting, anyway.

The 2nd CD, in contrast, is just pure greatness from beginning to end. The first two tracks, Main Title and Trinity Dream by Don Davis sound like they're straight off Davis's great score for the original film. Teahouse by Juno Reactor & Gocoo is a short but good drumming track. Chateau by Rob Dougan is very good. Next is the music from the car chase, Mona Lisa Overdrive by Juno Reactor & Don Davis. This is simply a great track. Burly Brawl is another excellent Juno Reactor & Don Davis collaboration. The score ends with the "Matrix Reloaded" Suite by Don Davis, and harkens back to Davis's score for the first film. It doesn't feature the hard-hitting beats of the rest of the tracks on this score, but it is still good. The score CD also features some CD-ROM material, including previews for Reloaded, the Animatrix shorts (inc. Flight Of The Osiris), and the Enter The Matrix video game. These previews are worth watching once, but they're all available at the official Matrix site.

The soundtrack CD is probably 2.5/5, but the score CD is definitely 5/5. Since you're basically paying full price for the score CD (well worth it) and getting the soundtrack for free (you get what you pay for), I give The Matrix Reloaded - The Album 5 stars.

This CD is beyond description. Dipping through multiple genres, the tracks are relentless, industrial/house/rock masterpieces that more than convey the mood of the Matrix. The first CD starts and continues strong with the tracks by Linkin Park, Mariyn Manson, and POD, and ends on Oakie's and Fluke's pounding decks. Could do without the track by Rob Dougan (but that's me).
The second CD is insane for an original film score. Gets you thinking of green code in the first two tracks, and then hits you between the eyes with the tribal "Teahouse" and wrings you out in "Mona Lisa Overdrive". It's really an experience that gets your heart slamming in your chest.
Overall, a great way to get stoked for the movie, drive fast, or just listen to some great, textural(electro/metal) music.

I'm not usually one to buy soundtracks. Most soundtracks have nothing more than a few good songs, and the rest I could care less about. The original Matrix soundtrack had some excellent stuff, along with some garbage. I ended up just purchasing the albums of the tracks I liked rather than buying the soundtrack itself, and I haven't regretted the decision one bit. I do however, buy movie scores from time to time (the good ones), and I bought the original Matrix score which is 'OK'.

It's not surprising then that when I found that, for Reloaded, both the soundtrack and the score would be released on one album I was a bit disappointed. Part of me admired the idea from a marketing standpoint; forcing everyone to buy both albums. The other part of me was a little bit happy since double-CDs are usually less than two separate CDs. Needless to say, when I found this CD on sale for less than the cost of your typical single CD, I was thrilled.

The Matrix website will allow you to preview 8-10 of the songs in their entirety, and it was doing this myself that made up my mind to buy the album (even before I discovered the great price). I recommend you do the same, as listening to the songs for yourself are better than any review could possibly be. But since you can't listen to the entire album, read on.

Disc 1: For the most part, this disc compares to the first Matrix soundtrack. In some ways it's better, but in others it's not as good. Returning artists are Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, and Rage Against the Machine. Unfortunately, none of their tracks come close to their work on the original. Only Rob Zombie's track Reload was even listenable. The Manson track is easily the worst thing on either CD. The rest of the tracks are more consistent, if different than the first Matrix soundtrack. This time, there is a much more techno/electronic feel as opposed to the more hardcore industrial/metal feel of the original. This will be good for some, and bad for others depending on your taste.

Disc 2: This is where the album takes a step up from the original score. Present is Don Davis' familiar themes, but in addition is considerable collaberation with the ectronic/techno group Juno Reactor giving the score a techno sound that I found much more listenable than the original.

In all, the great price makes this double-CD a great value. Fans of the original soundtrack or score probably won't want to miss this.

Okay, so who didn't love 'The Matrix Soundtrack'? THat was some seriously cool music. This comes off with the same kind of vibe, as it has some returning artists. But the returning artists don't really live up to their previous contributions.
Rage's 'Calm like a bomb' is pretty typical of their work, and it was cool that they still contributed after their 'internal diffaculties', but 'Calm' lacks the solid hook that 'Wake Up' boasted (which was borrowed from Led Zeppelin's 'Kashmir'). Rob Zombie's 'Reload' feels like it was written for the movie. Like it was something he did over the weekend in somebody's basement when they called him up to get a song. Rob Dougan (Rob D) gives us 'Furious Angels (Instrumental' which I like more than 'Clubbed to Death', but I think the lyrics should've stayed.

Fluke (who has made a fortune in car commercials with 'Atom Bomb' and 'Absurd') presents 'Zion', which actually feels like a much needed remix of 'Atom Bomb' with a little 'Goodnight Lover' ('Vanilla Sky' trailers) thrown in. P.O.D. seems like a way too obvious choice, but they pull through with a fitting work. I was actually surprised that Linkin Park was on the list, they seem a little too hip-pop for the regular line-up, but they a nice switchback on 'Session' that I'd liken to finding out BT wrote *Nsync's 'Pop', but with the polar oppsite response. They've created something really good here. I've only heard one Unloco song and never heard of Team Sleep, but their contributions are impressive.

The real downside is Oakenfold. Thank God, 'Dread Rock' is more 'Zoo York' than 'Starry Eyed Surprise'. But it's still Paul Chokenfold we're talking about. It's sort of like the 'Bad Blood' (by Ministry) of this album, where all the other songs are like 'Oh no, here comes Dread Rock, don't tell him what we're doing this weekend!' And I'm sorry but, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Rage Against the Machine, Dave Matthews Band? To top it off it's got the touch of death that stinks up all of Chokenfold's new remixes. It's like putting a DJ Skribble remix of Shakira's 'Whenever, Wherever' on the 'Spider-man' soundtrack, it doesn't work.

I loved the second disc. Don Davis does a killer score on this and Juno Reactor's extra contribution is awesome. 'Chateau' by Rob Dougan isn't quite as catchy as 'Clubbed to Death', but it still rocks.

By trying to duplicate the success of the first CD instead of forging out into new territory, this soundtrack has, typically, guaranteed that it won't be quite as good.

However, having said that, it's still a worthwhile purchase. There are some nice new songs on the soundtrack, and the second CD with the musical score is very much appreciated. [Track 5, shown during the big car/motorcycle chase is almost worth the price alone.]

The Rob Zombie and Rob D songs, as well as the Deftones track are simply tired and uninspiring. However, there are some other extremely good songs, and I will throw in a defense of the Dave Matthews Track -- I'm normally not a fan, but this is a great song, and a good remix to boot.

So, in short: It's worth having, but don't be surprised if you're skipping over a couple of songs here and there.

The soundtrack obviously fails to measure up to the original (which kicked musical arse!), but the score is magnificent.

At first sight I couldn't believe they'd put Linkin Park on here. The song, after a listen or two, is actually decent, with a cool mix of dark industrial beat and churchlike organ which gives it a heavy sci-fi mood. Linkin Park fans might feel the band is misrepresented, but I like the choice.
The Marylin Manson song made me laugh. It's explicit but funny.
Rob Zombie's contribution is horrible. It's shallow and repetitive, and not half as good as his previous work. "Lucky You" by Deftones is equally disappointing.
"Calm Like a Bomb" and "Bruises" were good choices.
The techno songs..."Passportal" and "Dread Rock" seemed old and probably took no effort to make. Fluke's "Zion", however, is atmospheric, sexy and fits in perfectly.
"When the World Ends" and "Furious Angels" are by far the best choices on the album. They're haunting and beautiful. These songs make the album worth it.

The score is AWESOME and extremely creative. Stomping electronic beats smash into enormous, soaring orchestra along with freaky sound effects and big, fast-paced sound. The tribal drums in "Teahouse" lend an exciting, action-packed beat. "Chateau" is a familiar revisit of the exact same chord sequence from "Clubbed to Death". "Burly Brawl" and "Overdrive" will knock your socks off. Don Davis outdid himself. If you liked "Spybreak!" from the Matrix fight scene, you'll enjoy the heck out of this score.

I gave it 3 stars out of five, but the score gives it that extra star.

Sadly, this release could never have lived up to the original "The Matrix Soundtrack". The first disk is where all the problems are; the songs by Rob Zombie, the Deftones, Unloco, Rage Against the Machine, and Dave Matthews Band all make me cringe. Certain songs do offer a sweet taste of what the original had to offer, though (Marilyn Manson, Rob Dougan, and newcomers P.O.D., Fluke, Oakenfold, and Linkin Park). Thankfully, the second disk redeems the terrible songs on the first one. Don Davis is an excellent composer, and Juno Reactor just rocks. I am so glad that these songs were used in the movie and not the bad songs on the first disk; "Mona Lisa Overdrive" has to be one of the best songs ever played during an action scene in a movie. Also, "Burly Brawl" and "Matrix Reloaded Suit" are also very good tracks. This album is worth your money if you are willing to pay for 90 minutes of music where only about 70 are good. Another cool feature is that a trailer for The Matrix Reloaded and the Animatrix are included as bonus features along with a documentary on Enter the Matrix. Very cool.

I listened to the whole soundtrack looking for the "rave dance" scene in the movie @ Zion and was disappointed when it didn't appear building exactly like it did in the movie. I thought it was a nice mix of paganistic and modern dance music in the movie, but on the score it's just another song.

This sequel soundtrack makes an immediate improvement over the original soundtrack by combining 2 discs into 1 purchase. You'll get the "radio" music on disc 1, and the actual music you hear in the *movie* on disc 2. You had to buy 2 CDs to get this for the original Matrix. Forget the CD-ROM previews on disc 2, however, they aren't even worth watching.

Everything on these CDs are excellent, hard rock and techno instrumentals that imediately fit the Matrix-mold, but it isn't as fresh as the first time I listened. What music is here somehow suffers from a "dumbing-down" effect, with high production values, fewer thrills, and almost no personality. Matrix regulars like Rage Against the Machine, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Dougan make repeat appearances, yet none has a signature hit song or piece that stands out, not in the way "Dragula" or "Clubbed to Death" drifted through my mind for years. Linkin Park opens with a great instrumental, Rob Zombie and Manson are again the hardest of the group, but Deftones and Rage Against are somehow less exciting than before, and Dave Matthews makes a very strange appearance. After hearing DMB I started searching for the hidden Willie Nelson Matrix song, you never know...

The hardcore techno tracks where my absolute favorites from the first Matrix, yet they are somehow "safe" in the second. Sweeping violin archs do not belong in industrial dance beats. Symphonic touch-ups by composer Don Davis helped coax the music to fit the images on film, but rip out the soul on the music itself. The sad fact is that real movie music isn't that great for straight listening, and you often listen to an emotional build-up that has nothing to do with the music itself, but rather some image onscreen. Maybe someone should have remixed these tunes specifically for this CD. Happily, a few renegade tracks, namely "Mona Lisa Overdrive" and "Chateau" go right for the throat and stand up to anything from the 1st soundtrack.