300 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Special Edition) [SOUNDTRACK] [SPECIAL EDITION]

Tyler Bates (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: Tyler Bates
• Audio CD (March 6, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack, Special Edition
• Label: Warner Bros / Wea
• ASIN: B000MTDRDQ
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #41,659 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Listening to this soundtrack at full blast one often feels as if the Spartan and Persian forces are coming right at you, then ferociously pummeling your eardrums--and this is meant as a compliment. Tyler Bates's score is basically a modern update of the battle classic to end all battle classics: Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. On the opening cue "To Victory," Bates throws in everything he's got: powerful choral singing, massive percussion (you can almost feel the weight of those Japanese taiko drums), and of course an otherworldly female voice. All these elements are then parceled out over the following tracks, taking turns to dominate the cues, and sometimes coming together again in majestic shows of force--the music can sound absolutely humongous at times ("Submission," "Come and Get Them," "A God King Bleeds"). The most interesting development is the use throughout of electronic treatment; even when the technique is applied subtly, it's very efficient in adding a spooky dimension to the album's very sonic texture. And while you'd think an electric guitar would feel incongruous in a movie set in 480 BC, it actually injects a screaming sense of urgency into a track such as "The Hot Gates." As for that aforementioned female voice, it belongs to Iranian-born, L.A.-based Azam Ali (of the duo Vas), who makes essential contributions on tracks like "Cursed by Beauty" and "Goodbye My Love." --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Product Description
Epic, emotional and inventive describe the action drama 300 and also its score. Written and produced by Tyler Bates (Dawn of the Dead, Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects, and Slither), Music From The Motion Picture 300 boasts a sweeping palette, embracing a tonal foundation unfamiliar to studio films. Orchestral and choral, 300 features the haunting, exotic vocals of Azam Ali, featured in world music groups Niyaz and Vas. Special Edition Includes: Deluxe Packaging, 3 Two-Sided Trading Cards and 16 Page Full Color Booklet.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars POWERFUL!, April 1, 2007

By	Steven Hancock (Winston Salem, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Tyler Bates has created an outstanding score for the epic "300." The music pulls you into that moment of history, making you feel what it was like to be at that moment in 480 B.C. From haunting pieces such as "Goodbye my Love" and "Message for the Queen," to pulse-pounding pieces such as "To Victory" and "The Hot Gates," the music compliments the movie very well, while standing on its own too. Fans of the film, and of great instrumental music, will not be disappointed by "300: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack!"
Grade: A+

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aggressive, epic, and beautiful, March 11, 2007

By	I. Nedvalyuk "digifruitella" (dale city, virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Simply a well written score. Tyler Bates creates a very epic scaled sound that is conveyed through emotional melodic cues, aggressive, grim, atmospheric and beautiful. It plays out like a 60 minute piece, carefully mixed with only a few stops when needed.

This score is just a pleasure to listen to - the music is just amazing; there are cues like "Message For The Queen" and "Remember Us" that sound so emotional that you can't help it but feel sad. Cues like "No Sleep Tonight", "No Mercy" offer an aggressive, grim, moody, atmospheric sound that catches ones attention. In fact, I keep repeating those two because they just set the tone so well to the battle scenes of the film.

"Tree of the Dead", "The Hot Gates", "Fight in the Shade", "Immortals Battle" and so on are one of the aggressive and epic sounds that are produced by Tyler Bates that I myself keep looping over and over.

This score is a must have for everyone who loves the epic sound. It is epic, but it's not your usual case of epic - it is a fusion of elements of electronic music, as well as elements of heavy metal as heard in "Fever Dream"

It's a definite recommendation, even blind buying wouldn't disappoint.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly Beautiful, March 20, 2007

By	Ladymorrigu (Lansing, MI) - See all my reviews

I picked this up 2 days ago and cannot stop listening to it. All controversy of the movie aside, this is an amazing musical score. Using sweeping orchestral movements, trancelike drums, deliberate pacing, and the rich voice of Middle Eastern diva, Azam Ali, Bates weaves a spell of dark fantasy. Although calling to mind such scores as "Gladiator", "Lord of the Rings", "Kingdom of Heaven", and even "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves", "300" holds it's own, evoking a atmosphere of majesty, mysticism, and larger than life heroes and villains.

The flow of this album is very well-paced, beginning with a crescendo of sound and motion and then seamlessly moving through sorrowful strings, tension-filled drum rhythms, epic choral chants, climaxing guitar riffs, and then back again without hesitation. Azam Ali's voice is the thread that weaves this tapestry of sound together. Her vocals effortlessly slip in and out of the score like a phantom, sometimes unheard, but always on the edge of awareness.

My advice? Listen to the music samples here. If you like what you hear, pick up the score and prepare to be swept away, because these samples are just a taste of the entirely of the work. It's brilliant.