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**Updated** I want to bring to everyone's attention that in order to get all the bonus tracks you must buy the soundtrack TWICE: once here and once on itunes. I bought the itunes version to get two extra tracks and I highly recommend them both. I almost lowered my score to 4 stars given you are not purchasing the complete soundtrack on Amazon or itunes. There is even a track that you can ONLY get by purchasing your movie tickets at movietickets.com which I have not done. This trend, which began with DLC for video games, is not befitting the consumer and I am a bit annoyed. That being said, I added my thoughts on four of the five bonus tracks below.
Quite by accident, I noticed that the entire soundtrack was available for streaming on Empire Online legally, a week before it comes out officially. I have been looping the soundtrack since and it is epic. Hans Zimmer is by far my favorite composer alive trumping even John Williams in my mind. Zimmer is responsible for my favorite themes and soundtracks scoring everything from the Lion King to Call of Duty. His work with James Newton Howard on the first two movies was sensational, but this is the first time going it alone in a Batman movie.
Zimmer admitted that he had no problem working on the "Batman" half of the scores, but relied on Newton Howard for the "Bruce Wayne" aspect. This dynamic is reflected in this soundtrack as the love themes are notably absent. This is clearly a dark movie. In its place are the haunting chants and melancholy strings which provide volume to the entire score.
Many of the recognizable themes from the original two movies make a reappearance in this score but not in an bad way. The old is mixed with the new and Zimmer often reinterprets his old themes to give them new life.
"The Storm is Coming" is clearly an introduction. It is a short track that is about half a minute and probably is played with the corporate logo as the film begins.
"On Thin Ice" seems to convey an emotion of looking back at the previous films and the devastation Gotham has endured. It is filled with sad strings and a hint of the looming terror. We are introduced to the final theme played throughout the soundtrack. It is quiet but reminds me of "528491" from inception which preceded the great "Mombasa" action track.
"Gotham's Reckoning" is clearly the first set piece of the movie. I remember hearing it when I saw the first six minutes of the film in IMAX in December. I am not going to spoil what happens, but suffice it to say it is the first time we meet Bane and he makes quite an entrance. The track uses entirely new music. On my first play-through it was unremarkable, but put it on a good car audio system and the layers pop out. The bass on this track is taken from Zimmer's inception playbook. The tone is foreboding and terrifying but beautiful. It is almost all electronics and drums while introducing us to Bane's theme (the chants).
"Mind if I cut in" is my least favorite track. I agree with the other reviewer that this is an example of where Newton Howard would have filled this void. This is a slow track with piano and violin. It reminds me of a detective track where a character is looking t uncover some mystery. My guess is this is when we are introduced to Selena Kyle.
"Underground Army" is another quiet track with lots of electronics. It has a menacing tone as if evil plans that are being made by Bane and his henchman. It introduces a few new melodies but seems like an average track at best.
"Born in Darkness" looks back at Batman's past by echoing themes from the "Batman Begins" but appears as another quiet filler track.
"The Fire Rises" is the second major action music which introduces some new themes and horror elements with minor notes, strings and drums. The track seems to depict (and this is just a guess) Batman's first encounter with Bane. There are lulls in the action which build to intense loud action queues. This track must be listened to on a great audio system to reveal its layers. I find this track to get better with repeated listenings. Zimmer certainly uses his inception style in this track with the heavy electronics towards the end.
"Nothing Out There" sounds like its straight out of the "Dark Knight." It quietly repeats the piano (love?) theme from the previous movies but never utilizes the full orchestra. It is another filler track.
"Despair" is filled with new and old music blended together. He reinterprets his "Dark Knight" music from "Why So Serious" by throwing in a long cello build-up with the famous two note themes. The second half of the track is a reinterpretation of the end of "I'm not a Hero" from the previous soundtrack as well. While it repeats alot from past soundtracks it remains fresh and exciting.
"Fear will Find You" seems to be another action sequence against Bane. Zimmer uses the chants for the first time alongside intense drums and electronics mixed with the old themes and the new theme from this movie. The two are seamlessly integrated. You will think you know the track straight out of "The Dark Knight" and then it will take a new and unique turn. It could be construed as a remix, but I think of it as a fresh take.
"Why do We Fall" is one of Zimmer's finest as it builds to a swelling climax with strings and drums. Batman is clearly defeated in spirit but is convinced to try one last time. (This is another guess). It builds to epic levels before breaking out in the Batman drum and string theme.
"Death By Exile" is a filler track that offers little to nothing but an additional track listing. At 23 seconds it should have been combined with the next track.
"Imagine the Fire" is the most epic track and contains many new action queues coupled with old familar themes. It reminded me of "Mombasa" from his Inception score and "The Chase" from Batman Begins. This track has everything from old themes to electronics to strings and drums. This track completes the soundtrack and demonstrates Zimmer's abilities to orchestrate a climactic final encounter with Bane (another guess?).
"Necessary Evil" clearly depicts the aftermath of the final battle. I feel as though there are hints as to the outcome but no certainties. It is a suspenseful track as the movie has not yet been released. It quietly references the Batman theme introduced in this movie.
"Rise" This is Zimmer's playground to end the film on an epic note. It is very much like "A Dark Knight" from the last soundtrack but is a slower (and more epic) version of the final track soundtrack which sends chills down your spine. The swelling strings and slow pace allow the orchestra to really shine. This track again hints at the outcome of the movie without being definitive. Clearly it depicts loss, but on what scale? I love this track, but it is not long enough. It is the final Batman track we will hear from Zimmer, so I wished it would be more like the 17 minutes of the last finale.
**Update**
"No Stone Unturned" is a bonus track that I just downloaded. Essentially, there is nothing specifically new here but it remixes the themes from all the movies as an action piece. It is absolutely a must have for any fan of the soundtrack. Its an exciting track that adds to the intensity of the overall score. At 7 minutes, it is an impressive piece.
"Risen from the Darkness" is another bonus track which is similar in principle to the first one. It again remixes old themes with the new and adds one more action track to this terrific soundtrack. Again it's nothing groundbreaking or new, but gets the action music swelling in new ways.
"Bombers of Ibiza" is the final bonus track and is clearly has the touch of a different composer. It's all synthesizers here and clearly what you think of with normal remixes. This track I could do without. It almost feels like club dance music. It's not bad but also not memorable. There is even a little dubstep mixed into the track.
With the new tracks, the first two listed are clearly the work of Zimmer working in the studio to put together old familiar themes to make them into exciting yet generic action tracks. These first two do feel like they could be played somewhere in the movie and could have been added to the original soundtrack. The final track is a standard third party remix which has some nice rhythm but comes across as dance music.
**NEW UPDATE** These are my thoughts on the itunes bonus tracks.
"The Shadows Betray You" is a track you get from the itunes version and I feel disappointed it was not included in the original soundtrack. It is a very dark track with synthesizers featuring the new themes. It almost sounds muffled, (perhaps a reference to Bane's mask)but in an intentional awesome way. I recommend finding this track.
"The End" is another itunes track clearly the credits and all I have to say is WOW! I feel upset that this track was not included in the soundtrack as well. I love this track. It is slow and brooding and is very unlike the other tracks. It is ominous and intense and features the familiar themes but with a Darth Vaderesqe breathing in the background. This is a very dark ending. I hope they release a more complete soundtrack or where you can pick these songs up individually.
**End of Update**
Obviously the movie has yet to be released and will likely enhance the listening experience of the entire soundtrack, but it doesn't need a movie to be considered a spectacular accomplishment. Unfortunately I don't have the musical training to properly convey my emotions regarding this soundtrack, but hopefully the tone of the review demonstrates my enjoyment of this score.
Everyone expects the best from a Hans Zimmer score as they do with Chris Nolan and Zimmer does not disappoint. I will be looping this soundtrack for weeks to come no doubt. Words fail to describe how much I love all of Hans Zimmer's work and must be experienced rather than listened to. Together the three Nolan-Batman soundtracks rank up there with Lord of the Rings and the original Star Wars as the best trilogy scores of all time. Listen to this soundtrack often and on a great audio system with strong bass. Your ears will thank you for it and your neighbors will forgive you (I hope) for the vibrations.
**NOTE**
I also saw that there are additional tracks that come with the physical CD, so I preordered it as opposed to the MP3 option. Ill add my thoughts once the CD comes.
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