Angels & Demons
Hans Zimmer
" This is not a recycle score "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Hallelujah, the Vatican can once again damn the almighty thunder upon Dan Brown and Ron Howard. After their religious witch hunt for The Da Vinci Code they are at it again for Angels & Demons (basically a prequel book but made into a film adaptation as a sequel to TDVC). Ron Howard brings back the main crusaders Robert Langdon and Hans Zimmer to bring forth white smoke. Like so many movie scores today, there was an extremely high anticipation for this Hans Zimmer score. After all The Da Vinci Code is one of his most beloved, one of his most intelligent, one of his most amazing works of all. Well like Hans Zimmer loves to do it so much, expect none of that in Angels & Demons.
Let's bring forth some black smoke first because Angels & Demons is not the score you'll expect. The Da Vinci Code was liturgical, mysterious and chock full of beauty and elegance. Like the film it flowed on a slow moving path. Angels & Demons is raw, fast and like the trailer throwing more action into the ball park than 5 times The Da Vinci Code together (I'm talking even of the extended cut). Angels & Demons is at one way a score that offers us a sound of the old Zimmer with electronics and whooshes from all sides of the church. At the other hand Langdon's motifs and methods are balancing the quest so that you receive a nice equation in both raw and elegant movie music.
Like The Dark Knight, Angels & Demons opens rambunctious. In "I60 BPM a low but building choir is simply battling everything it touches. This is a surprising opening but it simply works. This is the old Zimmer at work and I adore it.
In the second track "God Particle" many will surely faint when they hear the opening of the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme on violin by Joshua Bell. It is divvying yes but also short, so it leaves room for brief attacking choir, moody music, glassy and electronic effects and a piano version of the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme. Here you hear the old Zimmer toying around ingeniously with the already established themes.
And by then "Air" will separate those that want to believe and those that won't. The classical theme opens, leaping forth in an exact replica of a choral hymn of "The Citrine Cross" and The Ring like behaviour. Here it feels more like Hannibal and The Ring than restating music of the first soundtrack, despite actually being that. It continues with the chaotic choir, suspenseful Ring music and ends with nice variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme (including piano). I'm not going to comment on the Goldenthal fanfare despite just having done so.
In "Fire" the violin plays a variation on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme which is lovely whilst being mixed with the classical theme. But the continuation is not so pretty with the rambunctious use of the choir, feisty strings and loads of electronics. It all ends with church bells which are cool but are just like breathing effects in Backdraft effective tools to state the atmosphere. This is old school Zimmer ladies and gentlemen. And "Black Smoke" is not more TDVC enticing. The suspense and the light vocal around the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme works. But the usage of electronics and creepy cellos surely put it a huge step away from the classical inclined predecessor.
But how feisty this album began, how soft it will end. The mammoth "Science and Religion" flies by without a hesitation, bringing forth calm ethereal mood with variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme and a pleasant return of the poisoned chalice theme. This all is carried through the ethereal strings in The Dig like effect. The religious after-taste of "Immolation" after a dose of low choir and the lovely variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal and the poisoned chalice theme are soothers.
But everyone was ecstatic when they heard the main Chevaliers de Sangreal theme being covered by violin solos by Joshua Bell. And they receive a somewhat shortened version during "503". This is basically the "Chevaliers de Sangreal" track cut in half. The touch of an organ and the gorgeous violin solos are surely spectacular once they reach their momentum. But this is not as good as the main "Chevaliers de Sangreal" track, despite the amazing violin effect.
Whatever can be said about Angels & Demons, I believe no one saw this turning into this direction except Hans Zimmer. And yet it will all work once it will be heard in the movie. As the trailer promises, this seems to be an action and suspenseful power antidote to the slow boring ride of The Da Vinci Code. And so Hans Zimmer could produce us this puppy. He uses the most important themes of The Da Vinci Code, gives them another spin and threw in more of his old school sound. In fact, it is sometimes amazing how much old school Zimmer there is to be found here. But it works and it produces a somewhat interesting album, full of new twists and definitely not a TDVC recycle score. So Hallelujah to that. And now the Vatican can continue to damn the almighty thunder upon Angels & Demons.
Tracklisting
1. I60 BPM (6.42) Excellent track
2. God Particle (5.20)
3. Air (9.09)
4. Fire (6.52)
5. Black Smoke (5.45)
6. Science and Religion (12.27) Excellent track
7. Immolation (3.39)
8. Election by Adoration (2.12)
9. 503 (2.14) Excellent track
Total Length: 54.24
Let's bring forth some black smoke first because Angels & Demons is not the score you'll expect. The Da Vinci Code was liturgical, mysterious and chock full of beauty and elegance. Like the film it flowed on a slow moving path. Angels & Demons is raw, fast and like the trailer throwing more action into the ball park than 5 times The Da Vinci Code together (I'm talking even of the extended cut). Angels & Demons is at one way a score that offers us a sound of the old Zimmer with electronics and whooshes from all sides of the church. At the other hand Langdon's motifs and methods are balancing the quest so that you receive a nice equation in both raw and elegant movie music.
Like The Dark Knight, Angels & Demons opens rambunctious. In "I60 BPM a low but building choir is simply battling everything it touches. This is a surprising opening but it simply works. This is the old Zimmer at work and I adore it.
In the second track "God Particle" many will surely faint when they hear the opening of the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme on violin by Joshua Bell. It is divvying yes but also short, so it leaves room for brief attacking choir, moody music, glassy and electronic effects and a piano version of the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme. Here you hear the old Zimmer toying around ingeniously with the already established themes.
And by then "Air" will separate those that want to believe and those that won't. The classical theme opens, leaping forth in an exact replica of a choral hymn of "The Citrine Cross" and The Ring like behaviour. Here it feels more like Hannibal and The Ring than restating music of the first soundtrack, despite actually being that. It continues with the chaotic choir, suspenseful Ring music and ends with nice variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme (including piano). I'm not going to comment on the Goldenthal fanfare despite just having done so.
In "Fire" the violin plays a variation on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme which is lovely whilst being mixed with the classical theme. But the continuation is not so pretty with the rambunctious use of the choir, feisty strings and loads of electronics. It all ends with church bells which are cool but are just like breathing effects in Backdraft effective tools to state the atmosphere. This is old school Zimmer ladies and gentlemen. And "Black Smoke" is not more TDVC enticing. The suspense and the light vocal around the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme works. But the usage of electronics and creepy cellos surely put it a huge step away from the classical inclined predecessor.
But how feisty this album began, how soft it will end. The mammoth "Science and Religion" flies by without a hesitation, bringing forth calm ethereal mood with variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal theme and a pleasant return of the poisoned chalice theme. This all is carried through the ethereal strings in The Dig like effect. The religious after-taste of "Immolation" after a dose of low choir and the lovely variations on the Chevaliers de Sangreal and the poisoned chalice theme are soothers.
But everyone was ecstatic when they heard the main Chevaliers de Sangreal theme being covered by violin solos by Joshua Bell. And they receive a somewhat shortened version during "503". This is basically the "Chevaliers de Sangreal" track cut in half. The touch of an organ and the gorgeous violin solos are surely spectacular once they reach their momentum. But this is not as good as the main "Chevaliers de Sangreal" track, despite the amazing violin effect.
Whatever can be said about Angels & Demons, I believe no one saw this turning into this direction except Hans Zimmer. And yet it will all work once it will be heard in the movie. As the trailer promises, this seems to be an action and suspenseful power antidote to the slow boring ride of The Da Vinci Code. And so Hans Zimmer could produce us this puppy. He uses the most important themes of The Da Vinci Code, gives them another spin and threw in more of his old school sound. In fact, it is sometimes amazing how much old school Zimmer there is to be found here. But it works and it produces a somewhat interesting album, full of new twists and definitely not a TDVC recycle score. So Hallelujah to that. And now the Vatican can continue to damn the almighty thunder upon Angels & Demons.
Tracklisting
1. I60 BPM (6.42) Excellent track
2. God Particle (5.20)
3. Air (9.09)
4. Fire (6.52)
5. Black Smoke (5.45)
6. Science and Religion (12.27) Excellent track
7. Immolation (3.39)
8. Election by Adoration (2.12)
9. 503 (2.14) Excellent track
Total Length: 54.24