Zanobard Reviews

The iconic O’Donnell and Salvatori Halo sound of old returns with Halo Infinite, as composers Gareth Coker, Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz pay loving homage via synthy vocals, upbeat percussion, serene string ambience and many a reprisal of the impeccable main theme – with Standout Cue “Zeta Halo” perhaps being the best rendition there is.

The sound of Halo changes once again for 2021’s Halo Infinite; after Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinnouchi introduced a more cinematic style with the music for Halo 4 and Jinnouchi then continued it solo for Halo 5: Guardians, another complete composer switch-up occurs here. Gone are Davidge and Jinnouchi, with Ori And The Blind Forest composer Gareth Coker instead stepping up in their place alongside Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz. Honestly, when I found out Coker was part of the compositional team, my heart leapt; I am a massive fan of his Ori scores, and the gorgeously tranquil orchestral style that he utilised throughout them is something that I was absolutely intrigued to hear applied to Halo. Speaking of style then, the best way to understand what the new composers have done to the sound of the franchise with Infinite is to hear the music, so let’s get started with opening track “Zeta Halo”; immediately as the cue begins we’re off to a great start, as the solemn gregorian chant of the iconic O’Donnell and Salvatori theme echoes pensively through. Surprisingly though, after the theme rendition concludes the track then keeps going, extending the iconic motif for three and a half beautifully serene minutes with nothing but the vocals in centre stage. It’s simple yet impeccably elegant, and they even sing a short portion of “One Final Effort” from Halo 3 before the sublime track fades to a gentle finish. All-in this is a Standout Cue already, and a phenomenal opener for Infinite; the composers have captured the ethereal solemnity of the Halo theme perfectly, and I think this may genuinely be my favourite rendition of it.

Gentle strings then open “Sacrifice”, with atmospheric piano notes harkening back to the memorable O’Donnell and Salvatori sound of old before the pace starts to kick up in the back half with percussion building to a rapid crescendo. A new villain theme is then introduced in “The Banished”, with eerily imposing electronics echoing alongside coldly floating vocals and light drums, until we get our first taste of action in “Gbraakon Escape”; the memorable percussion of the Halo theme’s action side starts to play immediately as the track begins – drawing an instant smile – with rapid strings, ethereal vocals, upbeat piano and enthusiastic percussion ushering in a fast pace with backing hints toward the gregorian chant we all know and love. So far, I have to say; I love the orchestral style used by the composers for Infinite; it’s modern in tone while still being very, very O’Donnell and Salvatori, harkening back to Combat Evolved‘s more ambient style primarily, and I’m all here for it. While personally I still quite enjoyed Davidge/Jinnouchi’s more cinematic take on Halo, it’s amazing to hear the iconic orchestrations of old return. Anyway – the moody new Banished motif lurks on low-pitched strings in “Escharum” alongside percussive hints toward the action side of the Halo theme, continuing the aforementioned exquisitely Halo ambience in increasingly dramatic style.

The ethereal vocals of the Halo theme echo serenely in “Follow The Signal” alongside quiet murmurs of brass and drums before “Foundations” then delves deeper into floating atmosphere as tranquil electronics and gentle strings take point in the first half followed by further vocal and percussive ambient combinations from Combat Evolved in the second. Quiet, almost regretful strings and downtrodden brass then occupy “The Weapon” alongside some rather forlorn piano notes before we return to the percussive Halo ambience in “Know My Legend” with determined brass and vocals also flaring resolutely in the back half. A peaceful atmosphere then descends with “Reverie”, with several calming renditions of the Halo theme playing on vocals while backed by similarly serene strings. We then get a proper treat in “The Road”, as the action side of O’Donnell and Salvatori’s theme thunders heroically into centre stage with rapid strings, dramatic drums and triumphant vocals all utterly soaring for a spellbinding new take on the iconic action setpiece (though “Greatest Journey” from Halo 3 is still my favourite rendition personally). Some very 2000s-sounding synth is then the focus of “Ransom Keep” together with rumbling drums and piano before “Tower” builds enthusiastically with militaristic brass, strings and drums for a particularly determined action setpiece overall. The quieter, pensively ambient “Through The Trees” then harkens back to the “Walk In The Woods” cue from the original Halo with ethereal vocals and synth.

The gregorian chant of the Halo theme echoes resolutely through “Horns Of Abolition” alongside percussive hints towards its action side and noble strings, with solemn synthy hints back towards “Zeta Halo” then floating serenely through in “Conservatory”. “Endless” then brings some high-pitched and rather unsettling vocals to the forefront, with moodily ominous electronics lurking in the background together with rumbling drums for a decidedly eerie theme track overall for the titular antagonists of the game. Fast-paced electronics then kick tensions into high gear for the frenetic bossfighting setpiece “Adjutant Resolution” together with aggressive strings and imposing vocals, with similarly malevolent-sounding electronics and worriedly horror-like strings then occupying the two minute “Scattered, Hunted, Defeated”. Regretful piano notes then plink solemnly through the slower “What Makes Us Human” alongside gently mournful strings and a quiet brass rendition of “One Final Effort” from Halo 3 before “Under Cover” returns us to the synthy and percussive ambience of the original Halo‘s “Under Cover Of Night” for three enjoyably atmospheric minutes. Similarly ethereal-sounding vocals then float serenely in “Command Spire”, though now with a notably ghostly quality with eerie electronics fading in and out, though the mood does then uplift somewhat in the subsequent “Control Room” as brighter, more hopeful vocals sound alongside cheerier strings and grander thuds of percussion.

After a few further synth and drum-focused atmospheric setpieces, “Never Tell Me The Odds” dives back into action territory with a fast-paced rendition of the Halo theme on anxious strings to start before being joined by determined piano notes and increasingly dramatic percussion that lead an epic charge all the way to the end of the track. The aggressive Banished theme then returns for “Test Of Mettle” on moodily low-pitched strings before intense vocal sorrow overtakes in “There Will Be Consequences” with a rather mournful rendition of the Halo theme echoing against further motivic threat from the Banished on strings. Vocal reprisals of “Zeta Halo” then float in melancholy through “Palace Arrival” before “Silent Auditorium” plinks ambiently in its opening seconds with electronics before the mood starts to turn eerie with shrill vocals reprising the malevolently atmospheric material for the Endless from earlier in the album. The gregorian vocals of the Halo theme then clash tensely with the shriller Endless vocals in “Judgment” with string and brass hints toward the action side of the former driving a strained pace alongside dramatic percussion. The music then slows for “Finale” as the solemn vocals of the Endless echo against quietly pensive strings hinting toward the Halo theme in the opening minutes until grander orchestrations build to crescendo. Final track “Hunter’s Dance” then leaps emphatically with electronics and strings playing the Halo theme opposite atmospheric vocals and drums.

Overall, Gareth Coker, Curtis Schweitzer and Joel Corelitz’s score for Halo Infinite is a wonderful stylistic throwback to the original and indeed iconic O’Donnell and Salvatori Halo sound of old. Everything from the gentle synthy vocals, the upbeat percussion, the serene strings and the plinking piano notes just screams 2000s Halo music, with atmospheric tracks like “Sacrifice”, “Reverie” and “Through The Trees” (with the latter being a direct reprise of “Walk In The Woods” from Combat Evolved) being excellent examples of this. We also get some absolutely phenomenal thematic setpieces in the gorgeously vocal “Zeta Halo” – in my opinion the best rendition of the iconic theme to date – as well as the fist-pumpingly thunderous “The Road” for the action side. Against Master Chief is then the eerily vocal motif for the Endless and the louder, more aggressive theme for the Banished, two new and aptly ominous pieces for the antagonists of the game that are very entertaining. I will say though that it’s a bit of a shame there’s no reference to Kazuma Jinnouchi’s “117” theme from Halo 4 – it’s a fantastically composed and aptly grandiose motif for the Chief, and given the clear love that the composers here have for the music for Halo, that could have gotten a reprisal too. Also, while I do really enjoy the stylistic focus on the sound of the original games, after two and a half hours it does start to wear a bit thin – maybe mixing it up a little with some more action focus or an electric guitar or two would have helped. It’s like the opposite issue to the score for Halo 5: Guardians; almost too much atmosphere, and not enough cool action moments.

That said, I’d be lying if I wrote that I didn’t like the music for Halo Infinite; I really do. It feels like such a fun stylistic throwback, and the composers clearly love the iconic O’Donnell and Salvatori sound. And best of all, I still can’t get over the sheer beauty of “Zeta Halo”.

Score: 7.5/10

Standout Cues: Zeta Halo, The Road, Never Tell Me The Odds

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