Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori follow up their iconic score for Halo with a notably brilliant instrumental upgrade in Halo 2; an electric guitar. Played exceptionally by Steve Vai, the resulting thunder of electric action as well as the return of the vocal-focused Halo atmosphere we all know and love make this sequel soundtrack a genuine joy all the way through.
The soundtrack for Halo 2 opens with “Halo Theme Gungnir Mix”, and is essentially a brand new version of “Installation 04” from Combat Evolved‘s score but with one very significant difference; an electric guitar, electrically played by Steve Vai. This is the big evolution in sound that occurs between the two Halo albums, as composers Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori reprise the iconic original themes from Combat Evolved, adding to and remixing them to honestly immensely enjoyable effect – and we need look no further than the aforementioned “Gungnir Mix” for an excellent example of that sound upgrade. An eerie shudder of electronics opens the piece before the familiar gregorian chant echoes solemnly through – you can tell something is different right off the bat this time though, as quiet hints of an electric guitar also echo alongside it. Before long, the thudding percussion of the action side of the Halo theme then starts to march dramatically, and Vai’s electric guitar is revealed in full as it thunders triumphantly together with the drums and strings for what is overall an absolutely phenomenally epic introduction. It’s the iconic Halo sound we all know and love – with a serious instrumental upgrade. With the musical stage throughly set, the subsequent “Skyline” then simmers rather forlornly with serene strings, whistling woodwinds and rumbling drums for the first bit of classic O’Donnell/Salvatori Halo ambience.
The strings-based solemnity continues into “Not A Number”, with a high-pitched focus on the aforementioned instrumentation carrying a particularly morose tone throughout the ninety second track. A faster, more determined pace then arrives for “Kilindini Harbour” as shrill vocals shout anxiously against frantic strings and increasingly in-your-face bursts of brass, with the resulting action music swirling more and more intensely alongside frequent hints toward the Halo theme all the way up to a dramatic final crescendo. The subsequent “Only A Star, Only The Sea” then quietens things back down with solemnly strings-focused ambience, though it doesn’t take long for hope to start to re-emerge as “A Spartan Rises” reprises the gregorian chant in its opening seconds followed by marching militaristic percussion and surging strings both building in sheer orchestral grandiosity. A gorgeously serene melody is then introduced for “Unforgotten Memories”, playing sorrowfully on gentle strings at first before moving into prouder brass and melancholic piano notes for the remainder of the track’s runtime. A quietly noble motif on strings then arrives in “Second Prelude”, and while it doesn’t stick around for long in its two minute introduction here it certainly has an impact, appearing further in the soundtracks for Halo 3, Reach and ODST to name a few. Louder, more emphatic strings, drums and vocals then kick action back into gear for “This Glittering Band” as a rapid pace marches unwaveringly along.
Harkening back to the music of Combat Evolved, “Jeopardy” skips along with light plucks of strings and ethereal vocals setting a resolute stride alongside infrequent hints toward the Halo theme. Speaking of, “Halo Theme Scorpion Mix” then brings back the action side of the titular motif in thunderously heroic orchestral style, minus the electric guitar this time but that doesn’t stop the triumphant drum and string combination we all recognise from absolutely soaring in grandiosity throughout together with increasingly epic surges of brass. Harrowing vocals however are then the focal point of “Punishment” for a decidedly mournful atmospheric setpiece overall before “Arise In Valor” thankfully elevates the mood again with a string rendition of the Halo theme in its opening seconds followed by rumbles of militaristic drums and brass gradually building in determination alongside low-pitched, gregorian-styled vocals. “Unwearied Heart” is then another cue that I recognise from other Halo scores, with the theme it introduces echoing rather majestically on dramatic strings before the return of Steve Vai occurs with the standout “Genesong”; his thunderously epic electric guitar surges to the forefront immediately as this insanely paced action setpiece begins, clashing intensely against the thudding drums of the Halo theme’s action side at first before then starting to work with it in the back half, all-in resulting in some of the most staggeringly heroic music for Halo that I’ve ever heard; my head simply could not stop nodding in time with it.
An electric guitar is also the stylistic focus of “Breaking The Covenant”, this time playing in a much louder, more heavy metal-esque manner alongside aggressively in-your-face percussion for three rather deafening minutes. The subsequent “Follow In Flight” then follows similarly in style with an electric guitar and crashing thuds of drums surging dramatically for a slightly – though not much – lighter metal-focused setpiece overall. The tone however then switches up completely for “Cryptic Whisper”, as eerie electronics, distorted vocals and the occasional tolling of a bell echo moodily through for three minutes of rather unnerving atmosphere. This doesn’t last though as “Impart” returns to the more solemn, remembrance-esque strings side of the score in its opening minute before the gregorian vocals return to echo alongside increasingly emphatic drums for the rest of the track. Darting electronics and angelic vocals continue the ambience in the subsequent “Charity’s Irony” for two further happily upbeat minutes, with “Moon Over Mombasa” then adding to this growing atmosphere as the same vocals reprise this time with dramatic percussion and a low-pitched electric guitar lurking in the background. “Trapped In Amber” is then an album highlight, with serene strings, percussion and the same lurking electric guitar returning but now with soaring vocals as a sublime instrumental focus for two and a half enjoyably tranquil minutes.
As we journey towards the end of the album, “Builder’s Legacy” echoes unnervingly with shrill vocals fading in and out against tense electronic percussion. The seven minute “Librarian’s Gift” then delves into creepier territory as the material for the nightmarish Flood returns on eerie electronics rising up and down in pitch alongside moody swathes of synth. There’s a quietly chaotic nature to the music here as well, with a certain unpredictability to the eerie instrumentation that pretty perfectly encapsulates the hostile nature of the titular alien parasites. Thankfully a more upbeat tone occupies the subsequent “Zealous Champion” as lighter percussion and vocals reprise the atmospheric “Walk In The Woods” theme from Combat Evolved. Malevolent vocals and unnerving drums then return briefly to the Flood with the short “Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul” before the longer “Prophet Suite” offers gentle ambience for its seven minute runtime, with tranquil electronics, angelic vocals and floating synth abound. Tonal serenity then descends for “Into The Belly Of The Beast” as ethereal vocals and echoing synth swirl lightly, with the atmosphere continuing into “Cracked Legend” in a more rapid manner as dramatic drums play alongside now much more prominent, determined vocals. Final track “Menace No More” then opens tensely with frenetic percussive beats that then build to an anxious gregorian chant rendition of the Halo theme, ending the score overall on a rather unresolved note (which given that Halo 3 picks up right after it, is no surprise).
Overall, Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori’s score for Halo 2 feels very much like an evolution of Combat Evolved‘s, as it should, with one exceptionally notable instrumental upgrade – an electric guitar. Played captivatingly by guitarist Steve Vai it’s the absolute star of the show here, with thunderously epic highlights being the impeccable album opener “Halo Theme Gungnir Mix” and the fist-pumpingly epic action setpiece “Genesong”. There’s also a few intriguingly Vai-less setpieces that have quite a metal-sounding style in their use of the guitar, including the deafening “Breaking The Covenant” and its slightly lighter sequel “Follow In Flight”. Outside of the electric guitar, Halo 2 also entertains with an abundance of classic O’Donnell/Salvatori Halo ambience; the synthy vocals and upbeat percussion return as you’d expect in the more tranquil ones – see “Jeopardy” and “Zealous Champion” – and it’s also great (though frightening) to hear the darker side of Combat Evolved reprising too as the eerily unnerving electronics of the Flood echo through tracks like “Librarian’s Gift” and “Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul”. The action music here is also excellent, with standouts for me personally being the heroically percussive “Halo Theme Scorpion Mix” and the tensely frantic “Kilindini Harbour” (the dramatically determined rendition of the iconic theme in the final minute of the latter is absolutely fantastic).
All-in the composers offer a solid sequel soundtrack with Halo 2, and you can hear the beginnings and continuations of themes that would go on to be used all across the franchise.
Score: 8/10
Standout Cues: Halo Theme Gungnir Mix, Genesong, Trapped In Amber
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