This swells through minor strings and noble (ed: careful you know how we feel about puns!) horns until it finally arrives at an almost Bowie-esque Space Odicy. Quite how those all meet is a mystery to me too, but this is distinctly the response I had to the opening. There is a move away from the Bolero marches of Halo 3 towards ancient Arabian choristers. 'Overture' starts the work off with a clear statement of this intent. Although it still moves too quickly from theme to theme, there is less shock and awe about this than in previous Halo soundtracks. But it's the Soundtrack's licence to rework the material on its own terms - rather than sticking religiously to the game's pacing - that makes it a more enjoyable, listener focused experience.Įven after a single listen there is a sense of coherence here. Halo Reach extends the musical range of the series considerably. While still not lingering long enough to discover just how deep it runs, there is enough substance here to warrant repeat listens. Halo Reach's soundtrack finds a human voice in the defeat and fragility of Team Noble's plight.
