Search - Hans Zimmer :: Angels & Demons

Zimmer's Aggressive Followup Score Is Sprinkled With Moments

Kaya Savas | North Hollywood, CA | 05/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, here it is. Hans' long awaited follow up to his amazing score to The Da Vinci Code. Now, The Da Vinci Code was a flawed film adaptation but it wasn't all bad. I can honestly say it would have been a terrible bore without Hans' score. The motifs carrying through that lead up to the wonderful CheValiers De Sangreal segment were breathtaking. It had a very classic feel in a modern way.



Hans takes the themes and atmospheres from The Da Vinci Code and turns them on their side a bit for Angels & Demons. We still have this angelical religious atmosphere but you can feel the darkness biting on its heels every step of the way. Some of the tracks are incredibly intense. The choral arrangements are breathtaking and the score has a pulsing life to it. There are some percussion segments that felt uncharacteristic of Hans and more along the lines of Harry Gregson-Williams, but they keep the pace moving. Zimmer fans will find some arrangements similar to his score for Hannibal, which I guess not coincidently was a score to a film that took place in Florence.



Hans has a few soloists featured on the score. Most notably is Joshua Bell on the violin, which I'm sure was recommended by James Newton Howard after he used him for Defiance. Longtime collaborators Heitor Pereira is the featured guitarist and Martin Tillman on the cello. Each of them providing personal performances to their instruments as they accent Hans' music.



The album finishes off with a variation on the popular CheValiers piece that closed The Da Vinci Code. You can also get a bonus non-album track titled "H20" by going to angelsanddemons.com/soundtrack. You have to sign up for updates, but once you do you immediately get the bonus track. Overall, this is a great score by Hans. It doesn't feel like a rehash of The Da Vinci Code, which I think some people were expecting. It's a great continuation on the themes, moods and atmospheres he built with the first score. It's definitely more aggressive and bleeds of the Zimmer style. Bravo."

Angels Starts with a BANG

Ben Sumner | Beltsville, Md. United States | 05/23/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kudos to several of the other reviewers so far, and I'd like to reiterate that this album starts off with one of the most in-your-face, exciting tracks Zimmer has composed since the Battle scene in Gladiator. My problem with the Da Vinci Code soundtrack was that it was too soft and generally took too long to build to those monumental moments that Zimmer is known to swat at you, but here, it starts right away, as it should.

As for the rest of the score, it's what it's supposed to be... lots of violins and choral chanting, some softer tunes, with hints of Da Vinci's riffs but solid and different enough to stand on its own.

I'd also like to reiterate from another reviewer that you MUST go to angelsanddemons.com/soundtrack and get the free bonus track H20 while it's still there.

Hans, you're the man, and I will continue to buy your music without hearing a second of it beforehand."

Incomplete Score

Silvestre Vallejo | Los Angeles, CA | 05/24/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge Hans Zimmer fan so I immediately snagged this album as soon as it was released. Having finally seen the movie, however, I must admit I am incredibly disappointed with this soundtrack.



Although the track listings available in this album are fine, there are significant omissions of musical cues used in the film. For example, there are at least 2-3 excellent variations of Zimmer's now famous "Chevaliers" theme that do not appear on this album.



Perhaps the most notable omission is an incredible (new) theme used in one of the film's climactic scenes involving a "helicopter" (that is all I will say to avoid spoiling it for those who have yet to see the film). This was a beautiful piece spanning several minutes, reminiscent of Zimmer's "Journey to the Line" in the "Thin Red Line" soundtrack.



It is quite possible the studio is planning an extended soundtrack. Although this is extremely rare with film scores, it has been known to happen (witness James Horner's "More Music from Braveheart," John Debney's extended "Cuthroat Island" score and even Zimmer's own "Gladiator: More Music from the Motion Picture" and "The Dark Knight 2-Disc Special Edition Soundtrack").



In summary, I recommend this album for hard-core Zimmer fans who absolutely must own every CD released with his name on it. For the rest of you who are flirting with the possibility of purchasing it, watch the movie and then listen to the actual tracks on youtube, before making a decision.



Silvestre



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