Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle (Video Game Score)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Whether or not intentional, games will now be coming out based around orks and elfs and we didn't basically paid any attention at it but now we feel it like any small example to LOTR. I don't know the game and it will not base itself around that story, but still ... ? The fact is, I bring this up because at times this music sounds partly LOTR like, and not in themes but in basic structure. The game is called Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle and the composer around the game is Bill Brown, a man people will not remind specifically something of but that's because people haven't been looking in the right genre to be exact. Game music he is specifically adept in and while writing some additional music for Ali and such, he is known in the game industry the most of all. And not surprisingly, because he is a frequent asked composer because he simply writes (from so far I've heard) game music that rivals movie music because of various things. Including themes that he uses which for instance could be served up by a Media Ventures companion (listen simply to some of the cues in Command in Conquer: Generals) or basically this score, a presentation of 60 minutes that strikes gold in every film music fan's heart. Its adventurous music, it uses orchestra and choir and a pair of dazzling musical moments that really makes even this video game soundtrack a dream come true. And why a bit this score resembles LOTR is perfectly clear in for instance 'The Hall of Mists', where light heavenly choir is used for the wonder of the city while in the middle a suspension building is heard that easily connects the 2 together. Anyway, think of the Elf music by Howard Shore or this kind of music by Bill Brown, both of them sound great all the same.

But Lineage II fortunately has much, much more to offer. 'Main Titles / The Call of Destiny' starts with strings and flutes and a beautiful solo female vocal (not Enya but Enya sounding like) and then the theme receives a more heroic take at the end. By then, the only track not bringing anything remotely startling is 'Ominous Visitors', but this cue is then also a more darker representative and it signals light danger, but also a curious dark string move that I heard in a trailer of some sorts, but I can't quite put my finger on it. 'Arrival at the Temple of the Moon' begins also with this light choir but too has some action music which sounds nice and not MV like at all. 'Merchant Ships From the East' is great, an Irish jig that follows the exact musical melodies of the entire album. 'Expedition March' is a slower heroic march then usual but listens just fine, just as 'Battle at Sundown' which brings the choir forth and along with some flutes setting the heroic pace, however it uses a theme that later flourishes to become the centerpiece of this score, which is the choral chant in 'The Final Conflict', and this is huge, I mean huge stuff and alone to think you'll hear this in a game, my god! It rivals any great choral piece like it. And 'Battle at the Gates' continues with the action music, large choral blasts that sound truly grand and powerful, you think twice that games still carry midi tones. But apart from the action music, this score too sets its pace lighter with for instance 'Shepard's Flute' which is solo guitar and flute bringing a relaxing punch to the action. Same as 'Forest Calling' which is a bit Irish in tone but the bird calls and the solo vocals bring the forest to life nonetheless. It works great between the action and the beautiful melodies.

And the final tracks don't lie about it either, with 'Unicorn's Rest' bringing Enya vocals (even performing the love theme she performed during The Fellowship of the Ring), but the effect is just equally beautiful and mystifying along with the growing 'Lovers Reunited', which truly is excellent music. And the music continues to soar, with 'Knighting Ceremony' taking the heroic Command & Conquer theme of 'Hail the Victor' and intersperses it with the love theme to become truly wonderful. Or what to think of 'March of Heroes', this even has the Uruk-hai theme interwoven in it, along with growing suspense music with a dash of choir. 'Fortune of Flame' lets that orchestra grow to make the effect of the already mentioned choral mammoth track 'The Final Conflict' even better. But to think another wonderful track ends this piece is what makes Lineage II so good. The final track by then brings us back to the main theme but also to a wonderful finale as we want to hear it. 'End Titles / After the Storm' shows back the female vocal, a marching final with choir and vocal to a return of the main theme with this vocal and the appropriate finale move that signals the end of the game. Truth is, whether you win the game or not doesn't matter to me, because Lineage II: The Chaotic Chronicle is a dream come true for a film music fan. It has perhaps in the begin a lot of beautiful melodies that repeat themselves but it all stays easy and loveable to hear again, and again. And when the second part starts to unveil the excellent action tracks with choir, you know Bill Brown did more then just score video game music. It truly feels like movie music and The Seattle Symphony alone adds to that scope. Only for the feel of its movie sized score, Lineage II deserves attention, respect, commercial availability to make of it a soundtrack of Bill Brown's dazzling music.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Main Titles / The Call Of Destiny (2.38) Excellent Track

2. Crossroad At Dawn (2.03)

3. Southern Vineyard (2.08)

4. Merchant Ships From The East (2.08)

5. Deep Shadows (2.01)

6. Ominous Visitors (3.03)

7. Caravans Crossing (2.06)

8. Dance At The Festival (2.13)

9. Expedition March (2.05)

10. Arrival At The Temple Of The Moon (3.06)

11. Battle At Sundown (1.39)

12. Shepard's Flute (2.03)

13. Island Village (2.05)

14. Abyssal Gathering (3.06)

15. Battle At The Gates (2.50) Excellent Track

16. Hail The Victor (1.32)

17. Forest Calling (2.15)

18. The Hall Of Mists (3.11)

19. Unicorn's Rest (2.01)

20. Lovers Reunited (2.19) Excellent Track

21. Knighting Ceremony (2.10)

22. Gathering Armies (2.10)

23. March Of Heroes (1.34)

24. Fortune Of Flame (2.52)

25. The Final Conflict (2.07) Excellent Track

26. End Titles / After The Storm (3.12) Excellent Track

Total Length: 61.17

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=== Link to Composer Site: Bill Brown ===