The Matrix Revolutions

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Where there's a beginning, there must be end. And it seems that all the saga's are closing their victory launches. With The Lord of the Rings and the Star Wars saga signaling their end to all ends, also The Matrix doesn't leap behind. Unleashed with 2 sequels in a period of mere months, the third and final act of the mind-blowing visual effects feast is unleashing its answers and its surprises. Whether good or bad, we saw one thing expand except the scope of the film and its effects, namely the music of Don Davis. Already now one of the composers with the brightest future ahead of him, Davis cemented his mark on The Matrix as John Williams did with Star Wars and Howard Shore with Lord of the Rings to name but a few. Davis created the music that will forever be linked to these movies and that is to say, nobody can ever touch it differently. And that is the biggest compliment to give to the composer who created bullet time with the musical notes and horns that signal the phone lines. But after The Matrix (a score which mixed good ideas in a rather normal listening experience), The Matrix Reloaded stepped into the techno mode of Juno Reactor and then Davis could unleash its wings in both the orchestral set of music as Juno Reactor's contribution. However, the fans weren't pleased with the outcome of just so little score and The Matrix Revolutions, the final chapter of things is presenting the score in roughly 60 minutes time, with 4 additional music attached to a name such as Pale 3 and 15 of those 60 minutes co composed with Juno Reactor. So you can't complain since Davis does not only expand with the time he is given, but with the musical scope of his ideas, unleashing pure demonic orchestral hits with unseen choral depth. Together, The Music Revolutioned.

The score opens as it supposed to do, with the horns unleashing the Matrix tone and moves into a double pack set of co composed music by Juno Reactor, 'The Trainman Cometh' states briefly Trinity's theme before it opens with percussion, synthesizers and a return of the horn motif. 'Tetsujin' is the same but adds a brief and strange Spanish trumpet to the mix before synthesizers sets the rhythm and pace. And apart from the final track and the overbearing 'In My Head' (of Pale 3), Don Davis sets the tone of the score further, to end with the biggest climax the Matrix films ever dreamed of. 'The Road to Sourceville' opens with brief choir and a statement on strings of Trinity's theme, 'Men in Metal' restating the ideas of the docking music of the second film with altered variations and 'Niobe's Run' introduces a dazzling mix of the horn fanfares working as a suspension builder, together it are the effects Davis does with his brass that make film music again original, like Goldenthal did with S.W.A.T. 'Moribund Mifune' throws some choir in it to give a solid effect of epic scale while a lonesome trumpet solo sets the cue on a darker note before 'Kidfried' and 'Saw Bitch Workhouse' brass the blast away with additional choir. These 2 cues carry unseen depth and complexity in the playing of the orchestra (and especially the brass players toying over and over with the horn motif) while choir adds the spectrum to it, while dissonant a way too, its the magnitude of the music that does the trick and its a joy to hear both in amazing effect. And finally a more slower (non action lead track) starts to unravel the theme of Trinity in the appropriately titled 'Trinity Definitely'. It however doesn't have a full blown version with choir like at the end of the second film, so be warned to discover its beauty a little on the soft side.

But that soft side is vaporized when 'Neodämmerung' starts the 17 minute hall of fame from Davis' side. This track is an amazing (some will say rip off but I keep it to inspired) Carmina Burana track of choir chanting Latin excerpts which Davis can create so well. Almost all of his soundtracks carry amazing choral display but The Matrix Revolutions tops the iceberg with this baby. Enjoy! But the rest is equally as good as that, first 'Why, Mr. Anderson?' opens softly but the final blast after 3.35 leads to a mammoth ending with orchestra and choir joining in, to even lead us to a inspiring Behind Enemy Lines like hymn. And the optimistic sounding finale in 'Spirit of the Universe' is grandiose, hopeful themes, solo voices leading to choral washes and then even completely different horn fanfares top the boat, they are soft and mix into a brief statement of Trinity's theme and make the score end like the circle has closed. Together these 3 tracks show the scope of Davis music developing to the ultimate maximum if you compare it with his first score for The Matrix. 'Navras' by Juno Reactor and Don Davis is an enjoyable 10 minute take that presents Eastern sounding vocals, the choir stating briefly versions of the mammoth choral piece. But its way too long to give it more praise. However don't stop with praise yet, you have to count your luck with Davis expanding the scope each time. The Matrix was good, The Matrix Reloaded better and The Matrix Revolutions amazing, first it gives the orchestral action music a run for its money before the epic scale of choir end the end of all ends. To say that every beginning has an end works too for the music. The Matrix together started from an amazing horn figure that Don Davis composed, he let it grow into an epic scale score that secured bullet time with only one tone, his!

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. The Matrix Revolutions Main Title (1.21)

2. The Trainman Cometh * (2.43)

3. Tetsujin * (3.21)

4. In My Head ** (3.46)

5. The Road To Sourceville (1.25)

6. Men In Metal (2.18)

7. Niobe's Run (2.48)

8. Woman Can Drive (2.41)

9. Moribund Mifune (3.47)

10. Kidfried (4.49) Excellent Track

11. Saw Bitch Workhouse (3.59)

12. Trinity Definitely (4.15)

13. Neodämmerung (5.59) Excellent Track

14. Why, Mr. Anderson? (6.10) Excellent Track

15. Spirit Of The Universe (4.50) Excellent Track

16. Navras * (9.08)

* Composed by Juno Reactor & Don Davis

** Composed by Pale 3

Total Length: 63.30

The use of artwork or photos is posted for non profitable reasons

=== Link to Composer Site: Don Davis ===