Audio Evidence: 5 Composers (You Haven't Thought Of) That Could Score Thor: The Dark World

Audio Evidence: 5 Composers (You Haven't Thought Of) That Could Score Thor: The Dark World
by Christopher Coleman (@ccoleman)

With the untimely departure of composer Carter Burwell from THOR: THE DARK WORLD, the film music world has been left to speculate on who will be taking over the scoring-reigns.  While I've made it quite public that I think either ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL or HOWARD SHORE would be so-good-it-hurts-choices, neither are very likely...but not impossible.  Of course the most obvious choice would be to bring back PATRICK DOYLE.  This would bring some much needed musical continuity to the Marvel film universe, but, while delivering an adequate score for THOR, this choice doesn't seem to excite too many people for some reason.  So, let's see if we can present a few names that might excite some of you...

There are a great number of veteran Hollywood composers who could handle scoring duties for The Dark World, but let's, as we are prone to do around here, take a look at some names that you probably haven't thought about for this project.

Shall we begin?

Oscar Araujo 

One of 2010's most forceful video game scores came from Oscar Araujo.  CASTLEVANIA: LORD OF SHADOWS exploded onto the scene with it's brilliant brass and choir and with enough percussion to make the Thunder-god dance.  (Hint: you'll likely find these same ingredients in all of our five selections.)    In the second video, CASTLEVANIA LORD OF SHADOWS 2, you'll hear (and see actually) a style that is quite reminiscent of Patrick Doyle's score for the original Thor film.  Araujo leaves little doubt that he could bring in the full Asgardian funk the Thor sequel.

James Hannigan

Well known for his scores for the video-game-tie-ins for the HARRY POTTER franchise, James Hannigan, has oft-times outclassed the feature-film-counterpart-scores.  As evidenced here in "The Grave,"  we hear him make use of John William's thematic work initially, but soon takes things in his own dark and foreboding direction.   Perhaps a bit more than Oscar Araujo's work above, Hannigian's score here has a bit more of an air of royalty about it ...which, of course, suits extra-terrestrial heroes just fine.

Need more evidence?  This night suite of eight themes from Hannigan cement the fact that his talents could easily embrace Thor's diverse world of science and magice.  Besides more Harry Potter-ness, you'll hear his "Soviet March" from RED ALERT 3,  Somehow a Russian-flavored theme or two wouldn't see totally out of place in that world and his heroic "To Save The World."

Abel Korzeniowski

Fans have been pining for ABEL KORZENIOWSKI's score for BATTLE FOR TERRA for years.  While an official release seems unlikely any time soon, he has since gone on to dazzle us with his scores for ESCAPE FROM TOMORROW, W.E. and A SINGLE MAN.  While none of these might evoke thoughts of the Rainbow Bridge of Asgard...where the booming heavens roar, one listen to this piece from Terra and you'll see that Korzeniowski could easily bring his distinctive beauty to Thor's world and balance it with enough musical gravitas to satisfy even the most jaded Frost-giant.  It's only a matter of time before Korzeniowski breaks into the A-list of  the Hollywood composing ranks.  There's no reason why it couldn't be via Thor: The Dark World.

Arnau Bataller

Few composers out there can rival Elliot Goldenthal when it comes to sheer musical force; however,  Cue Award winner, ARNAU BATALLER is one of those few.  It will only take you a few seconds into the opening track from LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR to hear the evidence.  Brass and choir don't rise up much higher than this!   If Thor couldn't manage it on his own, Bataller's music could certainly be the musical-hammer upside his enemy's unsuspecting head!

Still not convinced?  Try this track from LA HERENCIA VALDEMAR 2: LA SOMBRA PROHIBIDA.

Bataller clearly shows he can balance his intensity with the melodically beautiful here.  With the love-trianglish tinge to the recent Thor trailers, the mastery of both styles of music evidenced in this single track would seem a very good fit.

Neal Acree

Ah.  Neal Acree.  He's been thrilling gamers with his immaculate and sublime creations for the World of Warcraft cutscenes for years.  Here in "Arthas, My Son" we get all the ingredients that a film like THOR: THE DARK WORLD deserves.  The innocent soprano vocal, the chanting choir, exploding percussions, war-crying-brass, and dissonant strings would easily flow through the streams, hills and corridors of Asgard. In the second track, "Westfall" from WORLD OF WARCRAFT: CATACLYSM we get the balancing, reflective, even tragic tone, that our next Thor experience is likely to contain.  Neal Acree has already seen and scored it all in universe of World of Warcraft.  Thor's world would be a cinch.

So there you have it.  Five samplings from five different composers that could do a fine job of crafting the musical personality of the next Thor film.  Just as Carter Burwell was not a name the immediately came to mind when considering who might score The Dark World, so these names above might also be overlooked.  But as you can plainly hear, they are names that should be considered.  Yes.  Most of these gentlemen are from the world of video games, but it is a comic-book film we are talking about here.  If there is any more natural cross-over point for a composer, I can't think of what that might be.

We'll see and hear what comes of Thor: The Dark World soon enough.  For now, let us know what you think of these selections or what other composers you feel could do Asgard justice in the comments below. 

Four Reasons You Should Listen to a Warcraft Soundtrack

“Four Reasons You Should Listen to a Warcraft Soundtrack”
By Thomas Midena

Since the first Warcraft game debuted in 1994, Blizzard’s fantasy universe has spanned 4 computer games and 6 expansion packs. Featuring the fictional continent of Azeroth, these games see the player assume roles as various races such as humans, orcs and elves, and fight to claim the world from one another. This unending war has been immortalised through the legendary music of Warcraft, which has, over the years, set the standard for orchestral video game music. You don’t have to be a gamer to immerse yourself in the humbling scope of Warcraft music, and here’s why you should.


1. Pure Epicness

17 years ago the Warcraft franchise was already proving its audio prowess. 1995 saw the release of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, a real time strategy game for DOS and Mac OS. This music might not be backed by the power of a full orchestra as we expect today, but the way it develops and has fun with its themes foreshadows Warcraft’s glorious musical future. No long term Warcraft fan can help resist feeling sentimental in a Warcraft II piece like “Human Level 2”.



Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos released in 2002 with a soundtrack that was less melodic than most music in the franchise. The soundtrack by Derek Duke builds an ethereal soundscape which was excellent in the context of the game, but struggles to stand on its own.

2004 saw the launch of the juggernaut online game, World of Warcraft, which took Warcraft music to another level. The first track from the game, “Legends of Azeroth (Main Title)” sets the stage for a huge fantasy game. The power of the orchestra is used to full effect, the rhythmic drums and swirling strings are pure fantasy adrenalin.



It doesn’t take long to fall in love with some of the musical themes throughout World of Warcraft. Notable pieces that highlight this include “A Call To Arms”, “Seasons of War” and “Stormwind” - a beautiful world-building track. In general, Warcraft music has a very romantic perspective on war and the world. Pieces like these make me fantasize about magical lands with castles and heroes. These pieces spark my excitement on every listen, proving that the music can stand on its own with no visual accompaniment.




2. Fantastic Composers

Over the years many incredibly talented composers have worked on Warcraft music. Some big contributors over the years include Russell Brower, Tracy Bush, Derek Duke, Jason Hayes, Matt Uelmen, Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, Sam Cardon, Edo Guidotti and Jeremy Soule - renowned composer for the Elder Scrolls and Guild Wars series of games. These are some of the best composers in the video game industry, and the vast range of creative talent comes together to form unique styles in Warcraft.


3. Copious Quantities

Four games with six expansion packs means a ridiculous amount of music. Each expansion to World of Warcraft has built on the title track. And these pieces are long, with Cataclysm’s stunning title track reaching 12 minutes in length.



There’s so much to appreciate in these title tracks alone. From the audacity of “The Burning Legion (Main Title)” to the valiant mystery of “Wrath Of The Lich King (Main Title)” to the destructive madness of Cataclysm’s “The Shattering” to the beautiful Asian influences of Mists of Pandaria’s “Heart of Pandaria”.



The latest soundtrack release, “Mists of Pandaria” is arguably the best Warcraft score of them all. “Way of the Monk” is a heroic piece which succeeds in inspiring. A confident new theme triumphs in “Serpent Riders”, which has the fingerprints of Jeremy Soule and the emotional satisfaction of a blockbuster film.



Due to the long period of time that Warcraft has been growing and evolving, recurring themes and motifs have been allowed incredible amounts of room to develop and expand. Themes from Warcraft 3 were brought into World of Warcraft, as demonstrated in one of my favourite tracks, “Echoes of the Past”.



The mood and style of the music is allowed to change quite drastically from game to game, album to album and even track to track. An excitingly dark new sound appears in the “Wrath of the Lich King” soundtrack, exhibited in the understated heroic piece, “Assault On New Avalon”.




4. Recklessly Original

The composers on Warcraft have demonstrated that they are willing to try new things. The very broad and lively fantasy lore of the Warcraft franchise has assisted them in this, allowing them to flex their creative muscles in a variety of unexpected ways.

Occasionally these soundtracks verge on the side of utterly ridiculous. Mists of Pandaria’s “Stormstout Brew” is a playfully silly piece which plays to stereotypical Asian sounds. Also from Mists of Pandaria, “The Traveler’s Path” features a dreamily deep male voice singing an enigmatic Asian song.



Last but most certainly not least, a piece which has become incredibly popular amongst fans of World of Warcraft. Released as a part of downloadable content, Russell Brower’s “Invincible” is a haunting piece featuring a breathtaking choir. The track marks a significant moment in the Warcraft storyline, which I won’t spoil here. “Invincible” is a perfect example of the best of Warcraft music: splendidly majestic and delicately personal at the same time.



Warcraft soundtracks have led the way in regards to video game music for many years, proving that a game can sound just as good as a film. Don’t miss out on some of the greatest fantasy music of the last decade - delve into a Warcraft soundtrack today!

World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria by Brower, Acree, Soule, et al - Review

Perfection in Our Mists
Review by Richard Buxton (@monkeybutlerman)

Having been a gamer for most of my life, it might come as a surprise that I have never taken a single virtual step in the WORLD OF WARCRAFT universe. Despite the seemingly limitless replayability that has been constantly enjoyed by millions throughout the years, the series has simply never appealed to me. It’s not as though I have never been a PC gamer - the likes of Battlefield, Counter-Strike, and countless others have kept me entertained for as long into each generation as my PC’s could manage. Yet, until recently, Warcraft was merely a statistical machine to me - a demonstration of the immense pulling power that gaming possesses. All that changed however, during London’s most recent Video Games Live show in 2008. Having gone in impatiently awaiting the likes of Metal Gear Solid, Halo, and Mass Effect, it came as a great surprise that as I departed through the crowds , all I could think about was when I would be able to hear the mesmerizing World of Warcraft medley for a second time. Fused with the beautiful CGI images, the themes of Warcraft were forever scorched into my musical memory, and the series has since provided several outstanding cues that stand amongst the greatest that gaming has to offer. The series has set such an impressive precedent, and MISTS OF PANDARIA is possibly the most captivating soundtrack to come from the long-running series’ musical library.

The music of the Warcraft series has always perfectly matched the games in terms of scope, providing musical backdrops, that of Wrath of the Lich King for example, that would not seem out of place in such blockbuster franchises as Lord of the Rings. Releases such as Wrath of the Lich King, Fall of the Lich King, and Cataclysm have had a typical dark and brooding quality to them, centering on the daunting task that each new adventurer faces. Mists of Pandaria certainly adds a little comedic flair to the lore, but still maintains that essential air of scale so often attributed to Warcraft. Musically, Mists of Pandaria is instantly noticeable as being a significantly different experience to the previous releases, but continues the Warcraft tradition of thrilling, large-scale orchestral action music - a tradition that those at Blizzard will no doubt be proud of, and rightly so. This comes as no surprise given the musical talent in Blizzard’s armory. RUSSELL BROWER leads an all-star cast of Blizzard stalwarts that make up the latest Warcraft’s musical clan. Wrath of the Lich King, Starcraft II, and Diablo III composers BROWER, NEAL ACREE, GLENN STAFFORD, EDO GUIDOTTI, and DEREK DUKE are joined by SAM CARDON, and JEREMY SOULE (The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim). Mists of Pandaria is bursting with talent, and none goes wasted in this magnificent video game score.

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