Medal of Honor Composed by Ramin Djawadi
Walt Disney Records (2010)
Rating:
7/10
Soundclips below from AmazonMP3
“...MEDAL OF HONOR
is a well-balanced score. It fits the gameplay like a glove,
painting an evocative picture of the setting and action, and it also
offers listeners a satisfying experience on album.”
Honor Regained
Review by Marius Masalar
The mighty hammer of elite film score criticism seems perpetually poised over
RAMIN DJAWADI’s head, coming down hard on scores like IRON MAN and CLASH OF THE
TITANS. This seems unfair. The larger body of laypersons appears far more
pleased with the man’s work, and his ability to address them so directly is a
measure of skill as a film composer, even if his craft is less cerebral and
meticulous than that of others in the industry. His latest work — a first
venture into a major video game title — seems to bring the best of his abilities
to the table, polished over a long production period. And you know what? It’s
worthy of acclaim. Here’s MEDAL OF HONOR.
“From Here” (1) pulls us into Afghanistan with a patient rhythmic build,
punctuated by twangs of the Oud and other idiomatic instruments of the region.
We’re introduced to the game’s main theme toward the end: a noble and flexible
theme with an air of tragedy and a tasteful deference to the game’s
Middle-Eastern setting. The rest of the score’s palette of instruments, more
electronic, becomes clear in “Watch Your Corners” (2), the first of several
gameplay action tracks. This one remains fairly low-key throughout, with subtle
but propulsive percussion and an insistent string figure. One of the highlight
tracks on the album, “Heroes Abroad” (3) is a cinematic piece of true beauty
with haunting solo string whispers of the title theme above a bed of very warm
synths. Midway, the full string section takes over and continues with one of the
few mostly-orchestral statements in the score. It’s a stirring performance and
lends the game the broad, sweeping grandeur of a war film.
Tense gameplay follows in “Streets of Gardez” (4). DJAWADI maintains a subtle
touch, returning to his formula of percussion with a string rhythm to carry the
mood. “The Time Is Upon Us” (5) is an atmospheric cue featuring a spectacular
ethnic-sounding fiddle solo crying out a plaintive lament. Truly haunting.
“Hunter-Killer” (6) begins with guitars buzzing like angry bees, ushering us
into a more intense action track. This cue was offered as a free download but it
actually shows off the more mediocre flavors of the score. It’s a very effective
piece of gameplay action, building to a more forceful finish, but it lacks the
emotional gravity of the more dramatic cues on the album. Speaking of which,
“Falling Away” (7) is another highlight, beginning unassumingly and leading to
the entrance of some magical male vocals. These are soon joined by strings to
deliver a heavily emotive theme.
“Taking the Field” (8) brings back the electric guitars and more rock-oriented
percussion for a very fun and militaristic cue with a distinctly contemporary
vibe. “High Ground” (9) reminds us of the main theme dramatically, and then
“Thirty Seconds Out” (10) makes us smile with a downright groovy beat joined by
some of the Middle-Eastern instruments. “The Summit” (11) is another cue where
the string orchestra is in the forefront, delivering a patient but magnificent
rendition of the main theme over a quiet synthetic rhythm.
“Paint ‘Em Up” (12) and “Enemy Down” (13) are unremarkable tension tracks, the
latter of which is only noticeable for the jarring rap vocals that are
inexplicably tossed into the mix. It’s a notable misstep and while I’m sure it’s
appealing and ‘cool’, it also feels unnecessary and forced, especially
considering the lameness of the lyrics. Thankfully, “All Rounds Expended” (14)
remedies the situation with a clean and moody string-led telling of the main
theme. That plaintive ethnic fiddle takes the stage again for “Send In The
Rangers” (15), albeit over a bed of electronic elements and a prominent rhythm
this time.
The final stretch is a mixed bag. “Tariq’s Plea” (16) takes us through a strong
and emotional beginning before passing into a dark and throbbing action sequence
with massive percussion and a wonderfully distorted fiddle. The action continues
through “WFO” (17), which brings some more ordinary electric guitar in. As one
might expect, “Final Extraction” (18) is a very gloomy take on the main theme of
the score, with a real emphasis on the tragic side of things. “H-Hour” (19)
continues this feel with slow string cries and some airy woodwind phrases.
“Wiyar” (20) is too short. Perhaps it’s the return of the absolutely gorgeous
and mystic vocalist from earlier, or perhaps it’s the unleashing of the main
theme. Whatever the reason, the cue feels like it ends right as it’s getting
started, which is confounding since it could have been the beginning of a
veritable showpiece for DJAWADI and a brilliant summary of the score’s best
moments.
As it stands, MEDAL OF HONOR is a well-balanced score. It fits the gameplay like
a glove, painting an evocative picture of the setting and action, and it also
offers listeners a satisfying experience on album. Barring a few odd missteps,
it’s very enjoyable, even though it won’t require your full attention. For RAMIN
DJAWADI, it is a demonstration of his ability to produce amazing mixes (from a
purely technical standpoint, this score sounds absolutely pristine and beautiful
— just as CLASH OF THE TITANS did) as well as engaging music, even if it
functions on a less cerebral and more visceral level than some might like.
