Flap_jackson (Level 32)

It's the End of the World As We Know It Because Aliens Destroyed It

 
Ever since Independence Day, I've kind of had a thing for movies where aliens destroy major cities. Unfortunately for me, these types of film don't come around that often. So when I heard about Battle: LA, my hopes were raised. When I saw the trailer, my hopes were raised even higher. Now, if the movie could live up to its excellent soundtrack, then we might have something here.

Highlights Include:
Battle Los Angeles Main Titles
Redemption
Battle Los Angeles
We Are Still Here

Composer Brian Tyler never really caught my eye before simply because most of the work he did was unmemorable produced for studio schlock. With this soundtrack however, I feel that Tyler is a revelation here, showing that he has real talent. He comes out of the Hans Zimmer school, but here it's just an influence and Tyler verges on several other paths so he doesn't feel derivative. This sense of originality kind of sets him apart from several other composers already, since he breathes life in what could have been a tired work.
 
Tyler conveys all of the tones of the movie very well in the work, as it verges from the epic, to the standard military glory pieces we've seen in years past, to downtrodden, to sad, to yes, even a bit alien. It all works well, and Tyler composes it all effortlessly to the point where I already felt like I was in the movie. Another hard feat he manages to pull of is that even though the album is over in hour in length, I never found myself board listening to it, although I did feel a bit lulled at a few of the slower more emotional pieces towards the middle. Still, tracks like "Redemption," even though they stretch 8 minutes in length, never wear out their welcome.
 
The only criticisms I would lobby against this score is that it doesn't sound epic enough. It also feels like it's close to creating a theme for itself at times, but it never fully completes the idea, although I'm sure some would see the idea of a theme for the movie a tad inappropriate.
 
Overall, with this score I feel like Brian Tyler is sort of a revelation in the world of composing. This is a solid score worthy of some of today's greats. It makes me exited for the film, since I haven't watched it at the time of writing this review. This score could have come off very bland and derivative, but it shines through with its own ideas and the result is a solid listen for soundtrack fans.
 
4/5 Stars