31 years old Chris Lennertz, after writing music for several indie films and made for TV projects (A Diva's Christmas Carol, America!, Beer Honey, Brimstone), alongside his work as conductor or orchestrator on films like The Jungle Book and 101 Dalmatians, debuts on game music with this Medal of Honor: Rising Sun. Composer Michael Giacchino, who left the series to dedicate himself to other game projects like Secret Weapons Over Normandy, Call of Duty and the hit TV series Alias, wrote the music from the prior titles of this best-selling video game franchise. However, the gifted Lennertz, who had done a remarkably dramatic score for the 2002 TV's Saint Sinner, assumed the musical duties with a new approach, even maintaining the series tradition of cinematic orchestral score and some John Williams references.

The score was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, a very large ensemble with 88 instrumentists, with a 32-voice choir recorded in Prague. Lennertz's music has a big scope, and could be heard in a big-budget feature war. The "Main Titles" track features some previous MOH music, and is conveniently big and patriotic, in the Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot tradition. A fanfare begins this memorable theme, which sets the tone for the heroic battles of the American soldiers against the Japanese forces. In "Taiko Brigade", for the first time Lennertz establishes the game setting with the use of Japanese percussion and instruments from the Orient, like erhu, koto, pipa, shakuhachi, wood flutes and taiko drums.

Besides references to John Williams, Lennertz pays a tribute to another veteran, Jerry Goldsmith (the trumpet in some patriotic moments). Nevertheless, Williams is the most notable presence, even in the almost comic "Elephant Battle". The track, with its funny tuba, reminds us a lot of Williams' Jabba the Hutt music from Star Wars. The chorus is for sure a highlight of this score, in tracks like the beautiful "Requiem for the California" and "A Prisonerīs Eulogy", this one being a nice piece for choir and strings. There is some suspense music too, heard in the introductions of "Deep in Guadal Canal", "Engine Trouble" and "Singapore Docks". However, very soon the low cues turn into action music.

After some thrilling battle tracks and passionate, heroic music, the score reach its conclusion with "Hymn to Brothers Lost", where Lennertz employs both Western and Eastern instrumentation, and a brief rendition of the original Medal of Honor theme at the end. Despite some obvious references to other composers, and even the sparing use of some motifs from previous Giannechino's scores, the Medal of Honor: Rising Sun soundtrack showcases an outstanding and unique musical project from Lennertz.

BACK TO SOUNDTRACK REVIEWS