HUGEsound Records release the latest collection of music for The Lord of the Rings Online game. Mordor, once again is composed by Chance Thomas, an avid lifelong fan of The Lord of the Rings. This 16-song album features Thomas’s latest work for the game – music so emotionally nuanced it’s as if it sprang forth from the pages of The Lord of the Rings itself...

It's a shame Chance Thomas hadn't been brought to the notice of Peter Jackson before he started on his Lord of the Rings trilogy because, to my mind, Thomas creates a more Tolkien sounding world than Howard Shore managed to conjure up (even though his music was incredibly well suited for the films).

From the first play though of The Lord of the Rings Online: Mordor, I knew I was going to not only love the album, but be playing it for a very long time. This isn't always the case with scores, which is why I like to listen to them over a couple of days, put them aside for a while and then revisit them before I start writing the final review. Some of the scores I've come to love, I wasn't quite so impressed by on the first listen. Sadly, I know that a lot of music reviewers only listen to an album once, tops. And sometimes not all the way through.

Thomas delivers music here that is hard not to fall in love with from the first moment you hear it. Tracks like 'After the Fall' and 'Lhaereth of Seregost' sent a chill down my spine, so goodness only knows how it will effect gamers experience of the online world.

If I had one complaint... well, it's not really a complaint, more an observation. I was surprised to hear a few of the tracks fade out. It's not something you hear very often on scores, and so it was particularly distracting.

The album closes with the song 'Ever On', which I have to admit took a few listens to get used to. The first time I heard it I thought it was a little cheesy and out of place... but after a few listens it works really well.

The album contains 16 tracks (36 min, 42 sec) and will be welcomed by all who love epic and strong theme driven scores.

10

Darren Rea