Dark Void Original Soundtrack

Bear McCreary, best known for his musical works for Battlestar Galactica and the spin-off Caprica, comes to the video game universe in top-form, bringing us a masterpiece in video game soundtracks. Dark Void, while a mediocre video game (repetitive gameplay, plot with a great concept but poor execution) still gave us something truly remarkable.Using various ethnic instruments such as the Chinese erhu, tribal percussion and South American Woodwinds, McCreary doesn't just create a video game score, but a score that can stand alone without playing through the game. With the third track, Village Attack, you can imagine an intense battle between the lead character and the alien menace. With The Prophesized One, you hear an ominous and very sinister cue that brings to mind disturbing images of evil creatures awaiting to bring an end to humanity. In Void Requiem, we have both a reprise of the main theme, but also a mixed look at the story; it's haunting and beautiful. Compelling and frightening. Every track of the Dark Void soundtrack all share a melody from Will's Theme, but they all create the story when in order. Of course Bear had to mold and shape the score to the story's direction, but even so, you can hear the progression of the battles, the emotional conflict between two lovers and the final sacrifice that will secure our race's existence among the stars, but at what cost?Bear McCreary is a genius and a living legend among composers. He should have his name spoken along side John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, and Thomas Newman, and others I did not mention here. He is the master of the science fiction score, whether it be for video games or movies, or TV shows. The Dark Void soundtrack is a must-own for any listeners of instrumental/classical, and for those who appreciate a good movie/video game score. Emotional, epic and grand in every way.5/5 Stars*****

I admit, the only reason I bought this was because I loved Bear McCreary's scores for the Battlestar Galactica seasons, and I was not disappointed at all! Even though I've collected well over 1,000 scores, this is one that I keep coming to. I have plenty of game soundtracks that work fine for games but sound terrible when listened to solo, but this is definitely an exception.If you love the action cues from BSG with the thundering bass from the T drums, you'll love this score. Action, adventure, and big sound galore (and a fun little 8-bit version of the score at the end - Bear McCreary's "signature").I highly recommend this score and also the SOCOM 4 soundtrack if you can find it!

For a video game I've never heard of, this one was lushly and lyrically scored. A catchy main theme, a variety of interesting action cues, and some surprisingly emotional scoring later on in the album. And it's one really full disc at 1.3 hours, yet never gets boring or trite. Besides the conventional string orchestra, the diversity of instrumentation that Bear McCreary is known for is woven throughout the album. There's an 8-bit version of the theme included for kicks, but it's clear that video game music has come a long way from the early days when that was the standard.

I don't know what it is, but anything that I've heard from Bear McCreary is just great! He has an interesting way of making music that's unique.

I've been a fan of Bear McCreary's work for a goodly while now, but unlike most people who're familiar with his work, I did not discover the composer via "Battlestar Galactica". I was initially exposed to his work on the Sci-Fi Original series, "Eureka". What Bear does on that show is completely different from what he wrote for his other well known Sci-Fi offerings (namely "BSG" and "The Sarah Connor Chronicles") and is about as far from his work on "Dark Void" as you can get.The musical soundscape of "Dark Void" is broody and evocative, filled with rushing strings, pounding percussion, aggressive bass solos and a hauntingly but beautifully utilized Ondes Martenot (for those unfamiliar with the instrument, think "Dana's Theme" from Elmer Bernstein's "Ghostbusters" score). There's quite literally a little bit of everything here. It's got to feature the most eclectic mix of instruments I've ever heard in a video game score.Speaking of instruments, it's nice to see a video game score that features almost entirely live elements. There's very little in the way of sampling here -- if any at all -- and the production values shine through beautifully. By my third or fourth hour into the game, I found myself thinking that the score must have been a pretty high priority in the budget department. That's not to say the game isn't good, but everything else simply pales in comparison to the music. I have a tendency to replay certain areas with the sound effects and dialog switched off just so I can hear the score.As far as the album is concerned, there's no shortage of music here. At a whopping 79 minutes and 30 seconds, there's no room left to cram anything else on the disc. And best of all, nothing feels recycled or like useless padding. That's not surprising when you consider McCreary wrote around 4 hours worth of material for the game. There is an awful lot going on here, and every single moment was handpicked by McCreary. It's rare that you get a soundtrack album with not a single duff track, but McCreary pulled it off. Kudos to him!My list of highlights include the "Theme for Dark Void" (a leitmotif which is quoted on many occasions throughout the album), "Archon" (the percussion heavy first boss encounter), "Tesla's Laboratory" (heavily featuring the balalaika and, I believe, the panpipes), "Above the Canopy" (if you've played the demo then you've heard this, and the track features one of the most impressive bass solos I've ever heard), and a bonus arrangement of the "Main Theme" performed in the 8-bit style of "Mega Man II".If you've played "Dark Void" and found you love the music, this album is a must-have. Pretty much everything from the score is well represented, and I doubt you'll find yourself left wanting once you've finished listening to it (although I'd be surprised if you weren't tempted to play it again from the beginning). If you've never played "Dark Void" but are a fan of Bear McCreary -- or of sci-fi/action music in general -- then you owe it to yourself to add this beautiful piece of work to your collection.You won't regret it.

Bear McCreary est surtout connu par chez nous pour la B.O. (avec un accent sur le mot original) des quatre saisons de Battlestar Galactica, une des plus grandes réussites dans ce domaine musical ces cinq dernières années.La musique de Dark Void est indubitablement de sa patte; à la fois moderne et primitive, elle vous entraîne dans un univers étrange aux sonorités... fascinantes.Le jeu étant avant tout un jeu d'action, de nombreuses pistes sont censées ponctuer des batailles, et cela se remarque: empruntant à la B.O. de films comme Rocketeer, on bascule alors dans un répertoire plus pompier mais pas moins plaisant.En conclusion, si vous aimez son style, vous aimerez ce disque. Pour moi, c'est ce que la B.O. d'Avatar aurait dû être.

The package arrived in estimate date. Item received perfectly as described. New in mint condition. A recomended seller and soundtrack.