Wow.  What a score.  Michael Giacchino returns to the 'Medal of Honor 'series with simply a great effort for "Medal of Honor: Airborne," a soundtrack that is the best in the series and one that will delight and thrill any listener.

 

In a way, Giacchino is returning to his roots by his involvement with "Airborne", which is another release in the ongoing 'Medal of Honor' videogame titles.  I credit the composer's work on the first album in the franchise as being critical to launching the use of mainstream orchestral music in videogames.  The creative teams behind gaming titles, to their credit, realized the impact that a quality orchestral score can add to an immersive experience.  The end result is a massive number of titles that offer rich, cinematic scores and the movement is growing in popularity.  The incredible effort from the first 'Medal of Honor' score, I think, had a lot to do with that.

 

Giacchino has been the primary composer in the series and had since moved on to television and film scoring.  His credits are growing with an impressive array of titles from the small screen and cinema alike, but his first breakthrough did indeed come with 'Medal of Honor.'  After having score the first 3+ installments, Christopher Lennertz stepped in and did an admiral job with "Rising Sun" and "European Assault."  However, Giacchino's return to the series is a value add that cannot be overlooked and the prime evidence for that is the way "Airborne" turned out.  It's an elite score.

 

The album begins with an all-new main theme for this chapter in the series and while it's a respectable entry, it's not the best theme of the series or even on the album.  The original theme from the "Medal of Honor" soundtracks is also present during the score, but is used mostly in a supporting role except for a few key statements.  Where this album takes flight, however, is with a new and dramatic secondary theme that first appears on the 10th track of the score, 'Unblocking Utah'.  Better yet, as the album reaches its latter stages, a fantastic integration of the "Frontline" theme begins to take shape, ebbing its way into the score in both dramatic and subtle ways.   If this is Giacchino's final entry in the series, then he didn't leave anything at the recording studio; it's all here and showcases a depth of writing that is above par.  In fact, many film sequels and trilogies don't receive this type of intelligent and effective music.

 

As we all know, whenever a new score in the MoH series comes our way that there will be a significant number of action cues included in the presentation.  Rest assured, "Airborne" features this as well.  Of note, I thought that track 7, 'Operation Neptune', stood out in this capacity, offering something that can almost be considered a 'Medal of Honor March.'   There are also interesting examples of percussion fused cues that make for an interesting listen as well as tracks that offer statements of the main themes both in the foreground and background. While there might not be an action track that rivals "Taking out the Railgun" from Medal of Honor 1, there are still many highlights to enjoy.

 

In all, it's easy for me to say that "Medal of Honor: Airborne" is the best score of 2007 and it's a soundtrack that offers great value for repeat listens.  The intensity, drama and thematic statements will not once make you think you are listening to a game score.  Giacchino uncoiled a modern day masterpiece in crafting the music and I hope you all find a way to listen to it...and soon!