Homefront
Composed by Matthew Harwood

Where Homefront differs from many video game soundtracks being ushered out today is with the stance it takes. Matthew Harwood's approach seems to be about drawing a line in the sand and defining a personality for this score.

And that's why I like it.

Sure, there are other game scores with larger music budgets and additional resources to call upon, but Homefront works because it establishes a clear thematic approach and it remains consistent throughout. While the sheer number of cues included on the soundtrack could have been scaled back, I found the high-energy and unique instrument combinations engaging enough to send this one home with a B rating.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Composed by Oscar Araujo

It's taken quite a few listens for me to gain a clear handle on just how much I absolutely love the score from the video game, Castlevania: Lord of Shadows. All I can say is that Oscar Araujo has single-handedly delivered a massive score for the ages and once again proves how formidable game music can be when taken with the right approach. With Lord of Shadows, there is an epic sprawl of might and beauty that cascades across the soundtrack experience and it is about as addicting a listening experience that you're bound to find this side of Transylvania. Indeed, this is a score that is filled to the brim with climactic moments, exciting musical ideas, and an underlying gothic tone that is etched to perfection. Unlike scores of similar ilk, there is a deeper consistency within the music here that enabled me to feel involved with an actual story as opposed to one-off cues of attempted magnificence. It's hard not to give this one a perfect rating so I think I'll do just that!

Gulliver's Travels
By Henry Jackman

Gulliver's Travels is a charming story that has been retold time and again, and I've always felt it provided a magical opportunity for the composer's attached to each cinematic re-telling of the saga. Jack Black aside, Henry Jackman has stepped in and delivered the magic one would hope for from this 2010 version and his score for Gulliver's Travels even rivals that of Trevor Jones when he did his thing on the Hallmark film from the 90's. To be succinct, if you have a disposition for orchestral adventure that offers a blend of well-timed comedy and a rich fantasy influence, than you will surely enjoy what Jackman has done here for it is a score that deserves a bit of spotlighting. This one nabs a positive nod from me (and from most others who have had the opportunity to hear it).

Season of the Witch
Composed by Atli Orvarsson

Atli Orvarsson has made a case, through his music, that he is as positive a bright spot as any emerging within the composing scene today. With Season of the Witch, he persevered a few trials and tribulations of his own as he had to contend with varying opinions on the type of score the producers sought for the film. As it turns out, Atli won them over with his traditional approach and the end result is a high-energy score that touches on both the epic and religious aspirations of the film's storyline itself. Not to be lost in all the downbeat movie reviews, Atli's score saved the movie in many scenes and his thematic pacing kept the film afloat when it was needed most. This is a most worthwhile historical action/supernatural score and further cements Atli's standing as a talent we need to hear more from in the coming years. Bring on The Eagle of the Ninth, I say!

Note - The film itself is not a complete loss, especially given the plot's rather intriguing final reveal.

Doctor Who - Series 5
By Murray Gold

To be fair, it is very difficult for Murray Gold to trump his recent efforts with his music from the Doctor Who franchise. The bar has been set so high that one would lose sight of it give it's distance in the horizon. In nutshell, that is how brilliantly received Seasons 3, 4, and The Specials were for me; sheer, intoxicating whimsy. Knowing that there is a bounty of musical riches within these projects, Silva Screen records has raised the stakes and are delivering more Doctor Who music than ever before, this time with the 2 CD set of Series 5. While this is not my favorite of the franchise, there are highlights within this offering that standout as some of the best cues yet delivered from the composer and that's saying quite a bit! Had this been streamlined into a single disc release, I very well could have catapulted it to the top of the charts but it nevertheless lands as a very solid recommendation from me to you (the extended length of this double album slowed the momentum down just a touch for me). Fear not, though, there are still heavenly dances to be had.