Rings of Power Bear McCreary's The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power (2022)

[Jay 39,762]

Yes, well said!

[Jay 39,762]

 

1. Nine for Mortal Men (6:00)
2. Shattered Illusion (2:39)
3. The Battle for Eregion Begins (7:22)
4. Dwarven Loyalty (5:19)
5. The Orc Camp (5:07)
6. The Light of Celebrimbor (5:26)
7. War at the Wall (3:57)
8. Damrod (feat. Jens Kidman) (3:46)
9. Never Make War in Anger (5:31)

 

https://filmmusicreporter.com/2024/09/25/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-rings-of-power-season-2-episode-7-doomed-to-die-soundtrack-albums-details/

[Holko 10,401]

Feels shorter and less action-focused than I thought it would, but great stuff again! Love the variations in Nine for Mortal Men, the Dúrin stuff in Orc Camp, and I even like Damrod a lot, again without that aggressively unfitting vocal it's perfectly fine.

[TheUlyssesian 2,589]

On 11/09/2024 at 10:35 PM, Tydirium said:

So far we’ve gotten a track titled “Three Rings for the Elven Kings” for an episode titled “Elven Kings Under the Sky,” and another track titled “Seven for the Dwarf-lords” for an episode titled “Halls of Stone.”

 

I wonder if we will eventually get a score track titled “Nine for Mortal Men” (perhaps for an episode titled “Doomed to Die” or “Mortal Men Doomed to Die”)?

 

Called it, king!

[Jay 39,762]

That was by far the hardest album to compare yet!

 

1. Nine for Mortal Men (6:00)

• New Music! {Forging, The Rings of Power, Sauron, Adar/Orcs, Arondir, Eregion}

2. Shattered Illusion (2:39)

• 0:00-1:10 = New Music! {Sauron}
• 1:10-2:08 = 5:31-end of "Emissary at the Forge" from the season album
• 2:08-end = New Music! {Sauron}

3. The Battle for Eregion Begins (7:22)

• 0:00-1:25 = 1:03-2:23 of "Army of Orcs" from the season album, with a full clean opening you can't even hear on the season album
• 1:25-1:38 = New Music!
• 1:38-1:50 = 2:23-2:36 of "Army of Orcs" from the season album
• 1:50-2:20 = 0:26-0:54 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album, with a much cleaner opening than you can get there
• 2:20-2:46 = 0:00-0:26 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album (which has a nice clean opening there)
• 2:46-3:26 = 0:54-1:37 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 3:26-4:48 = 4:00-5:21 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album (which seems to have a little extra music that isn't here)
• 4:48-4:52 = New Music!
• 4:52-5:29 = 1:37-2:13 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 5:29-5:37 = New Music!
• 5:37-5:54 = 2:13-2:30 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 5:54-6:23 = New Music! {Elrond}
• 6:23-7:04 = 2:30-3:11 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 7:04-end = New Music!

4. Dwarven Loyalty (5:19)

• This is basically 0:00-5:14 of "Durin's Bane" from the season album, though there's some kind of difference around the 2:10 mark

5. The Orc Camp (5:07)

• New Music! {Arondir, Galadriel, Khazad-dûm, Durin}

6. The Light of Celebrimbor (5:26)

• 0:00-1:41 = New Music! {Sauron}
• 1:41-2:08 = 5:21-5:45 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 2:08-3:19 = New Music! {Galadriel, The Rings of Power}
• 3:19-end = 5:45-7:42 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album

7. War at the Wall (3:57)

• 0:00-0:44 = New Music! {Galadriel}
• 0:44-1:15 = 3:08-3:42 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 1:15-3:08 = New Music! {Elrond, Galadriel}
• 3:08-3:20 = 3:47-4:00 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 3:20-end = New Music! {Arondir}

8. Damrod (feat. Jens Kidman) (3:46)

• New Music! {Damrod, Elrond, Noble Warrior, Arondir}

9. Never Make War in Anger (5:31)

• 0:00-0:58 = New Music! {Arondir, Adar/Orcs}
• 0:58-3:42 = 7:42-10:20 of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album
• 3:42-4:14 = New Music! {Adar/Orcs}
• 4:14-end = 10:20-end of "Battle for Eregion" from the season album

 

It's very possible I missed stuff - let me know!

[Tydirium 1,402]

1:10 of “Shattered Illusion” is the end of “Emissary at the Forge.” Last night during my first listen, I thought it might be a different, slower take than the season OST version, but I’ve re-listened a couple times and it may be the same after all. (I don’t have time right now to go lining up the audio to confirm one way or the other.)

[Jay 39,762]

Great catch!  Fixed my post!

[Tydirium 1,402]

4:51 of “The Battle for Eregion Begins” is actually not new music, but rather is 1:35 of “Battle for Eregion.”

 

EDIT: 5:28-5:35 is new music; the statement of Elrond’s theme at 5:36 correlates to 2:12 of “Battle for Eregion.” 

 

EDIT 2: 5:53-6:22 is new music. 6:22-7:02 is 2:29-3:09 of “Battle for Eregion.” 7:02-end seems to be new music.

[Jay 39,762]

Nice work!  Updated again!

 

~

 

So let's look at how Bear put together the "Army of Orcs" and "Battle For Eregion" season album tracks, based on what we know so far

 

Army of Orcs

1. 0:00-1:07 = 3:16-4:27 of "The Legions of Adar" from Episode 6
2. 1:03-2:23 = 0:00-1:25 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7
3. 2:23-2:36 = 1:38-1:50  of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7
4. 2:36-end = probably from Episode 8?

The Battle For Eregion

1. 0:00-0:26 = 2:20-2:46 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7
2. 0:26-0:54 = 1:50-2:20 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7
3. 0:54-1:37 = 2:46-3:26 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7

4. 1:37-2:13 = 4:52-5:29 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7

5. 2:13-2:30 = 5:37-5:54 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7

6. 2:30-3:11 = 6:23-7:04 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7

7. 3:08-3:42 = 0:44-1:15 of "War at the Wall" from Episode 7

8. 3:42-3:47 = I think this is just an early repeat (pre-peat?) of the very next 5 seconds, without the choral layer

9. 3:47-4:00 = 3:08-3:20 of "War at the Wall" from Episode 7

10. 4:00-5:21 = 3:26-4:48 of "The Battle for Eregion Begins" from Episode 7
11. 5:21-5:45 = 1:41-2:08 of "The Light of Celebrimbor" from Episode 7

12. 5:45-7:42 = 3:19-end of "The Light of Celebrimbor" from Episode 7

13. 7:42-10:20 = 0:58-3:42 of "Never Make War in Anger" from Episode 7

14. 10:20-end = 4:14-end of "Never Make War in Anger" from Episode 7

[Tydirium 1,402]

Thanks!

 

One interesting thing is that the chord at 3:09 of “Battle for Eregion” seems to be unique to the season OST, as it is different from both 7:02 of “The Battle for Eregion Begins” and 0:42 of “War at the Wall.” (One easy way to tell is that the French horns arrive at a higher note on the OST chord.)

[Jay 39,762]

Yea, I noticed that too.  It could be tracked in from some other cue anywhere in either season

[Tydirium 1,402]

22 minutes ago, Jay said:

11. 5:21-5:45 = probably from Episode 8?

 

1:41 of “The Light of Celebrimbor.”

[Jay 39,762]

Oooh!

[Tydirium 1,402]

30 minutes ago, Jay said:

13. 7:42-10:20 = probably from Episode 8?

 

0:57-3:41 of “Never Make War in Anger.”

[Jay 39,762]

You're on fire!

[Tydirium 1,402]

45 minutes ago, Jay said:

8. 3:42-3:47 = could be on the episode 7 album and I just missed it?

9. 3:47-4:00 = 3:08-3:20 of "War at the Wall" from Episode 7

 

3:42 = 3:07 (or 3:08 as you’ve got it) of “War at the Wall.” Basically, you’ve accounted for the “missing” portion already in your 3:08-3:20 one line down. Unless I’m missing something, those two lines can be combined into one line, and nothing is missing.

 

EDIT: Never mind! I see what you mean; I was too focused on the rhythmic figure to notice the chorus vs. no chorus, lol.

 

5 minutes ago, Jay said:

You're on fire!

 

Happy to help!

[Jay 39,762]

56 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

EDIT: Never mind! I see what you mean.

 

Yea the brass version of the theme is new, the choral statement immediately after is on the season album.  It'll be interesting to see if the brass version is in the actual episode or not

 

EDIT: Actually, I bet that choir-free statement is just the exact same music as plays right after, with the choir layer removed.  An editorial looping to make the track flow better.

[Jay 39,762]

Latest update of the season album

 

Concert Arrangements (22:46)

• 01 Old Tom Bombadil (3:10)
• 02 Rhûn (2:35)
• 03 Concerning Stoors (3:32)
• 04 Golden Leaves (3:18)
• 08 Eregion (3:42)
• 12 Estrid (3:12)
• 19 The Last Ballad of Damrod (3:17)

Episode 1 - Elven Kings Under the Sky (4:53)

• 05A Cirdan's Perfection [0:00-4:53] (4:53)

Episode 2 - Where the Stars are Strange (10:32)

• 06 Stone Singers (1:15)
• 07 Sandstorm at the Well (3:46)
• 09A Emissary at the Forge  [0:00-5:31] (5:31)

Episode 3 - The Eagle and the Sceptre (8:50)

• 10 Shelob (1:48)
• 11 The Pyre (2:28)
• 13 The Great Eagle (2:57)
• 05B Cirdan's Perfection [4:53-end] (1:37)

Episode 4 - Eldest (5:04)

• 15 Barrow-wights (2:24)
• 16 Forgiveness Takes an Age (2:40)

Episode 5 - Halls of Stone (3:40)

• 17 Candles on the Tide (3:40)

Episode 6 - Where Is He? (1:07)

• 18A Army of Orcs [0:00-1:07] (1:07)

Episode 7 - Doomed To Die (19:24)

• 09B Emissary at the Forge [5:31-end] (1:05)
• 18B Army of Orcs [1:03-2:36] (1:33)
• 20 Battle for Eregion (11:32)
• 21A Durin's Bane [0:00-5:14] (5:14)

Episode 8, or not! (24:28)

• 14 The River-daughter (1:09)
• 18C Army of Orcs [2:36-end] (1:35)
• 21B Durin's Bane [5:14-end] (3:23)
• 22 Last Temptation (7:11)
• 23 The Staff (4:17)
• 24 Old Tom Bombadil Reprise (2:19)
• 25 The Sun Yet Shines (4:34)

[Richard P 4,269]

Looking at your breakdown, it's pretty impressive how much effort Bear put into arranging the Battle For Eregion album track rather than just putting a couple of the epsiode tracks on the album - it plays phenomenally well as a piece that I'd been wondering whether it would be an edited suite. And it's great that we have a choice of which one to listen to, right off the bat.

 

My guess would be that Old Tom Bombadil Reprise is a sort of concert piece, purely by the fact that the vocals at the end don't seem like they fit the show at all, based on what we've seen of them, and Bombadil's sole vocals thus far being muttering to himself.

 

Also, this episode is where we probably find out what that unnamed theme at the end The Light of Celebrimbor represents, given that we're hearing it at least once more in extended form in episode 8.

[Jay 39,762]

Wow spooky timing, I was JUST pondering on that theme when I saw your post.

 

So on the season album, that theme was in "Battle for Eregion", and "The Staff".

 

On the episode albums, it's been in "My Name Is Not Halbrand", "The Battle For Eregion Begins", and "The Light Of Celebrimbor".

 

Could it be a theme for Celebrimbor?  Or the, ahem, Celebrimbanner?

[A. A. Ron 1,953]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

My guess would be that Old Tom Bombadil Reprise is a sort of concert piece, purely by the fact that the vocals at the end don't seem like they fit the show at all, based on what we've seen of them, and Bombadil's sole vocals thus far being muttering to himself.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if both the Reprise and River-daughter tracks turned out to be album only and Goldberry never even appears on screen.

[Tydirium 1,402]

11 hours ago, Jay said:

8. Damrod (feat. Jens Kidman) (3:46)

• New Music! {Damrod, Arondir}

 

Elrond at 1:37.

[Jay 39,762]

14 hours ago, A. A. Ron said:

It wouldn't surprise me if both the Reprise and River-daughter tracks turned out to be album only and Goldberry never even appears on screen.

 

Yeah its starting to feel like that's the case.  When Bombadil disappeared at the end of episode 6, it felt like that'd be the we see of him

 

 

8 hours ago, Tydirium said:

Elrond at 1:37.

 

And Noble Warrior is in the track too

 

~

 

So those who have seen episode 7, was I right that "The Last Ballad Of Damrod" is used for the end credits?

[Taikomochi 1,257]

I just brought it up and scrolled to the credits - yes, you were correct. 

[Jay 39,762]

Noice

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

Again, I'm impressed with McCreary's skill for the way he produced the album. The episode cuts in and out of the battle a lot, which makes the music have short burst of action music and then goes to another scene.

 

Instead of weirdly cutting the music like it is in the episode, McCreary made sure there is a strong listening experience on album and I really appreciate it. 

[Chen G. 4,719]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

So those who have seen episode 7, was I right that "The Last Ballad Of Damrod" is used for the end credits?

 

Yes. That music is also used in the episode, briefly. I like it a good deal in the underscore, both here and in the previous episode it appeared: its more subdued and buried in the orchestral texture. The end-credits song is just that little bit too much, especially since the episode calls for something more muted.

[Tydirium 1,402]

28 minutes ago, Chen G. said:

 

Yes. That music is also used in the episode, briefly. I like it a good deal in the underscore, both here and in the previous episode it appeared: its more subdued and buried in the orchestral texture. The end-credits song is just that little bit too much, especially since the episode calls for something more muted.

 

Do you mean “The Last Ballad of Damrod” is used in the episode, or are you just referring to “Damrod”?

[Chen G. 4,719]

Not that actual track, but the Damrod-type music.

[Knight of Ren 1,087]

Haven't been able to watch the episode yet but I was wondering if we can now guess what that new motif that appears through Battle of Eregion represents. I love the sad rendition heard in the episode album in The Light of Celebrimbor. So, is it a motif for Celebrimbor or perhaps represents something else?

[Jay 39,762]

I haven't seen episode 7 yet either, but I'm pretty sure its a Celebrimbor theme, maybe one specifically representing his eventual death by Sauron.  It's introduced when Celebrimbor and Halbrand meet in episode 2, seems to play in scenes he's involved in in this episode, and the statement in "The Staff" is probably his final scene in episode 8.

[Richard P 4,269]

The statement from Battle For Eregion in episode 7 is when

 

Spoiler

Celebrimbor has escaped the tower and finally seen the truth and Galadriel has convinced the guards that he is the rightful Lord of Eregion, just before he goes back up with them to arrest Sauron. However, given that confrontation doesn't exactly go well and Sauron just needs the rings now, perhaps he does kill Celebrimbor in the final episode and The Staff is a final lament. Only one way to find out.

 

---

 

In general, Bear's music has to jump all over the place in the episode - it's not like the battle starts and just goes on continuously for half an hour. It goes back to Celebrimbor/Sauron, Adar, Khazad-dum, so even the episode album is very heavily curated to join the related bits. I think the only bit missing from the album that I spotted was the brief bit when Celebrimbor is escaping the cuffs.

 

Light of Celebrimbor has some nice bits that didn't make it to the OST track - maybe this was an opportunity to make another 20-minuter like the Southlands siege, but tbh the existing suite is a work of art.

 

I thought the episode in general was very good (I'd say visually it improves on the Minas Tirith siege - I mean vfx are better now) and it doesn't surprise me therefore that Bear came up with some superb material and dedicated a lot of OST runtime to this material.

[Taikomochi 1,257]

Noticed there is a small bit excised from “Durin’s Bane” around 4:30 in “Dwarven Loyalty”. The descending four string notes don’t get to cycle on their own before the Khazad-dum melody comes in the latter. Pity because it sounds much more powerful with the delay, in my opinion. Seems like it could be edited back in? I don’t know if it’s an edit or a different take where Bear cut that bit to match a picture edit, perhaps. Either way, shame!

[Jay 39,762]

Yes and there's also a slight difference around the 2:10 mark.

 

Overall I'm not sure why Bear chose to include this 5 minute chunk of music on the season album over so many highlights from episodes 4, 5, or 6

[Taikomochi 1,257]

Yeah, the season 2 album is extremely unrepresentative the further we get. Season 1 was obviously missing a lot, but it basically had the highlights. Every episode of season 2 has at least something where I’m like “how the hell did that not make the album???” “Sauron’s Deception” and “Sauron’s Illusion” are two of my favorite cues McCreary has written period and better than much of what is on the album.

I do emphatically love the later section of “Durin’s Bane” that is presumably from the finale, though!

[Richard P 4,269]

This season's album would be the perfect subject for a Williams-style rant about how he could possibly leave off this or that cue, given the astounding amount of omitted material... but the key differentiator is that the music is available so I don't particularly mind that this one is pretty unrepresentative.

 

I'm thinking it's all about thematic and contributor representation - concert pieces for Eregion and Estrid given that those themes barely appear in the episode cues in their full form, Durin's Bane so that Durin/Khazad-dum are represented, Great Eagle so Numenor is on there, then 4 episode tracks (i.e. we know they're in the show) contain vocalists (and I reckon Bear feels compelled to put on featured vocalists, like when he puts on Raya's performances) and then a bunch of Bombadil stuff that's actually got little to do with how his character appears in the show. Plus Stranger/Harfoot/Sauron material early on, and then of course half an hour given to the battle, and you've got your album.

[Taikomochi 1,257]

I don’t mind except that I hate having to wait a week to complete my playlist because I have the patience of a child! The season album isn’t holding me over anymore 😭 

[Richard P 4,269]

I've been totally impatient to hear all of this season's music, and my season 1 box needs its brethren on my shelf.

 

But I'm trying not to absorb all of it immediately (except episode 7 which I'm loving) because this time next week we'll have had the last new Rings of Power music we're going to have for a couple of years.

[Taikomochi 1,257]

Fair point. For me, it’s just about having a complete narrative. The season overview album isn’t enough for me, and the episode albums just feel like blue balls since they don’t yet have a conclusion. I think the wait will be easier for me between seasons since I won’t have something incomplete in the meantime. I can just settle in and enjoy a complete season playlist and not yet need to worry about what comes next. The full season one playlist was enough for me until I had only part of season two…

 

I’m definitely being spoiled and refusing to appreciate it 😅

[Tydirium 1,402]

I actually noticed way more music missing from this episode’s album than I have tended to notice on most of the past ones. Of course, some of that could be due to my hyperfocus on this episode and its score (been looking forward to this battle!), but there are at least a handful of shorter cues and snippets missing from the album.

 

1 hour ago, Taikomochi said:

Yeah, the season 2 album is extremely unrepresentative the further we get. Season 1 was obviously missing a lot, but it basically had the highlights. Every episode of season 2 has at least something where I’m like “how the hell did that not make the album???” “Sauron’s Deception” and “Sauron’s Illusion” are two of my favorite cues McCreary has written period and better than much of what is on the album.

I do emphatically love the later section of “Durin’s Bane” that is presumably from the finale, though!

 

I’m guessing you mean “Sauron’s Design,” rather than “Deception”? But I agree completely. The only reason I could see for not including “Sauron’s Illusion” is that its first half-minute or so is shared with “Eregion”… But the rest of the cue is still different enough that it warrants inclusion, IMO.

[TheUlyssesian 2,589]

On 23/08/2024 at 1:25 PM, TheUlyssesian said:

Are we use Nolwa Matar is just Galadriel's hero theme? I am thinking could it be a general Elvish hero theme and could it be used for Elrond too?

 

So yes, Nolwa is now an Elvisih hero theme or Elvish action theme. I like it!

[Jay 39,762]

I knew it!

[Taikomochi 1,257]

36 minutes ago, Tydirium said:

I’m guessing you mean “Sauron’s Design,” rather than “Deception”? But I agree completely. The only reason I could see for not including “Sauron’s Illusion” is that its first half-minute or so is shared with “Eregion”… But the rest of the cue is still different enough that it warrants inclusion, IMO.

Yes that is what I meant, sorry. Too many similarly named Sauron tracks haha.
 

And agreed. That wilted horn statement of the Rings theme is so tragic and beautiful, probably my favorite iteration of the theme so far.

[Tydirium 1,402]

Yes, it would have been nice to have one of the few “good guy,” major key appearances of that theme on the album, of which “Sauron’s Illusion” is my favorite. The other great thing about that track is the strings playing the “In the land of Mordor…” portion of the theme, when Annatar presents Feanor’s hammer. Episode 6 featured three separate renditions of that part of the theme (rarely heard, aside from the song/concert piece version), and the lack of any one of them on the season album means that that part of the theme is unrepresented. Bummer, because it’s so good in that track in particular! (Also at the end of “Trial by Abyss”!)

[Jay 39,762]

Sometimes I think he knowingly omits obvious highlights from the season album because it drops before the season begins and he doesn't want to include stuff that's too spoilery.

 

So no This Wandering Day as underscore, Mystics theme, forging of the Men rings, Arondir as part of Eregion battle, etc.  But he does include other spoilery things, like Bombadil and Stranger themes in the same track, Bronwyn's death, the fact that Shelob would show up, etc.  So I dunno.

[Tydirium 1,402]

Has anyone else noticed this recurring new Elf action motif?

 

So far, I’ve found it in 3:23 of “Army of Orcs,” 2:14 of “Galadriel Stands Alone,” and 1:52 of “War at the Wall.” And I’m 99.9% sure that 3:16 of “Damrod” is a 9/8 version of it, with a couple notes left out to make it fit the meter. (By the way, from the rhythm in the trombones, I hear that section as four bars of 9/8, followed by one bar of 6/8, and then one more bar of 9/8. The violin motif starts on big beat 2 of the first 9/8 bar. Does anyone hear it differently, or does that seem about right?)

[tomsmoviemadness 3,623]

Based on the footage in a trailer for the season finale, I think that they'll be plenty of new music in the episode that's not on the season album.

 

More stuff in Rhûn & Númenor especially.

[Doo_liss 6,639]

2 hours ago, tomsmoviemadness said:

Based on the footage in a trailer for the season finale, I think that they'll be plenty of new music in the episode that's not on the season album.

 

More stuff in Rhûn & Númenor especially.

About 3-4 days until we know for sure!

[DangerMotif 1,140]

Great episode and great music but the mix is awful. Could barely hear Nolwah Mahtar 

[Doo_liss 6,639]

Hmm. I heard it clear enough.