With a career spanning almost twenty years, multi-award-winning musician and composerBearMcCrearyhas left his musical mark not only in television, but across films and video games as well. At only five years old, it was upon a pivotalviewing ofBack to the Futurethat McCreary discovered his passionfor film and television music.
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Having recently championed the music of Amazon’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, it’s a good time to take a look at his work on the series and nine other stunning soundtracks from his discography.
‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ (2022)
Eighteen years afterPeterJackson’sepic Middle-Earth trilogy concluded withThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, fans ofJ.R.R Tolkienset sail once more to familiar shores inThe Rings of Power. Released on August 19th, 2022, the miniseries has a staggering 37 tracks!
One is fromHoward Shore- who returned to compose the main title theme - and 36 from McCreary. The music is epic in scope and beautifully captures a Tolkien-like sense of wonder. New themes pay stylistic respect to the established sounds and instrumentation ofShore’s beloved music, while McCreary’s own take on this grand mythology stands strong. Stand-out tracks include"Galadriel," “Númenor,” and “Bronwyn and Arondir.”
‘See’ (2019)
Seeis set after a virus has brought humanity close to extinction, leaving those who survived blind.Jason Momoastars as a father who must protect his twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see.
Released in November 2019 by Lakeshore Records, McCreary’s soundtrack is tense and haunting. Using soft sounds reminiscent of chimes in the track, “Maghra’s Fable,“and wooden pipe instruments alongside feminine tribal vocals in, “The Kids and the Truth,“McCreary accents the incredible visuals and setting of the show beautifully.
‘God of War’ (PS4) (2018)
God of War,the sequel to 2010sGod of War III,came a whole eight years later and saw prolific game designerCorey Barlog’sreturn to shake up the franchise.The videogame reinvents itself with completely overhauled mechanics and a fresh new setting inside Norse mythology. This daring leap into a new culture would demand a fresh set of themes and a soundtrack worthy of Sony’s cinematic vision.
Premiered in front of a live audience at E3, the cinematic score is everything listeners could want for an epic fantasy adventure score. The emotional crux of the record can be found in a single track titled,“Echoes of an Old Life.”
‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ (2021)
Featuring a far more energetic and rock-influenced takeon the original themes, McCreary’sMasters of the Universescore is a titanic listen.
Rapturous orchestral segments set to the constant chugging of electric guitars and bass-heavy drum kits make tracks like “He-man transforms” an absolute pleasure to listen to for both long-time fans of the property and newcomers.
‘Outlander’ (2014)
Outlanderpremiered in August 2014 on Starz, an adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s novel series of the same name. It’s an epic love story against the dramatic backdrop of the Scottish Jacobite Risings of 1745 and their settling of America. The show contains some of the best romantic writing audiences will find on TV, further elevated by its outstanding performances fromCaitriona Balfeas Claire, andSam Heughanas James Fraser, whose on-screen chemistry is captivating.
ForOutlander, McCreary’s clear love for the folk music of Jacobean Scotland is put on display. Effortlessly drawing upon this influence, the growing romance between Claire and Jaime is set to the sound of strings and bagpipes alike. Listeners can put on any of McCreary’sOutlandersoundtracks and be instantly transported to the misty hillsides of Scotland or the bustling townships of early America. Stand-out tracks include “The Skye Boat Song'” and “New Dawn at Fraser’s Ridge”
‘Black Sails’ (2014)
Collaborating with Starz yet again, McCreary crafted a fantastic rock-infused score for thisgritty pirate drama. While listeners can expect to hear familiar sounds of drunken shanties and even a hurdy-gurdy, surprises do await.
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Leaning on his skill for mixing unlikely instruments and styles, McCreary givesBlack Sailsits own identity by layering electric guitars over authentic 1700s instrumentals - to rocking effect.
‘Battlestar Galactica’ (2004)
Where it all began for McCreary:Battlestar Galactica. McCreary defied the musical norms for science fiction with hisBattlestar Galacticascore.
Etching away from the conventional orchestra-heavy foundations of the post-John Williams period, McCreary crafted a soundtrack dominated by world instruments and abstract sounds. The composer quotes his time working on the project as themost significant part of his life for six years.
‘10 Cloverfield Lane’ (2016)
Set shortly after the events ofCloverfield(2008),10Cloverfield Lanefollows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). After being involved in a serious car accident, she awakens in a bunker with no knowledge of how she got there.
While not McCreary’s first time stepping foot in the horror scene,10Cloverfield Laneis certainly a stand-out of his ventures into the genre. Similar to the scores of classic horror films, string and brass segments build slowly until the immense tension explodes into a final chorus during “The New Michelle.”
As strings flicker quickly, a sense of tension and tread emerges before fading to silent darkness. This is the theme fromThe Walking Dead. The first piece of music was written by McCreary for the show, and it’s a piece less than a minute long that would capture an audience for more than a decade.
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Released on Halloween of 2010,The Walking Deadbecame an overnight sensation. With over ten seasons worth of music to jump into, listeners can easily immerse themselves in this world. Tracks such as"Negan,” “Farm Invasion,” and “Carl” offer a great mix and showcase what McCreary was able to achieve with the show.
‘Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ (2019)
Released on May 24th, 2019 by WaterTower Records, the soundtrack forGodzilla: King of the Monstersis immense. With enormous sounding brass and swelling string sections, McCreary’s musical effort soars to momentous heights and sets the stage in theMichael Dougherty-directedmonster versus monster epic.
Alongside a feature fromSerj Tankian(“System of a Down”) the score finds room to fit in original pockets of music while also paying homage to classic themes established over the course of the long-lastingGodzillafranchise. From start to finish, the album is epic and uplifting (“Godzilla Main Title”) while also just beautiful (“Mothra’s Song”) - albeit very loud.
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