Overview

The ever popular Warhammer brand of tabletop miniature wargames has spawned numerous spin-offs in a number of different media, including video games. Maybe not surprisingly though, so far it's been the futuristic companion of the original Warhammer Fantasy Battle series, Warhammer 40,000, that has attracted greater interest from video game developers. Still, it took until 2004's excellently reviewed Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War for a Warhammer game soundtrack to receive a score release. One reason for this would have certainly been the involvement of Jeremy Soule, who after his scores for Neverwinter Nights and The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, was one of game music's rising stars. And so the news that he would score Dawn of War met with quite a bit of anticipation. The game's soundtrack was made available for a while as a free download on the German and French Dawn of War websites.

Body

Dawn of War's most distinctive feature is the mix of different styles that Soule deploys to communicate the game's futuristic setting. The different musical colours on Dawn of War also give a general sense of the fact that the player can choose among four different races (space marines, orks etc.) However, at least on this short 29-minute release, no race is assigned a fully developed, recognisable sound. This being the score for an RTS game that's all about armies clashing in epic battles, Soule of course integrates strong militaristic tones into a number of his compositions. But Dawn of War also has a strong tendency towards more ambient musings underpinned by electronic elements. This balance turns out to be Dawn of War's strongest asset and helps the score avoid the tedium that characterises Soule's subsequent Warhammer score Mark of Chaos.

Tellingly, the soundtrack is at its strongest when the different styles come together in one composition, as on "Gabriel's War Cry", the album's best track. It offers all the requisite layered brass fanfares, crashing cymbals and booming percussion one would come to expect from a track with a name like that. But while the orchestral elements are all well-composed, what makes "Gabriel's War Cry" interesting are the electronic elements that accompany the bombast. A slow, full synth pulse is added to the piece's early marching beat to fill the already crowded soundscape even more. But then tinkling chimes take the lead after 1:00 and balance the focus on the ensemble's noisy lower registers. Later on, the melody is given to a synth lead, effectively enhancing the sci-fi feel of this suitably powerful and original composition. "Sorcery and Might" doesn't integrate the two different soundworlds quite as tightly, but the way its heavy march rhythms alternate at the beginning with electronic beats keeps things fresh. And as on "Gabriel's War Cry", Soule's decision to make the piece's textures even thicker by adding electronic elements works well and gives the music added impact, while the cue maintains an engaging forward momentum.

On the rest of the album, militaristic and ambient styles usually aren't combined in one composition, but instead dominate separate cues. Out of the two, the atmospheric tracks are the less entertaining ones and they drag down the album quite a bit. "Fallen City" and "Volcano", unfortunately two of the soundtrack's longest pieces, incorporate some percussive/martial elements, but they mostly rely on slow string and brass chord progressions, which in the case of "Fallen City" are likely supposed to mourn the titular city's fate. But the string and brass writing is non-distinct and on both tracks only generates generic underscore that suffers from a lack of memorable melodic ideas. The percussion on "Volcano" sounds a bit more lively and organic than on "Fallen City", particularly when some hand percussion around 0:50 adds a touch of colour. But that doesn't compensate for the bland, lingering string and choir pads, and both "Fallen City" and "Volcano" ultimately overstay their welcome. "Mysteries of the Eldar" and "Gathering of the Clans" are shorter, more nocturnal ambient pieces that rely on spacey synth layers to evoke a generic atmosphere of mystery. That mood is marginally more interesting on "Gathering of the Clans", due to its contrast between droning synths and rhythmic elements such as an ostinato electronic figure. Combine these at best serviceable pieces with the fact that they're all grouped together in the album's first half, and you've got a pretty slow start to this soundtrack.

Fortunately, the opening track "Outer Reaches" leaves a more positive impression through its spheric synths and strings that evoke a fitting sense of the depths of space. Just as formulaic, but also effective are the majestic brass inserts in the track's middle section that score fans have come to expect when mankind sets off to explore outer space. "Outer Reach" sets the scene quite well for the sci-fi adventure that is Dawn of War and also heralds the soundtrack's focus on mood rather than melody. More interesting still is "Urban Wasteland", with its array of tinkling, slurping and cheeping sound effects carried by a bed of synth washes. An intriguingly chromatic synth melody floating above the vast, open soundscape increases the track's feeling of enigmatic intrigue, supported by the cue's quite well-developed and haunting textures.

Dawn of War's remaining militaristic compositions are more accessible than some of their atmospheric counterparts, without being particularly original. "March of the Emperor" and "Blood Raven's Approach" tone down the martial demeanour of "Gabriel's War Cry" somewhat and heighten that cue's bombast to create music full of pomp and determination. The latter sentiment is particularly present on "March of the Emperor" through a stern string figure that underlies the building brass and solemn choir that a triumphant cue such as this of course requires. "Blood Raven's Approach" is better developed than its partner in crime and also melodically a bit stronger, with different instruments groups individually given time to carry the track's noble melody. The later addition of a hi-hat to support the track's marching rhythm is an odd choice, but the track remains a pleasing, if hardly outstanding listen

"Dawn of War" ends the album on a forceful note, opening with the score's most ferocious march material that is then overlaid with more imperial brass chord progressions. Curiously, the track's most interesting characteristic is the synthetic choir that's enters the fray later on. Its artificial nature is readily obvious through its hollow sound that lacks a real choir's natural presence. But those slightly disembodied vocals create an effect that's not unlike that of hearing a choir singing at the distant end of a large church. This dignified sound successfully balances and enriches the track's otherwise aggressive mood, while a real choir's powerful tones might have made the music's grandiose tones overbearing.

Summary

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War uses an interesting formula to score the game's setting in a distant future characterised by military conflict. Pugnacious, occasionally bombastic march sounds alternate and are sometimes combined with atmospheric, even ambient synths that enhance the score's sci-fi feeling. However, the execution of that formula is far from flawless. Particulary Dawn of War's rather mood- than melody-based tracks like "Fallen City" and "Volcano" suffer from monotonous textures that never elicit the emotional response they aim to evoke. On the other hand, "Urban Wasterland", with its richer synth textures, shows how this approach can be pulled off successfully. The more pompous tracks offer predictably pleasing, if not particularly inspired melodies and large-scale orchestral sounds. Had Soule displayed the same originality in merging electronic and orchestral elements as on "Gabriel's War Cry" throughout the whole album, Dawn of War would have been a markedly improved score. The way it stands, the soundtrack is a solid listen that's a bit rough around the edges and takes a while to hit its stride.