Record Label: Warner Bros Records
Genre: Film Score
Band Link:
Buy on Amazon.com link

I still haven’t seen 300 and doesn’t look like I’ll get to the theaters to see it. But I’ll be anticipating its arrival on DVD since the film looks like a bloody good time! 300 is based off Frank Miller’s graphic novel and is about the Battle of Thermopylae; where 300 Spartans took on a buttload of Persian troops. Even if it’s not historically accurate, who cares. It’s entertainment where you get to see amazing graphics, and excellent fight sequences.

I’m not familiar with composer Tyler Bates’ music but he has done film scores for Dawn of the Dead, and The Devil’s Rejects. 300 sounds like it fits the movie really well. The score is filled with battles cues, choir singing, loud percussion, and haunting singing from Azam Ali. There’s also very subtle use of electronic instruments as well. The guitar and other electronic instruments don’t overpower the strings or singing, which is a good thing.

I was reading reviews of the score and people were mentioning how some tracks are VERY similar to Elliot Goldenthal’s score to Titus, starring Anthony Hopkins. So I decided to refresh my memory on how that score sounded. Honestly, it does sound really close to the track “Returns a King.” Perhaps the filmmaker used the Titus score as a temp track, and composed around that style? I guess we’ll never know unless the composer talks about it.

Regardless of whether or not he ripped off some track from another composer; Tyler Bates score sounds good. There are occasionally some boring tracks, but I’m sure it works fine in the movie. In the end, that’s all that really matters. If you liked the music in the movie, be sure to get the soundtrack to 300.

Bottom Line: A good score with a nice mixture of choral singing, chanting, guitars, and loud drums.
Notable Tracks: Returns a King, Goodbye My Love, Come and Get Them, Message for the Queen
Overall Rating: