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Hans Zimmer: Man Of Steel OST - an album guide
The latest blockbusting soundtrack from Hans Zimmer has a lot to live up to, thanks to the already-iconic work of John Williams on the original Superman movie. So how does the new soundtrack fare? Find out with our guide.
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1. Look To The Stars
You'd expect the opening of the new Superman soundtrack to be a bombastic, heroic theme performed with gusto. Well, expect away. This is dark, dense and moody - exactly the intended capture of this new, distinctly modern interpretation of the comic book classic.
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2. Oil Rig
Hans Zimmer's clear gift for effects and atmosphere come into play here, with bombastic percussion and squeal-y sounds (that's the technical term) in the foreground. Prepare to be battered.
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3. Sent Here for a Reason
Superman, of course, comes from another planet. In this excerpt, the film (and, therefore, Zimmer) attempts to get to the heart of why he's ended up on earth at all, with another haunting and rather spooky track.
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4. DNA
All remains hushed and intriguing for this section, save for the presence of what sounds like a Vangelis-style synthesiser that gradually swells and climaxes before those thundering drums return, with lower string reinforcements. Belting stuff.
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5. Goodbye My Son
Russell Crowe (pictured here at the world premiere) plays Superman's father, Jor-El, while Kevin Costner plays Clark Kent's adopted father, Jonathan Kent. To which one does this piece refer? You'll have to wait and see…
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6. If You Love These People
Deep brass and more skipping percussion give a doom-laden atmosphere here. Amy Adams, pictured here at the Man Of Steel world premiere, takes on the iconic role of Lois Lane.
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7. Krypton's Last
General Zod, played by the imposing Michael Shannon, is the fellow Kryptonian who is hell-bent on destroying Superman. But the Krypton's Last of this title is, given the reflective violin theme, is most undoubtedly Superman himself.
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8. Terraforming
Rhythmically, this has to be one of Zimmer's most daring film scores. Even though the action is high-octane, the energy in the music is incredible.
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9. Tornado
Again, and as you might expect for a track named 'Tornado', the sheer verve of Zimmer's score is blistering. Here's Laurence Fishburne, who plays the editor of The Daily Planet, at the world premiere of Man Of Steel.
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10. You Die or I Do
When the lines between good and evil are drawn so clearly, conflict is inevitable. But when Zimmer has to create that conflict, he does it delicately, almost mysteriously.
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11. Launch
Stabbing strings and more of that omnipresent booming percussion dominate things dominate here. Hope the drummer's getting paid by the minute.
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12. Ignition
There's the hint of a helicopter in the opening crashes of this driving percussion masterclass. It's interesting to note that even when Zimmer turns the dynamics down, the percussion is still as intricate and important as when it's at full blast.
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13. I Will Find Him
Bringing out the choral big guns makes this an elemental, human-sounding extract from the soundtrack - that is until the Wagner-esque lower brass has its way with it.
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14. This Is Clark Kent
Henry Cavill was originally in the frame to play Superman in the franchise's last instalment in 2006, but he lost out to Brandon Routh. But now he's finally gotten to play one of the most iconic roles in cinematic history.
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15. I Have So Many Questions
The ringing synth lines are back! This time, though, they're quite nicely buoyed by a low cello medley.
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16. Flight
One of Superman's key skills is flight. Obviously. So when Hans Zimmer initially makes this track less than soaring, relying on slow, drone-like build-up, it's a surprise. But then it takes off, it actually becomes one of the soundtrack's most triumphant moments. Zimmer himself has admitted to feeling daunted by the John Williams (pictured) score from the original Superman movie, but it looks like those fears were unfounded.
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17. What Are You Going to Do When You Are Not Saving the World?
This is probably the most traditionally 'heroic' sounding part of the whole Man Of Steel soundtrack. By ignoring what has gone before (i.e. John Williams), Zimmer has fully embraced director Zack Snyder's (pictured here with his wife at the world premiere) vision of a darker superhero movie.
