THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014)

And so for one last time, we travel to Middle Earth with Bilbo and Company for the final installment of The Hobbit trilogy. The score by Howard Shorefor both this film series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy has been nothing but spectacular – a definite classic which will be remembered for generations. If there’s any way fans can fondly remember the final cinematic chapter in this film saga, it will be best to do so through music.

This two disc special edition of the soundtrack contains two bonus tracks “Dragon-sickness” and “Thrain (from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Version)”, as well as five extended tracks. In addition, fans will adore the accompanying booklet which expanded liner notes and a collection of gorgeous stills from the movie event of 2014.

Kicking off Disc One is the ominous “Fire and Water” (if you remember how The previous movie ended, Smaug was on his way to destroy Laketown – while Bilbo and the Dwarves could only helpless watch the disaster happen from the Lonely Mountain), a track which wastes no time into conjuring images of the destruction that will follow. You will hear the haunting Smaug theme from the last soundtrack, as well as a gentle theme representing Bard’s family. The sorrowful “Shores of the LongLake” is up next, before gloom becomes omni present in “Beyond Sorrow and Grief”.  This disc also contains gems like the folksy “The Ruins of Dale”, the disastrous “The Gathering of the Clouds” and the epic “Battle for the Mountain”.

Moving on to Disc Two, “The Darkest Hour” seems to spell trouble for the gang, while the ethereal “The Fallen” takes on a dark tone which fans of the soundtrack series will be familiar with. “Ravenhill” is an action cue which sets off a heart thumping battle cry, and “To the Death” brings the action to a climax.

Things then get a little emotional and nostalgic with “The Return Journey” and “There and Back Again”, reprising well loved themes from the film series. Billy Boyd, the Scottish actor who played Pippin in The Lord of the Rings movies, performs “The Last Goodbye”, an aptly penned song to round up the films, as well as the soundtracks. It is a good time to revisit the previous five albums and embrace the sounds from Middle Earth once again. 

ALBUM RATING:

Recommended Track: Disc 2 (9) The Last Goodbye - performed by Billy Boyd

Review by John Li