#chance thomas

The Mines of Moria music, composed by Chance Thomas (whose work includes Quest For Glory V, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, and others) and Stephen DiGregorio, is strong enough to rival the film score. In some ways, this music is superior to the film score, in that one can listen to it over and over without getting bored. This is, of course, the distinguishing trait between film score and game music: the ability to repeat many times without annoying the listener. Full orchestra, as well as smaller chamber-music groups, were used to record some of this score. From the clamor of drums and brass to the serenity of flutes and sweeping strings, the initial impression of this album was “this is a film score.” But as mentioned above, the soundtrack serves better for a game than for a film. Why? Because the music can handle being repeated without leaving the listener unsatisfied. These pieces aren’t set to specific moments within a film, and as such, Thomas and DiGregorio were able to write fully-developed music for each and every track, instead little one-minute clips of music that have abrupt starts and ends. “The Golden Wood” is a beautiful piece, and it is great music for relaxation. In the context of the soundtrack, and in the game, it serves best as a short reprieve between the swift and steady movements of battle and dungeon exploration. One wouldn’t expect much beauty in the Mines of Moria (you remember what happened there, don’t you?). But in The Golden Wood, the region of Lothlórien the Elven forest found not too far away from Moria, there is a chance for respite. LOTRO - Shadows of Angmar™ Soundtrack

LOTRO - Mines of Moria™ Soundtrack

LOTRO - Siege of Mirkwood™ Soundtrack

Chance Thomas, a game composer known for his ability to take licensed work (be it film, television, book, comic book, whatever) and create a unique score for that franchise's game. Thomas had done soundtracks for other Lord of the Rings games, but if you really want to see him shine, you'll want to listen to the music composed for the MMORPG "The Lord of the Rings Online." The initial release of the game, "Shadows of Angmar," has a full OST that has been released in many formats, and in multiple regions (a German version of the game got its own soundtrack printed, but it is identical to the American version).

The music is very much orchestral, and when not orchestral, then certainly "provincial," and always live instrumentation whenever possible. Chance prefers to work with real instruments in place of synths, so the vast majority of this soundtrack was recorded in a studio with a variety of instrumental performers. For example, "Home From the Hunt," features some very enjoyable acoustic guitar work, and "Bree-Land Jig" sounds like a Scot/Irish outdoor dance party. There's no question that Chance Thomas has a strong grasp of ethnomusicology and is able to work it into his compositions without much struggle. That said, the "ethnicities" represented here are mostly of a European nature, as is fitting for a Lord of the Rings soundtrack.

LOTRO - Shadows of Angmar™ Soundtrack

LOTRO - Mines of Moria™ Soundtrack

LOTRO - Siege of Mirkwood™ Soundtrack

LOTRO - Riders of Rohan™ Soundtrack