Lord of the Rings: Return of the King Various artists
Reprise
4 out of 4 stars

The final chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy comes to a close on Dec. 17 with The Return of the King. And while the direction, the writing, the acting, the production, the special effects and the fact that these movies even exist deserve praise, it should not be forgotten that composer Howard Shore has created countless memorable themes in his score for the trilogy. Whether it’s the slow but somewhat sad Shire theme, the empowering march for the Ents attack on Isengard, the mystical but eerie music of Lothlorien or the countless other tunes, Shore has yet to be beat. With the final film, Shore not only continues to carry on his streak of finding the right music, but he has a few new songs sure to become favorites of Rings fans.

There’s a dangerous yet courageous spirit to this soundtrack. While The Two Towers spent quite some time in melancholy with “Gollum’s Song,” “Evenstar,” and “Isengard Unleashed,” ROTK balances the threats of Mordor with the bravery of the world of Men, led by the titular king, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen).

On of the best new tracks on the CD is the “Minas Tirith,” depicting the capital of Gondor and the last kingdom for humans. Rousing and triumphant, snippets appear in the ROTK soundtrack. But right after “Minas Tirith” comes “The White Tree,” which is very similar to “Tirith” but with more force and embellishments to the song.

The CD begins with “A Storm is Coming” a tune that fluctuates between the treacherous One-Ring-theme, an upbeat melody along the lines of the Shire music and the evil brass music of Mordor. Further along in the album is “Shelob’s Lair.” Starting with low bass music and moving to quick erratic strings, the song is pure suspense and should work perfectly with the storyline.

But what makes this soundtrack special is what makes all The Lord of the Rings soundtracks special: Shore’s recycling and use of memorable themes. Even now, at the end of the trilogy, Shore gives us little pieces and slight changes to melodies from the first film. Because the trilogy is essentially one large story, Shore’s music helps bring unity to the trilogy. It reminds the listener of the various journeys taking place. A taste of the Shire theme evokes feelings of longing a longing for the tranquility that existed in the opening of the first film. A quick insert of the Fellowship theme provides the sense that, despite the breaking of the Fellowship, the heroism of these characters still exists.

Opinions toward the soundtrack may change after seeing the film, but as a final chapter to the musical trilogy of Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King is as fitting an end score as could be anticipated.

—Matt Goldberg