Selections from the score to massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) Lord of the Rings Online get a CD release, showcasing Chance Thomas’ wide range of compositions.

For most movie soundtracks, the average audience members may have only a couple of hours to familiarise themselves with the music. Not so with an online game where the player may be spending hours at a time, night after night, and so it’s essential that the music is catchy without being intrusive.

Speak to the average soundtrack buff about Lord of the Rings and they’ll likely cite Howard Shore’s Oscar-winning scores to the Peter Jackson movie trilogy, or even Leonard Rosenman’s accompaniment to the 1978 animated movie. Chance Thomas is not a name that immediately comes to mind, though that is likely to change if they listened to this new release from HUGEsound Records.

Thomas spent years studying every mention of music, voices, and instruments within the pages of the beloved works by J.R.R. Tolkien. This in turn led him to creating the Tolkien Music Style Guide – a Middle Earth musical bible which informed his work on the game, listing specific instrumental palettes, vocal ranges and stylistic guidelines for each of the races. But authenticity aside, is it any good? It’s a resounding yes!

For some reason I assumed that the music would be fairly light, but just seconds into Moria you get the full, epic sweep, the men’s chorales and ominous brass. Song of the Dwarves in particular has a Poledouris/Conan majesty to it and urgent chanting by the choir. Hills of the Shire, by contrast, is whistles and pastoral shanties – folky and fun, full of optimism. And LOTRO Legacy really dials up the Zimmer with a theme that could easily be steering Jack Sparrow across the Seven Seas.

Verdict: It’s tricky divorcing yourself from Howard Shore’s iconic tunes to the movie series, but here’s an alternate take on Tolkien’s opus that complements rather than trying to compete with the better-known scores. Dispense with any preconceptions you might have about video game or online scores – this is an accomplished set of cues that pulls you into the realm of hobbits and elves. 7/10

Nick Joy