Hollywood Records, out now

The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest movie is its biggest yet and gets an epic score from original Avengers composer Alan Silvestri.

We really don’t get Alan Silvestri soundtracks very often, typically supporting Robert Zemeckis’ latest project, so it’s a treat that the composer has knocked it out of the park twice this year, first with Spielberg’s Ready Player One, and now with Avengers: Infinity War. Can you believe that his last superhero score (let alone for Marvel) was 2012’s Avengers Assemble?

Danny Elfman looked after Avengers: Age of Ultron, but Silvestri is back, and the 26-second reprise of his Avengers theme as the opening track is a great statement of intent. But rather than just relying on reprises of themes created by the MCU’s other composers, Silvestri wisely writes for the scenes rather than the individual characters, sparingly throwing in the Avengers fanfare at the appropriate hero moment.

The expanded Deluxe Edition clocks in just under two hours with 30 tracks. The movie itself is two-and-a-half hours, so I’m guessing we’ve got pretty much all that was recorded. Whether or not you need two hours is debatable, but with so little new soundtrack Silvestri typically being released, it’s a nice problem to have. One of my favourite Silvestri scores is his Judge Dredd, which showcases his progressive, percussive style at its most strident, and that’s what you take away from big action cues like Field Trip and Charge! But when it needs to pull back to the character moments there’s plenty of pathos in A Small Price and Even for You. The 7½ minute End Credits is a great reminder of what you’ve just experienced, calling back to all those new themes and high drama.

Verdict: Chimes, choir, brass overload – this is music that deserves to be cranked right up to set your speakers rattling and annoy your neighbours. Don’t come here for subtlety – this is brash, noisy and ridiculously exciting music for a superhero apocalypse. Excelsior! 9/10

Nick Joy