The Dark Knight Rises [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] in Bloomington, MN

While
Hans Zimmer
's music for
Christopher Nolan
's Batman movies aren't as high-concept as some of his other scores, such as
Inception
or
Gladiator
, they're just as artfully done, and
The Dark Knight Rises
is no exception.
Zimmer
ties the music for the final installment of
Nolan
's Batman trilogy to his previous scores, but allows these pieces to have their own flourishes as well: "A Storm Is Coming" nods to the churning strings of the theme used since
Batman Begins
, but "Nothing Out There" adds an almost subliminal pulsing synth that grows stronger as the score unfolds, peaking with "Imagine the Fire"'s climax of choral vocals and strings. Meanwhile, heavy brass cuts through most tracks like a bat signal piercing through the clouds, nowhere more clearly than on "Gotham's Reckoning." Yet
doesn't just pile on the drama; he knows when to have his cues crash into a scene and when they should get out of the way. The drums, brass, and strings reach near-claustrophobic levels on "The Fire Rises," but they also retreat, roil, and then thunder to a close in malevolent and majestic fashion.
also finds room for some more experimental touches, as on "Despair," where the whooshing percussion sounds like a cape sweeping through the air or something bursting into flames. And while most of these cues tower like Gotham skyscrapers, "Mind If I Cut In?" is just as remarkable for its delicate melody and subtle percussion. Fittingly for the last installment of
's -- and thus
's -- interpretation of Batman, many of the track titles wax philosophical ("Why Do We Fall?"), and the score's emotional range is narrow but deep, spanning the mournful "Born in Darkness" and the somber "Necessary Evil," and culminating with "Rise," which mingles haunting strings and vocals with formidable rhythms as the credits roll. While
closes the book on Batman for
and
, it's just another chapter in their thriving creative partnership. ~ Heather Phares