Halo: Original Soundtrack

Released in 2002, the Halo Original Soundtrack, composed and produced by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori for the video game Halo: Combat Evolved, is one CD comprising of 26 unique tracks. Some editions do include a bonus DVD with a game trailer for Halo 2 and an E3 Demo Movie and Music Suite. Most of the music from Halo: Combat Evolved is present on the CD, although some songs are remixed and some tracks are intermixed with others in medley form.

According to the information found in the CD booklet, Halo's in-game music is very dynamic and changes as fast as situations change during gameplay. O'Donnell was quoted saying, "Themes, moods and even the duration of these pieces will change and adapt with each player's Halo experience. I took the liberty of remixing and rearranging all the music in order to make listening to the soundtrack more enjoyable."

Track listing

 * 1) Opening Suite - 3:35
 * 2) Truth and Reconciliation Suite - 8:25
 * 3) Brothers in Arms - 1:31
 * 4) Enough Dead Heroes - 3:02
 * 5) Perilous Journey - 2:28
 * 6) A Walk in the Woods - 1:54
 * 7) Ambient Wonder - 1:59
 * 8) The Gun Pointed at the Head of the Universe - 2:28
 * 9) Trace Amounts - 1:53
 * 10) Under Cover of Night - 3:43
 * 11) What Once was Lost - 1:42
 * 12) Lament for Pvt. Jenkins - 1:16
 * 13) Devils... Monsters... - 1:32
 * 14) Covenant Dance - 1:59
 * 15) Alien Corridors - 1:50
 * 16) Rock Anthem for Saving the World - 1:17
 * 17) The Maw - 1:08
 * 18) Drumrun - 1:03
 * 19) On a Pale Horse - 1:37
 * 20) Perchance to Dream - 1:02
 * 21) Library Suite - 6:49
 * 22) The Long Run - 2:14
 * 23) Suite Autumn - 4:24
 * 24) Shadows- 1:01
 * 25) Dust and Echoes - 2:51
 * 26) Halo Theme - 4:24
 * 27) Siege of Madrigal

Additional information

 * Original composition: Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
 * Sound design: Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
 * Arrangement: Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
 * Label: Sumthing Else Musicworks
 * Performance: Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Harry Hmura, Arnold Roth, Peter Labella, Everett Zlatoff-Mirsky, Elliott Golub, Nisanne Howell, Marylou Johnston, Kevin Case, Barbara Haffner, Larry Glazier, Judy Stone, Robert Bowker, Jeffrey Morrow, and Rob Trow

Album Credits

 * Brendan O'Brien - Producer
 * Michael Ostin - Supervisor
 * Mike Plotnikoff - Engineer
 * Keith Armstrong - Mixing Assistant
 * Eric Miller - Engineer
 * Sandy Ting - Executive Producer
 * Cameron Payne - Marketing
 * Martin O'Donnell - Conductor, Producer, Orchestration
 * Dim e - Mixing Assistant
 * Nile Rodgers - Vocals, Producer, Supervisor
 * Chris Lord-Alge - Mixing
 * Howard Benson - Producer
 * Flea - Trumpet
 * Richard Hilton - Engineer
 * Steve Vai - Guitar

Trivia

 * Many of the classic Halo songs on this album, such as "On a Pale Horse," "Brothers in Arms," "Perilous Journey," and "Enough Dead Heroes," were re-recorded for the Halo 3 soundtrack. The re-recordings use a full orchestra instead of the synthesized instrumentation of the original tracks.
 * A short instrumental track that is not normally heard in the video game can be found at the end of track 26, "Halo," after 23-24 seconds of silence. The song is known as "The Siege of Madrigal," and is from Bungie's older series of real-time strategy games, Myth. It is a common Halo easter egg.
 * It also seems to be the basis for the song "Unforgotten/Never Forget" in Halo 2 and 3.
 * There is one song not on the soundtrack. It plays during the level Assault on the Control Room, in the corridor with four Stealth Elites followed by a room with a pair of Hunters. This "Lost Song" has not been re-recorded in any subsequent Halo game, but it is available on Bungie's website here