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The best score of the series

I have hardly quoted any other soundtrack more often on this website, hardly spoken better about any other score. And even though I definitely can't absolve myself of nostalgia bias with Heroes of Might and Magic V (best game!), I believe I can claim that this is objectively the best music in the series. There, I said it. Haters come at me! Because then we can listen to this wonderful composition together.

In order not to waste too much time, I will refrain from introducing the actual game, even though it more than deserves it: Timeless graphics, a coherent story and a fun combat system are just a few of the reasons why I still think back longingly to the evenings I spent playing Heroes V and why I occasionally get tempted to reinstall the game.

However, there is one more thing I would like to mention. As usual in Heroes of Might and Magic our heroes gain skills such as leadership, war machines or logistics as they level up, allowing them to specialize. In Heroes V perks were added that were only made possible by certain combinations. For example, anyone who had learned the 'Master of Ice' skill in the 'Destructive Magic' school could unlock the 'Cold Steel' perk via the 'Basic Attack' talent, which caused all our units to deal additional ice damage - so far, so plausible.

What I didn't know for a long time, however, was the fact that each faction has a kind of ultimate ability. This is not explained anywhere and can only be unlocked through a predetermined combination of skills, which doesn't always make complete sense. It was only through the external skill wheel-Tool wusste ich, was ich leveln musste, und das  fühlte sich immer etwas nach Min-Maxing an. Aber unserem Magier mit ‚Arkaner Allwissenheit‘ alle Zauber des Spiels auf Expertenstufe wirken zu lassen oder dass alle Einheiten unseres Rangers durch ‚Nature’s Luck‘ immer kritischen Schaden anrichten, war schon ziemlich praktisch. Okay, auf zum Score.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the duo of Paul Romero and Rob King were once again at work to deliver the most comprehensive album to date with Heroes V . The official album comprises a total of 25 tracks, which also includes the tracks from the two addons Hammers of Fate (2006, 25 tracks) and Tribes of the East (2007, 27 tracks). These will find their individual reviews below, here as there the quality is consistently high. Despite the fact that this brings us to a total of 77 tracks, that's not enough for me. Because the original soundtrack is sorely lacking 15 tracks, including the very, very cool Siege-tracks. That's why in this review I'm talking about my self-made Extended Edition of the score, which does include these tracks.

But now it's time to get down to business. Heroes V is very much in the tradition of its predecessors in that it is a continuation of previous experiences on the one hand, but does its 'own thing' on the other. Again and again we hear melodies that make us think of other Heroes-games, but the score is bursting with its own identity - and above all class. The music is dramatic, moving and simply magical.

With their usual stringency, Romero and King weave a tapestry of sound that has corners and edges in exactly the right places that would seem out of place on other albums. We will see this later when we compare the themes of Haven (humans) and Necropolis (undead). As usual for the series, the score is divided into the usual categories: The City Themes for the city screens, the Terrain-tracks for the different environments of the world map and the Battle-tracks during the battles. In the Extended Edition there are also the Siege-variants for the besiegements and the themes of the individual heroes (Heroes).

My personal favorites are the City Themes and Battle-/Siege-tracks as well as individual pieces such as Terrain (Grass), Credits and, above all, the main theme that we hear in Heroes of Might and Magic V . In previous scores, Romero and King had already dipped their toe into 'classical' music and flirted with operas (Heroes II) and arias (Heroes IV). This time, however, they have immersed themselves completely in classical music and use the much-cited Dies Irae as the leitmotif of the entire score.

This medieval hymn, which translates as "Day of Wrath", was "sung in the Roman rite as a sequence of the Mass for the Dead" from the 14th century until 1970, according to wikipedia . Where Giuseppe Verdi thundered us out of our seats right from the start in his Messa da Requiem in 1874, the two composers of Heroes V also make use of the sonic power of this Latin litany. Heroes V der Klanggewalt dieser lateinischen Litanei.

But the piece opens quite differently than the previous predictions would suggest: A lone horn blows at the beginning, before a harp and a clarinet quietly nudge a melody. We will find this sequence of notes again throughout the score and experience it in all kinds of variations, sometimes triumphant, sometimes wistful. Here it is accompanied by a choir that sings the words “Dies illa, dies irae, calamitatis et miseriae”, which translates as “A day of wrath is that day, of misfortune and misery”. Whether it's meaningful wisdom or fantasy, for me the statement didn't matter then or now, as it expresses a feeling of regret that almost moves me to tears ... and we're just on the main menu!

The piece becomes more dominant, louder. It slowly emerges from the darkness of anxiety, the voices soar before the climax ends and the music subsides briefly ... there, suddenly it starts again! Winds and strings accompany the two singers, tenor and soprano, who sing “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine” (“Give them eternal rest, Lord”), first alternately and then together. Menace, trepidation and ghastly beauty. The track is frightening, moving and gives us hopeless courage. We look towards the inevitability of the end as the piece comes to its dramatic conclusion. Absolute master class!

The very next song is the complete opposite: Credits uses the main motif, but warbles it in the best fantasy style on the flute, accompanied by harps and strings, and seems to want to embrace us tightly. Shortly afterwards, the rest of the orchestra joins in and, as if in a stereotypical tavern, urges us to sway. But there is also a sadness in its high notes, a bittersweetness that makes the tears seem not far away.

This means that 2/2 tracks get top marks in my rating right at the beginning and this picture should continue, because the City Themes, follow next. These correspond to the six factions, Academy (wizards), Dungeon (dark elves aka shady fiends), Haven (humans and angels), Inferno (demons), Necropolis (undead) and Sylvan (elves, fairies and mythical creatures) and can be heard as soon as we enter the respective city screen.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that I spent several hours in total listening to these tracks - at least most of them. Because even if tracks like City Theme (Academy) are on my list of the Top 100 Video game tracks , the themes for Dungeon and Inferno are less well done. They are good in their own way, the Underworld City is reserved and gloomy, while the Demon's Lair is simultaneously rhythmic and chaotic. Compared to the quality of the other tracks, however, they fall somewhat short.

The Haven-theme for the goodie-goodie humans, who are later even allowed to lead archangels onto the field, is sung, as in the previous parts, by mezzo-soprano Karin Mushegain. Like in the main menu, we can look forward to a performance of Dies Irae in which the singer angelically intones the following lyrics:

Lacrimosa dies, dies irea Qua resurget ex favilla Iudicandus homo reus.   Tuba mirum spargens sonum Per sepulchra regionum, Coget omnes ante thronum.   O tu, Deus majestatis

Ah! that day of tears and mourning, From the dust of earth returning Man for judgement must prepare him,   Wondrous sound the trumpet flingeth; Through earth's sepulchres it ringeth; All before the throne it bringeth. O God of majesty

These God-fearing lines are surrounded by an interplay of a harp, which plucks the main theme, and strings. However, anyone who thinks we are in for a reverent worship of the saints is mistaken! Shortly after “reus” falls silent, trumpets resound together with powerful timpani calling for battle. Mushegain meanwhile rises up the pitches, singing and driving the orchestra, which tries in vain to follow her, before the music breaks all bonds at minute 1:23 and rushes forward like the onslaught of an army on the enemy. Here Haven is absolutely thrilling and need not fear comparison with Howard Shore's The Battle of the Pelennor Fields which proclaims epic and greatness in a similarly moving way.

Shortly afterwards, what we have heard ebbs away again, the adrenaline rush is over. But instead of succumbing to nothingness, the catastrophe seems to descend upon us as a lone violin melancholically begins to play the Necropolis-motif. The theme, this simple sequence of notes, proves to be absolutely transformable, at the beginning heroic, now lamenting. Did we find ourselves in the city of the undead alike in Lord of the Rings the specters circling around us wistfully? A perfect contrast to the rest of the track. But we leave the catastrophe behind us - briefly. Yet when everything seems to be over, the orchestra rears up one last time and, together with Mushegain, brings the track to a furious end. This makes it very similar in structure to Asylum from Heroes IV, which relies on a similar dynamic.

As a diametrical contrast, good and evil, thesis and antithesis, Necroplis also draws on the identical musical cornucopia and intoxicates itself with the very same melody. It dispenses with sung lines and is instead dominated by wind instruments. But where in other games a darker, calmer minor variation might have underpinned the macabre machinations of the bone faction, this is not what happens in Heroes V!

Even if they don't reach the heights of the good guys, the horns of the Necropolis blow no less triumphantly, the screeching of the brass instruments is not wailing, but fiery. The orchestra wanders between shadow and moonlight before, after just under a minute, the evil shines through and descends on the world like a plague, like the onslaught in Dragon Age: Origins . We are the evil unleashed! But there is a morbid beauty here too.

After all this sentimentality, City Theme (Sylvan) seems almost stereotypical: tribal-like drums and cheerful flutes immediately convey the feel-good vibes associated with the tree huggers. Despite a direct hit in cliché bingo, the theme is fun, the symphony of winds and rattles works and, despite thematic congruence, plays a few leagues above genre relatives such as Age of Wonders or Overlord.

After so much praise, it almost seems out of place to claim that this might be the highlight of the score. But in my opinion, there is no way around City Theme (Academy) when it comes to creating a top list. This piece, which at just under four minutes is also the longest of the score, is for me a prime example of creating identity.

We experience the mages of Heroes V as inquisitive, pipe-smoking inhabitants of the Orient and a sometimes arrogant faction whose quest for power and magic does not always lead to the best. They have built an empire for themselves, with magnificent palaces and flying cities that they travel around in airships. At the same time, there is also wisdom and goodness in them, embodying the middle ground between the good and the bad in this game universe.

All this and so much more is captured by Academy . As if the city gates were opening to us, we are greeted by a symphony of strings and winds that promise us grandeur and sublimity. Flutes and harps tell of the magic in the air, of curiosity and soaring aristocratic ambitions. The whole thing is grounded by a cello (played by Fang Fang Xu), in a ritardando the orchestra recollects its dignity, takes a deep breath and begins to reintroduce itself.

This time, the soulful, compassionate tones shine through. Like their cities, we fly above the clouds and, in the best Aladdin-style, see another, equally magical world, which is revealed to us by a lonely violin. A soft chime sets an accent that we have not yet noticed, while we spiral further and further into the air, gliding and enjoying - this must be what freedom feels like, up there above the clouds.

As with Haven , however, Romero and King do not want to let us drift off into nothingness, but fire up the orchestra one last time. The piece accelerates again, eagerly driven, like Edvard Grieg's In the Hall of the Mountain King increasing its drama and leading us to the climax - or the fall? Do we plummet, do we literally fall from all clouds and land heavily on the ground? Everyone is free to interpret this for themselves, but for me it is the story that tells. City Theme (Academy) tells.

Meanwhile, when it comes to choosing his favorites, according to an interview on maps4heroes.com King follows my example, When asked which tracks he is particularly happy with, he answered as follows:

For me it is the Academy, Haven, Sylvan and the main title theme [Heroes of Might and Magic V]. I really enjoy the new Battle- and Siege-themes as well. Another favourite is the [Terrain (Grass)]. The melody is just so sweet and we like sweet.

Composer Paul Romero on his favorite tracks

A perfect transition, which I'll pick up on straight away. Because I also find the kitschy, idyllic Terrain (Grass), whose high-pitched synths emulate birdsong, wonderfully relaxing and 100% suitable for the high-fantasy world of the Heroes of Might and Magic-series. The other terrain tracks can't quite keep up here, the only ones worth mentioning are Terrain (Rough), which reminds me a little of the action-adventure offshoot Dark Messiah of Might and Magic , and Terrain (Water), which plays a little with the leitmotif.

Next up are the battle tracks, which, unlike their predecessors, are composed individually for the respective factions this time and are therefore based on the corresponding motifs. For example, we hear the gloomy brass of City Theme (Necropolis), when we command our undead minions in Battle (Necropolis) . This makes us feel even more connected to our faction and gives us a consistent listening experience, which is why the motifs are even more memorable.

I also like the fact that this time they don't rely so much on a continuous loop, but instead create a narrative by means of changing tempos, volume and melodies. In other words, we don't hear a constant (gripping) droning, but something that we would associate with real-time strategy such as Medieval 2: Total War.

In general, both the Battle- and the even more dramatic Siege-tracks are all top notch. My absolute favorite remains Battle (Haven)[Alternate], whose powerful drums remind me of Bear McCreary's great score for the sci-fi series Battlestar Galactica . These waves, this pause, this storming off - fantastic!

As a final treat, the Extended Edition offers the Heroes-tracks that accompany the various protagonists during the campaign. Most of them are nice variations on well-known melodies from the respective factions, but with the exception of the emotional Heroes (Godric)[Bonus], which is a slower and more dramatic variation on the Haven-theme, there is hardly anything here.

But well, with over half of the tracks in the five-star range, the question arises as to whether the album needs any more brilliance. In my opinion: no! The soundtrack to Heroes of Might and Magic V proves its class in plenty of other places. Everything is just right here: the sentiment, the pathos, the moving and the burdening. Paul Romero and Rob King have delivered a master-class fantasy score that can compete with the likes of SpellForce 2, The Elder Scrolls Skyrim or Child of Light . It's good to see that with the Hammers of Fate and Tribes of the East addons, there's still more to come.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Heroes of Might and Magic V	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
02	Credits	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
03	City Theme (Academy)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
04	City Theme (Dungeon)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
05	City Theme (Haven)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
06	City Theme (Inferno)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
07	City Theme (Necropolis)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
08	City Theme (Sylvan)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
09	Terrain (Dirt)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
10	Terrain (Grass)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
11	Terrain (Lava)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
12	Terrain (Rough)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
13	Terrain (Sand)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
14	Terrain (Swamp)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
15	Terrain (Underground)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
16	Terrain (Water)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
17	Battle (Academy)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
18	Battle (Dungeon)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
19	Battle (Haven)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
20	Battle (Haven)[Alternate]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
21	Battle (Inferno)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
22	Battle (Inferno)[Alternate]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
23	Battle (Necropolis)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
24	Battle (Neutral)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
25	Battle (Sylvan)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
26	Siege (Academy)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
27	Siege (Dungeon)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
28	Siege (Haven)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
29	Siege (Inferno)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
30	Siege (Necropolis)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
31	Siege (Sylvan)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
32	Heroes (Agrael)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
33	Heroes (Findan)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
34	Heroes (Godric)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
35	Heroes (Isabel)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
36	Heroes (Kha-Beleth)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
37	Heroes (Markal)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
38	Heroes (Raelag)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
39	Heroes (Shadya)[Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
40	Multiplayer Menu [Bonus]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3

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Hammers of Fate

New faction, new campaign; that used to be the definition of an addon for a strategy game. Hammers of Fate is in no way lagging behind this tradition, which is why it presents us with the dwarves as a new playable faction and an associated storyline. Their special ability is rune magic, which they can use to give their units small buffs in battle in exchange for resources. Creative and fits wonderfully into the gameplay.

The same can also be said about the music, which lines up at the starting block with a total of 25 tracks. Unfortunately, the composers break with the labeling convention in the addons, which is why we now speak of Town-themes, Battle is called Combat instead, there seems to be a distinction between Necropolis and Necromancer , and Terrain is now called Environment . As a stickler for order, this annoys me, but it doesn't detract from the quality of the songs.

As already mentioned, the expansions each bring a new faction with them. However, as the main game, with its six starting races, has the same number of tracks, it makes you lift your eyebrow in irritation. In fact, Hammers of Fate adds a few tracks that actually already appear in the main game. For example, the Campaign songs, which are played during the welcome screen of the respective campaign and are basically a (reduced) variation of the corresponding City Themes.

Only a handful of tracks are really new. First of all, the theme song Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate. As with the theme from the main game, Latin lyrics are once again used here, warbling phrases such as “Sanctus Sanctus Dominus” in the best Final Fantasy-style. Even though Dies Irae is briefly quoted, the piece reminds me more of the operatic approach of Heroes of Might and Magic II.

In addition to a few new Heroes-tracks, the Fortress-faction naturally also gets its own Battle-, Siege- and TownBattle, Siege and Town themes, all of which are great fun with their pathos and testosterone-soaked male choirs. I particularly like the Town (Fortress) / City Theme, das mit seinen dominanten Trommeln einschüchternd wirkt, hat es mir angetan. Die nichtspielbare und als Antagonisten in der Kampagne auftauchende Renegade-group, which appears as antagonists in the campaign and consists of variations of the Haven-heroes, is less exciting - what a shame!

Finally, there are the restrained AI-themes that we listen to during our opponents' moves and Ghost Mode, which fulfills the same purpose in multiplayer, namely to bridge the waiting time until our teammates are finally finished. Overall, the score for Hammers of Fate is therefore less worth listening to than that of the main game, which can be explained by the greater number of accessories and the lack of new motifs.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Heroes of Might and Magic V: Hammers of Fate	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
02	Heroes (Biara)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
03	Heroes (Duncan)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
04	Heroes (Freyda)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
05	Heroes (Rolf)	Paul Romero; Rob King	1
06	Heroes (Shadwyn Ylaya)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
07	Heroes (Wulfstan)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
08	AI Theme (Fortress)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
09	AI Theme (Renegade)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
10	Campaign (Dungeon)	Paul Romero; Rob King	1
11	Campaign (Fortress)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
12	Campaign (Haven)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
13	Battle (Fortress)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
14	Battle (Renegade)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
15	Ghost Mode	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
16	Siege (Fortress)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
17	Siege (Renegade)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
18	Town (Fortress)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
19	Town (Renegade)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
20	Campaign (Academy)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
21	Campaign (Dungeon)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
22	Campaign (Haven)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
23	Campaign (Inferno)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
24	Campaign (Necropolis)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
25	Campaign (Sylvan)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4

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Tribes of the East

With the Orcs as a new faction in Tribes of the East, are we in for another classic expansion with a soundtrack in the same vein as that of Hammers of Fate? Yes and no! Because even though there is only one new theme for the bloodthirsty half-demons, along with the familiar variations, Tribes of the East was a joy to play. The reason for this was an expansion of the game mechanics, which had a lot to offer in terms of quantity. While all recruitable units were previously available in a basic and an upgrade version, the second addon came with an alternative version of those elite creatures ... for all playable races, mind you! This alone increased the selection of our unit pool by 1/3 plus the aforementioned orcs. I was thrilled and had an incredible amount of fun with the addon. Less so with the music.

The theme (Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East) sounds wonderfully fatalistic, almost resigned to fate and makes me think back to the operatic pathos of Heroes II , but it's not enough for five stars - apparently the common fate of the Heroes V-expansions. In fact, only Combat (Stronghold), with its in-your-face drama and cathartic piano ending, and the no less dramatic Combat (Wizard) make it into my top rating range. The Town Theme (Stronghold) on the other hand, does not make the cut despite its beautiful melody.

Also worth mentioning is the AI theme from the main game (AI (Haven)[HoMM V]), whose clumsy nature reminds me a lot of the Trine-series. Apart from that, we hear a lot of the now familiar and the smaller variations are not enough to match the beauty of the original versions. In this respect, you could say that Tribes of the East is already starting to show signs of wear and tear, but you can also see it for what it is in my opinion: an addition to the main game that is convincing from a gameplay point of view and a nice musical extension - nothing more and nothing less.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
02	Heroes (Arantir)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
03	Heroes (Gotai)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
04	Heroes (Kujin)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
05	Heroes (Ornella)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
06	Heroes (Zehir)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
07	Campaign (Necromancer)	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
08	Campaign (Stronghold)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
09	Campaign (Wizard)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
10	AI (Necromancer)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
11	AI (Stronghold)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
12	Combat (Inferno)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
13	Combat (Necromancer)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
14	Combat (Stronghold)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
15	Combat (Wizard)	Paul Romero; Rob King	5
16	Environment (Taiga)	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
17	Siege (Necromancer)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
18	Siege (Stronghold)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
19	Stronghold Town Recruit	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
20	Stronghold Town Tavern	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
21	Town Theme (Stronghold)	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
22	AI (Academy)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
23	AI (Dungeon)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	2
24	AI (Haven)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
25	AI (Inferno)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	4
26	AI (Necropolis)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3
27	AI (Sylvan)[HoMM V]	Paul Romero; Rob King	3