Epic Soundtracks: Transformers 3

 It is now a few months since the release of the third, and presumably final, Transformers movie. I was browsing YouTube recently, looking for various clips of Linkin Park, and I stumbled across their soundtrack for Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Linkin Park have had their hand in all three Transformer soundtracks, with "What I've Done" and "New Divide" featuring in the first two films. The third film brings about the soundtrack, "Iridescent", and it only serves to solidify my opinion that these guys are legendary.


 Linkin Park has accomplished something that, in my opinion, few musicians do: they have captured the pure "epic-ness" of three epic movies into three epic songs. For the record, I have consulted my thesaurus, and am not satisfied that any other word is as accurate and true as "epic". Transformers = Epic. Full stop. 

 "What I've Done" and "New Divide" are both quite similar, in style and also in theme. They are fairly up-beat, alternative tracks, heavy guitar, loads of distortion, raw emotion. They seem to be about regret, mistakes, forgiveness, reconciliation, and mercy - both songs making use of the phrases "wash away what I've done" and "wash this memory clean". They've both been immensely popular, and have claimed huge success on the charts. 


 "Iridescent", while slightly less successful on South African charts, is completely different. I first heard it in the cinema, watching Transformers: Dark of the Moon. I don't recall at which point in the movie it was, but within the first few notes, I had chills from head to toe. It is certainly one of Linkin Park's more sensitive songs, and a far cry from the first two soundtracks. 
 And while the first two hold a sense of suffering and pain - which is part of the process of forgiveness - "Iridescent" has a glimmer of something that resembles hope in it. The words "Let it go" are repeated over and over in the lyrics, perhaps pointing to the final stage of forgiveness: letting go of hurts and frustrations. A fitting end to the trilogy of songs, and without doubt the most epic of songs for the most epic of Transformer movies!

 It is just such an incredible track, and when accompanied by the movie itself, it is made complete. You can not tell me that you were not filled with a deep thrill when enormous machinery burst out of the surface of the moon, or when that monstrous Decepticon devoured a high-rise building with spinning tentacles and gnashing metallic teeth... You can not tell me that you did not get choked up when the Autobots were herded onto a space shuttle and instructed to never return, with Sam Witwicky standing by with tears in his eyes... I am unable to fathom that anyone could remain 'untouched' when watching this movie. Or any of them, for that matter.

 If you haven't watched Transformers, don't worry - I haven't given all that much away. If I were you, I would rush out right now and get the first two movies - it will really bring the music alive for you, understanding the depth of story behind the songs. Watch them, and prepare yourself for the most Epic movie-watching experience of your life: the release of Transformers: Dark of The Moon onto DVD and Blu-Ray. Check out the trailer, if you're not sure :-) You will be.


Oh, I get all giddy just thinking about it!