Martin O'Donnell

Producer Nile Rodgers steps in to give the soundtrack to the video game phenomenon's sequel some extra commercial appeal. Halo 2, Vol. 1 builds off of the themes created by composers Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori by adding remixes and alternative metal to the stew, resulting in a -- better than it should be -- collection of mood pieces and art rock excess that's likely to please both geeks and mainstream, twentysomething males alike. Steve Vai capably shreds through the newly updated theme before passing the torch to Pennsylvanian alt-rockers Breaking Benjamin, who manage to escape the "music inspired by" abyss by producing a pretty memorable slice of apocalyptic angst. Halo however really belongs to Incubus. Their four-movement suite, "The Odyssey," is so steeped in Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd that it's effectively jarring when the nu-metal guitars come roaring in, making this second installment, despite a truly wretched and useless offering from Hoobastank, one of the first fully realized soundtracks in the growing video game genre. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide