Sony Classical release John Paesano's score for The Maze Runner. The film stars Dylan O'Brien in the role of Thomas, who wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys with no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape...

John Paesano's score for The Maze Runner consists of 21 tracks (1 hr, 02 min, 57 sec) of riveting orchestral music. When the album opened I had to double check that I wasn't listening to Trevor Jones and Randy Edelman's score for The Last of the Mohicans.

There are other classic '80s/'90s movie influences that have left their footprint in this score. The ending of 'Into the Maze' reminded me of John Williams's score for Raiders of the Lost Ark; while 'Griever!' brought to mind David Arnold's work on Stargate. And we visit Williams again for 'Trapped', which is obviously inspired by Jurassic Park.

That's not to say that Paesano has lifted other people's music, more that his own creative influences have risen to the surface as he's tried to recapture that classic '80s/'90s orchestral sound that seemed to elevate movies up a notch during that period.

The result is not only a riveting score to accompany the movie, but also allows this to be listened to without the onscreen action. This is an incredibly beautiful score with numerous themes woven throughout. Well worth adding to your collection.

9

Darren Rea