Mausoleum Suite: Difference between revisions

Mausoleum Suite
Album:	Halo 2: Original Soundtrack
Composer(s):	Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
Length:	08:10
Previous:	Unyielding
Next:	Unforgotten

Latest revision as of 18:20, December 4, 2023

Mausoleum Suite is the fifth track in Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, Volume 2. It is composed of Destroyer's Invocation (0:00-4:36), Falling Up (4:36-6:25), Infected (6:25-7:41), and Shudder (7:41-8:10).

Overview[edit]

Destroyer's Invocation[edit]

Destroyer's Invocation (4:36) begins with eerie low strings and slow percussion, leading into a reversed message hidden in the piece, then transitions with digital chimes and sounds into a reprise of Weight of Failure from Prologue. The first section first plays in the opening cinematic of the level The Arbiter, when Tartarus and his Jiralhanae took Thel 'Vadamee to the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. It plays again in the level Gravemind, when John-117 rescues Marines imprisoned in High Charity. The track plays in The Great Journey (combined with the vocals of Veins of Stones from the later track Sacred Icon Suite), when Thel 'Vadam battles Tartarus in the Control room of Installation 05. The reprise of Weight of Failure plays when 'Vadamee is offered the Arbiter body armor, then continues to the scene in which Covenant Special Operations forces traveled to the Threshold gas mine. The first section of the piece was arranged into Cryptic Whisper in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.

Falling Up[edit]

Falling Up (1:49) begins with low male vocals, low synth notes, and slow percussion. High vocals soon replace the male vocals, followed by the introduction of digital chimes, creating an eerie atmosphere. The piece ends abruptly with complications and crescendo in chimes and vocals. The piece plays in the level The Oracle, when Thel 'Vadamee first enters the Flood research area, then continues as he fights off waves of Flood before escaping on an elevator. The first part of the piece was arranged into Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.

Infected[edit]

Infected (1:16) starts with a slow tribal beat, and vocals similar to Ancient Machine, before descending into cascades of chaotic synth effects and distorted guttural vocals. The sirens in Shadows from Halo: Original Soundtrack were re-used near the end. The piece plays in the level The Oracle, when Thel 'Vadamee pursues Sesa 'Refumee after surviving a Type-26 Banshee crash. The piece was extended and arranged into the first part of Menace No More in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.

Shudder[edit]

Shudder (0:29) is a variation of Ancient Machine, and plays during the ending cutscene in the level The Oracle where Thel 'Vadamee carries Sesa 'Refumee's body to the hangar bay door and 343 Guilty Spark is captured by Tartarus.

Hidden Message[edit]

When Destroyer's Invocation is played backwards, a voice can be heard. At normal speed it is inaudible; however, when sped up words can be heard.^[1]

“

I have walked among men and angels for 3,000 years.
Time has no end, no beginning, no purpose.
I wandered the earth seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and man.
I live to see death and destruction.
Evil over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.
I live in a prison of my own demise. I am lost in time.

”

Production notes[edit]

The name of the track alludes to the Mausoleum of the Arbiter.

Sources[edit]

^ YouTube - Veronica O, Halo 2 Mausoleum Suite Secret Backwards Message (Mendicant Bias?) (Retrieved on Dec 7, 2020)

[1] YouTube - Veronica O, Halo 2 Mausoleum Suite Secret Backwards Message (Mendicant Bias?) (Retrieved on Dec 7, 2020)

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Era|RW}}
+{{Status|RealWorld}}
-{{Infobox song
+{{Music infobox
   | name       = Mausoleum Suite
-  | video      = {{#widget:YouTube|id=fP0cZ0ywEuM|width=200|height=25}}
+  | yt      = b8HdtEJQM64
   | album      = [[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]]
   | composer   = [[Martin O'Donnell]] and [[Michael Salvatori]]
@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 }}
-'''Mausoleum Suite''' is a suite of soundtrack included in the [[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack]]. It includes Destroyer's Invocation, Falling Up, Infected, and Shudder.
+'''Mausoleum Suite''' is the fifth track in ''[[Halo 2: Original Soundtrack#Volume 2|Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, Volume 2]]''. It is composed of ''Destroyer's Invocation'' (0:00-4:36), ''Falling Up'' (4:36-6:25), ''Infected'' (6:25-7:41), and ''Shudder'' (7:41-8:10).
-The last two minutes of Destroyer's Invocation (from 2:35 to the end), which plays when the Arbiter gets his armor, is often referred to as the Arbiter's theme, as it is always played in ''Halo 2'' during Arbiter missions. It is also heard on the level [[Floodgate (level)|Floodgate]] in ''[[Halo 3]]'', heard when the Elites join up with the Marines inside the Flood infested Voi, indicating that the theme has come to represent the Covenant Separatist movement as a whole. The beginning of the soundtrack, and the end of Shudder, use sound effects from the stand-alone soudtrack [[Ancient Machine]]. Infected starts with a slow tribal beat, and vocals similar to [[Ancient Machine]], before descending into cascades of chaotic synth effects and distorted guttural vocals (which may be another secret message). Shudder is an arrangement of [[Shadows (music)|Shadows]] from the [[Halo: Original Soundtrack]]. This melody is usually played in association with the Flood, as their de facto theme.
+==Overview==
+===Destroyer's Invocation===
+''Destroyer's Invocation'' (4:36) begins with eerie low strings and slow percussion, leading into a reversed message hidden in the piece, then transitions with digital chimes and sounds into a reprise of ''Weight of Failure'' from ''[[Prologue (music)|Prologue]]''. The first section first plays in the opening cinematic of the level ''[[The Arbiter]]'', when [[Tartarus]] and his [[Jiralhanae]] took [[Thel 'Vadam]]ee to the [[Mausoleum of the Arbiter]]. It plays again in the level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]'', when [[John-117]] rescues [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] imprisoned in ''[[High Charity]]''. The track plays in ''[[The Great Journey]]'' (combined with the vocals of ''Veins of Stones'' from the later track ''[[Sacred Icon Suite]]''), when Thel 'Vadam battles Tartarus in the [[Control room]]  of [[Installation 05]]. The reprise of ''Weight of Failure'' plays when 'Vadamee is offered the [[Arbiter body armor]], then continues to the scene in which [[Covenant]] [[Covenant Special Operations|Special Operations forces]] traveled to the [[Threshold gas mine]]. The first section of the piece was arranged into ''[[Cryptic Whisper]]'' in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack]]''.
+===Falling Up===
+''Falling Up'' (1:49) begins with low male vocals, low synth notes, and slow percussion. High vocals soon replace the male vocals, followed by the introduction of digital chimes, creating an eerie atmosphere. The piece ends abruptly with complications and crescendo in chimes and vocals. The piece plays in the level ''[[The Oracle]]'', when Thel 'Vadamee first enters the [[Flood]] research area, then continues as he fights off waves of Flood before escaping on an elevator. The first part of the piece was arranged into ''[[Steward, Shepherd, Lonely Soul]]'' in ''Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack''.
+===Infected===
+''Infected'' (1:16) starts with a slow tribal beat, and vocals similar to ''[[Ancient Machine]]'', before descending into cascades of chaotic synth effects and distorted guttural vocals. The sirens in ''[[Shadows (music)|Shadows]]'' from ''[[Halo: Original Soundtrack]]'' were re-used near the end. The piece plays in the level ''The Oracle'', when Thel 'Vadamee pursues [[Sesa 'Refumee]] after surviving a [[Type-26 Banshee]] crash. The piece was extended and arranged into the first part of ''[[Menace No More]]'' in ''Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack''.
+===Shudder===
+''Shudder'' (0:29) is a variation of ''[[Ancient Machine]]'', and plays during the ending cutscene in the level ''The Oracle'' where Thel 'Vadamee carries Sesa 'Refumee's body to the hangar bay door and 343 Guilty Spark is captured by [[Tartarus]].
 ==Hidden Message==
-When the track is played backwards, a hidden message can be heard. At normal speed it is inaudible; however, when speed up words can be heard. Whoever is the owner of the mysterious voice is debatable, though the generally accepted theory is that it is Mendicant Bias.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZfTaoMBkDk Mausoleum Suite in Reverse]</ref>
+When ''Destroyer's Invocation'' is played backwards, a voice can be heard. At normal speed it is inaudible; however, when sped up words can be heard.{{Ref/YouTube|3ZfTaoMBkDk|Veronica O|Halo 2 Mausoleum Suite Secret Backwards Message (Mendicant Bias?)|Y=2020|M=12|D=7}}
-<center>{{Article Quote|I have walked among men and angels for 3,000 years.<br />Time has no end, no beginning, no purpose.<br />I wandered the earth seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and man.<br />I live to see death and destruction.<br />Evil over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.<br />I live in a prison of my own demise. I am lost in time.}}</center>
+<center>{{Article quote|I have walked among men and angels for 3,000 years.<br />Time has no end, no beginning, no purpose.<br />I wandered the earth seeking forgiveness for my horrible crimes against God and man.<br />I live to see death and destruction.<br />Evil over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished.<br />I live in a prison of my own demise. I am lost in time.}}</center>
-==Trivia==
+==Production notes==
-*The beats of the soudtrack have a striking resemblance to the beats heard in the theme music for ''Marathon 2: Durandal.''
+*The name of the track alludes to the [[Mausoleum of the Arbiter]].
-*The Mausoleum Suite as a whole can be seen as the progression of [[High Charity]] from being the holy city of the Covenant to nothing but a tomb
 ==Sources==
-<references/>
+{{Ref/Sources}}
 {{Soundtrack|H2}}