An aspect of the Sonic the Hedgehog series that has always made it stand out has been the music. Every single release, bad or great, has had a score that resonated. From escaping cities in Sonic Adventure 2, rolling through green hills in Sonic 1 or even reaching for the stars; every game had a powerful score. Sonic Frontiers musical score stuck out, as mentioned in my review.

As Lord Sonic of Lords of Gaming, I hope you all enjoy my break down of the Sonic Frontiers massive soundtrack and why it stands tall over the impressive library of amazing scores in the franchise.

Mysterious Frontiers – Sonic Frontiers Island Themes

When Sonic arrives on the Starfall Islands, the tone is resentment of Breath of the Wild. Channeling more haunting, somber melodies, they help convey to the player the mystery and gravity of Sonic’s quest. Each Island explores a different ‘focus’ with that mission statement to great effect.

Kronos Island

Movement 1-3

The moment Sonic gets his barrings on the situation, the track ‘1st Movement’ plays. When you play a Sonic game, you normally expect something lively like Green Hill Zone or full of punk-rock energy like City Escape. But in Sonic Frontiers, the tone is very heavy.

Soft piano beats join with a heavy, almost oppressive melody play. As the track continues, the piano keys try to take over, as if Sonic himself is getting a feel for the mysterious location he found himself in. Soon enough, Sonic finds the first of the seven chaos emerald’s and the melody gets more energy.

The piano is more dominate in ‘2nd Movement’, almost as if they are Sonic’s very own footsteps as he patters around the green, lush landscape. The tone is still quite moody, but the piano taking over the melody, as if catching up with Sonic running and jumping around, reflects a sense of progress.

Soon after collecting the third emerald and finding Amy, one of your missing friends, the melody starts getting more energy ‘3rd Movement’. The tone of the track feels heavier, as if Sonic is expressing genuine concern over one of his closest friends being in danger.

Movement 4-6

This is further reflected with ‘4th Movement’ with violin and techno beats entering the melody. Both musical tools were very common in past Sonic titles, like Unleashed for example, so it reflects Sonic getting familiar with the island now and making it his own stomping grounds. ‘5th Movement’ gives additional tension, with the violin taking over the melody and the track ‘6th Movement’ making everything come together.

By this point in the narrative, Sonic knows what he must do to progress; find the final emerald and defeat the Island’s Titan. The melody, while heavy in tone, shows confidence. The faster piano and the confident violin convey the feeling of ‘get ready’. The second half of the track does a fantastic job conveying this, sounding almost heroic.

Ares Island

Movement 1-3

After defeating the first Titan, Sonic crash-lands into the next Island. The sandy desert, a familiar setting for Sonic based on past adventures, doesn’t invite the same sense of mystery as Kronos Island.

This is reflected in the islands first track, having soft guitar and strings playing. It channels a soothing melody, a stark contrast to the oppressive, moody one from the prior Island. And once Sonic finds his longtime rival Knuckles, the track takes on a more familiar melody.

Channeling Sonic 06’s Dusty Desert, the second track picks up the tempo and sounds the most traditional Sonic-like out of the island music thus far. The middle portion of the track stands out specifically, highlighting the new instruments being utilized for game’s score. Middle eastern instruments like Duduk, Tabla, and Cajon are brought into the mix.

Continuing the variety, the third Island track has an almost western-flair to the composition. It’s fitting, since around this portion of the game, Knuckles is actively helping Sonic through some of the Island’s challenges. The later portion of the track pushes this vibe, the melody bring some of the mystery that Kronos Island had while maintaining the other Ares Island track melodies.

Movement 4-7

The fourth track keeps the melody but brings techno-beats, reflecting Sonic and Knuckles interacting more with the Island’s Koco. Amy and Sonic interacted with them before, but Knuckles has a more direct link to the creatures. For the Angel Island Guardian, he feels a direct connection between Ares Island and his home. So this and the fifth track channeling melodies similar to Sonic 3&K in some regards is very interesting.

Capping off Ares Island is the sixth and seventh movement tracks, melding all the prior melodies together into a realized piece of music taking the best elements from each track. And similar to the final Kronos Island track, it reflects Sonic getting ready for the next Titan fight with heroic moments in the track.

Chaos Island

Movement 1-2

Crash landing once more, Sonic finds himself on an ash-covered Island looking for his best buddy Tails. The first track has a pronounced drum beat that dominates the track, with soft guitar strumming keeping you focused on the mission at hand. Continuing the trend of each Island having a different tone, Chaos Island from the jump conveys a sense of confidence.

This is further highlighted with the almost hopeful sounding second track, which plays after Sonic finds Tails and the two begin working together. It’s fitting that Sonic’s very first companion is what makes him the most hopeful on his quest. The track also uses female vocals, having inspiring chants to convey the grand sense of scale.

Movement 3, 4 and 6

Chaos Island is split across multiple land masses, so the high-in-sky vibes. The third track builds on the melody, rather than do something different with it.

With the fourth track however, the piano joins the drums and female chants, empathizing the grand nature of Island. The most stand out of the tracks for Chaos Island has to be the sixth track, having the energy you would expect from a more traditional Sonic score. In many ways, it’s a more cinematic version of something you would see something like Sonic Forces, specifically the final levels in that game.

Rhea Island

Sonic is seemingly done fighting all the Titans… But his work isn’t finished yet. The voice, that has guided him throughout the adventure thus far, tells him to climb four towers to free his friends. Tired and exhausted, with the cyber corruption hitting it’s apex for him, Sonic pushes onward to save the day.

Unlike the prior Islands, it’s only one track. But what a track it is.

The emotions way heavy, having a major cinematic flair throughout the entire piece. Almost as if to express the dire status Sonic himself is in. And to add further emotion to the melody, cut dialog found in Frontier’s files heavily imply that at one point in the narrative, Sonic was slowly losing his memories as the game progressed.

A Fun Fact

This song also represents a time during the development of Sonic Frontiers, where Sonic himself is fighting to stay whole during ‘his final trial’. This was discovered through files within the game upon release, as seen in this clip.

Adding further weight to this track, is that the major story reveals about the origins of many aspects of the Starfall Islands are revealed as Sonic activates each tower. Sonic, and the player by extension, are learning what lead to the current state of the world they explored up to this point.

Ouanos Island

Concluding the Island themes is Ouanos Island. This Island only has one melody, which plays until Sonic finds the first Chaos Emerald. Then for the rest of the Island, the track ‘Kronos Island Mvt. 3’ plays.

It’s fitting, since this track plays right after a major story sequence where Sonic is primed for one final jaunt before facing the final Titan.

Haunting female chants in the background, techno beats fighting to break through the beautiful piano and violin, and a melody telling the player ‘this is it, the final challenge’.

But the female chants become transform into a haunting choir, having shades of NieR’s emotionally charged scores.

Escape the Loop – Cyberspace Themes

The second portion of Sonic Frontiers score is the Cyberspace themes. The levels themselves may be similar to prior Sonic games like Forces and Generations, but the music couldn’t be more different.

Every Cyber Space level explores a variety of styles, sometimes in the same genre or completely tries something new. Since there are over 30 songs in this portion of the soundtrack, I’ll be covering specific highlights instead.

If you want an additional break down on other stand out Cyberspace themes, check out bickuribox12′s top ten Cyberspace tracks. He breaks down other highlights I don’t mention here. He also just makes amazing Sonic content if you’re a huge fan like I am of the Blue Blur.

1-2 – Flowing

One of the first levels you come across (and surprisingly the hardest to S-Rank on), Sonic runs through a modified version of Sky Sanctuary, dashing across the familiar zone. You would expect a remix of the legendary Zone theme but instead, we get a completely original track.

Catchy female vocals match an already killer beat, making you tap your feet as you play through the level repeatedly to get that desired S-Rank. The track is a realized version of what Sonic Forces accomplished with the Avatar tracks, which melded vocals and EDM beats together.

With Frontiers shorter levels, the music was composed in mind with that. So the tracks match the level length unlike in Forces, ensuring the catchy, enjoyable melody is properly enjoyed.

2-4 – Hype Street

This one is a personal favorite of mine. It melds the familiar melody of Chemical Plant zone with a EDM and Dance genre flavor. As I was running through this remixed Sonic Generations level, I kept tapping my feet to the melody.

The only vocals present are a ‘Hey!’ at specific points in the track, as if Sonic himself is having a great time running through the zone.

It’s also one of the Cyber Space tracks most similar to something you would hear in the Classic Era Sonic games too, adding to it’s charm.

4-2 – Ephemeral

As mentioned in my review, this is by far my favorite of the Cyber Space tracks. It has the heaviest emotion, fitting considering this level resides on the final Island.

The techno, almost vapor wave-esc melody has such a pronounced tone. This is supported by the soft female vocals, touching on the topic of ‘accept loss’. Lyrics saying ‘Only the heart remains’ and ‘Time moves on’ are quite pronounced. In many ways, this track inspired the emotionally charged tracks Tails and Amy got with their Movement Themes for ‘Final Horizon’.

Hanging On to the Other Side – Titan Themes

Capping off every Island, are bombastic and grand battles against the Titans roaming each Island. Sonic, using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, turns into his Super Sonic form and using his full combat kit from the main game, is ready to take down massive foes.

Undefeatable Part 1

For years, Sonic music has explored unique genres. Jazz and Pop with the Classic Era, Rock with titles with Adventure 2 and a mixture of orchestral and rock with games like Unleashed. Even genres like techno and EDM were explored. But heavy metal? That was a new venture for Sonic and Sonic Frontiers is the first time the series experimented with the genre.

Kicking off with Sonic turning into his Super form and cracking a knowing smirk, the lyrics kick into high gear and the singer screams ‘GO’, right around when the player starts engaging with Giganto, the Titan daring to fight you.

The lyrics channel a new perspective on Sonic. Usually, Sonic vocal tracks typically focus on positive messages like ‘power of friendship’ or ‘we can do this together’. Iconic Sonic songs like Escape from the City and the recent Fist Bump come to mind. But with this track, while some of that message is present, it’s a completely new perspective for Sonic.

Lyrics like ‘You’re just an enemy’, ‘when the story ends, it becomes a part of me’ and ‘this feelings just a ghost’ convey such a raw energy. The track name itself conveys such an air of confidence too.

Undefeatable Part 2

As in, you can’t beat Sonic. This is conveyed further with how heavy the guitar and drums are in the track. Both instruments almost Doom Eternal-esc energy, joined with the singer frequently screaming his vocals, do so much in keeping the player energized and ready to face their fears.

Capping off this amazing track, is closing seconds. It ends with a softer melody, where the heavy lyrics from earlier are re-contextualized. This part of the track always plays when Sonic lands the finishing blow, flying through Giganto and killing the Titan.

‘Running from the past is a losing game, been down this past before, already know this story…’

This grand, epic fight is just another day for Sonic the Hedgehog. And him almost having a sigh of relief, impressed with the fight this challenger presented him is reflected in the tracks conclusion.

Break Through It All

Kicking off with a heavy guitar rifts and screams saying ‘Don’t look doooooown!’, the fight kicks off. Sonic is flying through waves of missiles, having to counter them back to Wyvern so he could catch up.

The vocals are even more aggressive, with a majority of the lyrics being screamed. It perfectly expresses the danger of being in the air and having only a set amount of time to take down this Titan.

And interestingly enough, the second half of the track channels far more of Sonic’s spirit than Undefeatable. The lyrics exude a sense of confidence and ‘we got this’, rather than a raw ‘you’re going down’ energy.

Out of all the Titan themes, this is the most fun one to sing in a crowd. As someone who joined in on the fun during the DC Sonic Symphony show where this and Undefeatable were played, I can confirm this is a major crowd favorite.

Find Your Flame

And rounding out the core trio of Titan themes, is by far the most aggressive one of them all. Channeling very similar energy and melody to Sonic Force’s ‘Infinite’, you have a mixture of rapping and singing. While not a 1-to-1 comparison to famous Linkin Park music, it’s surprisingly close enough to some of that band’s best music.

The highlight and why this track has by far the most energy of the Titan themes, is how fast the beats are. Using a mixture of techno and heavy guitar rifts, it pushes you to keep dodging and moving during the fight.

Lyrically, they are the most hopeful too. ‘Calling your name’, ‘Find your flame’ and ‘It’s you and your friends’. In a lot of ways, the lyrics are a homage to the Dreamcast era vocal themes, but dialed up to 11.

And the track ends with a beautiful finisher. Killer guitar solo and then a transition to a soothing, soft guitar melody. ‘Cause in the end, it’s you and and your friends… You’ll find your flame.’ Those lyrics end the song and it’s joined with by far the most brutal finisher to a boss I’ve ever seen in a Sonic game.

Sonic literally loops around the Titan’s blade, picking up with the wind itself. And then he cuts the boss clean in half, right when the song concludes.

I’m Here

Doubling as both the final base game Titan theme and the game’s theme song, it has a very different energy than the other Titan tracks.

You still have the heavy guitar and drums, but the vocals are far softer than any of the other tracks. It’s very much Sonic himself commenting on his journey up to this point. He fought his fears, has the power of his friends within him and explored new horizons.

What makes me love this track is how hopeful the entire song is, channeling the energy found in vocal themes like Endless Possibilities. The track also utilizes the orchestral and instrument variety present across the various Island themes,

A New Path – Final Horizon’s OST

When Frontiers got a major content update at the end of 2023, it featured a completely new end game. This end game brought new music into the title, covering all the different sectors of the base-game’s soundtrack.

For the Island themes, each playable character got a unique theme linked to them. Tails’ theme ‘Another Passage’ is by far my favorite, having powerful female vocals like some of the Cyber Space tracks. The theme of ‘Finding a New Horizon’ resonates with me, as someone looking to branch out and do new things as of late. And for the context of Tails himself, the character finally is stepping out of Sonic’s shadow. And hearing that conveyed through emotionally charged music is powerful.

Amy’s ‘Maybe If…’ is one of the most beautiful pieces of music composed for the series. Haunting guitar strums sounding like a ticking clock and heavy violin playing throughout the song gives it a somber feeling. And Amy is usually one of the more hopeful characters in the Sonic cast, so her emotions being conveyed in such a raw way has impact.

Knuckles’ ‘Blood Flow’ is my least favorite of the trio’s themes but really enjoy the almost groovy guitar strums that plays in his melody.

Sonic’s Themes

Sonic’s ‘Second Wind’ is a standout track. Having familiar a melody using elements from both Kronos and Rhea Island Movements all the while having that confident violin, drum and piano do such a great job conveying Sonic’s personality. A confident, ‘we can do this’ energy are proudly present in the song.

In addition to having his own unique ‘Mvt.’ track, Sonic also gets a remix of Ouanos Island. The remix adds new instrumentation to the mix, making the powerful melody stand out more.

And to cap the new soundtrack off, is a remix of ‘I’m Here’, having a decidedly harsher tone reflecting the new final boss. It takes the original and gives it the energy present in the other Titan themes. It even has the singer screaming ‘GO!’ like in Undefeatable. I personally cannot wait to see this played live at the NYC Sonic Symphony in a few months.

Concluding Thoughts on Sonic Frontiers Score

Sonic Frontiers score is nothing short of a masterpiece. It covered so many genres perfectly, is emotionally charged and the sheer variety on display is astounding.

Sonic is always known for amazing music, but Frontiers score specifically stands above all of them. While other games in the series explored variety in its music, like Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Unleashed, it simply does not match the highs of Frontiers.

The sound team put their heart and soul into the music of Sonic Frontiers. You can listen to the score on all music platforms, like Apple Music and Spotify, today.

The post Stillness and Motion – Sonic Frontiers Soundtrack Retrospective appeared first on Lords of Gaming.