Press

Soundtrack.Net, July 29, 2009:
___"Not only is the scale of this musical world impressive, but McCreary's references to past episode, past themes, past seasons, and past series is truly astounding."

Den of Geek, July 28, 2009:
___"Bear McCreary deserves praise as the architect of brilliance, conjuring up a musical world fitting of the show's epic scale and grandeur. I challenge you not to feel a swell of emotion as you listen."

Buy Soundtrax, August 7, 2009:
___"The television equivalent to what Howard Shore's expansive Lord of the Rings trilogy did for feature film scoring... simply astonishing."

Film Music Magazine, August 10, 2009:
___"You could say that McCreary destroyed the sound of traditional sci-fi TV scoring in order to save it. "

Fandomania, July 13, 2009:
___"When you see his name attached to a TV show, movie, or video game, you know you're in for something special."

The Log Book, July 30, 2009:
___"May well be the best new film or TV music that’s going to hit anyone’s ears this year."

Sci Fi Pulse, July 27, 2009:
___"Bear McCreary, in my eyes, is among the top composers for television, movie and video game scoring out there."

KQEK, July 28 2009:
___"An epic score that’s absolutely riveting in its emotional power."

Cinemusical, July 21, 2009:
___"Fascinating harmonic writing that creates intriguingly dense and quite active musical impact."

Forever a Fan Girl, July 31, 2009:
___"Bear McCreary doesn't just make beautiful, wondrous, soundtrack music, his music is not confined by genre--it stands alone."

Film Score Monthly, August, 2009:
___"As with previous Battlestar releases, aspects of thematic ideas return, often expanded with intriguing twists and orchestral support."

SF Crow's Nest, October 1, 2009:
___"[BSG] still remains one of the finest examples of science fiction on the big or small screen and that is in no small part to Bear McCreary's incredible soundtracks."

IGN, June 22, 2009:
___"A rich and satisfying journey; McCreary's work is subtle and beautiful."

Screen Sounds, June 9, 2009:
___"Yet another superior work from McCreary, the equal of anything currently being written for both large and small screens."

Airlock Alpha, August 24, 2009:
___"Caprica gives McCreary plenty of room to continue to stretch and develop his knack for transporting viewers to another universe through his music."

Geek in the City, June 8 , 2009:
___"Caprica stands as an example of McCreary’s steady maturation into one of the best composers of the day, a work defined by it’s focused, appropriate restraint, and elegant tonal complexity."

Blog Critics Magazine, June 12 , 2009:
___"In recent years, one composer has risen to the top faster than any other, that man is Bear McCreary. The man can flat out compose music."

Sci Fi Wire, July 21, 2009:
___"There's not much that's in your face, which is good. But McCreary is better than that anyway, which his fans know."

Score Notes, Summer, 2009:
___"This polished, classically inspired score shows the agility and versatility of Bear McCreary"

Music on Film, June 16, 2009:
___"Enjoy a great dramatic score from one of the best composers in television."

Film Music Magazine, June 8, 2009:
___"If Nino Rota’s original scores gave the Corleone Family’s deeds an operatic quality, then McCreary’s hauntingly beautiful symphonic approach here does the same thing"

Review Fix, July 23, 2009:
___"McCreary has delivered a touching, ominous, thrilling musical journey that will leave fans spellbound and seduce any listeners willing to give it a try."

Blogger News Network , June 16, 2009:
___"While each track has a life of its own, it’s abundantly clear that these 18 tracks are part of the same melancholy family."

Fandomania, June, 2009:
___"Sorrowful and drifting, the soundtrack reflects the series’s blended tone of melancholy and grief with a glimmer of hope."

KQEK, June 16, 2009:
___"The score is beautifully crafted for large orchestra, and it’s certainly the most lyrical and accomplished work in McCreary’s canon."

Score Track, June, 2009:
___"A real movie score, imbued with more elaborated harmonies and beautifully inspired melodies."

Shakefire, June 22, 2009:
___"Very impressive and almost too beautiful to be just used in a TV series."

Buy Soundtrax, July 10, 2009:
___"A score that is both extremely serviceable to the drama and action while fitting perfectly into the growing mythology arc that will eventually join both series."

Forever a Fan Girl , June 22, 2009:
___"Bear McCreary has an uncanny sense of matching the score to a scene, though as his sold-out concerts indicate, his music stands on it's own."

Sci Fi Pulse, July 13, 2009:
___"Gives us a theme that like all good music composition takes you with it from moment to moment."

Cinemusical, July 21, 2009:
___"McCreary's penchant for creating engaging themes is on full display"

SF Crow's Nest, June 22, 2009:
___"Focusing far more on airy, light orchestral pieces with only hints to the darker, more explosive compositions found during the [BSG] war."

San Jose Mercury News, April 30, 2009:
___"The music comes from visionary composer Bear McCreary, who did much to create the rich atmosphere of "Battlestar."

IGN: The BSG Orchestra Rocked The Frak Out, 7-29-09
___"The crowd was going wild, and the energy in the musicians' performances was unbelievable... they were all rock stars."

Airlock Alpha, July 25, 2009
___"By the end of the night, people were screaming 'So say we all' at the top of their lungs, and the stars and fans were dancing along together to the music that inspired so many of them in personal ways."

Geek-Tastic, August 4, 2009
___"It is not something I say lightly, but I fully mean it when I say that in the 18 years I’ve been to Comic Con, this concert was the single most enjoyable and endearing experience I’ve ever had there. "

Film Music Society
___Stu Phillips in Concert
___October 26, 2009

Darth Mojo
___Phillips, McCreary Wow Crowd, Eat Cake
___October 26, 2009

Chiacgo Tribune
___July 25, 2009

Comic Book Resources, August 4, 2009
___"It's safe to say that everyone present had a frakkin' amazing night."

Pop Culture Geek
___June 14, 2009

Los Angeles Times, June 7, 2009:
___"Close your eyes and listen to the score from any of his work for the show, and you're almost guaranteed to feel transported to a concert hall, with a conductor and a full symphony orchestra in front of you."

Express Lane
___Feature Review
___July, 2008

Soundtrack.net
___Rock Lords of Kobol
___June 6, 2008

Variety
___'Battlestar Galactica' Music Takes Off
___April 30, 2008

AintItCool News
___ScoreKeeper From the Uber-Great Battlestar Galactica Concert
___April 23, 2008

The Hollywood Reporter
___McCreary Carries the Tune for the 'Battlestar' Minions
___April 17, 2008

AintItCool News
___A Report on the Big Tax Day Battlestar Galactica Music Event in Hollywood
___April 16, 2008

IGN
___Battlestar Galactica Rocks Live
___April 14, 2008

Whedonopolis
___The Music of Battlestar Galactica Concert Review
___April 14, 2008

Music from the Movies
___Battlestar Galactica: Live at the Mint
___October, 2006

Quickstop Entertainment
___The Battlestars: Live At The Mint
___June 20, 2006
___"McCreary astounds with his mastery in connecting the aural to the narrative... this fresh talent could be the vanguard of the next wave of important American composers."

Galacticaa.net
___BSG Season 2 CD Release Party
___June 13, 2006

Sarah Connor Society, December 2008:
___"His unique ear and willingness to find the right notes in the most unusual places mark him as a master at his craft."

Score Notes, January 2009:
___"When dealing with McCreary, the production value of the music always seems to be off the charts."

Film Score Monthly, Fall 2008:
___"There is a beautiful lyricism to “Sarah Connor’s Theme” that is always under attack by the percussive backdrops that incessantly find their way into the music."

KQEK, January 2009:
___"His musicians are first-rate, and the guitar work is performed and recorded with the intention to bring the listener as close as possible to the instrument’s textures."

All Music, December, 2008:
___"McCreary actually has a very different conception for the series, combining lots of wistful music played by a small string section with lots of pounding percussion."

Sci Fi Pulse, January 15, 2009:
___"This blew me away when I first heard it during the opening moments of season two, and still blows you away without the benefit of seeing the images it accompanies."

Blog Critics, November 14 2008:
___"The man is taking composing in new, interesting, and highly compelling directions."

Kitley's Krypt, Fall 2008:
___"He blew us away with his score for Wrong Turn 2, and has done it once again."

Film Score Monthly, Fall 2008:
___"What makes the score most successful is that McCreary shapes a multitude of sounds into his tapestry without allowing a particular genre or texture to dominate."

All Music, Fall 2008:
___"Played on instruments that the country musicians haven't bothered to tune lately, and that's deliberate, giving the music both a raucous and a bizarrely eerie feel appropriate to the theme of horror."

Score Notes, Fall, 2008:
___"It becomes a listening experience that becomes difficult to turn away from since it is so entirely interesting and original! Bear McCreary impresses again."

Blogger News Network. September 11, 2008:
___"Covers more ground and envelops more musical genres than seems possible. From here on out it’s clear that McCreary is probably capable of anything."

Fanatic Space, September 18, 2008:
___"Acclaimed composer Bear McCreary, of Battlestar Galactica renown, does a masterful job of musically mixing it up."

Film Score Monthly, September 2008:
___"Bear McCreary continues to set the bar for music on the Sci Fi Channel... and now gives fans a chance to hear a different side of the composer's talents."

Film Music Weekly / IF Magazine, 11/09/07:
___"Bear McCreary has used Battlestar Galactica to reveal himself as one of the most innovative and intriguing composers on TV... one of the freshest talents in the scoring business."

Entertainment Vine, November 1, 2007:
___"Bear McCreary has done an outstanding job, perhaps the finest evolution in TV history... lovely, heartbreaking, exciting... by far the most compelling score I have listened to this year."

Sci Fi Dimensions, January 2008:
___"McCreary's effort is sure to top many lists as best soundtrack of 2007. Any aficionado of contemporary American musical composition should check it out... far and away McCreary's most ambitious project to date."

Blog Critics Magazine, 10/31/07:
___"Bear's work for Battlestar Galactica is far and away some of, if not the best soundtrack work done for any television series... simply spectacular."

Blogger News Network, 10/23/07:
___"Featuring more instruments, more variation and more experimentation than any other series on television. Rarely does a television score pack so much dramatic punch along with a tremendous handle on futuristic action."

Cinema Blend, 10/22/07:
___"Bear McCreary, building on the moving themes and scores he composed... took things to a new height for the tormented third season."

MovieMusic, 11/11/07:
___"The music has again evolved and McCreary has done an excellent job... brilliant."

SF Crows Nest, 11/11/07:
___"Bear McCreary's haunting soundtracks weave in and out of the program superbly, amplifying key moments with tense string movements, bold drums and assorted world music influences."

Sci Fi Pulse, 11/01/07:
___"Very high quality music... let it transport you elsewhere and enjoy"

G-Pop, November 2007:
___"... Reflects every nuance of the story... Perfect for fans of any music[al genre]."

Film Score Monthly, November, 2007:
___"Bear McCreary [has had] the chance to expand some of his episode scores to greater symphonic heights."

AllMusic, Novmber 2007:
___"Starting in 2004, composer Bear McCreary broke the mold with his music for 'Battlestar Galactica.'"

Monster Sci Fi Show Blog, 12/3/07:
___"Bear McCreary has become an incredible composer who embodies the spirit of BSG in his music."

Intrada, November, 2007:
___"McCreary continues ideas... expands creative colors, textures."

E! Online, 06/29/06:
___"Rich, raw, oddly stirring... kick-ass and powerful as hell."

iFMagazine, 07/17/06:
___"McCreary’s approach is just as adventurous and exciting as anything that’s being heard inside of a cinema."

Lower Decks, 07/02/06:
___"[McCreary's music] rivals some of the best film composers of today."

MusicOnFilm, 10/11/06:
___"... McCreary has again managed to craft feature quality scores week after week."

GoodSound, 09/01/06:
___"The alternately tragic and heroic music provided by Bear McCreary... lifts the series into the pantheon of all-time great TV sci-fi."

FilmGuru.net, June 2006:
___"McCreary continues his explosive work on the season two score."

FilmMusicOnTheWeb, December 2006:
___"I can say with absolute certainty that Bear McCreary has more than delivered the goods."

G-Pop, June 2006:
___"The music makes Galactica feel more like a theatrical release than a television series."

MongrelDogs, 07/01/06:
___"Superb... relentless and uncompromising.... heartbreaking, melancholy and uplifting at the same time."

The Trades, 07/09/06:
___"McCreary builds upon his accomplishments to scale new heights with this impressive mix."

The Soundtrack Channel, 06/27/06: (video excerpt)
___"... an impressive offering from a composer we are sure to hear more from in the very near future."

Cinescape, 06/22/06:
___"Uniquely interesting and affecting... McCreary crafts environmental landscapes that seethe with ethnicities and living, breathing personalities."

Dread Central, 09/21/07:
___"A gleefully demented surprise... If you feel like creating an earthquake in your living room, look no further than this album!"

Film Score Monthly, November, 2007:
___"I had as much fun listening to this CD as the filmmakers did creating the film. Give this one a chance—it’s an infectious brew that grows more endearing with repeat plays."

Film Music Weekly, 11/09/07:
___"McCreary gives the music of Wrong Turn 2 a ferocious, fun energy. Better yet, it never sounds like 'horror music'... murderously fun."

Movie Wave, November, 2007:
___"The main idea of the the theme is a brilliant one. It dominates the score and is impressive."

Intrada, November, 2007:
___"Wild licks for electric guitar, sitar, electric bass, electric fiddle & keyboard mingle with spoons, jugs & washboards to create 'mutant bluegrass.'"

G-Pop, June 2005:
___"This is the greatest television soundtrack ever created."

MusicOnFilm, 06/08/05:
___"... some of the best music I've heard for recent television."

Soundtrack.net, 06/22/05:
___"FOUR STARS: The pulse-pounding onslaught of drums and chimes provides a uniquely primal feel to the show... You're in for a treat."

TheLogBook, Summer 2005:
___"The action cues from this selection are some of the best I've heard, period."

Cinescape, 06/02/05:
___"McCreary is showing himself to be a capable and sensitive composer whose work underlies the new BG’s elegantly introspective and exotically atmospheric sensibility."

Science Fiction Weekly, Summer 2005:
___"What would McCreary do on the big screen? One suspects that he'll get a chance to show us in the not-too-distant future."

Soundtage AV, 11/01/05:
___"At the age of 26, [McCreary] shows signs of the level of genius of his mentor, the late Elmer Bernstein."

FilmMusicOnTheWeb, July 2005:
___"With McCreary onboard as the series composer, [the producers] have naught to do but place unconditional trust in him for the rest of season two and beyond."

Home Theater Sound, Fall 2005:
___" ...Bear McCreary. Remember that name -- he has the rare ability to elevate scenes with everything from sublimely heartbreaking to crushingly frightening music."

AllMusic, Summer 2005:
___"To McCreary, space music can sound like almost any earth-bound style."

AintItCool News, 05/08/07:
___"[McCreary] has managed a small claim in reshaping the way we hear horror with his score to "Rest Stop."

Soundtrack.net, 01/29/07:
___"A fresh take on horror film music, just like 'Battlestar Galactica' was a fresh take on Sci-Fi scoring."

Film Music Weekly, 02/19/07:
___"A creative musical mix, crossing country rock and classic horror stylings with a progressive sense of rhythm... wickedly effective."