Super late to replying to this, but wanted to say I really appreciated the write-up! I agree that the score can turn anonymous at times and definitely blends together after a while, but man, when it hits, it really hits. I love the use of both the Covenant and 117 themes in "Scavengers" and the desperate tone of "Crypt," and the return of O'Donnell and Salvatori's action theme in "The Trials" is very welcome. I also am a big fan of his Locke theme, even though its major/minor chords remind me a lot of Kraemer's Jack Reacher. I've found myself coming back to this and Halo 4 with surprising frequency.

For those who found the album too long, I put together a 73-minute playlist of highlights that I usually revisit. I end it with the first part of the Osiris Suite; still not sure exactly why Jinnouchi decided to separate out these tracks at the end.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7LXf8KxbdQEQsdmSXK9Il8?si=55ada68dd5804e7e