Mastodon rocks the ‘Transformers’ soundtrack

‘Transformers: Dark Of The Moon - The Album’

Various Artists

Warner Music

MANILA, Philippines -- “Transformers: Dark Of The Moon” makes extensive use of music from a slew of rock and roll bands in its sequences. Most noticeable of this is the Linkin Park track “Iridescent,” which played prominently in a dramatic part of the movie where Sam Witwicky (Shia LeBeaouf) contemplates a future without Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and the rest of the Autobots.

But other than that sappy sequence, this soundtrack mostly comprises hard-hitting tracks from acts such as Paramore  (“Monster”) and My Chemical Romance (the spastic but melodic “The Only Hope for Me Is You”); and “old hand” bands like Staind and Goo Goo Dolls—with the former churning out industrial grade heaviness in “Bottom,” and the latter in their trademark melodic, sing-along rock in “All That You Are.”

The selection also showcases acts like the New York based emo-alt rockers Taking Back Sunday on the tasty and anthemic, “Faith (When I Let You Down),” Art Of Dying (sounding like Bush) on “Get Thru This,” Theory Of A Deadman (sounding like Nickelback) on “Head Above Water,” and the Black Veil Brides on their speed metal shredding turn, “Set The World On Fire.”

Saving the best for last is a track from blues rockers Mastodon titled “Just Got Paid,” which fits the movies mélange of sleek cars, battling robots and hot bod Rosie Huntington-Whiteley to a T.

‘Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers’

Various Artists

Sony Music

This album goes back to the premise of Glee club basics. Meaning most of the songs here make extensive use of vocal arrangements, where human voices replace major instruments and harmonies are de rigueur.

Actor-singers Darren Criss (Blaine) and Chris Colfer (Kurt) are the only Glee characters that get to trade leads with rest of the Warblers on this set but that’s all you’ll need. In typical “Glee” fashion, they start off with popular chart hits like “Teenage Dream” and “Hey Soul Sister,” with great sounding vocal ensemble arrangements lending a nice polish to Criss’ lead.

The Warblers also does a good job of converting Pink’s edgy pop anthem "Raise Your Glass" into vocal histrionics of  “chinga-chinga-chinka-chings” and making it work. Same goes for their take on Maroon 5’s “Misery;” and, on one of their most likable performances yet, Colfer and Criss trade verses on Neon Trees’ “Animal.”

The Warblers sink their teeth into some Paul McCartney classics like “Blackbird” in which Colfer, aided by his chiming cohorts, does a good job. Criss also gets in on the Macca act via the Wings’ “Silly Love Songs.”

Criss is the main man of the show and he gets to assert that in most of the tracks—including his versions of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy,” “Somewhere Only We Know,” and on his mellow best in “What Kind Of Fool.”