After the success of the film version of Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons follows on as the first of this summer’s blockbusters, reuniting its author with director Ron Howard, star Tom Hanks and composer Hans Zimmer. The critics have been no more enthusiastic about this film than its predecessor, nor have audiences embraced it to the same extent. After Zimmer’s interesting soundtrack to The Da Vinci Code, we find him marking time with few fresh ideas. His trademarks of ambient music, walloping percussion and toccata-like rhythms are plentiful, though they manage to create a suspenseful atmosphere of shady goings-on. Another Zimmer trait is his minimalist writing which dominates the enjoyable, fast-moving opening track as choral textures are tossed to and fro across the sound spectrum. It matters not one iota that listeners will be put in mind of “Make a joyful noise” from Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms as the piece surges along. The second track brings the drama into focus with Joshua Bell representing the angel, his eloquent violin-playing harried by scurrying accompaniment and demonic voices. “Science and Religion” brings us to the heart of the score where the violin and chorus spin out an extension of the theme “Chevaliers de Sangréal”, first heard in The Da Vinci Code. One oddity is that the chorus who play such a crucial role on this soundtrack are not credited on the CD.