The musical equation in Green Zone is very familiar, not simply because it has become a calling card for Powell's career, but because it is a style of accelerated movement that is emulated so often by other composers in response. The ensemble is a dynamic synthetic and organic blend, generating most of its volume with a pounding and slapping percussion section that is in part live and in part sampled. Keyboarded electronic tones are a holdover from the Hans Zimmer playbook, relentlessly enhancing the bass region. An orchestra contributes string and brass performances, the former not typically utilized in the ostinato fashion famous from the Bourne scores but instead tackling more simplistic lines that pulsate with intensity. Brass is utilized for additional muscle as the score reaches its climax. A few colors for locale and character exist, highlighted by mad strumming of acoustic guitar in a few places underneath the rest of the ensemble. It's the percussion that really dominates Green Zone, however, including Taiko drum-like tones that will overwhelm listeners not specifically seeking an adrenaline rush. The thematic constructs in the score are minimal but effective. Introduced at the end of "Opening Book," the main theme's distinct, descending three notes eventually reveal themselves as a full action device late in "Attack and Chase" and one of excruciating orchestral melodrama to cap off "WTF." The most effective aspect of this theme is its capacity to generate that "sinking feeling" that anyone in these circumstances in Iraq must feel. There is a sense of dread and finality that conveys the power of the government in this idea, and by the time Powell forcefully concludes the idea late in the score, there can be no doubt that corruption trumps nobility. The entire score, as to be expected from Powell, is an exercise in rhythm, almost constantly moving with conviction and remarkably increasing its pace and intensity of performance as it progresses. Its 53 minutes on album are fluid and sustaining despite containing only minimal variance in instrumentation and construct. The final minute or so of the score, as the protagonist's report is sent via e-mail to the journalist, allows the listener a slightly more upbeat payoff in the form of Powell's more traditional ostinato figures. Few cues in the middle of this listening experience stand apart from the whole; a couple of synthetic distractions include the outward ethnicity in "Freddy Runs," grinding metallic sounds that border on manipulated voices in "Truth/Magellan/Attack," and an echoing bird call effect at 2:26 into "EVAC Preps Part 2." Worth special mention, however, is "Attack and Chase," a superb five minutes to rival James Newton Howard's "Chase Across DC" from Salt as the year's best techno-action cue. Overall, Green Zone will be too percussively abrasive for some listeners, but if you accept Powell's trademark sound in this genre as a viable approach to modern day thrillers, then it's hard to imagine a more effectively propulsive and dauntingly oppressive work than this.  ****   @Amazon.com: CD or Download