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Two Steps from Hell

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Two Steps from Hell was an American music production company based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 2006 by the composers Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix, a Norwegian and an Englishman. They began with demos for film trailers, which were distributed and licensed exclusively within the film advertising world. They wrote separately from each other but released their work together. Over time they supplied music for thousands of trailers and TV commercials, including for the Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek and Twilight film series.

Music and breakthrough

When the public heard the music, fans online asked to be able to buy the tracks. In 2010 the first albums appeared, Invincible and Archangel, with their most popular demos. In 2012 came SkyWorld, consisting of entirely new music. In 2013 they gave their first concert, in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Later, thirteen releases reached the top ten of the Billboard Classical Crossover chart, three of them at number one: Battlecry, Unleashed and Myth. In 2024 Bergersen and Phoenix parted ways.

Influence

The music is orchestral and choral, with modern additions, and structured like a pop song. Its powerful, solemn tone gave rise to the term epic music. Pieces such as Heart of Courage from 2010 and Protectors of the Earth from 2010 show how film music can take on a life of its own outside the film, as music that people seek out and listen to for themselves.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Heart of Courage. Notice how the piece begins softly and slowly grows to a grand finale with choir and orchestra, as if it were a short film scene without images.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsTrailer music and epic music