Hans Zimmer & James Everingham - Chief of War (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) [2LP White]

Hans Zimmer and James Everingham's score for Chief of War arrives as a limited 2LP on 180-gram white vinyl, due in 2027, carrying the sound of eighteenth-century Hawai'i onto record.

The Apple TV+ series, created by Jason Momoa and Thomas Pa'a Sibbett, is a nine-part historical drama based on true events. Momoa stars as Ka'iana, a complex chief caught up in the conflict that led to the unification of the islands under King Kamehameha I, and the music had to carry both the scale of that story and its deep cultural roots.

Zimmer and Everingham answer by blending traditional Hawaiian instruments, including the pahu drum, ka'eke'eke and pūniu, with the sweeping orchestral power Zimmer is known for. Chief of War Main Title sets the tone in under a minute and a half, built around Kaumakaiwa Kanaka'ole's voice. Kū Mai Ka Manō adds Paula Fuga, Stand with Maui gathers a chorus of singers including Kimié Miner, and Volcano stretches out over more than five minutes of slow-building drama.

Across all four sides, the chants and choral passages give the score a human pulse beneath the cinematic thunder.

It is a striking soundtrack that takes its setting seriously, and a fine companion to a series that put Hawaiian history centre stage.