About the Soundtrack: VIKING: Battle For Asgard is a new orchestral game score composed by Richard Beddow, Walter Nair, Simon Ravn and performed by The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir.  In addition to the 29 tracks that comprise the album, the score offers a fantastic production value with its sterling performances and beautiful sound quality.  This is another example of how game scores are either matching or exceeding their cinematic counterparts.

 

What You Need to Know: It's been far too long since I've been swept away by a score that's truly original.   While listening to "VIKING: Battle for Asgard," that's the realization that swept over me.   The music from this score bursts to life with choral accompaniment that is as grand and moving as anything I have heard in all of 2008.  It's safe to say that this soundtrack rekindled my energy.

 

It takes a bit of time for this score to get rolling; the listener has to contend with some murky underscore as the darkened mood of the gameplay is established.  Normally, I find atmospheric music to be tedious to engage in unless there is a certified, extended payoff to be had.  To my jubilation, there is a wealth of musical treasure awaiting those who have the patience to find it in this score.  More specifically, the choral tracks are simply stunning and original.  

 

In the past few years, we as listeners are getting used to choirs being used in generic ways with most scores but the composers on this soundtrack actually called on the voices of the choir to highlight the music.  To be sure, quite a bit of work went into this area of focus and the results are simply outstanding.  While true, the underscore is a bit under whelming at times, the choral aspects of this album make for the great equalizer.  If you want music akin to Conan the Barbarian, only in the vein of Viking lore, than this score is all you can ask for.  Indeed, this is the type of music I was expecting from the lackluster score for 2007's, "Pathfinder." 

 

And speaking of originality...that is the core of what makes this score so successful.  Just when I was starting to think that everything I have heard of late has sounded too familiar to my ears, the composers of "VIKING" came along and recharged my passion. 

 

Final Score: For me, this is one of the better scores of 2008.  I highly recommend that you seek this one out, either on iTunes or from Sumthing Else Music Works because this soundtrack is a worthy prize.

 

A hearty congratulations to the entire scoring team for bringing us a truly original soundtrack with epic qualities.  Indeed, I'm sure each of the composers are being toasted by the heroes of Valhalla for this effort.