The 13th Warrior: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

To capture the horror, passion, and odd romance of Michael Crichton's tale of ancient clashes between Arabs and Vikings, Goldsmith embarks on a musical spectacle of his own. He borrows from known Arab musical sources, but because no known record exists of Viking music, he resorts to his imagination. The result is a kind of Viking exotica that approximates the songs those ruthless Scandinavians might have invoked to inspire their wicked wanderlust. Here, Goldsmith's orchestra displays some crisp and innovative moments, but much of the time it conforms to the dictates of previous Hollywood historical epics. There are the ceremonious strings and horns in moods that alternate from blood lust to cosmic humility, not to mention the chorus, which rails from a netherworld of judgmental gods. --Joseph Lanza