Up and coming composer Ryan Shore has created memorable scores for Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, Shadows and Numb. Looking back at his output, many of his finest efforts are to be found in short films - and now you have a chance to enjoy these wonderful orchestral scores, little gems such as the stirringly heroic Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher, the beautifully Williams-esque Articles of War and the epic A Letter from the Western Front...

For anyone who has recently come to learn of Ryan Shore's work, Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and Other Short Film Scores is an invaluable collection of the man's earlier work.

I previously reviewed his soundtrack for Shadows, an album that incorporated a good mix of themes and styles. So the chance to listen to more of Shore's work was something I was greatly looking forward to. And it certainly didn't disappoint.

This album includes music from movies including Rex Steele - Nazi Smasher, Shadowplay, A Letter from the Western Front, Cadaverous, Prom Night and Articles of War. Highlights include:

Rex Steele is a good old fashioned score, the main theme of which brings to mind John Williams's music for 1941.

Personally I didn't particularly enjoy the music for Shadowplay. While it's technically impressive, the majority of the tracks are also a little cliched - the sort you've heard 100 times before to suggest that you are in the orient.

A Letter From the Western Front is an interesting collection of themes, although once again you can't help feeling you've heard a lot of these themes before.

Articles of War is by far the best inclusion. There are six tracks, totalling around twelve minutes of music - and to be honest it's worth the retail price alone.

Shore proves, once again, that he is one of the most original and finest young composers working in the industry today.

What's great about this collection is that there's a wonderfully diverse range of styles and plenty of memorable themes.

9

Darren Rea