A Warrior's Odyssey is an Instrumental album with 18 action, drama and fantasy themes in modern cinematic style. The music features live orchestra and choir, top Hollywood musicians and modern arrangements (percussion grooves and electronics). It is recorded, mixed and mastered by veteran film and game engineer John Rodd...

Penka Kouneva's A Warrior's Odyssey is a strange release, in that it's a new classically scored album that is a stand alone project. Usually works like this are scores for movies or games and only rarely does an album of this type come along - and generally when they do they are turn out to be works of art. That is definitely the case with A Warrior's Odyssey. Freed of the conventions of having to score for set scenes, Kouneva is allowed to let her creative juices loose. The sad thing is without a hook to hang it on, this wonderful album will most probably be ignored by the majority of the public.

The opening for 'A Soldier's Odyssey - Part 1' reminded of the main theme for the first Silent Hill game. 'Minotaur Battle' brought to mind Ramin Djawadi's incidental music for Prison Break. But I think, of all the tracks, 'Airplane Bound for the Skies' was by far my favourite. It's got a festive feel to it and I loved the electronic sounds (which sound like a jet starting up) that blend with the other instruments.

Soundtrack and game score fans should check this out. Every single track harbours a beautiful theme at its core.

10

Darren Rea