Launched in 2010, Luther has fast become one of the BBC's most popular crime series with Idris Elba in the title role as a dedicated but obsessive police officer. With its mysterious theme, 'Paradise Circus' by Massive Attack opening each episode the series also uses a play-out track that fits the atmosphere of the story. This release features many of these outstanding songs including music from Robert Plant, Suede, Marilyn Manson, and Nina Simone. Composer Paul Englishby provides the score for the series with music that can range from darkly menacing soundscapes to elegiac dreaminess...

This release will be a welcome addition to fans of Luther, and in particular Paul Englishby's impressive score. However, sadly there's only about 30 mins of score included here, with the rest filled with various artist tracks. As a collection this works pretty well, although I think I'd have preferred to see the score and soundtrack split down the middle rather than be mixed together. But then, I suppose that's the beauty of MP3 files these days, that you can arrange the tracks in any order you see fit.

While the various artist tracks are interesting, it's Englishby's score that I was really looking forward to hearing. On the whole it's an atmospheric and gripping collection of themes.

'Carnage' sounds remarkably similar to Lorne Balfe's 'Sailing to Constantinople' from Assassin's Creed Revelations ('Carnage', if it was included in series one, would have predated 'Sailing to Constantinople').

The album contains 22 tracks and lasts for 1 hr, 18 min, 57 sec. Of this 10 tracks (28 min, 28 sec) are Englishby's score and the remaining 12 tracks (50 min, 29 sec) are various artist tracks.

Track listing:

01 - 'Paradise Circus' - Massive Attack
02 - 'The First Case' - Paul Englishby
03 - 'Big Bad Wolf' - The Heavy
04 - 'Carnage' - Paul Englishby
05 - 'Me And The Devil' - Gil Scott Heron
06 - 'Luther Does Things His Way' - Paul Englishby
07 - 'Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down' - Robert Plant
08 - 'John Luther' - Paul Englishby
09 - 'Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood' - Nina Simone
10 - 'Unlucky Young Couple' - Paul Englishby
11 - 'Gun' - Emiliana Torrini
12 - 'Attack In The Attic' - Paul Englishby
13 - 'She' - Suede
14 - 'The Children' - Paul Englishby
15 - 'Flash' - Joan As Police Woman
16 - 'Double Crossed' - Paul Englishby
17 - 'Sweet Dreams' (Are Made Of This) - Marilyn Manson
18 - 'He’s Behind You' - Paul Englishby
19 - 'I Got A Thing' - Hanni El Khatib
20 - 'Alice' - Paul Englishby
21 - 'Palaces Of Montezuma' - Grinderman
22 - 'Black Whistler' - Kasabian

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Darren Rea