The first time I listened to this album was a few days ago. I was occupied with other tasks and the music merely served as a background noise reduction. However, it didn't take long before the music grabbed my attention. The orchestral opener 'Critical Mass' already did the trick, bringing me back to a time when I was forced to listen to classical music by my music teacher. Back then I hated it, later I started to appreciate it, now it often brings me to tears.
Like many classical pieces, this soundtrack communicates a heap of emotions, from fear and anxiety over depression to relief. The eerie 'The Circle Of Women' is as unsettling as it is beautiful, and so is the brilliant piece 'Built, Not For Man But For Man's Absence'. I've always experienced the sound of strings as reflections of solitude and loneliness and here too it perfectly illustrates that.
But there's more than calm, soothing pieces of music. 'Danger In The Streets Of The Sky' is a bombastic yet melodic piece, driving on pure tension. It's dark, it's fearsome, almost Wagneresque. I know, there is no such word as "Wagneresque" but you get the idea. There are also strange pieces of ambient music, like the moog synth piece 'Cine-Camera Cinema' or the macabre sounding closer 'Blood Garden'.
I'm so happy that I eventually got into classical music and ambient, otherwise I might have never been able to appreciate true musical genius. After listening to this soundtrack a few times, I'm quite sure that Mansell is an outstanding composer, creating inspiring pieces of music that will never bore. So it's no wonder that I recommend this album to every fan of classical music out there. This will be played here a lot from now on...
​Serge