The Viking themes, though recognizable because of their overly-heroic french horn treatment, are a little less obvious. Since we don't have as much record of Viking music on hand, these cues are partially from Goldsmith's creative mind, and instead of taking a more romantic approach to their music, Goldsmith strikes us with overwhelming, chest-beating cues of pompous brass. The strengths of the album rest at the beginning and end. The third track features the most prolific use of adult choir in mass since First Knight , with portions taken seemingly from the final battle sequence for that earlier score. After that fourth track, the album takes a while to begin cooking again.
Sensitivity is perhaps the last word to come to mind when listening to the rest of the score.
Also absent is much use of electronics. The album totals almost an hour in length, and the packaging is more in-depth than usual. The sound quality, though slightly behind Small Soldiers and The Mummy , is still stellar, and will help you make the most of your stereo system. Goldsmith's score, though making use of some stereotypical ethnic techniques heard several times before, is a very impressive effort. I wouldn't recommend it to those of you who only take delight in subtle Goldsmith compositions, because The 13th Warrior is the type of monumental adventure score that will slap you in the side of the face from the first to last cue.