The middle of the album tones down the bombast and introduces a more reflective and melancholy tone. The testosterone driven sound is not completely eradicated, but it appears in a drastically different form. This idea is best shown in the tracks "I Am Beowulf" and "He Has a Story to Tell."

The bombast returns in the final third of the album, best exemplified by "Beowulf Slays the Beast." However, it is not the entire story, as the film, and the score, closes on a note of a more dramatic nature than an exultation of action.

The album's flow is momentarily interrupted by a couple of ballads sung by Robin Wright Penn that appeared in the film. The songs are "Gently as She Goes" and "A Hero Comes Home." They are light and fluffy and what you would expect to hear in a drinking hall in those days long ago.

The Beowulf soundtrack closes with a power ballad take on "A Hero Comes Home," sung by Idina Menzel (recently seen in Enchanted and on Broadway in Wicked). It steps away from the bigger orchestrations and works perfectly as the getaway song to what is essentially a pop-film rather than high art.

Bottomline. This is a very good score that does not hide its emotions. Much like the title character, the music leaves little to the imagination and works on a big superficial level. It is highly enjoyable and well worth recommending to fans of film scores.

Recommended.

Track Listing:
1 Beowulf Main Title
2 First Grendel Attack
3 Gently As She Goes (performed by Robin Wright-Penn)
4 What We Need Is A Hero
5 I'm Here To Kill Your Monster
6 I Did Not Win The Race
7 A Hero Comes Home (performed by Robin Wright-Penn)
8 Second Grendel Attack
9 I Am Beowulf
10 King Beowulf
11 He Has A Story To Tell
12 Full Of Fine Promises
13 Beowulf Slays The Beast
14 He Was The Best Of Us
15 The Final Seduction
16 A Hero Comes Home (End Credit Version)(performed by Idina Menzel)