Alan Wake Soundtrack album review by G4TV.com (Rick Damigella)

“Much like Alan Wake is very different from most everything else currently spinning in game consoles, the same holds true for Petri Alanko’s score for the game. The soundtrack album for the critically acclaimed Xbox 360 title is now available and The Feed invites you to join us for a listen.

First time game soundtrack composer Petri Alanko proves he is more than capable of propelling and supporting the on-screen action of Alan Wake through his compositions. There must be something in the air in his native Finland which inspires composers to create fresh listening experiences out of well-worn music genres. Fans of the symphonic metal scene of Finland know what I’m talking about.

The over-arching mood of the score ranges from nightmare-mysterious to psychological thriller in tone, without ever straying into stereotypical sounds that you’ve heard a million times before. Most prevalent are the melancholic piano lines throughout the album, which play with a subtle beauty despite the creepy visuals they were created for.

Prior to first listen, my initial thought on this soundtrack was that it would primarily be for fans of the game only. This turns out not to be the case at all. Alanko has struck a superb balance with his compositions, which translate well into a linear listening experience away from the game’s visuals.

Much like the game, Alan Wake’s music has a very TV/cinematic feel, so traditional film score fans are definitely going to want to give this a listen. Even if you haven’t joined Mr. Wake in Bright Falls yet yourself, Alanko’s score is an eminently worthy listening experience for videogame music aficionados. If anything, experiencing Alan Wake’s score could drive you to trying your hand at this unique game, if you haven’t already.

Based on one of Alanko’s answers in The Feed’s recent interview with him, indicating an interest in a collaborative composition with a fellow composer, it could be interesting to hear what he and fellow-Finn and Nightwish mastermind Tuomas Holopainen could potentially co-create together. Especially since they both have creative styles which could sound interesting when combined.

The original score for Alan Wake is available now both digitally and physically from Amazon, iTunes and directly from the Sumthing Else Music Works record label.”