Those of you familiar with earlier issues of Masters of Role Playing may be familiar with the artist in this issues music review installment. His name is Bjorn Lynne, and in an earlier issue I reviewed his then-new CD "The Void."

This time around, he's attacked the instrumental music theme from a different angle: fantasy. But not only that. He's used a fantasy novel by author Alan Cole called "Wizard of the Winds" as the platform for the instrumental treat. When I received a copy of the CD in the mail, the first thing to intrigue me was the concept. (Sorry, Bjorn.) I loved "The Void", so I felt secure in the fact that the music would be superb, which it definately is. But as I read through the CD sleeve, I noted that this instrumental work also had bits of dialogue written by Alan Cole included with it, read by Cris Blyth. It was this dialogue which later inspired me to go and buy the book to which this CD is a companion. I plan to review Alan Cole's book in a later issue, so keep a watch out.

As with "The Void," Bjorn's music writing talent is showcased foremost on this CD. His orchestration and style techniques really allow for an enjoyable blend of "fantasy" and contemporary musical experience.

I really only have one complaint. One of the things I truly enjoy about "The Void" is the ability to have the music playing in the background while I work or while the group is gaming at my house. I can't really do that with "Wizard of the Winds" because I find the dialogue extremely distracting. Maybe once I get through the book I'll be able to tune it out and just let the music play, but it's unlikely. The solution may be to record the CD without the dialogue so the only thing audible is the music. (But that would be altering the artist's original intent of the piece, so I would never actually suggest that to anyone out there in Masters of Role Playing land. Really.)

As it stands, "Wizard of the Winds" keeps in the tradition that I've come to expect from Bjorn Lynne. It's a lively, well-constructed instrumental album with a great deal of thought, creativity and heart. Anyone looking for something a little different from the mainstream of non-lyric music, I highly encourage you to pick this one up. Ask for it at your favorite music store or check him out on the web at http://www.lynnemusic.com

More Book Reviews

Book Review: Wizard of the Winds
Book Review: Eye of the World and The Great Hunt
Book Review: The Silent Blade
Book Review: Star Trek novels