• Review by Leo Mayr - 6/7/18

The music in Doctor Who has been some of the best TV music in recent memory. Murray Gold has always found a way to modify and expand his formula, giving the scores quite a distinct sound while also allowing each series to stand on its own. While the 10th series has already aired, somehow the music from series 9 has only now found its way onto an album, but the four disc set more than makes up for the long wait.

The first two discs feature music from the 9th series, rarely more than a couple of tracks per episode. As per usual, the music can change its tone quite rapidly, being lighthearted and fun in one moment and in the blink of an eye the score changes into something completely different. There is a lot of great music to be found throughout the album, with the nearly 8-minute "Face The Raven" completely stealing the show. While there aren't as many memorable pieces as in previous albums, there still are a few standout moments. The score is just overall great, always finding the right mood or style for the episodes that for the most part share little besides the protagonists.

The true standout episode "Heaven Sent" was given its own disc on the album, and it's here that Gold's work really shines. The entire episode is just magnificent from start to finish, and Gold delivers some of his best work on the show since he started composing for it back in 2005. It's great to see the episode represented so thoroughly on this album. From the first moments right until the fantastic finale in "The Shepherd's Boy", Gold proves his importance to the show in every note.

Rather than being released as a standalone album, Disc 4 contains the music from one of the many Christmas specials released, and once again you can listen to an almost complete episode and really get a feeling for Gold's fantastic work.

The music for series 9 doesn't quite live up to previous series. There are a few fantastic standout moments and the entire third disc is just wonderful, but in comparison to earlier albums, there aren't as many moments that'll stick in your head. Murray Gold delivers his ninth series, and still I have yet to grow bored of hearing more. His music has defined the series since its reboot in 2005, and knowing he won't be composing the music after series 10 is quite disappointing. But at least that means we may have one more album on the way.

• 4/5