Since it began in 2006, Torchwood seems to have been perpetually eclipsed by the success of the most recent incarnation of Doctor Who, the series from which it spun off.

However, with Children of Earth, the five-part miniseries that essentially serves as the shows third season, the stakes are higher than ever for Capt. Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper and Ianto Jones. And veteran Torchwood composer Ben Foster -- not to be confused with the popular actor of the same name -= captures the apocalyptic tone on its soundtrack.

Divided into sections representing each of the miniseriesfive episodes, the Children of Earth soundtrack opens with The First Sacrifice, a haunting melody which starts out very similar to a lullaby. Given that the miniseries initially centers on the worlds youth, this music is particularly fitting, instantly conveying a distortion of innocence that figures prominently into the plot.

Performed with gusto and verve by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the score gets going early on and never lets go. With an exquisite instrumental blend, the music conveys a sense of looming danger. In fact, the soundtrack grows more and more epic and intense as it goes on, punctuating in short and exhilarating bursts at the end of each of its five sections.

Countdown to Destruction, the final track in the Day One section, certainly reflects the energy of the first episode of the miniseries, building into a thunderous combination of sounds that vaguely resembles Hans Zimmers work in the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels.

Other standouts include Tractor Attack and The World Looks to the Skies, which encapsulate the spirit of adventure that Torchwood fans have come to associate with the series. Requiem for the Fallen and The Ballad of Ianto Jones are appropriately tragic pieces that punctuate the finale of Day Four, especially with the formers mournful vocalizations. And tracks like the guitar-driven Fighting Back and the solemn Redemption help build the tension as Children of Earth reaches its grand finale.

As an extra treat, the soundtrack also features both the opening and closing themes of the series as bonus tracks. Their inclusion only serves as further evidence that the music of Children of Earth has brilliantly built upon the musical foundation Torchwood has stood on since its inception.

Offering a five-episode tale instead of its traditional 13-episode seasons, Children of Earth was an ambitious move for the creative team of Torchwood, and it remains to be seen when and if the series will continue in the future.

Nevertheless, Fosters score for this collection of episodes has helped elevate the world of Torchwood to a higher plane by delivering a musical score that ranks among the best in modern television music.