Outward Bound, one of Philadelphia's newest ensembles headed by saxophonist Andrew Hanna, released the epic narrative piece Prophecies of War in April 2004.

Prophecies of War, composed by Hanna, is a piece that resurrects the old Wagnerian concept of collective arts, yet it is innovative with the design and production. Prophecies of War depicts war primarily through music and is accompanied by poetry and multimedia. Emotionally, the music is calm and angular and at other times it is violent and turbulent. Musically, it is divided up into a introduction and four movements and in each movement their is a feeling and thought that is presented. The poetics of Prophecies of War allude to the American pretense of strength and power.

In the final movement, War, the poetry reflects the emotional torment that one experiences from the "horrors of war." After reading the liner notes and listening to the music, one is left with the questions of is war useful? Is it necessary and if so when?

As one can see from these questions, Prophecies of War is a thought provoking piece that raises questions that many think of, but few achieve to ask. In the end Prophecies of War is a worthwhile CD for the socially conscious, the new artist, or for someone who is looking for something that is cutting edge.