Wednesday, September 5, 2012

24 - Castlevania Circle of the Moon

Sinking Old Sanctuary



Sinking Old Sanctuary is obviously a song I love, being the namesake of this blog. It's really one of those songs I could listen to 100 times on repeat and never get tired of it. Believe me. I've done it. The version that appears on this game is a remix of a song of the same name that has appeared on Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness and Castlevania: Bloodlines, neither of which is nearly as catchy. The bass line carries the song without overpowering it, and gives the entire thing an atmosphere of danger and excitement, while the highly syncopated melody makes it feel like the song is about to fall off the rails somehow, making it all very unsettling - which is exactly the effect they're going for.

Awake



If Awake really is about waking up, it was probably being woken up by some kind of gunfire or something, because the first part does feel like waking up, then you're immediately thrown into an incredibly exciting melody. My favorite part of the song happens at 1:04, where the main theme of the game kicks in. I kinda wish that part would last a little bit longer. The bass line of that part is superb, but a little lethargic in the rest of the track.

Clockwork



Clockwork utilizes one of the best bass lines out of every track on the OST. I like the second segment (starting at :39) a little less than the first, but that segment ends incredibly strong. This track feels more urgent than the others, accomplished by the frantic bassline that's all over the map and very fun to listen to.

Fate to Despair



Fate To Despair is less exciting than the other tracks, and does a great job of emphasizing the majesty and grandeur of the castle. There's no strong bass line to speak of, which is only disappointing because I wish Tojima would use his ability to construct strong, driving bass lines on every single track. Though I guess he probably wanted to de-emphasize urgency on this one, and his bass lines seem to always add that quality. I love the sound of the various repeated instrumental lines layered on top of one another underlying the melody - try to listen to it several times, each time following a different instrument. Challenging and rewarding.

Aqauarius



Probably the most frantic track of all, Aquarius rides on the razor's edge between exciting and overwhelming. The bass line at the beginning of the song is great, but as before with Awake, I wish he had done more with it. The melody, however, is good enough to overcome any disappointment I have about the bass. I love the syncopation in the melody starting at :55. Big Battle



Big Battle is the "Boss Fight" track, which is probably pretty obvious even if you've never played the game. Urgent and ominous. The accent at :35 is my favorite part.

Overall a brilliant soundtrack, doing more with the GBA sound chip than most later-generation consoles can manage with their advanced sound devices.

1 comment:

  1. This was the first metroidvania I ever played I used to stand around, waiting to heal, listening to the music. Great addition!

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