|
     |
Combat Choro Q Original Sound Album :: Review by Bryan
 |
Album Title: | Combat Choro Q Original Sound Album |
| Record Label: | Absord Music Japan | |
| Catalog No.: | ABCA-15 | |
| Release Date: | April 23, 1999 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
Choro Q is a series of racing games based off of a type of toy car made by Japanese toy maker Takura. The games themselves are known to the western markets as Penny Racers (USA) and Road Trip (EUR). However, this entry in particular is known as Seek and Destroy in both markets, and an unexpected artist came to the front to compose this strange racing game. Tenpei Sato, known for his large amounts of NIS strategy game soundtracks, deviates from his normal entries to produce music for this game. While some may believe this would be a bad move for him, I disagree. Read on for more details!
Body
While this is a combat racing game, Sato sticks to his roots in producing many over the top orchestral pieces. The first track on the album, "The Q-Tank Hero", does have a sound similar to what you would hear in a colorful racing game. The intro has somewhat of a military-esque brass fanfare, immediately transitioning into the Sato we all know and love.
"Triumphal Arch" sounds like something straight out of Disgaea. I believe this would be the course victory theme. It also happens to be one of my favorites on the album! "Sleep in your Grave", again, sounds like a generic battle theme from Sato. The instrumentation is all over the place (not in a bad way!) and, while having a glint of hope, it still is very powerful. So far, this sounds like any Sato album released so far right? Well, things do change...
Not everything on this album is generic. Sato does bring on several surprises along the way. "Like A Breezing" is an electric guitar based track, fitting very well into the style of the game. You can still hear Sato in the mix, but this deviates from the norm quite well. It also borrows a very short interlude from the Metal Gear Solid theme. Just listen at 50 seconds! "Landscaper" also seems to take the road less traveled for Sato. Another odd but great track by him!
Now, I want to take a second to go over some tracks that DO sound like Sato, but don't fit any genre of racing game at all. "West Park Caf�" sounds like it would be a town theme of some kind. It's a little over the top, but look at who we are talking about here! "Secretive Woman" has to be some sort of character theme, because it doesn't fit anywhere else. It has a jazzy, yet sinister feel to it. "One Way Generation" is another amazing piece! I can't place this one in game at all. It is another triumphant orchestral theme, based largely on the brass section. It almost sounds like an overworld theme. Weird.
Summary
I can't really say much about this album. On the topic of racing games, it is a very strange album. As far as an entry to Sato's discography goes, it is pretty generic. Generic isn't bad though! Those who enjoy Tenpai Sato in his NIS games will enjoy this album greatly. Those who are a fan of more traditional racing game soundtracks, however, won't want to pick this up. It's 17 tracks of Sato goodness fit for any fan of his. I, for one, am glad I was able to find this, despite it not wowing me like some other Sato albums.
