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Persona - Another Memory :: Review by Chris
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Album Title: | Persona - Another Memory |
| Record Label: | Atlus | |
| Catalog No.: | Promotional | |
| Release Date: | October 21, 2008 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
What is Persona - Another Memory? An album for the animation? The much-needed Persona 4 arranged album? A compilation of the series' music? It seems most English audiences are confused as to exactly what it is, so here I am to inform all. First of all, Persona - Another Memory was given to 1000 people who were successful in a prize draw. It contains three vocal remixes using material from the anime Persona -Trinity Soul- and the game Persona 4. There's not much on offer in terms of quality, but the arrangements are pretty radical nevertheless...
Body
The first track is a remix of the opening theme "Breakin' Through" for the anime Persona -Trinity Soul-. The original was a relatively straightforward J-Rock theme featuring an enpowering male vocalist and some snazzy funk instrumentals. The remix has even more energy than before with its hard rock instrumentals and extensive distortion, occasionally even verging towards heavy metal. However, Kita Shuuhei's vocals remain relatively unchanged so the track is as catchy as before. While both are accomplished, some will prefer the original and others will prefer the remix, though I'm personally with the latter audience. Gotta love these daring and hard-edged tracks!The second remix is even more surprising since it treats a Persona -Trinity Soul- hymn, "Somewhere", in a rock remix. The blend of Nataliya Gudziy's angelic vocals and gritty rhythm guitars will take some time to get used to. However, the styles work a little better than expected and there are some parallels to Persona 3's "Battle Hymn of the Soul" in this regard. In part due to some subtle electronic distortions and careful engineering, the vocals protrude in an ethereal manner against the abrasion below. Parts of the track feel a little like what one might expect from an emo band, but most of it is quite fresh and interesting.
Finally, Persona 4's most enjoyable vocal theme is given a lively remix in "Reach Out To The Truth Of My House". The vocals return Meguro's edge once again with some sections sounding like sassy R'n'B and others featuring tasteful rapping. They are projected by completely remixed instrumentals that once again push the boundaries. The hyperactive backing is sometimes reminiscent of No More Heroes's "Pure-White Tiny Giant Glastonbury" and that is certainly a good thing. However, the spirit of the original theme is still kept alive and there is plenty of variety during the four minute playtime. If only there were more Persona 4 remixes...
Summary
Persona - Another Memory is a very strange concept for an album. It's surprising that anime and game pieces came together in one release and that popular vocal themes were incredibly distorted. That said, each track is quite an enjoyable listen due to both the melodic strengths of their originals and the hard-edged instrumentals in their arranged versions. As a result, it should appeal to fans of rocking vocal tracks. However, I still think that Persona 4 deserves a more substantial arranged album.
