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ESPGaluda Original Soundtrack :: Review by Dave
OverviewUnfortunately, the fact that ESPGaluda was only released in Japan puts it out of reach of most gamers, and this is pretty much the same with the Original Soundtrack, too. ESPGaluda is another bullet hell shooter from Cave that would have shook arcades worldwide. The game is unique in that it has awesome graphics for a very limited station and that the 3D rendering seems even more realistic than ever before. The N.T team create a really fine soundtrack for the game, and with Manabu Namiki also starring in one track, one can expect this album to be very Battle Garegga-esque — a good thing of course. The predominantly electronica style that this album adopts is amazingly fitting when one considers the gameplay, and, considering the other games that the company have made, it fits right in as part of the family. BodyAdmittedly, the first track on the album is pretty repetitive. The dance style of "Secret Power" gives it a really nice touch, but with there being hardly and development at all, it just turns out to be a catchy theme with little substance. Initially I had no problem with this theme whatsoever, but when the bass line continued to cycle in the background of the track, it became a little too boring. "Different Blood ~ Wearing Blood" offers that classic Ibiza dance club feel through its bass and adrenalin. In comparison to "Secret Power" this is certainly an improvement, especially seeing as though there is a fantastic melody that develops throughout. The section around the 1:08 mark is perhaps my favourite since a new instrument appears and plays an unexpected inspirational melody. The upbeat style of both of these tracks gives the soundtrack the cutting opening edge that it needed, although there is still a lot to improve upon. "Sudden Attack" takes a more hardcore stance than the previous tracks, and once again, although it is catchy on the whole, I wouldn't really consider it to be a gem on the album. An electric guitar plays a riff throughout, and the only original ideas that it gives off are given by some vocals and an improvised organ part in the background. The N.T sound team's next track, namely "Ravine" has a really catchy rhythm and melody, but it just doesn't offer anything spectacular to the album at all, despite its length. "Fort City" is definitely an improvement upon this, and what this track offers is a hugely invigorating experience in which you are captivated by the development in the accompanied sections. "Huge Battleship Elinies" starts off in a very similar style to "Different Blood ~ Wearing Blood", and not only does this reinforce the chosen dance and electronica fusion style upon the album, but it offers something enjoyable to listen to. This is by far the best track on the album in the early stages and this is all down to one thing: development. The same bass line comes back now and then but the part to listen to is the inspirational melody that lies on top of this. At first not a lot is offered, but when the track passes the 3:00 mark, everything starts to get very hyped up. The arrangement of this theme is also great, despite the fact that it starts off very slowly and somewhat repetitive too. "Huge Battleship Elinies (Arranged)" is Takayuki Aihara's sole contribution to the soundtrack, and what a theme to arrange, too. He adds a superb piano part to the track and manages to create a wonderful sense of ambience whilst keeping a mechanical atmosphere overall. The other arrangements on the album are also pretty impressive, though they need a lot more work done to them to match the power of "Huge Battleship Elinies (Arranged)." "Fort City (Arranged)" doesn't hold the same pizzazz as the original track did, but nonetheless, it takes a typical Shinji Hosoe approach through its structure and instrumentation. The track comes alive at the 1:40 mark where it suddenly becomes a lot heavier when there is an emphasis upon the bass line. The melody is reinforced throughout the track, but Hosoe never seems to emphasise the fact that it is there through any melodic development. Yousuke Yasui's "Ravine (Arranged)" isn't such a good arrangement and it seems to adopt that all too familiar repetitive style. It takes this track over three minutes to leak out the best part of the main melody. This is OK if you have never heard the original track, but otherwise it just becomes a boring piece. The last arrangement on the album "Dynasty" is composed and arranged by Manabu Namiki who has worked with Cave on several occasions. This theme is the last theme on the album and is meant to present the next game image; so, in other words, prepare for Mushihimesama. It has an invigorating melody and a perfect balance between dynamics, development and accompaniment, so it couldn't have been written any better. The last four non-arranged tracks on the album are all quite unique. "Floating Castle Urotsubune" is a fun listen and the bass part develops really well considering that the theme is relatively short in length in comparison to the other tracks on the album. The continuous hard-hitting beat makes this theme a dance classic, as does the adrenalin pumping rhythm. Nonetheless, there just seems to have no melody, and that is what lets it down. "Tremendous Pressure" is a very mechanical track that sounds like it has been composed for an industrial setting. Factory-like noises appear in the background as a metallic synth sound plays the main melody. This theme rates amongst my favourites on the album, and this is simply down to the originality offered by the instrumentation. It's unfortunate that such a timbre isn't explored elsewhere on the album. "The Dream Seen as a Child" is an ambient track that unfortunately leads to nowhere. It loops numerous times without any product, so it is ultimately a flop in comparison to the other tracks. "Gentle Voice," however, is completely different, and it is a classic ending theme for a shooter like ESPGaluda. The melody is introduced early on, and then, with a touch of magic, a synth accompaniment is added to reinforce every single beat. I truly enjoyed listening to this track, and it is definitely my overall favourite, with "Huge Battleship Elinies" a close second. SummaryThe music in shooter games is entirely different to any RPG music, and this is because the music is electronica orientated and they rely upon melodic development instead of harmonic variety. N.T proves to be a classic group of composers, and they really seem to hit the spot with most of the music that they create for the score. One thing that I couldn't help noticing was the repetitiveness of the tracks, and although many will grow to understand the lack of harmony, it becomes strange when that actually becomes the main focus of the track. Namiki's track reveals most of the flaws that the other tracks show through its utter perfection, but, one can't but help that it isn't the best track. "Huge Battleship Elinies" and "Gentle Voice" a brilliant tracks that I would buy the album for alone. If you see this album hanging around, don't be daft, get it. Percentage Overall Score: 86% |
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