Eko Eko Azarak Wizard of Darkness Original Soundtrack :: Review by Don

	Album Title:	Eko Eko Azarak Wizard of Darkness Original Soundtrack
	Record Label:	PolyGram
	Catalog No.:	POCX-1016
	Release Date:	February 25, 1996
	Purchase:	Buy at eBay

Overview

From what I've discovered online, Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness is based off an anime and manga by the same name. The game was Tenpei Sato's first PlayStation project. The title originates from a Wiccan chant. As such, the soundtrack has a very mysterious sound to it. Does Sato succeed in creating something both mystical and frightening? You'll just have to read on to find out.

Body

For the most part, this soundtrack is very melodic. However, there are a few tracks that seem to focus more on suspense and ambience. "Y's Premonition," "Embracing the Dark Night," "Whispers of a Fallen Angel," and "Ecstasy" are among the tracks that have a much darker feel to them. While I'm sure they work wonders accompanying the medium, they are definitely a chore to get through on their own, at least for me.

However, aside from that, the soundtrack is fairly solid. The opening piece, "Red Masquerade Ball", is a stunning composition. It has a very gothic feel to it and the instrumentation executes a stunning melody. Shifting from soft passages to dark passages, the overall flow of the piece is very dynamic. The synth vocals add much to the track and accentuate the haunting nature of the piece. Sad to say, but this is easily my favorite on the soundtrack. It gripped me from the beginning and didn't let go. "Crisis and Carthasis" is another fantastic piece of music. It has a very dark focus and the instrumentation is superb. From the haunting violin to the hammering percussion, it just has this sense of evil presence about it. The bass line rhythm is perhaps my favorite part. It just seems to go extremely well with the more epic nature of some of the sections of the piece.

"In Love with More than a Sailor Suit" starts off quite haunting, but as the track progresses, it seems to take on a lighter air. The soft melodic passages just seem to portray an air of happiness and peace. It's definitely a contrasting piece to the overall dark feel of the soundtrack and I think it is executed fairly well. "Smile of Ice" is a very nice piano composition that ranges in styles. Overall, it's another happy piece, although it does have its hints of sadness. I think it's another thoughtful composition and, although you don't hear Sato use a lot of piano as the primary focus in a composition often, I think he does do a great job of it.

Of course, I have to mention some of the darker and somber pieces on the soundtrack. "A Bouquet from the Dead" is a beautifully haunting violin composition. The melody is brim with sadness, yet at the same time, there seems to be a hint of love within the composition. The harp accents from time to time are also quite nice and add a bit to this fairly standard piece of music. "Seal of Blood" is another violin composition. However, the dark focus of this piece sticks out. It's a great builder of tension and suspense, but some might find it hard to listen to on its own.

It can't be a Tenpei Sato soundtrack unless it has a vocal performance! "Timeless War ~ A Wounded Age" ends the soundtrack with a beautiful performance. The opening is a bit mysterious with the woman whispering words and the echoing of a small child. Once the piece starts to flow, the overall effect is quite haunting. I think the sadness found within the composition and the vocalist's quite powerful voice helps to create a very gripping performance. The piano- and string-focused composition crafts a beautiful melody with both the sadness mentioned before and hints of hope. It ends the soundtrack quite nicely.

Summary

For the most part, this soundtrack is fairy solid. The ambient tracks probably work wonders with context, but suffer from a lack of listenability on their own. At the same time, there are a lot of stunning pieces, both on the dark and haunting side of things, as well as the happier ones as well. It's another facet of Tenpei Sato that you rarely see, but I think he does a pretty good job here. It's definitely worth looking into if you can find it.

Overall Score: 8/10