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Impetuth Original Soundtracks :: Review by Don
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Album Title: | Impetuth Original Soundtracks |
| Record Label: | SuperSweep | |
| Catalog No.: | OGST-0001 | |
| Release Date: | May 11, 2009 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at VGM World |
Overview
Developed by O-Games, Impetuth was a shmup in a similar vein to King's Knight. Although it was only a small game, it managed to attract SuperSweep's Shinji Hosoe and Shoichiro Sakamoto to compose the soundtrack. Although it only features roughly 30 minutes worth of music, is it worth a purchase?
Body
Of the eleven tracks that actually have meat to them, Shinji Hosoe is responsible for only four of them. The first stage theme, "Covered in Grass," is a playful electronica piece with some clear jazz influence, particularly in the B section. It features an excellent use of percussion, bass guitar, and a variety of synth leads, all lending to help keep it fresh throughout. His other stage theme, "Lost Way," is definitely a more laid-back composition. As with "Covered in Grass," there is a fantastic usage of percussion and it really helps lay the foundation for the rest of the piece. The synth leads are both calming and haunting, which helps to convey a sense of wandering. The short stage clear theme, aptly named "Stage Clear," is a soothing electronica/orchestral fusion piece that works nicely in transitioning to the next stage. It doesn't really develop much, but most of the time, these stages do not. He's also responsible for the "Game Over" and "Player Miss" themes, but they are only about 6 seconds each.
Moving on to the final Shinji Hosoe contribution, "Piece of the Castle" is the last boss theme. It definitely breaks away from the normal trend for shmup last boss themes. As opposed to an exhilarating, if mostly unmelodic, final boss theme, Hosoe opts to take this one in a different direction. For the most part, it's got a very diverse progression, at times peaceful, at times a bit more engaging and slightly intense, but I think the thing that sells it for me is the broad use of instrumentations, from acoustic guitar and piano, to more synth and percussion leads you'd typically find in a shmup boss theme.
Although Shinji Hosoe is definitely the more well-known of the two composers, I honestly think that Shoichiro Sakamoto did the better job on this soundtrack and I'm glad he composed the majority of the themes. Starting with the title theme, "Impetuth," we are immediately opened with an engaging electronica piece, bouncy, and upbeat. Although it's far from the most developed theme on the album, it's such a great way to open and it boasts a very strong melody! His stage themes are all quite different from one another. "Crystal Cave," the second stage theme, while not as upbeat as Hosoe's "Covered in Grass," more than makes up for it, for its interesting fusion of synth and piano with a nice techno beat. It's melancholy and peaceful at times, and although you don't get any sense of impending danger, the inherent beauty of this combination makes for a fantastic listen.
The boss themes are quite a delicious treat! The mid-boss theme, "Ill Will," doesn't waste any time throwing you into the fray. Frenetic electronica and percussion, with a fantastic melody, await the listener. It's quite heroic and tense at the same time. However, my favorite theme of the entire album has to be the boss theme, "Assault from the Evil." This theme, if I can try to describe it without sounding like a giddy school girl (only on weekends, folks! Sorry!), is an exhilarating electronica piece with clear industrial influences. However, it manages to stay extremely melodic, incorporate the use of piano in many of the calmer sections of the composition and as an accompaniment tool. Intense and exciting, it's a fantastic theme in which to do battle!
The third stage theme, "Lava of Purgatory," is probably my favorite of the stage themes. It's a fantastic combination of electronica and rock and it even manages to incorporate choir. This makes for a very exhilarating theme, with a nice futuristic/gothic twist. The melody is strong and the guitar riff accompaniment is just so sweet! His last stage theme, "Devil's Gate," is the most undeveloped piece on the soundtrack and doesn't really go anywhere. It's a haunting, ethereal piece overall. Yet while I can see this working quite well in-game, it doesn't transition too well for standalone listening. And so, to end the review, there is "The End of a Tale". This is a bright and happy electronica piece with some jazz and rock influences. It manages to close out the game quite well with its more jovial and peaceful sections and, all in all, it makes for a wonderful close.
Summary
There is NO reason why you shouldn't pick this up from VGM World. Sure, it's only 30 minutes worth of music, but it only costs approximately 6 dollars! At that kind of money, I think it's a steal. Both Shinji Hosoe and Shoichiro Sakamoto do a beautiful job, despite the low production cost of the game and it makes me want to hear more of Sakamoto. Please, keep it up SuperSweep. The more you compose, the more I fall in love. Bottom line: WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
