Castlevania Music Sampler Review
by Louis Bedigian

A collection of some of the best Castlevania music.

American gamers know how hard it is to find good game soundtracks in this region.  Due to lack of exposure, most game publishers are afraid to take a chance and release a soundtrack in the States unless it includes a rockstar or a rap artist.

With Silent Hill 3, Konami gave gamers a special treat: the full soundtrack.   Now they haven't gone and done that again, but they have done something that is nearly as cool.  Anyone who pre-ordered a copy of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence received an exclusive music sampler*.  The sampler included three songs from Aria of Sorrow, 12 songs from Symphony of the Night, and 13 songs from Lament of Innocence!  It's a piece of three soundtracks in one – all for free!

Being the huge Castlevania fan that I am, I couldn't resist the chance to review Lament of Innocence and its impressive music sampler.

Incase you haven't heard, Lament of Innocence is the brand-new PlayStation 2-exclusive Castlevania game.  It's in full 3D and it rocks.  See GameZone's full review for more: http://ps2.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r21676.htm

Lament of Innocence's soundtrack is much more subtle than the previous Castlevania games.  The songs are less prevalent.  They don't jump out at you like before, but they still manage to leave a long-lasting impression.  That is exactly the case with "House of Sacred Remains," a deep, powerful song that'll hang around in your head for a while.

Only three songs from Aria of Sorrow grace this music sampler: "Destined Cruz," "Requiem for the Dark Souls," and "Holy Cross Obsessed by the Moon".  Those titles probably mean nothing to you, except for the slight references they have to the game.  Requiem for the Dark Souls is a dark, explore-a-castle kind of song, reminiscent of the classic themes of Ghouls 'N' Ghosts.  The former, Destined Cruz, is pretty immersive, especially when hearing it inside of the game.  It's still a stellar track outside of the game, but inside it seems to have more meaning.  Holy Cross Obsessed by the Moon is the best of the bunch.  It's a bit faster, and thus a bit more driving, and has that classic video game sound that you don't really hear much anymore.  This song is taken from a Game Boy Advance game though, so it's not too surprising that its music has more in common with the games of the SNES era than the era of the PSone.

When "Holy Cros..." ends, the music switches to the most beloved Castlevania game of all time: Symphony of the Night.  You'd have to be crazy or would have to have never played the game before to not know why.  The gameplay is the best of the best, but since this is a music review, that's where the focus will stay.

Each song is pure Castlevania goodness.  Is this the best music the series has to offer?  Many would argue yes, others might argue no – personally I'm torn, but after hearing these songs again, I'm leaning more toward Symphony of the Night.

"Dracula Castle" will take you back to the days of exploring.  You heard this song playing quietly in the background as you attempted to fight your way to the end.  It's quite a powerful song, far beyond that of most "average" music tracks.  I say average because "Dracula's Castle" plays while you play the game and not during some significant scene.  It doesn't lead up to anything hugely significant either.  That makes the song even better, since you know the composer put a lot of work into each piece.

Likewise, "Requiem of the Gods" is haunting, and "Path of the Departed" is basic, but deep.  "Lost Painting" is a really pretty song that has likely stuck with most Castlevania fans.

"Waltz of Pearls" is another noteworthy track. 

"Young Nobleman of Sadness."  The title may sound like a love song, but in actuality it's another one of Symphony of the Night's classic tunes.  Its mixture of drums, rock guitar riffs, and – is that a xylophone I hear? – its usual array of orchestral sounds make for one really enjoyable track.

As if you couldn't already tell, this music sampler rocks.  If you can get your hands on one do so immediately.

*Note: Some retailers, both online and offline, currently offer the music sampler to anyone who purchases the game.

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