Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Resurrection

More or less a decade has passed since the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. However, Michiru Yamane's haunting score still populates my Winamp playlist even now - a feat not matched by the decent but utterly trite Eyes on Me, One-Winged Angel, or most other video game music (with the exception of arranged King of Fighters tracks).

That's why I was only a hair breadth's away from utter rapture when I came across Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Resurrection. It's a compilation of remixed SotN tracks by various musicians - no Niconico artists here, so steer clear if you're a bit racist with your vidya game music and don't like Western remixers.

I'm in love with the compilation's medley track created by one Joshua Morse. Titled "Heart of Vlad," Morse tackles the music not usually covered by most other remixers, who seem to favor Tragic Prince and Dance of Pales.

One brilliant example is his rendition of the Catacomb stage's BGM, Rainbow Cemetery (3:33). While it sticks close to the source material, Morse's Rainbow Cemetery is arguably a bit more crisp than the original with liberal amounts of drum beats and accentuating guitar riffs.

I also enjoyed his jazzy version of my favorite SotN track, Crystal Teardrop (6:07). For those who couldn't recognize the notes, it's the tune used in the Underwater Vein Stage. Morse took away the bass that made Crystal Teardrop quite distinct from others, but his cool jazz treatment more than makes up for it.

One of the reasons why I immensely liked Morse's take on Yamane's opus is that he doesn't stray too far from the original and alienate the fans of the soundtrack. If you loved SotN's music and still remember each and every tune, better give Morse's version a shot. And oh, a few lines taken from the cheesy yet priceless voice acting in the game are inserted, making for a few lulzy moments.

Liked it so far? Just drop me a line at my YM if you want to get the entire compilation of the SotN remix.