Overview

Six years after the great success of Symphony of the Night, the creative team behind the Castlevania series returns and brings Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (known simply as Castlevania in Japan). Michiru Yamane returned to produce the score for the series, but decided to reject the traditional rock elements because it didn't fit the old timeline. Instead she blends the classic gothic elements of the series with orchestrations and, peculiarly given the timeline, quite a bit of electronica. The Castlevania Lament of Innocence Original Soundtrack features all music from the game as well as some bonus arrangements from Dawn of Sorrow and Lament of Innocence in the second disc.

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The soundtrack starts off with an orchestral "Prologue" full of suspense and movement. It begins rather monononously with the use of timpani and deep strings, but when the brass and strings set in to accentuate the appearance of the two main characters, Leon Belmont and Mathias Cronquist, the piece reaches an heroic climax. A more mystical tone sets in around 1:12 when a mournful female voice joins in, accompanied by harp arpeggios to illustrate the mention of Elizabetha's death, Mathias' beloved wife. Thereafter the music gets a bit more rapid with use of whirring strings in the background together with pizzicato strings, woodwinds, and percussive effects to imply that something strange is happening. The piece proceeds to a triumphant conclusion with repetition of the first heroic section. Overall it's a pretty track and a solid introduction to the game and soundtrack as well. "Prologue to the Black Abyss" thereafter is a simple but very atmospheric track. The lush string ensemble and the operatic female vocals perfectly fit the beginning of the game in those empty and creepy castle halls.

With "Garden Forgotten by Time", the classic Castlevania sound finally returns to our ears once again. It is a beautiful piece with huge similarities to previous installments such as Symphony of the Night. It opens up in a similar dramatic way as "Tower of Mist" or "The Tragic Prince" until a playful and catchy woodwind section takes over with support from strings and horns. Around the one minute mark the music becomes surprisingly innocent and there is a lovely interlude with various bell and flute motifs. Eventually the string ensemble takes over once again and leads the track to its dramatic conclusion. How can such a beautiful place exist in such a creepy castle? "Fog-Enshrouded Nightscape" is a slow developing piece of music that becomes very pleasant when you listen to it for a while. The first minute is kind of boring with ascending and descending harp and bell arpeggios together with some percussive effects and low strings in the background. But around 1:25 the music starts to develop finally; the strings get more brighter and a haunting and beautiful atmosphere builds up towards the end. Not quite as effective as perhaps "Garden Forgotten by Time", but all in all one of the most beautiful pieces from this score.

What would Castlevania be without its organ themes? Well, "House of Sacred Remains" certainly ensures we don't have to find out. It is a gothic church organ chorale featuring sacred choir sections and some interesting electronic effects. After the development of the first section, a great passage sets in around 1:36 where Yamane integrates catchy and lyrical harp arpeggios together with strings and more upbeat percussion. It really gives you a feeling of awe while travelling through an holy temple. But this temple is sadly full of frightening monsters, so the church organ sets in again one minute later to perform an epic conclusion to the development section. This is really the type of piece which demonstrates the power of the music in this game. "Ghostly Theatre" is also one of my personal favorites of the area themes. It features some beautiful woodwind melodies, mellow strings, and a lovely harp together with some tenor vocals. After the soft introduction the piece enters a Baroque section around 0:47 with the use of harpsichord, horns, and ghostly choir to build up a dramatic atmosphere before the loop. In some ways, this theme reminds me of the Phantom of the Opera, because it features some operatic fragments within.

Despite such highlights, there is a lot of ambient music featured on the soundtrack. The title screen music "Forbiden Fate" is just an nineteen second jingle with dissonant use of strings and electronica / percussive effects. Yamane experiments further with ambient sounds and voice effects on "Cursed Memories" and "Rinaldo's Cabin" to alienating effect. One of the more cinematic themes, "Nightmare" fits its purpose very well while Rinaldo tells the sad truth about his family with its depressed strings and harp arpeggios, but is rather uninteresting on a stand-alone level. "Dark Palace of Waterfalls" likewise is one of my least favorite area themes, because it has a very ambient nature and builds up its climax with a slow tempo. "Anti-Soul Mysteries Lab" meanwhile is a track that I have mixed feelings for. It features synth pads, electric bass drums, and some various male raps in conjunction with soft string sections and evil chants. The electronic instrumentation disturbingly out-of-place for the early 11th Century setting of the game even if the location itself has something to do with experiments. Apart from this, the melodies are quite catchy and the development is very enjoyable. It's very fun to listen to and makes the gameplay more entertaining, even with the sometimes repetitive stage design. Its basement counterpart "Statue Enchanted by the Darkness" is also enjoyable, if a little more repetitive,

The boss battle themes on the soundtrack are a mixed bag. "Traces of Malevolent Souls" features dissonant use of melodies and harmonies and a weird mix of percussion. With woodwinds, brass, an instrument that sounds like a bagpipe, and a bass line, everything doesn't quite fit together. The resultant sound is a bit chaotic, but nevertheless works quite well to build up to tense situations and confrontation with enemies. Likewise "Stone King Golem" and "Elemental Tactician" develop a harsh and frenzied atmosphere through synchronising pseudo-techno and dissonant orchestral elements. "Bizarre Room ~Undead Parasite Theme~" is a rather dramatic sounding boss theme with use of low-key tribal percussion. The overall track is quite atmospheric and there is just the right development, from the bizzare beginning to the foreboding string section at 0:37 all the way to the climax around the one minute mark. It's definitely effective in context, but perhaps too unmelodic to appeal otherwise. "Snake Head Medusa" is less effective with its bizarre jungle rhythms and repetitive bass lines. It seems a little too gimmicky in context, while lacking the elements required to be an appealing stand-alone listen.

"Death Flower Succubus" is easily one my favorite boss themes from Lament of Innocence. Michiru Yamane portraits the appearance of the wicked Succubus with a theme full of tension, adrenaline, and emotion. While the steady snare drum creates a militaristic tone together with timpani and cymbal crashes, the strings and brass build up a powerful, dramatic, yet elegant atmosphere. Around 0:40 and 1:08, the woodwinds also give a feeling of despair and impending fate. But what I find the most interesting thing about this piece is the use of an operatic female voice, which symbolizes the disreputable female very well and fits the theatre location of the game excellently. The Succubus theme from Symphony of the Night, "Evil Banquet," is very similar, but this one here is much more effective and successful. "Prison of Eternal Torture", for an optional boss called The Forgotten One, is an interesting mix of elements from "Melancholy Joachim" and "Death Flower Succubus"; it's sometimes straightforward and fast-paced with use of help and brass and strings, but it's sometimes more militaristic with female operatic vocals. There isn't a real melody inside here, but that doesn't matter because the arrangement is superb and fits the scenery extremely well.

Let's look at two central character themes. "Melancholy Joachim" is an enjoyable anthem. After a dissonant introduction, percussion kicks in together with some electronic effects and strings. We finally hear the main melody of Joachim's Theme around 0:27 in dramatic orchestral form. Subsequently the piece enters a slow interlude with dissonant use of strings. It sadly lacks the development it deserves, lacking well-constructed sections after the main melody and featuring repetitive frantic percussion. But all in all, it's a worthy and effective character theme and battle theme. With "Lament of Innocence", the main hero from the story finally gets his own theme. As Michiru Yamane said in the liner notes, it is "a piece that shows Leon's grief and anger". The piano melody is really emotional and memorable, telling a sad story about his determination to confront the cruel master of the castle and revenge his beloved girl. The use of strings and brass is also excellent here, particularly in the grand and dramatic introduction, where they bring up various emotions. Though the percussion is a little too emphatic and "poppy" for my tastes, it also helps to emphasise movement and excitement in this piece. Around 1:13 the piece enters a somber and slow interlude with female operatic vocals until the second part of the main theme is played with an interesting use of piano at the end.

Moving to Dracula's battle theme, "Dark Night Toccata" is an adrenaline pumping theme full of suspense and movement. It begins with a militaristic tone through use of snare drums and strings and later the brass, organ, and strings later perform a nice climatic section which leads cleverly into a dramatic variation of Joachim's Theme. With a length of six minutes, the final cutscene theme "Dracula Appears" is the longest track from the entire soundtrack. Michiru Yamane shows her skills to create a fitting music for a scene and provides just the right atmosphere with this. "Demonic Symphonic Poem ~Death's Theme~" is a worthy last boss theme, though it's a little uninteresting on a stand-alone basis. Michiru Yamane ends the original score with this elegant theme, "Admiration Towards the Clan", which plays during the staff credits. It begins in a very dramatic way, then it moves into a more soft and melancholy section. Afterwards, a piano performs the main melody, which leads into... the famous "Vampire Killer" theme from ancient Castlevania times! The melody is performed by an oboe in a very emotional way to portrait the legacy of the Belmont Clan. After that little interlude, another traditional theme is used, namely "Bloody Tears" with a usual organ melody and phenomenonal supporting orchestration. Clearly Yamane saved one of the best till last.

The soundtrack also features three bonus arrangements from Aria of Sorrow. "The Cross of Fate", is actually an arrangement of the "Ruined Castle Corridor" theme. It begins with dissonant use of strings and organ in conjunction with pounding percussion. Thereafter the main melody sets in, which is more melancholy and elegant than the original and later given an even more beautiful orchestral rendition. At 2:35 the organ takes over again together with vocals, military percussion, and piano until the track fades out. The second arrangement is a rendition of "Demon Castle Top Floor". A wicked organ introduces us to the piece while the fantastic percussion kicks in a way similar to Curse of Darkness's "Baljhet Mountains". The main melody is provided by orchestral strings together with soft harp arpeggios and brass. After two sections, the organ makes a nice interlude with percussion and the mood gets more deep and serious while the brass is performing the main theme. Finally, we have the "Chapel" theme being remixed with "Requiem for the Dark Souls". Unlike the two ancestors, this piece is not upbeat and instead very atmospheric and dramatic with the use of various orchestra, percussive, and operatic forces. It is still a very good arrangement, but it lacks memorability compared to the previous tracks. If these tracks only were used in the original game...

There is also a suite entitled 'Music Inspired by Castlevania Lament of Innocence', which is sadly a mixed bag. In "Christmas Carol", Michiru Yamane uses the melody of "House of Sacred Domains" and transforms it into an solemn hymn with a slight touch of drama. In the middle of the arrangement, the percussion becomes more prominent and the melody is played in a faster tone. It's an interesting remix, but it's too wishy-washy for my tastes and not as good as the original theme. "A Stranger Met by the Wind" is a very repetitive arranged version of "Anti-Soul Mysteries Lab" while "Castlevania -2003-" is an experimental electronic remix with some newly added sections. Both tracks are too repetitive for my tastes, despite their clear creative merits. "Cursed Lady" is a track with eerie sound effects in the background and some strings performing a variation of "Snake Head Medusa", while "Destructive God from the Past" is a somewhat uninspired theme possibly rejected for a boss encounter here. Thankfully, the arrangements of the themes of Joachim and Leon are slightly more interested. She integrates the former with the piano line of "Dark Palace of Waterfalls" in a really melancholy arrangement, while the latter is given a low-key programmatic variation. Joachim's theme also receives one final rendition at the end of the soundtrack.

Summary

The Castlevania Lament of Innocence Original Soundtrack is a marvelous solo comeback by series' veteran Michiru Yamane following her work on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The soundtrack features a mixture of orchestral, gothic, and electronic elements in contrast to most earlier scores in the series. Probably the biggest highlights are the stage themes, which are wonderfully composed and very varied. Yamane also decided to give every boss their own theme, which makes the battles a lot more fun and diverse, as the themes fit their counterparts very well. She renounced her traditional electric guitar work here, because it would't fit into the storyline, and only "Castlevania Reincarnation" features this style. But this isn't a bad thing overall, as she is still able to color the game's scenery perfectly with diverse compositions even without those elements. An excellent selection and a worthy addition to the series.

Overview

In 2003, Castlevania made its third 3D outing with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence to mixed reception. Given the game was set in medieval times, returning composer Michiru Yamane decided to reject most of the pop elements that dominated previous scores in the series in favour of mature orchestrations and haunting soundscapes. The resultant soundtrack is an inconsistent listen, but features some of the greatest tracks in the entire series.

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The more cinematic direction of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence is immediately reflected with the "Prologue". This track gradually evolves from its ominous introduction through sections conveying a romantic tragedy and an epic struggle. This approach fits the opening narrative well and represents an interesting new direction for the series. However, some series' followers may be alienated by the serious tone, while yet others will be disappointed by the somewhat drab orchestration and synthetic implementation. Similarly ambient tracks such as "Cursed Memories", "Rinaldo's Cabin", or "Darkness" will only alienate listeners further with their endless drones.

Thankfully, many of the compositions on the soundtrack are far more attractive in their approach. "Garden Forgotten by Time" is an early highlight with its rich melodies and classical majesty. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Yamane's work on Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, yet it is more gushingly orchestrated and elaborately developed. The section from the 1:20 mark is especially powerful. Other setting themes, such as "Fog-Enshrouded Nightscape" and "Dark Palace of Waterfalls", draw listeners in with their enchanting motifs and mystical soundscapes. They contrast greatly with the series' typical melodic anthems, yet still immerse listeners with their elegant musicianship and beautiful timbres.

"House of Sacred Remains" and "Ghostly Theatre" stand out particularly strongly on this soundtrack. Both tracks focus on incorporating gothic organ, harpsichord, and chorus passages into an eerie overall soundscape. The epic organ solo of the extensively developed former at the 3:17 mark provides the single most awe-inspiring moment of the entire series. Among other highlights, "Leon's Theme", "Melancholy Joachim", and "Anti-Soul Mysteries Lab" blend Yamane's characteristic gothic instruments and chord progressions with surprisingly infectious electronic beats. The former will especially appeal to series' veterans given its strong melody and passionate development.

The score's battle themes will often be a select taste. They create lots of tension and grandeur within the game's often prolonged encounters with dissonant orchestration and heavy percussion. However, they're quite varied in their approach, ranging from lyrical orchestrations such as "Bizarre Room", to stylistic hotchpotchs such as "Traces of Malevolent Souls", to operatic arias such as "Death Flower Succubus". Yamane also integrates beats into some of the more impressive battle themes, namely "Elemental Tactician" and "Statue Enchanted by the Darkness", to enhance their accessibility. All these compositions have their musical and functional merits, but are definitely intended for the more experimental listener.

There are numerous bonus tracks featured on the second disc of the release. First of all, Yamane modernises three of her best tracks from Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow with satisfying gothic orchestrations. There is also a suite of tracks arranged from or inspired by the original score at the end of the soundtrack. It's interesting to hear novel interpretations of some of the score's best tracks, but generally they are less successful than their originals. For example, "House of Sacred Remains" sounds much more superficial in its Christmas-inspired hymn here, while "Leon's Theme" lacks the same drama and melodiousness as the original in its cinematic rendition. It's a decent bonus to flesh-out the release, but nowhere near the quality of a fully-fledged arranged album.

Summary

Overall, it's fantastic that Yamane was prepared to take the series' music in such a radical new direction here, and her approach both fits the game's historic setting and ensures a refreshing stand-alone listen. The soundtrack suffers somewhat from its drab cinematic cues, abstract battle themes, and bland bonus content, but makes up for it once it gets going with gigantic highlights such as "Ghostly Theatre", "Dark Palace of Waterfalls", and "Leon's Theme". This soundtrack isn't for all, but it is a must-have for those that enjoy the more dark and mature side of Castlevania's music.

Overview

Over half a year ago, I sat down to write about two Castlevania scores: Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. Dissecting the contrast between these works was nothing short of interesting: one soundtrack would prevail in an area where the other would fall short and vice versa. Despite believing my opinions were solid enough to materialize in text, only my thoughts about Curse of Darkness would see daylight as the remnants concerning Lament of Innocence would be brushed off to the far corners of an untitled text document. Soon after, the album would be surrendered from the hands of one uncertain listener. However, much like Dracula himself, this was hardly the end of the story.

Half a year later my interest in Castlevania music was tapped once again, its influence as unrelenting as the denizens of the night themselves. Armed with knowledge of what the original soundtrack had to offer, a solid yet bloated banquet filled with some rather undesirable additives and preservatives, the Castlevania Lament of Innocence Music Sampler seemed to be a fitting solution. Still, the question remains: why would anyone settle for less when the main dish offers more? The answer lies somewhere in between what both releases offer; such a realization being the missing piece of the puzzle that was previously believed to be complete.

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Containing a little more than one-third of the pieces that appear in the game, how can a sampler feel more fulfilling than a complete soundtrack? The biggest addition found here is actually an omission — the omission of the music Yamane's wrote for the game's cut scenes. It was by no means horrible, but despite achieving its desired effect in-game it severely disrupted the flow of the original soundtrack. It's worth noting that Curse of Darkness was set up in similar fashion yet the size of these "speed bumps" was minimized and the overall transition eased by incorporating some of the game's area themes into such pieces. With this in mind only having one-third of the tracks doesn't come off as a big loss and the ability of the score to go from stage theme to stage theme or stage theme to battle theme makes a world of difference.

Of course, while the track choice may not appease everybody the more important and prominent themes, like those from the game's first five main major areas, all make an appearance along with the more straightforward battle tracks like the powerful "Melancholy Joachim" rounding out an impressive core. Some will undoubtedly miss pieces such as "Rinaldo's Cabin," "Prelude to the Black Abyss", and "Death Flower Succubus," though the only track I find myself truly missing is "Statue Enchanted by the Darkness" where the listener is taken aboard an evil, orchestrated train ride to hell as the crazed skeleton captain at the helm laughs manically. Additionally, "Elemental Tactician" and "Dark Night Toccata (Walter's Theme)," tracks that were somewhat under the radar when listening to the soundtrack are given more of a chance to stand out here even though the whole set of pieces can fly by before you know it.

There is another factor involved with the above, however: the tracks here don't loop. On the soundtrack, most tracks make at least one and a half loops before the fade, with shorter tracks usually making the full double. As it is, why would anyone want to limit these pieces so they only play once? With Yamane's compositions being as powerful and thick as they are (Lament of Innocence being no slouch when it comes to being bombastic) small and concise auditory experiences are ultimately the better alternative, creating a brisker listen rather than an extended tour-de-force road-trip where the temptation to drifting in and out is more likely. Even if such an idea was applied to the soundtrack as a whole it would be a moot point: issues with the shorter tracks would arise due to space limitations and the cinematic tracks would still be there to break up the action regardless.

Following the picks from Lament of Innocence is the arranged three track suite from Aria of Sorrow that can also be found on the Japanese equivalent of this disc (the Castlevania Special Music CD) and the second disc of the original soundtrack. This material has only gotten better since it no longer precedes the lackluster "Music Inspired by Castlevania Lament of Innocence / another Castlevania story" suite from the previously mentioned albums. There really isn't one particular track that excels beyond the others here; with the pitch and emotion maintaining a steady level it forms a nice intermission between the main features.

When it comes to the selection for Symphony of the Night, what can be said that hasn't already been said? It's easily one of the most defining soundtracks of the 32-bit era but looking beyond the accolades it doesn't feel as bulletproof as it once was. Often praised for the vast variety of moods expressed within, such strength seems to have slightly weakened the bonds that bind over time, leaving one to wonder if a little more uniformity amongst the ideas presented could have prevented something like this. Change Symphony? That's tantamount to VGM treason! True, but by the same token it's fine the way it is; it's just the right mood has to strike me for this music to be effective as it was originally.

Given the score's stature and number of area themes presented there's a lot more at stake here than there was with the beginning of the disc. Accounted for are rocking classics like "Dracula's Castle" and "Young Nobleman of Sadness" as are the soaring angelic numbers such as "Requiem of the Gods" and "Lost Painting". "Strange Bloodline" is an interesting pick but others like "Wood Carving Partita" and "The Final Toccata" have become victims of time (the latter is due to its overuse in the game). As expected, this is no substitute to owning the complete soundtrack: summing up a favorable cross section of Symphony's music is one hundred times harder than using the Alucard Shield / Shield Rod combo to obliterate the last stretch of the game.

Summary

If you feel the original soundtrack for Lament of Innocence is bogged down by the elements described above you can't go wrong with the Lament of Innocence Music Sampler. This is a great little CD that just might change your prospective about this music as it did mine. Despite being a promotional item released over four to five years ago, it is not too hard to come by and usually sells for a fraction of what the full soundtrack goes for. Regardless, when it comes to the music of Lament of Innocence — and music in general — this sampler proves that less is sometimes more, much more.