Overview

In 2008, Michiru Yamane made one final Castlevania soundtrack before departing Konami, her workplace of 20 years. This was for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, the third and final DS score in the series. For this title, she offered a slightly more upbeat and electrifying approach to the series under the guidance of sound director Yasuhiro Ichihashi. However, she also found some time to reflect on her time on the series too. The soundtrack was released with a handful of bonus arrangements on a surprisingly bulky two disc set.

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The opening theme for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, "An Empty Tome", transitions from a moody orchestral passage into a beat-heavy rock-orchestral anthem. While it's a little on the short side, it reflects that Michiru Yamane is back on full form and an action-packed adventure lies ahead. This track is later arranged at the start of the second disc in a straightforward electro-gothic style. The first stage theme "Chapel Hidden in Smoke" takes a slightly different direction to Yamane's equivalents on previous portable scores, more strongly influenced than pop rather than rock stylings. The first section features quite an uplifting tone, yet sounds a little too desperate in its melodic approach, while the development section has a more tragic and reflective mood. "Rhapsody of the Forsaken" likewise is a delightful stage theme that combines the series' upbeat melodies with easygoing electronic beats.

Yamane's deviations from the series' established style results in a number of experimental compositions during the course of the soundtrack. One of the most enjoyable of these is "Wandering the Crystal Blue", an ethereal electro-acoustic piece that illuminates the stage it is used in. Yamane's more personal touches, for example the romantic piano work or the occasional gothic progressions, ensure the track still fits the series quite well. "Edge of the Sky" and, one of the contributions by Yasuhiro Ichihashi, "Emerald Mist" also hybridise the series' characteristic lyricism with more exotic and easygoing stylings. Few people would have expected to hear calypso rhythms in a Castlevania score, but here they are and the result will split opinions. Even more explicitly gothic creations such as "Unholy Vespers" or the arrangement of "Tower of Dolls" have an upbeat electronic edge.

Series' veterans will be relieved to know that the various battle themes are closed in style to other scores in the series. Ichihashi puts the electric guitars on overdrive for "Sorrow's Distortion" and "Ebony Wings", both of which are likely to win over fans with their extravagant if hackneyed 80s rock influence. "Symphony of Battle" and the climactic "Order of the Demon" meanwhile are quite reminiscent of the boss battle themes of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence with their modernist orchestration and marching rhythms. There are also some more personal moments in the soundtrack too, such as "Fantasia of Beautiful Dreams", "Cantus Motetten", and "Waltz of the Evening Moon", although a few event themes are rather drab. Absolutely the best of these is "Requiem of Star-Crossed Nights", a romantic chamber piece that reflects Yamane's bittersweet feelings about leaving the series and excitement for the future.

The soundtrack ends with six bonus arrangements of favourites from the full soundtrack. The track selection is solid and the arrangements are effective, though most tracks adhere quite closely to the original. A highlight is "Wandering the Crystal Blue", which has a more expressive effect than before with its blend of elegant chamber performances and understated electronic beats. "Order of the Demon" also sounds bigger and better than before with its bolder orchestration and choral additions here. Perhaps an unused prototype, it's clear Yamane intended even greater things for this score but felt somewhat limited by the DS' hardware limitations. That said, it's a pity that these arrangements don't develop into fully-fledged art pieces and instead just loop like the originals.

Summary

Overall, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia's soundtrack is a solid addition to the series. It's not quite as emotional or memorable as other scores in the series, though most of the compositions are effective and enjoyable. While listeners will be split on the new direction, the more upbeat and contemporary approach here is somewhat refreshing after the occasionally tired sound of previous portable scores. Given its slightly deviant quality, most would be advised to sample the score first, ideally by playing the game. Those that like the results should enjoyable the originals and arrangements featured across the two disc set.

Overview

Akumajo Dracula: The Stolen Seal (aka Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia) marks the third installment in the Castlevania series for the Nintendo DS after 2005's Dawn of Sorrow and 2006's Portrait of Ruin. Veteran Michiru Yamane returns once again to score the newest entry with a little assistance of Yasuhiro Ichihashi, known for his arrangements for Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles for PSP. So let's check out the secret of Ecclesia...

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The soundtrack starts with "An Empty Tome", one of the few tracks which also went on the promotional CD released a few days before this score. Michiru Yamane returns her electronic-orchestral style from Lament of Innocence and creates an effective theme for the opening sequence. While the string melody is the catchy draw, the fast-paced percussion helps to bring some movement into the piece. Definitely one of the more effective opening themes in the series. After two slow and atmospheric orchestral themes for the title and select screens, we come to the prologue theme "Ecclesia". It starts with some minor piano notes together with electronic bass effects. Towards the middle, a church organ leads into the second section, which contains notes from "Vampire Killer", one of some famous Castlevania themes from the past. The arrangement is well done with strings and waltz-like piano chords. "A Prologue" introduces us to the gameplay in an similar style to its predecessors with electronic, rock, and classical influences. It's a simple piece, but the melody is quite catchy.

Time to move forward to the most important thing of these 2D platformers: the area themes. In Order of Ecclesia, these themes are done in an diverse and satisfying ways as always. The first stage theme is one of the most important themes from the series' because it introduces the gamer into the gameplay. "Chapel Hidden in Smoke" does an good job with this, but it's easily surpassed by other tracks like "Invitation into a Crazed Moon" or "Ruined Castle Corridor". It's also one of many tracks which reminds me heavy of Dawn of Sorrow with its playful instrumentation and arrangement. "A Clashing of Waves" is one of the more interesting tracks with extraordinary use of percussion and synth arpeggios. The pulsing bass line works well together with the drums and the distorted guitar in the background is also a welcome addition. "Hard Won Nobility" does also an good job with its similar percussion line and excellent string and harpsichord arpeggios. "Jaws of a Scorched Earth" and "Emerald Mist" are two bouncy themes with some jazz influences; however, they're two of the more weaker tracks from this score and not very interesting outside of the game.

One of the most developed themes is definitely "Rhapsody of the Forsaken". The string and piano lines are fantastic here and the fast-paced percussion is nicely used as well. Michiru Yamane shows that she is still able to compose excellent stage themes for the series. The gothic atmosphere returns with "Unholy Vespers", a catchy little tune with spooky choir, steady percussion, and the use of church organ and harp arpeggios in the second half. It works extremelly well during the context of the game and is for sure one of the better creations thus far. "Wandering the Crystal Blue" takes a more soft and atmospheric approach with a dreamy melody performed by piano and strings. After all those dramatic and energetic pieces it's nice to have such an chillout piece within, which also works well inside the game. "Edge of the Sky", also one piece from the earlier sampler, returns to the familiar Baroque style with its harpsichord and string passages. The only thing which disturbs me is the bass line, which can be annoying after quite a while. "Tragedy's Pulse" recalls some memories from Portrait of Ruin with its low-key percussion and bouncy bass line. The dissonant synth melodies sound a bit confusing at the first listen, but they manage to build up the need atmosphere for the scenery.

So now we've made it into the lair of the devil, the a musical suite is intrdocued with "An Empty Tome", an arranged version of the same named opening theme. It is more straightforward, upbeat, and jazz influenced compared to the deep and dramatic original. The track manages to build up a sense of confrontation and destiny quite well. However I prefer other themes more than this, for example "Ebony Wings". I really like the fast-paced aura of thiis one with its use of organ and electric guitars. It's one of those tracks which immediately calls the name "Castlevania" in your mind. Not an original masterpiece, but enjoyable on its own. The following track is an remix of the "Tower of Dolls" theme from Castlevania Chronicles. I wonder why they picked out a piece which already has four incarnations from the original score. Stilll, this one is nicely done. The melody is quite catchy and the swinging arrangement is refreshing. However, I wished they chosed a stronger theme from the series like in the previous DS episodes. The spooky and atmospheric "Gate to the Underworld" reminds me a bit of Castlevania 64's "Stairway to the Clouds" and "The Colossus". As the last area theme, it is a disappointment right away. It's so ordinarily constructed and features several motifs Yamane has used so often before. Not even the melody is attractive here.

Now let's take a look at the battle themes from this episode. The boss battle themes are more or less a little dissapointment with a few exceptions. "Symphony of Battle" takes, like the name suggests, an orchestral route with a lot of crisis and heroic motifs. It's an new direction away from the rock and gothic stuff and I'm glad they chosed this path with this one for more variety. "Dissonant Courage" is our typical rock-inspired theme with fast-paced percussion, strings, and electric guitars in the background and "Sorrow's Distortion" features an interesting rhythm together with cool synth and guitar elements. It's one of my favorite themes from this score. "Lament to the Master" sounds like an low-key version of Curse of Darkness' boss themes for me, but instead of rock synth and rock organ are used here. The absolutely falldown is definitely "Chamber of Ruin" with its weird mix of electronic, rock, and orchestral elements. It's good to see that they tried to make something new, but Motoi Sakuraba can handle the rock organ definitely better than this one. It sounds too goofy for my taste, especially when its used against important enemies, such as Death. The last battle theme "Order of the Demon", also one of the tracks from the promotional CD, is a typical frantic theme with crisis elements. As I said earlier, this type of theme isn't one of Michiru Yamane's strong points; it sounds too clichéd and hectic for my taste.

The remaining tracks are mostly used for events or various game settings. These tracks aren't one of the best points of Yamane either, but most of them work well in the context of the game. "Waltz of the Evening Moon" features a soft and gentle melody with addition of some acoustic elements later while "Fantasia of Beautiful Dreams" does a good job painting the world map in the second half after your last destination has appeared. The shop theme "Armory Arabesque" is also a nicely balanced composition with several classical and baroque elements. "Enterprising Mercantilism" is Dawn of Sorrow's shop music with slightly changed melody. I really like the title by the way. "Requiem of Star-Crossed Nights" is a lyrical piece similar to Yamane's usual ending themes. The part when the main theme appears around the two minute mark is well done. "Lone Challenger" is also a favorite of mine from the soundtrack. It's so energetic and adrenaline pumping with its frantic use of percussion and synth pads. Listeners should recall "Scarlett Battle Soul" from Dawn of Sorrow with this piece, as the arrangement is identical.

Finally we have "RIDDLE", a bonus arrangement from Castlevania III. I really like this remix with its retro styled melody and various rock elements. A little unexpected, but a new addition to the soundtrack. A bunch of arranged tracks from Order of Ecclesia have also been added at the end of the score. Six tracks, one of them could be heard on the earlier sampler. The arrangements are done very well, but most of them are straightforward and similar to the originals. My favorites are "An Empty Tome", where the string and rock elements really comes to life, "Wandering the Crystal Blue" from the promotional CD, and "Rhapsody of the Forsaken" with its excellent string melody and piano chords. Also the final battle theme appears more attractive here compared to the original.

Summary

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia's soundtrack is a somewhat worthy successor of the series' musical legacy. Michiru Yamane does a solid job with her contributions once again. The stage themes are the soundtrack's best additions like always and I like the diversity here. There is traditional gothic rock with "Ebony Wings", catchy and almost playful themes like "Chapel Hidden in Some" or "Unholy Vespers", more groovy and jazz oriented pieces such as "Emerald Mist", and low-key atmospheric ones with "Wandering the Crystal Blue". Definitely a step forward from the sometimes similar sounding themes in Portrait of Ruin or Dawn of Sorrow. The soundtrack isn't always original or memorable and, like in every Castlevania score, has its strong and weak points. In my opinion Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia is a mixture between the two previous DS episodes, but with sometimes enhanced quality. I personally woudn't define this soundtrack as the best from the DS triology, because I liked Portrait of Ruin in some way more than this one, but it's a solid album with a nice selection of good tunes and even some additional arrangements at the end. Sadly, this soundtrack was only available as bonus via pre-ordering the limited edition of the game in Japan. But if you have the chance, it's worthy to check out!

Overview

This is a bonus sampler for US gamers who pre-ordered the game from retailers Amazon, Gamestop, and Gamecrazy. It contains six tracks — five original and one arranged — from the original score. The full soundtrack released two days after with limited edition versions of the game in Japan. How does this sampler fare?

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The game's main theme "An Empty Tome" was the first music piece heard from this project when the first trailer appeared and was obviously composed by Michiru Yamane. She uses her repartoire of catchy string melodies together with electronic effects and percussion in similar manner to Lament of Innocence. The track is short, but highly memorable and serves as an good opener for the game. The next track "Edge of the Sky" is a stage theme in typical Castlevania manner. The use of high-pitched strings and Baroque harpsichord passages is an interesting feature here, but sadly the repeating bass line is somewhat irritating. I wouldn't call this piece a favorite of mine because it's rather repetitive, even with acceptable developement, but it's not bad either.

"Sorrow's Distortion" introduces us into the battle music from Order of Ecclesia with a traditional rock styled theme and use of organ and electric guitar. I really like the fast-paced rhythm here together with it's frantic melodies. The use of synth in the middle section reminds me a bit of prog gem Motoi Sakuraba. It's an enjoyable and somewhat refreshing piece of music thus far. The following track "Ebony Wings" is one my favorites from this score. It features a similar style than the previous track, only a bit more focused on an equal-paced rhythm and melody, which is performed mostly by gothic organ and strings. I like the use of electronic effects at the end as this shows the character of experimenting within. A definitely "traditional" piece which fits the gameplay very well.

"Order of the Demon", presumably one of the final battle themes, is one of Yamane's efforts to compose an dramatic battle theme with usual frantic and distorted melodies. However, it falls short a little in my opinion. These kind of tracks were never a strong point of her compositions. It may work during the context of the game, but I wouldn't recommend to listen to this one on the score itself. The last track on the disc is an fully arranged track of another stage theme from the score. "Wandering the Crystal Blue" has a smooth and dreamy melody performed by piano, strings, and bells together with low-key percussion. It reflects the atmosphere of water very well and the arrangement of the strings is nicely done here. My only complaint is that the actual track is much too short with only one loop. Just as the listener gets in the mood, the theme fades out, which is quite a shame. I hope that the official soundtrack features an extended version of this, because it is a really nice track.

Summary

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia's promotional soundtrack features six average tracks with the series' typical rock, orchestra, and electronica use. The overall atmosphere is very reminiscent to the first DS episode Dawn of Sorrow and makes the listener want more from this soundtrack. I'm somewhat satisfied with the tracks and will throw my hands on the album review for the full score once it arrives. Stay tuned.