Overview

Super Robot Taisen Alpha is the first game in the second generation of Banpresto's robot saga, originally released for the PlayStation in 2000. As a result of the strong sales and iconic nature of the game, there were multiple albums released featuring music from the game, but none of those were complete on their own. While incomplete on their own, the trilogy of 'Original Score' albums provide the most satisfying stand-alone listens, due to their emphasis on the original instrumental and vocal compositions for the game that far exceed the thankfully omitted mecha theme song arrangements. Let's take a look at the first in the trilogy...

Body

The album opens with Koji Hayama's main contribution to Super Robot Taisen Alpha, "Enraged Spirits!!". A controversial duet between the Cho Aniki veteran and anison king Ichiro Mizuki, it offers two vocal styles that are both very select tastes. The composition itself is very typical of Hayama with its silly melodramatic melodies, firm rock beat, and quirky use of voice samples. Unfortunately, Mizuki seemed less than satisfied with the vocal sampling, leading Hayama to publicly called him an 'old bastard who doesn't deserve respect'. I personally side with Mizuki on this one, as the voice samples are both abrasive and repetitive, completely detracting from the rest of the song.

The original instrumental music on the Sky Chapter album, created by Takuya Hanaoka and Naofumi Tsuruyama, will be much more accessible to most game music listeners. Though short, "Emptied Muzzle" is a particularly mature orchestration that reflects the epic robot saga about to unfold. Deeply influenced by modernist composers, "A Premonition of Slaughter" establishes tension with its low-pitched piano punctuations before overwhelming listeners with an aggessive succession of dissonant chords. The more nationalistic "In the Valley of Victory and Defeat", on the other, is a truly intricate orchestral composition that undergoes so many twists and turns during its playtime.

A range of other styles are featured on the album. "Swaying Stars" is also full of tense brass passages, but interestingly hybridises the orchestral elements with more contemporary elements, enabling it to grow into quite a motivating composition. "Steel Cockpit" is styled as a more conventional anime anthem, with its upbeat whistleable melodies and cheeky brass interjections, and helps to bridge the album together. Finally, "Sorrowful Memory" provides one of the more contemplative moments in the disc, transitioning from a heartfelt oboe solo into a anime-styled orchestral lament. It isn't wildly original, but manages to be effectual nonetheless.

There are also a range of arrangements of popular character themes here, most of them featuring vocals. They capture the personalities of the feature characters well and also make the most of the melodies. Particularly enjoyable is Kazuhiko Inoue's charismatic interpretation of "Flame of Chinese Gym Teacher", while Mio's theme captures her youthful character and Chinese heritage quite well while still fitting the series' style. Of course, Masaki's theme also receives a rocking interpretation at the end of the album, with Ichiro Mizuki and Hironobu Kageyama taking the lead. The album ends with two short drama tracks — one above a dramatic orchestral "Dark Prison" and another previewing the next episode in the trilogy.

Summary

Despite being one part of a trilogy, Super Robot Taisen Alpha Original Score I ~Sky Chapter~ is a surprisingly satisfying whole. The wide range of original instrumental themes and vocal arrangements nicely complement each other to offer an immersive listening experience. Many completists will want more, however, and it's debatable whether it's worth shedding so much money on this out-of-print trilogy when decent alternatives are available.