Overview

The Sega Saturn was one console with loads of potential and several true gems, like the Shining Series. One of the few worthy Saturn RPGs is known as Shining the Holy Ark. Unfortunately, due to Sega's poor marketing strategies, the Saturn soon became obsolete compared to the other current CD-based consoles. Let's just forget about the Saturn's demise for now and focus on Shining the Holy Ark, STHA from here on. According to reviews, STHA was praised as a high quality entry in the series, with vibrant graphics, an interesting story, a decent combat system, and, last but not least, spectacular music. Highly regarded composer Motoi Sakuraba took composing duties for STHA. Like Beyond The Beyond and Shining Force III, although labelled an Original Soundtrack, this soundtrack is an arranged album. Those who have heard his earlier arranged works such as for Beyond The Beyond, Shining Force III, and Star Ocean should already have a good grasp on his stylings.

Body

For STHA, Sakuraba takes a similar route to what was done with Shining Force III, except there is much more going on. With the opening track "Prelude ~ Lure from the Eclipse," Sakuraba starts us off with a heroic, epic melody. The use of brass, percussion instruments, and choir suggest a mystical land filled with dangers and adventure. The violin, backed up by the percussion, gives the impression of activity, and this is emphasised further when Sakuraba starts using his trademark organ, accompanied with a violin. Unexpectedly, he goes nuts on his synth, playing notes as fast as possible. This sudden burst of activity is a welcome change that gets the listener to pay more attention as the arrangement returns to the original melody and comes to a close. This opener is but a taste of things to come; if you enjoyed this piece, you will likely love what the rest of the CD has to offer.

One of Sakuraba's strong points has always been battle themes and he delivers with style in STHA. "Ceremony of Darkness ~ Part I" would suggest the random battle theme (no, I have not had the opportunity to play this yet, so I am merely guessing), which features beautiful piano solos, effective percussion, and some interesting transitions as it progresses. Clocking in at 6 minutes and 42 seconds, it has ample room for improvisation. Do you get the feeling you're fighting some creeps while hearing this? Absolutely! "Dance of Life and Death" could be the boss theme, and it's one to really pay attention to. The instrument of choice here is the violin, which creates a good sense of danger and excitement. The organ parts are well-executed as well, which will remind some listeners of Shining Force III . Smack in the middle of the track is a short but delightful flute solo, which conveys a feeling of hope, despite the brutal beatings one could receive in a rough battle. The violin shows up for a few seconds until the synth takes over for the remainder of the theme.

Unfortunately, not all the battle themes will be globally loved, despite their effectiveness. "Ceremony of Darkness ~ Part II," for example, is probably the final battle, as it is utterly ferocious. However, it is perhaps too ferocious; Sakuraba doesn't hold back on loud percussion and synth whatsoever, and, unless you are a big Sakuraba fan, this track is likely to be too ear-grating for you. For others, this is by far Sakuraba's most brutal arranged piece ever, and, by brutal, I mean "The Holy Grail" of arrangements. Sakuraba knows and acknowledges its "fun factor" despite being very hard to appreciate for most listeners. If were creating an RPG, I'd have Sakuraba compose something like this to show that the final enemy really means business!

Despite all these rough tracks, STHA does have a few calm pieces. "Search Far and Deep" would probably be either the world map or a dungeon theme, as the piano, eerie violin, and wavy synth suggests a place enshrouded in darkness. "Elegy of the Bewildered" is the longest track at nearly 9 minutes. It is a unique piano solo, which would certainly interest piano enthusiasts more than any others. It's a rather complex piece, as it progresses through several transitions and uses the main theme to give it especially wonderful results. If there would be sheet music for this piece, I'd certainly love to have it and learn this piece, no matter how complex it gets.

Summary

Overall, the Shining the Holy Ark Original Soundtrack is a must for Sakuraba fanatics. For anyone else, it depends on how much it ends up costing, as it usually surpasses the $100 range. Sure, it's only 1 CD, but it is 1 CD of total musical bliss in any way you look at it. It often appears on eBay, but just watch out for incredibly high reserves and bidding wars.

Overview

Shining the Holy Ark is the sixth game from the "Shining" RPG series, released on the Sega Saturn. The game itself has no official soundtrack. The only release that has been made — though being labeled as Original Soundtrack — is this arranged album, composed by Motoi Sakuraba. While being quite rare, the soundtrack to Shining the Holy Ark is considered by many Sakuraba enthusiasts as one of his best works. I actually did not know about this album at all until I realized by chance that Sakuraba was the composer. Having myself learnt to appreciate his music through his most famous compositions, I decided to give it a try.

Body

"Prelude ~ Lure from the Eclipse" sets an epic tone is set at the very beginning of the album. As a background synthetic choir and drum rolls set up a solemn atmosphere, the main theme to Shining the Holy Ark is immediately introduced by a succession of instruments — a brass section, a wind section, and finally a fiddle — as if the orchestra was bidding us a warm welcome. The glorious atmosphere fades quickly out as two other instruments are introduced to start a new theme. As drums in the first part, the organ and bass that now take part in the show do not belong to the classical genre, but rather to Sakuraba's own roots, that is to say progressive rock. The fiddle is the first one to come back in that new melodic improvisation which slowly builds up until the final touch brings the track to its climax: an amazing electronic guitar riff, quickly followed by the choir and brass section returning to perform the last reprise of the second theme, and eventually ending the track with majesty.

The second track "The Uninvited" is action-based, and as you may know Sakuraba, this is where he really likes to have fun with rock-oriented material. We are provided with an upbeat but solid track that opposes at first the fiendish sound of the organ to courage — inspiring electronic guitar and violin breakthroughs. After a brief moment of respite — harpsichord and bass setting up a dream vision — the duel starts again, this time with a more dramatic and wilder touch in the interpretation. This loss of faith is clearly emphasized by the next part: another emotional and slow-paced passage led by a softer playing of the organ. As the organ yells out again to issue its final threat, confidence is regained, and thus the last part of the track is played, echoing the first one, and finishing on a musical breakdown. This constitutes an excellent battle theme arranged with fantasy and passion. Less spectacular is "Dance of Life and Death". Following a regular percussion pattern, every lead instrument seems to have room to perform its own improvization. The overall effect is enjoyable, but does not have much depth.

"Ceremony of Darkness ~ Part I" is all organized around its leading piano melody coated by bass, drums and synth pads. In the beginning, the track builds up in intensity and gravity, just like the wind strengthens a few moments before a storm. The piano then changes its main melody for a more passionate passage, forming a pleasant bridge in the middle of the track. The main motif comes back quickly and repeats a few times to suddenly make place for menacing organ chords aimed at being eerie, but sounding strangely close to what you would hear in an 80's horror movie made by John Carpenter. The conclusion of this "first part" is rather abrupt: the storm has not been unleashed yet... Later in the album, the second part reprises this theme with drums, organs and dark synth pads. It quickly aims at building an atmosphere of terror through the incessant repeating of a background organ pattern, and through the layering of agressive synths. The overall flow of the track is like a big, monstruous breathing that swells and deflates together with percussion and synth pad waves. Although this track will be unlistenable for most people, its content does have a meaning.

In "Search Far and Deep", Sakuraba charmingly mixes purely synthetic sounds with classical instruments. An atmosphere of uneasiness is established by a very low synth pad and a repeating glockenspiel motif, before being accompanied by a graceful piano and distant choir. This sets the stage for the entrance of the lead instruments into the scene: a violin, smoothly playing a nostalgic melody, and a fuzzy and dark synth pad, sounding like despair. Both of them eventually play together to create a pulsating fabric of sound. Near the end, the piano, choir and glockenspiel are left alone, and keep the mystery of the track intact while ending it softly. Another momentous track, "To the End of the Horizon of Wind and Dust" opens with a pipe organ reprise of the soundtrack's main theme and builds into a fast-paced jam for rock organ and electric guitar. After all this energy has been consumed, the tension suddenly drops and allows the main theme to be unveiled again, this time played by the orchestra before some surprising and glorious twists towards the finale. This is the perfect example of the combination between progressive rock and epic music that has built a fair part of Sakuraba's fame.

"The Elegy of the Bewildered" is the longest and best track of all the album. This piece of music is one of the rare opportunities to hear Motoi Sakuraba soloing on a piano. I'm used to thinking that listening to a composer alone with the noblest of all instruments is one of the best ways to evaluate their skills. As Jeremy Soule amazed me on his "Variations of Castle Theme," Motoi Sakuraba left me voiceless after my first hearing of "Elegy of the Bewildered." He succeeds in demonstrating his ease at playing light, harmonious parts as well as darker and more complex sequences. The rendering is very expressive, and full of these small details that make every new listening a bit more interesting.

After the ordeal of the previous track, the church organ introduction of "Rhapsody of Repose" seems to come right from heaven. A flute and an electronic guitar are then introduced, backed by a synth choir and an harpsichord. Together, they play a moving and quiet ode to hope. Simple yet efficient, and on top of that, at the perfect location on the tracklist.The final track, "Endless Winter", is a reprise of the second theme introduced during the Prelude. The name sums up quite well the content of the track: the same motif, repeated over and over, accompanied by some complex drum work. The backing synthetic pads and FX, as well as the overall reverb, invoke a strong and neverending wind. An additional background synth progressively reveals itself, setting up a mood of resignation. As a haiku would conclude a short story, this track seems to have a moral: "Do not fight against the wind. Let destiny decide for you." A short, yet touching finale for this album.

Summary

I think the review made it clear that Shining the Holy Ark isn't everybody's game music. Its darkest parts and its prominent progessive rock influences are what will make you love or hate it. I believe that this album sums up pretty well the essence of Sakuraba's creative energy. From the upbeat musical showdown of "The Uninvited" to the acoustic wonders of "Elegy of the Bewildered," every fan of epic music should find his share here. If you even happen to be a fan of Motoi Sakuraba, then you cannot die without having heard this album. This is the good news. The bad news is that the CD has been out of print for long, so you'll probably have to watch for auctions if you want to feel the pride of placing it on your VGM shelf. Last but not least the mark. Mathematically and track-to-track, what we got here is a decent 86%. But since this album needs to be listened as a whole, coherent work, I'm going to add a bonus, considering that it is solid and well-balanced overall.