暗黒神伝承 武神:劇中音楽集 Takegami OST

Ah, finally!!  I've been wondering if this soundtrack exists.  I'm glad I found it.  Not rare or expensive.  In fact, I think this CD is highly overlooked.  It exists, and this is my attempt and spreading the knowledge. 

22 tracks?  It should be expected  not to expect everything.  Our composer is the sound producer here, unlike in Kabuto.  So here we go. 

Opening track has Terumi giving her prayer to the Eight-Headed Dragon.  It was not given in the anime.  Nice flute music in the background, then rolls the eerie intro music.  Not a good start, they should have had that separated.  At least offer the BGM in a separate piece.  It was some good wind work.  Other than that, this is the best start.  Fortunately, it only happens for this instance.

1. 開かれし伝説の扉
2. 淡き想いに…
3. 闇からの胎動
4. 武速文献
5. 翡翠輝く時
6. 朱砂の王と地の龍と…
7. 五坊陣
8. 古しえの記憶
9. 悲しみを抱き止めて…
10. 逃亡
11. 龍目紋の龍
12. あつい想い
13. 天空の巨人
14. 去り行く女性の温もりは…
15. 八百比丘尼
16. 婚姻説話
17. 水蛯子
18. もう一人の巨人
19. 神々の戦い
20. 武神
21. エピローグ
22. 天翔 

I'm going to go even further with the opening sequence track.  Ethnically rich in Asian themes.  I wish the breaking sound in the film was included from the film.  After the tense intro music, a melancholic piece follows.  The piano sounds dated, or out of tune, but is probably was done purposefully.  An oboe accompanies the piano, adding more sadness.  Dark bass chords are struck at the  begining.  Then get darker nearing the end.  I remember feeling the pulse of the bass in the show.  Here it seems like just a sound.  The next two pieces are just as eerie and dark as the first.  Track 3 has evil night jingle.  Superb sound effects that gives you the chills.  Track 4 starts with woodworks and broken keys.  Electric guitar and windworking carry you through this isolated piece.  

The above can be quite disturbing.  Track four can be most irritating, but thats for normal minds.  Their dark and brood themes can be haunting.  Best to be enjoyed when alone.  I'm really happy with the inclusion of track 5.  A rock arrangement, infused with the gothic themed show.  Again, I was not feeling the percussion on this piece.  

Track 6 is the main fight theme.  Starting Koichi's realization, some acoustic flutes, then the percussion hits.  Though it was much more effective on screen.  Woodworking signifies the emergence of the monsters.  Quite a long piece, but needs to be louder.  

I'm guessing the tracks are in order of appearance.  That ends the first episodes tracks, and they've missed many unfortunately.  Second episode opener is here.  I missed it in the show, or I thought it was just sound effects.  Glad to have it.  Heavy drums and odd sounds give new flavor to the show.  Track 8 excellently spinkles with piano keys.  A great arrangement of the keys, that soon follows with a vocal.  Nothing different from the anime, but sounds even better here.  An uplifting yet emotionally low track follows it.  Track 10 is Koichi's escape.  Very enticing.  Its short, but the bass and acoustic guitar and flute changes the tone of the CD.

The first action piece of the second OAV.  Even more ethnic music.  Love the strings and flute here.  Gets one ready to fight a dragon.  The action has yet to start, but gets you ready for it.  Sound production has truly gone up in one episode.  A short intermission from actual soundtrack.  A short drama piece, track 12.  Either it's Koichi's or Juinbo's seiyuu.  I like it, the music used makes it a blessing with what he's saying, yet a burden that it is not a stand alone track.  It opens with harps, and then adds the dark piano keys with the jingles of track 3.  

Episode 2's action piece, in short, is amazing.  I don't recall any music from this episode, but it's all laid out excellently here.  I was really expecting Seichiro's and Sayo's Love and Escape theme.  Though what's offered here is making me forget that.  For track 14 and 15 comes back to the anime's dark theme.  The childrens chant is a welcome in 14.  Track 14 gets you down, but 15 goes even further.  My favorite melancholic ending theme in triumphant mp3 form.  Chinese fiddle strings with powerful acoustics that chorally fill the ears, reaching beyond the soul.  Great addition of the pounding drums.  Whether heard off the show or on this OST, these two tracks are going to make you cry.  And keep on wanting to cry. 

Given how both episodes ended on a bad note, and 2 ended even worse.  Ep. 3 is does not continue in such a manner.  Again, I don't recall any of the music standing out here.  Though, production values seemed to have gotten even better again.  It's opener is odd, but used the alien sounds to accurately depict the strange life form that was the subject of this story.  It is truly an aesthetic piece.  Violins sweep, flute alienates the listener, bass violin takes over, accompanied by chilling vocals all to trumbling close.  

Track 17 jumps to the female monster chase fight/scene.  This one sounds like techno, but uses mostly traditional instruments.  Track 18 is another superb action piece.  So well done, that I felt the size of the monster that approaches the city.  Truly gets the feeling that something big is coming.  All to a climactic end.

HoLLLLLYYY Helllll!!!!!  Track 19 alone puts all of Nagaoka's music to shame.  It blasts open with crazy drums and tense cello sweeps.  The gong/bell sound is perfect rendition of how epic this battle is.  More violins and strings show the intensity between the warriors.  Amazing drum orchestration makes for a perfect track.  

Next is the full ending to the first and last episode. Don't expect to hear it the same way off the anime.  It's more fleshed out here.  Bass guitar interlude in the minute and a half mark is beautifully composed.  Excellent high point struck, and well crafted ending.  Another drama piece after this, but the BGM is more of a music box deal, so I'm not mad it's not alone.  

The final track is another prized track among the prize that this OST presents.  The tragic song of the Susa/Koichi sacrifice.  Cause how can they make a song and not have it available.  When listening to this, don't expect to know the lyrics because the first verse was not used in the anime.  佐藤 幸世 or Sato Hiroyuki is the vocalist, whom I guess was a popular anime singer of that time.  Nagoaka gets her vocal chords to work in sync with the already emotional composition.  She hits the high pitch note, as is normal with Japanese Seiyuu, but does not even feel like it.  A very mature song, thankfully.  Love the whipping sound as the percussion.  Here is a taste of the previous few tracks.  Put some headphones on and listen carefully.

                                  

The packaging here suffers.  Though it is normal for Victor to just have a few pages, or just a panphlet.  The album cover is attractive, but more of that could have been inserted.  The only extra provided here is commentary by the creator/director Osamu Yamasaki.  Whom, I will be giving bio coverage of, eventually.  Though, the man in question, Mr. Nagaoka had no lines to speak.  That's ok, his musical voice is good enough.  Package Grade: 4/10

 

I really had a difficult time reviewing this OST.  That's because I have no education on what the sounds or instruments really are.  Even so, this soundtrack is so amazing, that I still can't find the right words to describe it.  Absolutely, NO track can be done with out.  Many BGM's are missing.  Though, what is here, cannot be denied.  Koichi's theme was probably left out, becuase it was upbeat and happy compared to the entire soundtrack.  I still think that this soundtrack could have been completed.  While the compositions are without peer, the sound was very weak.  Especially for the first episode.  They must have heard of Bass boost at that time.  It might be the greatest music, but it needs to be heard.  OST Grade: S++

Seek this treasure out!!!!!