Resident Evil: Orchestra Album (Video Game Score)

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Often it are the bloody and gory things that do the trick. Whether you like or hate Resident Evil as an afternoon of fun, horror or inexcusable violence, one thing is for certain. "My god is it well made horror stuff". I always wanted to play the games but simply the scary zombies and the part that I'm eaten three times in the neck and that's it never made me finish or even play the game in full. Still, I saw sometimes the opening cut scenes which were impressive and the brilliant surroundings and sneak corners that made the game so effective and I expected something of the music to come. And here is the music written and performed by an orchestra, yet at times its so different from what I expected. Parts of it are what I wanted and expected but other parts simply make me question if they fit with the genre / game at all. Masami Ueda, the composer of the games along with several credited co composers made a movie score of it but still several things didn't click with me, at first. First of all, the sudden attractiveness that feels out of place for someone that knows little about the games, or the mysterious lack of any real horror music. And secondly that it sometimes carries flubs from the orchestra's performance. But beyond anything else that is written here, the game music performance once more proves that there is no more cheap midi music to be heard on screen of the Playstation, X-Box or whatever game console you acquire. Especially if you have the chance to hear the orchestral version in return.

The CD is made up of the three games and easily the weirdest in tone is the first, with its two selections that at least bring difference. 'Prologue (Pipe Organ Solo)' of Resident Evil is as we would expect from the title organ music that at times mixes the sound quite dissonantly but would feel right at home with The Phantom of the Opera but 'I Won't Finish This as Just a Dream (Orchestra Version)' is just not what you might expect from it. A very light and good theme starts it, mixes itself later on John Williams' playfulness (just a mix of The Towering Inferno's upbeat tune with the pace and pleasure of The Cowboys) and grows a couple of times to great heights, ending nonetheless with the calm version and some last minute dark percussion. This is really good stuff but not exactly what I immediately call Resident Evil stuff. By the way, it is even written by Hiroshi Yasukawa and not Ueda. The second part or Resident Evil 2 is much better, 'The Beginning of the Story' was actually a cut scene I remembered, and equally I expected the rather cool suspense music, sometimes backed up by light choir and piano. The vocals work intriguing and the pace is just right for what it represents. 'Piece of Mind' is beautiful string music with a swelling of theme while 'Fearful is no Word for It' uses a more suspension like sub theme that grows more vividly through brass near the end. 'Secure Place' starts with hypnotic piano music while stating an outburst of heroic music in the last minutes. It is yet the wonderful 10 minute 'The Ultimate Bio-Weapon Medley' that is the highlight of the disc, covering synths, orchestral power, piano, vocals screaming and the suspense in wonderful form, while a conclusive relieving end breaths everything in the right form, easily a piece that amazes you through its wonderful building and climatic form.

The third part of the Resident Evil series again features good music, especially the wonderful action theme heard in 'The Opening' and 'Save Room - Reprise' is both well written, performed and well for its context. Especially the latter in which it builds through the climax is mostly impressive and only a scene with this music make games overall the classy portrayal they are today. 'Land of Confusion' has these mysterious strings reminding me of Final Fantasy VIII while organ and whirling brass is heard near the end. The bonus track is actually an odd yet at the same time intriguing thingie. Here especially electric guitars (some will despise this) are brought on the foreground, bringing a very dominant listen but near the end the orchestra joins in and this makes the effect not only better but twice the impressionistic thriller. It is a track that easily grew on me, it gives the score the rough cool edge and the orchestra gives it equally the impression that the composer knew what he was doing. It is all in the begin different music but the middle and end rocks with some wonderful and vibrant listening ideas. Resident Evil: Orchestra Album mixes three games into one, giving you at times downright fitting music with selections that I have to see working in context with my very eyes, but together the music just makes utter sense and especially makes the experience grow, something I easily appreciate in a score these days more and more. For the fans of the Resident Evil series, this is easily a highlight in every sense of the word and even I have grown into it, with some music that makes impression after impression with some of the most wonderful game music in effectiveness I have heard coming out this year.

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Tracks

Single Disc

Resident Evil

1. Prologue (Pipe Organ Solo) (3.08)

2. I Won't Finish This As Just A Dream (Orchestra Version) * (8.52)

Resident Evil 2

3. The Beginning Of The Story (4.30)

4. Piece Of Mind (2.33)

5. Fearful Is No Word For It (4.16)

6. Secure Place (4.08)

7. The Ultimate Bio-Weapon Medley (9.41) Excellent Track

Resident Evil 3

8. The First Stage (2.20)

9. The Opening (1.37)

10. Save Room - Reprise (1.40) Excellent Track

11. Land Of Confusion (5.37)

Bonus Track

12. Special End Title (6.13) Excellent Track

* Music by Hiroshi Yasukawa

Total Length: 54.13

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