Record of Lodoss War TV Anime OST Volume 1

RECORD OF LODOSS WAR TV ANIME
ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK VOLUME 1
Copyright © Victor Entertainment, Inc
VICL-60243
Available now in Japan
¥3,045
Where to buy

—by Charles McCarter

28 tracks, 49:28

1. Kiseki no Umi

(Sea of Miracles)

2. Eiyuu Tanjou

(Birth of a Hero)

3. Wakashi Kishi no Tabi

(A Young Knight's Travels)

4. Samayoeru Shima

(Wandering Island)

5. Kokune no Kishi

(Black Knight)

6. Seimaru Tobari

(Holy Curtain)

7. Kyu wo Tsugeta Arashi

(The Storm Foretelling Danger)

8. Ransei ni Kudasumono

(Falling on Troubled Times)

9. Okoreru Kyousenshi

(An Angered Berserker)

10. Daichi Bogami Maafa ni Sasegeru

(Sacrifice to the Earth Goddess Marfa)

11. Hikari no Suashi

(Shining Barefoot)

12. Haruka naru Daichi

(The Distant Earth)

13. Honu no Matsusei

(Descendants of the Flame)

14. Tatakai no Uta

(Song of Battle)

15. Sashinobeshi Te ni Kotae yo

(A Hand Extended in Answer)

16. Butou suru Ginyuushyu

(Dancing Minstrel)

17. Osaraki Sadame

(Infant Fate)

18. Tatakai Owatte

(The Battle Ends and..)

19. Tabi Suru Erufu

(Traveling Elf)

20. Kyuutei no Chourou

(Palace Tower)

21. Majou no Shinsen

(The Witch's Line of Vision)

22. Shiheki no Katasumi

(City Wall Corner)

23. Dragon no Soukutsu

(Dragon's Cave)

24. Kanashimi wa Eien ni

(Sadness Forever)

25. Mirai he no Inori

(Prayer to the Future)

26. Mezane yo Seirei

(Awaken, Spirits!)

27. Wagamichi wa Taiyo ni Michibikare

(The Sun Guides Us on Our Road)

28. Sakasama no Niji

(Inverted Rainbow)

When the last round of TV anime remakes was announced, American fans wondered what to expect. What would be the fate of such old favorites as BUBBLEGUM CRISIS and RECORD OF LODOSS WAR? After all, they were good the first time around. Did they really need to be "reinvented"? Worse yet, would these new versions suffer from the budget-cutting that had become rampant in the industry?
Whatever your feelings on the new version of LODOSS, set in a strange "the same but not quite" timeline as the OVA series, at least one thing is true: the music has remained intact. The opening, reviewed in a previous issue, is simply beautiful. But then again, what would anyone expect from Kanno Yoko?
However, the BGM is actually composed by someone else. And while he may not be as popular as Kanno, he is still an established composer. Wada Kaoru, who handled the soundtracks for both KISHIN HEIDAN and SILENT MÖBIUS, among others, tackles the musical chores for this latest installment about the cursed island and its inhabitants.
Most striking about this CD is the way that the pieces flow into each other. Instead of being random BGM tracks grouped together in no apparent order, the tracks seem to tell a story of their own. And a wide variety of musical styles are used as well. The astute listener will hear influences from the classical, baroque, and medieval periods of western music, as well as melody lines with a decidedly Arabian and sometimes Spanish flavor.
Of course, with any BGM, there are some tracks that seem to exist only to fulfill a specific musical need for the show. Such tracks can sometimes fall into the trap of being little more than musical equivalent of stock footage. For example, horns blaring at moments of impending danger, and there are a couple of those on this CD, make no mistake. But the really good tracks far outweigh these, both in volume and in quality.
I prefer the medieval and baroque pieces, like track 19, "Traveling Elf." With a simple guitar and recorder, it manages to create not just a mood, but an entire musical scene. With the accompanying animation, it is very effective, but it is also effective as an independent musical composition. In fact, much of the CD recreates this medieval sound, which certainly lends itself to a fantasy series. There's something about it that makes it the proper fit.
Electronic instruments are in limited usage or are well-disguised. Why well-disguised? Because the booklet does not give the names of any musicians at all, so it's hard to tell if this was done with a full orchestra, or a combination of both traditional and electronic instruments. If it was, they blend, for the most part, very seamlessly.
This soundtrack is essentially a musical travelogue of Lodoss Island. It's all here—the good guys, the bad guys, the miraculous feats, the malefic forces, and the majestic wonders. Fans of fantasy and good BGM will definitely enjoy this album.