Style: Dungeon synth
Primary Emotions/Themes: a tribute to one of the greatest PlayStation 2 games ever created
Thoughts: Shadow of the Colossus is one of my favorite games. Not just of the PS2 era, but of the entire lexicon of video game history. The scope, the puzzle solving, the mystery of the world... and especially the music... they are all top tier.
Dungeon synth paired with the Shadow of the Colossus is not something that I had on my bingo card - for this year or any other. With a storied history like that game has I guess it's not too big of a surprise that someone would want to pay tribute to it. I'm just not certain dungeon synth is the medium to do so... at least not in this capacity.
The scope of the game is so incredibly epic, so vast, and so grand that the only word that can truly describe it is massive. The Colossus dungeon synth album however is simple, repetitive, and has minimal melodies throughout the run time. It's in direct conflict with the source material.
I think therein lies the root of my qualms with this release. If it was not tied to Shadow of the Colossus I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more. But by tying the album to a game that is held so near and dear to my heart it automatically raises expectations... and those expectations are hard to meet.
On its own Colossus is a fine bit of dungeon synth. It has a beautiful analog feel to it and the melodies are well executed in a highly minimalist soundscape. It works really well within its own confines, it just does not work within the context of the Shadow of the Colossus.
Maybe sometime in the future I'll be able to divorce this release from the game, but as it stands I cannot currently. It's a shame because there's some great music here. Every time I put this record on though I simply want to listen to the Shadow of the Colossus music instead.
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