Atelier Iris -Eternal Mana 2- Original Soundtrack
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Album Title: Atelier Iris -Eternal Mana 2- Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: Team Entertainment |
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| Catalog No.: KDSD-10007/8 |
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| Release Date: May 18, 2005 |
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| Purchase: Buy at CDJapan |
Overview
The dynamic duo of Daisuke Achiwa and Ken Nakagawa return to compose the sequel to the first Atelier Iris game, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana 2. Given how the soundtrack to Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana is my favorite, I had high hopes for this one. Do they live up to my expectations?
Body
The soundtrack opens with “Eternal Story,” sung by Haruka Shimotsuki. It’s got that classic Gust style of vocal theme, featuring a rock / electronic atmosphere. The jazzy piano accompaniment is quite fitting, as is the ethnic percussion and fantastic rhythm. For a great atmosphere booster, Daisuke Achiwa decided to include some nice vocal layering. I think that was a fantastic choice. The ending vocal, “The Door to the Journey,” sung by Mami Horie and composed by Ken Nakagawa, is a beautiful theme as well. The intro is particularly stunning, through its beautiful harmonization of percussion, piano, strings, brass, and acoustic guitar. Once the vocalist, who has a marvelous voice, begins to sing, the accompaniment is quite simple, with piano and drumpad leading into a more grandiose accompaniment featuring strings, brass, and acoustic guitar. It has a pop vibe, but one that also hints at seriousness. The acoustic guitar and woodwind bridge towards the end is quite beautiful as well.
The recurring theme in this soundtrack is “Bonds,” an emotional piano theme with a strong melody. “Sleeping Girl” is a music box rendition of this same theme with chimes and crystalline synth that are gradually introduced to give a very magical atmosphere. Acoustic guitar is also introduced eventually and helps offer a poignant side to the theme. “Memories in Sepia” is another take on “Bonds”. Both poignant and magical, this piano and acoustic guitar led version is probably the best. It eventually moves into a woodwind and woodblock rendition that fits perfectly as well. “Truth” is another theme that is featured more than once, which I’ll discuss later, but the original is a very mystical theme, featuring ominous bell tolls, some futuristic synth samples, and marvelously layered vocals. It’s quite reminiscent of some of the Ar Tonelico series’ vocals.
There are also a set of very interesting themes in terms of style. “Resounding Heartbeat” features a nice electronica base with some beautiful flamenco guitar work, some choral accents, and some very haunting woodwinds. It’s a bit on the creepy side, but is a very solid composition that also manages to mix in a bit of playfulness. “Mandible of the Abyss” is, by far, the craziest theme on the entire soundtrack. Featuring a bizarre set of synth effects and vocal samples, it’s a great industrial sounding electronica theme with some exotic sitar and woodwind passages. This is definitely one of my favorites. “Danger Zone” is another electronic theme with some nice percussion and rock influences. It’s got a creepy atmosphere at times, but the accordion lead and the jazzy piano accompaniment are superb. These three themes are a nice departure from the rock and organic nature most of the soundtrack has.
There are also a multitude of themes that don’t fall into the battle theme category, but are worth mentioning. “At the Murmuring Brook” has a nice ethnic vibe going for it. There are a ton of beautiful harmonies between the various woodwind instruments, piano, and percussion. There is a nice atmospheric touch as well, through the use of airy synth. “Go Novice Alchemist” is quite a playful theme, with accordion and percussion accompaniment, led by a strong woodwind melody and some choral accents. “Continent Which Rides the Wind” has a nice acoustic guitar line that leads into some playful xylophone and woodwind sections. It gives it a nice rustic flair that gradually moves into a bit of a more classically influenced sound with the addition of the string section. “Tumbling Tree Spirit” is a nice mixture of playful brass and melancholy strings. It’s a very jovial piece. “Empty Corridor” is one of my favorite dungeon themes on the soundtrack. Although it’s quite simple melodically, the charm is definitely in the atmosphere. The combination of synth, acoustic guitar, woodwind, and piano create a beautiful soundscape.
I love battle themes and this game is full of them! “Shining Sword,” which sounds like it’s composed by Ken Nakagawa, features a very playful nature, but the violin-led melody and strings accompaniment are fantastic. I believe “Terrestrial” is the boss battle theme and this is Achiwa rocking out! It’s a beautiful combination of rock, ethnic sounding synth, and strings that give a sense of urgency, but there are much better battle themes to be had! Speaking of which, “Carmine” is one of my favorites. It’s a fantastic theme with a strong melody consisting of piano, accompanied by strings, a nice rock touch, and an electronic beat. “Emperor Fangs” wastes no time at all. Opening with some heavy riffs, it gradually moves into an exotic sitar lead. It’s got some flair and a fantastic ethnic vibe.
“Seething Fighting Spirit” is a woodwind and keyboard based battle theme with some nice string accompaniment. It features a strong, catchy melody and a slight rock influence. It’s another theme that definitely has that Nakagawa stamp on it! “Slasher Blue” is another great battle theme full of energy. A nice melody featuring some exotic synth are accompanied by rock and various synth sounds. I particularly like this one for its catchiness. “Decisive Battle in the Sky,” is another one of my favorites. Very epic in nature, it’s a beautiful battle theme that combines militaristic orchestration and the vocals heard in “Truth” quite superbly. The final battle theme, “Red Lucifer Rising,” starts with a piano rendition of “Bonds,” before moving into a hard rock battle theme with a keyboard lead. The keyboard solo is fantastic and the inclusion of the piano helps give it a softer appearance, while maintaining a sharp edge.
Summary
In the end, this soundtrack is a fantastic experience, though doesn’t impress me as much as Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana. It still features some nice additions, such as “Mandible of the Abyss” and a variety of battle themes, but I think it’s missing some of the charm heard in the first game. It’s still worth checking out, if you’ve played the game and liked what you heard.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on August 1, 2012 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on January 22, 2016.
About the Author
Don Kotowski Currently residing in Philadelphia. I spend my days working in vaccine characterization and dedicate some of my spare time in the evening to the vast world of video game music, both reviewing soundtracks as well as maintaining relationships with composers overseas in Europe and in Japan.
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