Disgaea 6 -Defiance of Destiny- Original Soundtrack
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Album Title: Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: Nippon Ichi Software |
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| Catalog No.: N/A |
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| Release Date: January 28. 2021 |
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| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
The next iteration in the Disgaea series, Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny was recently released in Japan. Alongside it, the soundtrack to Disgaea 6, as usual, was a pack-in bonus with the game. Tenpei Sato, the staple composer, returns once again. How does his effort on this entry compare to some of the other mainline entries in the series?
Body
The album opens with “Wandering Heart ~ Prologue,” sung by Lynne Hobday. A shortened version of the original, it showcases the beautiful melody of the song and the resulting ballad has a fairytale aspect to it and also features romantic, hopeful, and whimsical sections. The piece itself is comprised of strings, woodwind, harp, and is quite delicate in nature, with Lynne Hobday’s wonderful performance amplifying the tune. In addition to the prologue version and the full version, there is also an instrumental rendition that arranges the piece for piano, with some strings accompaniment, with a more sorrowful, yet slightly hopeful, atmosphere.
There are also a few other vocal tunes on the album. “Missing You,” the home base theme, is a sultry jazz tune with a great vocal performance. The chorus section is particularly catchy and the piano and strings accompaniment adds to the overall atmosphere. It’s a huge improvement over Disgaea 5‘s home base theme. “Tiscalier” is more whimsical and slightly mischievous in approach and features orgel and strings in the accompaniment. The vocal performance accentuates the overall tone. “Nizi-Ranger” features some vocal work by Tenpei Sato, but certainly leans more towards the instrumental side with its synth, piano, and electric guitar working together to create a fun and invigorating atmosphere. As is tradition with the Disgaea series, Tenpei Sato contributes his own voice to a song. In this soundtrack, “One More Time” mixes rock with strings and brass to create another fun vocal tune with a catchy melody and an electric guitar solo. While it is entertaining, it isn’t as strong a vocal song as some of his work for other games in the series.
Plenty of shorter tunes adorn the soundtrack and provide a variety of styles that capture the general Disgaea feel. “Golden Kingdom” is a regal march, consisting primarily of strings and brass, while “Clown Act” is a comical strings and brass tune that features mallet percussion. Both are nice and set the tone of Disgaea fairly well. “Sincere” is a warm, poignant piano and strings piece with an endearing melody, supported by acoustic guitar and vocal support. Likewise, “Orange Memory” utilizes the same instrument palette alongside woodwinds to similar effect. “Supreme Bliss” features some vocal support alongside harp, strings, woodwind, and brass to craft an angelic and happy tone. These tunes help bring some of the warmer tones found throughout the Disgaea series.
Of course, being a strategy RPG, there are plenty of action-oriented themes. “Splendid Darkness” is a violin-led battle theme with additional strings and piano where the end result is sultry and mysterious with a wonderful melody that helps drive the tune forward. “Brighten Road” exudes Disgaea energy. Its upbeat and bubbly melody is uplifting and motivating and is led primarily electric guitar and synth. The B section shifts to some more orchestral elements and the end result is infectiously catchy. Similar in approach is “Sky’s Doom.” Rock, synth, and orchestral elements come together to craft another very Disgaea style battle theme. The melody is invigorating and the harmonies in the tune are spectacular. The end result is another strong and catchy melody. “Passionate Eyes” is another motivating battle theme with an excellent brass and strings melody. The electric guitar also lends its energy to the piece as well. It’s another fantastic piece. “Prophet’s Song” is a menacing choral tune with an orchestral backing. It gives off a powerful aura, but doesn’t stand out as much as other themes on the soundtrack.
“Map to the Future” is one of my favorites on the soundtrack. Opening with some operatic style vocals that are fleeting in execution, it shifts to a combination of orchestral instruments, rock, and electronica. The violin melody is exquisite, the atmosphere delightfully fun and features moments of quirkiness. It’s an extremely satisfying piece. “Aimless Dream” is another orchestral rock theme with an invigorating sound. Piano and electric guitar set the tone melodically with strings primarily serving as accompaniment. The B section is a lot of fun and balances with the slower paced A section. “DJN” is a menacing orchestral tune with a very Disgaea sound as well. While it doesn’t stand out as much as others on the release, it does have a lot of punch due to how the percussion and electric guitar are implemented. Lastly, “Reraisa” is an intense rock and orchestral tune blending synths, choir, and electric guitar to craft a strong melody and atmosphere. It’s another tune with a very Disgaea feel to it, especially in how the tune progresses as a whole.
Summary
The latest soundtrack to the Disgaea series continues the tradition of offering a lot of variety musically. While it doesn’t reach the same highs as some of the other soundtracks in the series, there are still plenty of strong tunes, especially in regards to the vocal and battle themes. Fans of Tenpei Sato’s music for the series should still find plenty to enjoy with his latest contribution to the series.
Do you agree with the review and score? Let us know in the comments below!
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Posted on April 19, 2021 by Don Kotowski. Last modified on April 20, 2021.
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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