 | Album Title: Sonic the Hedgehog Original Soundtrack |
| Record Label: Wavemaster | |
| Catalog No.: WM-0050/2 | |
| Release Date: January 10, 2007 | |
| Purchase: Buy Used Copy |
Overview
The most infamous Sonic game to date, 2006’s Sonic the Hedgehog was a major disappointment to the fans who had eagerly gathered to see this title bring the series back into the limelight. Unfortunately, that ship has long sailed, but if there is one redeeming factor that can always be brought up whenever this game is mentioned, it is the soundtrack itself. It is quite a shame to see all of that hard work go to waste, but thankfully the complete soundtrack is available for fans to get a hold of. One of the largest soundtracks of any Sonic game in quite a while, with 80+ themes spread across three discs, there are plenty of musical variations for fans to listen to.
Body
Part of what made the soundtrack very memorable was its departure from Jun Senoue’s musical direction. He managed to establish plenty of memorable guitar tunes in Sonic Adventure. As the series progressed, many of the songs became more experimental, with a heavy emphasis on guitar riffs, most notably in Shadow the Hedgehog. As a result, the music afterward became hit-or-miss among fans. For Sonic ’06, Tomoya Otani stepped in to produce the music, joined by Hideaki Kobayashi, Mariko Nanba, Takahito Eguchi, and many more to create one of the more elaborate Sonic soundtracks in quite a long time.
Sonic the Hedgehog Original Soundtrack features well-selected genres and elaborate instrumental arrangements, which is nothing short of amazing. Previous Sonic soundtracks often took an odd approach to genre, such as Sonic Adventure 2. It did have its usual rock with simplistic guitar riffs, but it also made full use of rap, jazz fanfare, and even heavy metal, and the end result felt way too cheesy and full of itself, making listening to the songs a guilty pleasure. Sonic ’06 goes a bit beyond that, with stage music constructed to feel like real-world, mainstream music, with a less repetitive feel and well-written instrumental solos for the stages.
“Aquatic Base ~Level 1~” uses a dual piano and techno-trance synthesizer to give off a cool, soothing feeling of being underwater. The ambient tune also makes small use of mysterious vocal chants, as well as brief sections of marching drums that still manage to keep it ambient. The two variations of “Radical Train” are definitive classic- and progressive-rock-inspired tunes, with a lead guitar that strongly resembles a style made famous by Pink Floyd. It also carries a funky bass reminiscent of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Conga drums fill the progression, pushing a sense of urgency as if in pursuit of the train. “White Acropolis ~The Base~” sets the scene for espionage on a winter night with its hardcore techno bass and an echoing synthesizer, followed by an equally hardcore guitar riff. In contrast, “Wave Ocean ~The Inlet~” is a wonderful combination of fast-paced rhythm guitar chords and drums, with the lead guitar playing a beautiful and tranquil solo that fits the mood of a tropical beach.
As wonderful as the soundtrack is, it isn’t without its fair share of problems. The soundtrack also includes all the event tracks that were played in the background during the entire story mode of Sonic ’06. Since the game’s storyline was immense, the event tracks take up more than half of the soundtrack. The cues are mostly orchestra arrangements, created to give off the feeling of a cinematic blockbuster. The orchestra, for the most part, is adequate and won’t exactly rival other games well known for such arrangements. Nothing I would consider bad in any way — it just wasn’t too memorable or unique for me. Everything is very slow and calming, telling the story of sadness, hope, and love. A recurring element in all the events is a variation on Sonic’s theme “His World” and Princess Elise’s theme “My Destiny.” It serves to remind us that this is supposed to relate to Sonic, and it’s partially the reason fans will easily skip over these event tracks.
Each disc represents one of the main hedgehogs — Sonic, Silver, and Shadow. Each has its respective colors, and the themes chosen for each disc relate more closely to the character they are associated with. Each disc also carries its respective theme song. Sonic gets “His World,” a strong hard-rock performance with bits influenced by much of the orchestra found in the events. It features a combination of rap and regular vocals by Ali and Matty of Zebrahead. Shadow gets “All Hail Shadow,” a cover by Crush 40 that first appeared in the game Shadow the Hedgehog. Silver’s theme, “Dreams of an Absolution,” features a simple chord progression on synthesizer arranged by the original Remix Factory artist Lee Brotherton, who we know today as Bentley Jones. Bonus songs are also scattered about, such as the complete version of Sonic’s theme that was originally heard in the E3 version and even a karaoke version of “My Destiny” for those guilty enough to sing along.
Summary
It’s wonderful to see a Sonic soundtrack step away from the usual cheesy style of music, particularly some of the guitar tunes Jun Senoue is known for, and to have music that ranges from relaxing to fast-paced and, overall, very elaborate. The event themes completely shroud the best parts of the album, but that shouldn’t stop a fan from exploring the three-disc set to find more than enough memorable tracks to fall in love with. Given its combination of classic rock–inspired tunes, peaceful piano recitals that segue into ambient and hardcore techno guitar riffs, and mysterious ambience with chilling, echoing guitar solos, it’s regarded as one of the best Sonic soundtracks to come out in a long time. Tomoya Otani has done a great job, and we hope to see more of his musical direction for the next Sonic the Hedgehog title.
