[Lucryst]

I was surprised to see a new album so soon, but I enjoyed this very much.

[Red Kinikacha]

Vampire Hunter Theme is Ear-gasm inducing.

[BorgMan]

A very appropiate album release, with some killer music! Very nice :)

[jordex]

Ahh! So stoked. Joshua Morse is amazing AND it's Castlevania; can't go wrong there.

[kewlball]

I just created an account, so I can tell you how great these remixes are!

[Calebyte]

Pretty good stuff, I'm enjoying it thoroughly.

[Martin Penwald]

Joshua Morse is one of my favourite remixers, so I just had to get this.

The first two songs didn't do much for me, but beginning with the third one, the album turned into exactly what I expected to hear. And it is most wonderful.

[Kuwaykuwatsu]

The sound quality and presentation of this album are very professional. The style of each song is consistent with the overall theme album. However I am not a fan of the arrangement. The whole album sounds like elevator music to me, but that is only my personal opinion. It looks like a lot of people here like your Castlevania easy listening style.

[The Phalanx]

I cannot say that I am impressed by this at all. Indeed, I find it rather underwhelming as a whole; Kuwaykuwatsu statement about it sounding like elevator music is rather apt, I feel.

Nothing much at all jumps out to me, aside from the fact that it is a one-person album featured on OCremix--which, I admit, is quite a feat in and of itself. There's no doubting that at all.

But Unchosen Paths this is not. At only 7 tracks it is far too short to cover all the memorable tracks of the Castlevania series, as well as not properly showing off the wide skills that I know Mr. Morse has. Every track seems cramped, trying to fit too many styles at once, and the work suffers for it; it comes off as both disjointed and same-y at every turn, as if he couldn't decide on how to remix each track.

For a Castlevania remix album, and the first for OCR, it is a rather poor introduction.

[Polo]

Vampire Snap - Seasonal bells fill me with love and hope and make me wanna sprout angelic wings in a beam of light (too bad the sound field gets kinda muddy while they sing). I love the variety of leads playing the source, from harpsichord to bells to a buzzy synth (2:13) and even an oddball "birdy" synth (2:22) (I wouldn't mind hearing more of Vampire Killer played through this li'l sucker). We also get a taste of a swampy, bubbly bass that gargles its own cute "wahs" throughout. Following a melody that's so happy it makes me wanna dance the Caramelldansen (3:11-3:40), the percussion's led by a sweeping/overture-ish synth (3:43-4:15) and then by the mud monster bass as it does its baby talk thang.

Demonic Conception - Two pervasive elements command this mix: 1) misty swirls, the first of which sounds like a demonic spirit sucking me into the abyss, and 2) castanets so snappy they can bite your fingers off if you try to pet 'em. Of all the candidates playing the bass part of Demon Seed, I can sense the root of all evil the strongest when it's the shredding guitar's turn. Then again, it's not trying to fight with the melodic lead of the source, and thankfully so - using a Halloween store-sounding ghost whirl as a lead (0:43) just blows my mind (and it only gets more intense at 1:50). A fresh synth at 2:40 commands the tension like a charismatic leader when playing that repeated note (and the rising notes after) at the tail end of the source. Sensing that it's improv time, a wah synth then takes the stage and flexes its mouth muscles, "wow"ing even itself *snicker*.

Madd Forest - Love the bass - warped and grimy at 1:05, smug everywhere else. The eager piano overpowers it at 0:11-0:15, but it makes amends by leading the source in a pub-cheerful key, which turns even more sunbright at 0:49 and dispels all my fears of owls hiding in trees, waiting to swoop down on Trevor. Arrangement garnishes are plentiful - beat-joining 16th notes via normal organ, echo-y reeds (prominent at 4:08-4:23), and of course record scratches (at 1:18 it sounds like it's speaking). But the ball game organ is where it's at - sounding like a funkalicious hybrid of a xylophone and skeleton bones, it busts out pearly notational liberties at 1:51+ and 3:11+ when it's not bridging sections with dolphin-like leaps/runs.

Wandering Latinas - Bread-tasty drums and a ball game organ kick things off, accompanied by frisky, leathery "swishes." Certainly the string- and wind-based instruments are declarative and vibrant, but I have a soft spot for the more humble guitar lead. Organ chords are a bit piercing when they're held forcibly at 1:47-1:54, but at least we're still in a swingin' mood when we jump out of that interlude. Light piano bass is supplanted by reeds to play the same descending notes at 2:41-3:27 while a mass of eager percussion pieces (bubbly wah bass, reverbed claps, etc.) join in. The organ at 3:28 and the piano at 4:14, both of which end at 4:43, seem to drag the groove past its prime, like it's run out of ideas and hopes these two melodic loops will hold the fort until the closure via treble-y bass.

Sparkle - Thanks to some sexy synergy, this take on Emerald Mist hops lively but stays mellow, kind of like the ideal vacation. The organ acts as a warm undercurrent, the piano belts out serene runs and proud chords, and of course the ukulele is the paper umbrella atop the tropical punch concoction. Conversely, the harmonica feels more like a "me too" staple than an active mood benefit no matter how I slice it. Also, the periodic "pang" (shot) gets tiring quickly, despite serving as a delicate touch like rainwater. I really dig 1:12 (marching drums + chords = powerful), 2:39 (reminds me of Heart of Fire, a.k.a. the Grim Reaper stage in CV1), and 3:15 (simultaneous pizzicato + piano breakdown = magical).

Fear of Haze - Set to a frantic pace, a skeleton bone xylophone and a plethora of cauldron-esque synths and percussion set the stage and take our emotions for a tense ride. 1:19-1:29 and 3:37-3:48 are climactic pinnacles with choir upping the stakes considerably, and in the former section (and elsewhere) we get an endearing rubber synth whose tone could be either silly or serious depending on the context. I like how 2:00 doesn't even try to hold a legitimate breakdown, going "organ and drum and... nah, screw it. Let's jump right back into the insanity!" And it does.

The Solace of the Daylight - My favorite elements of this mix are:
- galloping drumwork
- light jingles trailing the leads (sugar-sweet when exposed at 1:56)
- glassy chimes/vibraphone in the breakdown at 2:55+
- guitar strums (they craft a most refreshing outro)
- fluttery burst of effects in the end

Unfortunately, these aren't enough to get me to look past the quirks that rub me the wrong way:
- There's no graceful transition from crying organ solitude to fruit punch patio in the beginning; the vibes are so polar opposite that I can't help but view the starting organ as a choice that didn't work in the preliminary stages but forgot to be swapped for something smoother.
- Some of the louder sounds bleed uncomfortably and intrude on the sound field, for example: the held notes alongside the main organ notes in the intro; the whistling synth at 0:48-0:56 and 1:45-1:53; the flutey synth at 2:34-2:53; and even the vibraphone at 3:13-3:26.



Flaws aside, this album's definitely got the festive flavor and variety that Joshua Morse knows how to bring. An admirable job, sir.