Posted 2014-12-11, evaluated by djpretzel


BONKERS. Metal. Castlevania. It's happened before, back in Halloween of 2012, and now it's happening again, for our 15th anniversary. Of his relatively conservative but still inspired, personalized, & shreddified arrangement, Mr. Perry writes:

"I don't expect this to pass based on the fact that this interprets some things too literally from the original, but I thought I'd try anyway. The Sega Saturn "hard rock" remix of "Bloody Tears" has always been a favorite of mine. But the in-game versions don't really do the arrangement justice, I think. (Well, not like there are any remixes of this version anyway.)

So I started this last year and a friend convinced me to enter it unfinished for MAGFest Dwelling of Duels. I wish I had waited. I struggled real hard with not having a sub to mix with, did the best I could with my speakers. To check the mix with a sub in the car, I have to burn it to a CD first! And I'm low on those, so you can imagine I go through them quickly. (I don't have an iPod, and I'm not sure I can trust a tape adapter to accurately replay the mix.) Trying to balance it all was truly an arduous task.

Anywho, I hope this doesn't hurt or fatigue your ears. It's pretty rockical - in the solos, I managed to sneak some references to "Awake" and "Bloodlines" in there (Even A.P.J.'s version of "Bloody Tears" at the end). Kudos if you notice them! Also: Sorry about the intonation issues. No matter what I've tried, I can never get perfect intonation. It frustrates me to no end to the point where I feel like giving up almost!"

I know many of us have gone through all sorts of machinations while testing a mix and trying to get levels right - playing your master in a car is actually a pretty common way of hearing how it sounds in less-than-ideal circumstances, and I've seen some professional engineers recommend it as a final form of QA. Nick might be a little too humble/self-deprecating, though, as I'm thinking most folks will be digging this quite a bit, regardless of the trials & tribulations involved in its production. Larry writes:

"If there's anything I've learned in my decade-plus as a judge, it's that there are some talented arrangers out there who wrongly come to the conclusion that covers can never be a good fit for OCR. In this case, Nick thought this treatment was too conservative, but that's not the case when you look at all the ways this version's personalized. I believe the arrangement standards are pretty open-ended yet clear on how a combination of arrangement techniques add up for the win.

This is a really cool take on an arranged version of "Bloody Tears" that's exclusively on the JP-only Saturn release of the game, hence labeling it as a Nocture in the Moonlight mix rather than Symphony of the Night. Beyond dressing this arrangement up with expansive part-writing and personalized spices, I've also got to give a big thanks to Nicholas, by way of his conclusion at 3:58, for introducing me to A.P.J. Their 2002 version of "Bloody Tears" is smooth jazz VGM at its finest, so it was a nice touch to refer to the rhythmic changes to "Bloody Tears" used by that group!"

Larry said it well; diehard Castlevania fans will appreciate the specificity of the alternate version being arranged here, and the nod to the wonderfully subdued jazz arrangement from A.P.J. was a nice touch. The energy's relentless, the shreddage is face-melting, and while I think Nick could have thrown in an original solo or mixed it up a bit more, it's still very much HIS take on the theme, and that's what counts; great stuff.

djpretzel

Discussion

Latest 7 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
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Black_Doom
on 2015-12-03 14:07:53

I'm simply struck by the wild energy of this cover - crazy shreddage coupled machine gun-like drums and brilliant synths choice give this overpopular source a completly fresh spin. Suberb!

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Chernabogue
on 2015-12-02 04:00:17

New review: the production value is insane here -- I can feel how BONKERS improved over the years. The beginning sounds more like a direct cover of the original Saturn version, but quickly evolves into something new and shreddingly good (+ bonus points for crazy nice synths). I love the small cameos to other CV tracks (I can hear a little CV2 here and there). Keep 'em coming, bro! \m/

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Crulex
on 2014-12-23 11:50:19

There's something polished about this ReMix that doesn't always get heard in other Castlevania metal mixes. Sure, often or not, the production is really good, so maybe it's just me, but the production for this particular mix sounds a notch above most. Elsewise, this is a terrific take on Bloody Tears. The Saturn version being used is a great touch as well. Gonna have to say that this is my favorite BONKERS mix to date. Well done, fella.

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OverClocked PodCast
on 2014-12-20 14:38:52

Although I've heard Castlevania ReMixed with heavy use of shredding guitars and organ samples more times than I can remember, this is a preeeeeeetty rad version. The trippy synth/piano ending might be my favorite part, especially since I assumed everything would end with a sudden bang.

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Chimpazilla
on 2014-12-15 11:48:36

This SHREDDAGE has totally MELTED MY FACE. :grin:

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jivjov
on 2014-12-13 03:02:56

This is a little heavier than I usually like my music...but it has a fantastic energy, and the ending really ties the whole thing together. Very nicely done!

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Liontamer
on 2014-12-11 00:50:36

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

Sources Arranged (3 Songs, 3 Games)


Primary Game:
Akumajo Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight (Konami , 1998, SAT)
Music by akiropito,Jeff Lorber,Michiru Yamane,Rika Muranaka,Tomoko Sano,Tony Haynes
Songs:
"Bloody Tears Hard-Rock, vers. A"
Additional Game:
Akumajo Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (Konami , 1993, TGCD)
Music by akiropito,Jun Funahashi,Keizo Nakamura,Mikio Saito,Satoe Terashima,Tomoko Sano
Songs:
"Blood Relations of Heaven and Earth (Stage 1 BGM)"
Additional Game:
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (Konami , 2001, GBA)
Music by Hiroshi Mitsuoka,Sotaro Tojima
Songs:
"awake"

Tags (8)


Genre:
Rock
Mood:
Aggressive
Instrumentation:
Electric Guitar,Organ,Piano
Additional:
Origin > Competition > Dwelling of Duels
Production > Live Instruments
Time > 4/4 Time Signature

File Information


Name:
Akumajo_Dracula_X_Nocturne_in_the_Moonlight_Bloody_Mayhem_OC_ReMix.mp3
Size:
8,569,616 bytes
MD5:
412a21eb5f0c240107cdac871414da36
Bitrate:
265Kbps
Duration:
4:15

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