Lakeshore Records release Castlevania: Nocturne: Original Series Soundtrack with music by Emmy-winning composer Trevor Morris and Trey Toy. The ominous electronic and orchestral score provides a crushing and compelling backdrop to the dark fantasy series. Set in France, 1792 - the height of the French Revolution - the counter-revolutionary aristocracy has forged an alliance with a terrifying Vampire Messiah, who promises to 'eat the sun' and unleash an army of vampires and night creatures to crush the revolution and enslave humanity. Annette, a sorceress from the Caribbean, seeks out Richter Belmont, last descendant of the long-fabled family of vampire hunters, to lead the resistance...

Trevor Morris and Trey Toy deliver a rich palette of sounds on their score for Castlevania: Nocturne. The album contains 30 tracks (1 hour, 11 min, 49 sec) and anyone who is a fan of the series will immediately know how important the music is in creating the right atmosphere for the onscreen action.

So, to be able to hear it on its own merits is certainly something soundtrack collectors will be over the moon to experience. While there are quite a few atmospheric music cues that don't really stand out as being overly interesting, for the most part this is a soundtrack that really delivers memorable and exciting themes and set pieces. The opening rock anthem theme of 'Divine Bloodlines' is almost worth buying this album for regardless of what you might think of the rest of the music.

Talking about the music, Morris says: "Working on Nocturne was just a joy. An amazing opportunity to be immersive with the score to suit the amazing look, story and characters."

In addition, Toy says: "Castlevania: Nocturne elegantly balances its epic setting in a world of vampires and magic with deeply personal character stories. We were excited to use the score to highlight this duality, so as much as we leaned on the usual fare of orchestra, drums, choir and the like, we relied equally on intimate soloist recordings, using an array of experimental playing techniques, to accentuate the emotional core of the show. Just as the narrative spans space, time and culture, so too did we explore a diverse array of instruments from around the world, from viola da gamba, cristal baschet and the human voice, to didgeridoos, koras and conch shells."

Songs from the show are also included, and of particular note is the wonderful 'I'm Free', which is an instantly accessible pop song of some merit.

This is a score that will not only appeal to fans of the show, but is worth seeking out if you're a lover of strong, epic sounding scores.

8

Darren Rea