Lost in the Music ~ Harmony for a Hunter by Shinesparkers

Original art by Ivan Flores. Check out his dA profile for more of his work

Metroid is an under utilized property. When it comes to video games, the choices are incredibly slim with (as of this writing) Metroid Metal, the only real Metroid cover band. It seems that Final Fantasy and Mega Man get the most coverage when it comes to video game covers. It is kind of disappointing really considering that Metroid was one of the more important franchises during the NES years. I am aware that there was only one game on the original system, but it revolutionized many aspects of the platforming/adventure genre. It also featred the first female lead character that wasn't a damsel in distress.

It's been a while since I covered some Metroid music, so today on Lost in the Music, we are gonna take a listen to Harmony of a Hunter.

I am glad I am reviewing this album because it brings a little bit of variety into my playlist. As of late, I usually am focused on either Nerdcore or rock covers. Harmony of a Hunter changes that with having the album be a variety of different genre's. Despite the variety, the music still invokes that same feeling of immersion. Some of the songs, such as Dangers of Old Turian use the same chanting from the original game. It is the little touches like that, that add to the song. They could have chosen not to use it, but it's as much part of the song as any of the other instruments.

It is albums like Harmony of a Hunter that remind me why I got into reviewing these albums. These collaboration albums are nothing short of awesome as it brings in several different artist with their own sound to work on one album. It is great to see some of the more well known people from OCReMix doing collaborations outside the site. When I first read the list of artists, I had to see if this was one of their projects. With names like Darkesword, zircon and Mazedude, I was convinced it was an OCReMix album that had been overshadowed. After doing some research, I discovered that it is listed on the site, but not as an OCReMix album, but just an arrangement.

Harmony of a Hunter is an album that celebrates all the games in Metroid franchise, including the abysmal Metroid: Other M (the less said the better). From the original Metroid to the Prime series and even Fusion, there are at least one track from each of the games. This is a great way to celebrate Metroid's 25^th anniversary. The team behind this album did a fantastic job and I a glad to see the series get some recognition in the Video Game Music community.

The music in Metroid has also been strongly atmospheric. Instead of relying on orchestra's to help get the player hooked into the story, the series used the music to enhance the environment. Each new area in the game had it's own unique sound, unlike other games from that era. I do wish more games would done that as it adds some depth to the games and makes you feel like you are exploring some some new, unknown land.

You can find the album on the groups website. If you are a Metroid fan, then you need to get this album.

Cheers to 25 Years Metroid.