Tracklist

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Review: When Akira Senju is scoring any anime, it’s not unreasonable to expect nothing short of greatness, but that’s unfortunate baggage to be carrying around when he does finally stumble. His previous works, from Arete Hime to the fantastic Red Garden soundtrack have shown us just how good he is at writing music that brings out not only that upwelling of emotion associated with loneliness and suffering that the characters experience, but also the wellspring of hope that the characters draw from to see them through to the very end. With such lofty expectations, it’s a matter of time before he’d let us down.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’s soundtrack is that letdown. It’s far from a fall from grace, but it’s riddled with enough inconsistencies to raise a few questions. Was the sheer immensity and scope of the project just too much? He’s done a quality job for the 51-episode Victory Gundam series which also featured a three-disc soundtrack, so that can’t be it. Perhaps he’s just going through a phase where his creativity isn’t as high. Whatever the reasons are, FMA:B should have been a good fit with Senju’s compositional style since the show’s plot centering upon the physical and emotional trials and tribulations that Edward and Alfonse Elric must undergo isn’t unlike that of Red Garden’s, and yet, Senju doesn’t draw out those poignant emotions as well as he normally does.

The pieces featured early on carry the hope that once again, Senju will deliver a memorable score. “Main Theme ~The Fullmetal Alchemist~” opens up with an ominous tone, depicting the extent of the monumental struggles that the Elric brothers will face throughout their journey. The orchestra builds its tension slowly, and once it hits its peak, the chorus takes over with the orchestra in accompaniment and together, they bring a sound that mixes in both majesty and sadness in showing a long road, filled with little reprieve from tragedy and suffering, that will take the brothers to hell and back. “Laws of Alchemy” follows that with a rigid-sounding violin melody that highlights the unforgiving nature of alchemy and the horror inherent in its backlash should anyone cross that forbidden line. It’s a strong start, and because of that, you’re not quite prepared for the drop in quality when it materializes.

Main Theme ~The Fullmetal Alchemist~

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Laws of Alchemy

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Starting around “Fire in the Sky,” Akira Senju moves away from the distinct melodies that characterize his past works and aims towards building ambiance. While it works well in context, I find my attention wandering rather than focusing upon the music without the visuals to accompany them. Tracks like “Mist” bore me out of my mind because it repeats a bland melody that fails to grab my attention in any way. The same goes for “Fifth Laboratory,” which heaves in the bombast and crescendos it further without tossing in much variety to keep the listener interested. “Fanfare for the Brave” takes on a different form of badness because initially, its melody inspires, but as it keeps on progressing towards glory and redemption, it becomes painfully evident that the piece intends to leave us hanging by not delivering any sort of payoff at the end that would clinch it all and leave us in awe.

Mist

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Fanfare for the Brave

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Scattered amidst the ambient doom and gloom are a few delightful tracks like the “Far East Suite” which bring out the scope of FMA:B’s epic odyssey similar to the feeling evoked in Joe Hisaishi’s Princess Mononoke score. “Home -en route to Resembool-” is jaunty and happy while “Home -a house on the hill-” is warm and nostalgic even if a subtle hint of sadness lies underneath it all. Together, their mellow melodies provide a welcome break from all the tension that’s built up through the other tracks. And as the soundtrack winds down, “Overture -Brotherhood-’s” poignant melody gives us a peace of mind with the hope that at the end of the odyssey, the two brothers will find the happiness that they have sought all along, making this track a strong closer.

Far East Suite

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Overture -Brotherhood-

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Depending on how you look at it, this letdown could be seen as a positive because even amidst the boring ambiance, Akira Senju still manages to draw forth a handful of tracks that are as good as the ones he’s composed in the past or a negative in that this album on the whole is so inconsistent in comparison, making it difficult to sit for the whole way through. My mindset definitely falls into the latter category, and so, I hope that FMA:B marks the bottom in the spectrum of Senju’s compositions.

Rating: Decent

Disc 1

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Disc 2

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Disc 3

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Tracklist provided by Ayumikat at the Brownie Post.

Review: Taku Iwasaki, while still a strong composer, hasn’t delivered as consistent an effort as he had in the past. Whereas before, he had composed the excellent Rurouni Kenshin OVAs, Read or Die, and Witch Hunter Robin soundtracks, nowadays, the quality of his work has varied, from the highly-acclaimed Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann to the completely lackluster Black Cat. Kuroshitsuji’s soundtrack falls in the upper-middle part of the quality spectrum. The first disc on the soundtrack manages to depict the elegant, yet ominous aura of the anime’s setting, though it doesn’t strive to do much more than that, saving the best parts for the second disc which mixes some of the better orchestral tracks along with some Indian-themed music. The variety to be had in the second disc makes it engaging and through that, the soundtrack as a whole feels fresh and enjoyable as a result.

So while the first disc doesn’t include the best that Iwasaki has to offer, it is nevertheless a competent effort, especially in sculpting the tone for the anime’s setting. “Nigram Clavem” sets up that dark, ominous aura through a Gregorian chant to make one feel a sense of unease through the female vocalist’s stuttering, halting delivery and tracks such as “The butler” reinforce the unease through a melody that that cloaks the subject of the piece in a shroud of enigma. “A diabolic waltz” furthers the enigma through a smooth dance that combines an upper-class feeling of elegance and grace that carries a foreboding tone and in doing so, manages to capture both the aristocratic aspect and the supernatural elements of the anime series.

Nigram Clavem
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A diabolic waltz
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As you might expect, the lofty, aristocratic auras are given their chance to shine. “Master of Tea and Scones” works through a Baroque melody that brings to mind a scene in which a group of aristocrats are mingling about and talking about the issues of the day. What I find interesting about this piece’s execution is its use of the saxophone which, though it’s not commonly looked upon as an instrument one would use to depict the aristocracy, draws out an aura of sophistication and snobbery. “La Gardenia” aims more for majesty than sophistication, but its stirring, operatic delivery projects an aura of grandiosity so well that it’s one of the more enjoyable tracks if you like the pompous operatic songs. And if “La Gardenia” is your type of piece, you’ll also appreciate “Wie schon!” where the singer’s sense of urgency meshes well with the foreboding violin section in the background.

La Gardenia
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Most of the other tracks on that disc are enjoyable enough and if you happen to enjoy ambient tracks, the first disc should suit you just fine. Nevertheless, there are a few that you should watch out for and maybe skip altogether because they are downright terrible. The biggest offender is “Die Hasen!” which I’d charitably describe as a banshee wailing because the singer’s execution is so discordant and out of tune that I suspect that it was deliberate and done for a comical purpose. That, unfortunately, is of no comfort to those of us who have to actually sit through the whole thing and it’s better to pass over altogether. Thankfully, “Die Hasen!” is about as bad as it gets; the others are lackluster at worst. For example, “Shitsuji taru mono” feels as though it should be a comical piece, except that it doesn’t capture the goofy atmosphere all too well because its jazzy saxophone melody sounds kitschy, like the music you’d hear in a room full of video poker machines. “The Dark Crow Smiles” also isn’t too compelling, mostly because it fritters away its opportunity to nail the dark atmosphere through a campy-sounding narration.

Die Hasen!
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The Dark Crow Smiles
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The second disc is where most of the better tracks lie and the disc wastes no time in getting you into the mix of things with “Si deus me relinquit’s” mournful melody that creates a God-forsaken feeling. Once the track reaches the 1:35 mark, the piece really opens up with a majestic melody that hides within it a tone of loneliness and despair that can be overwhelming at times. “Si deus me relinquit” goes through a few transitional interludes which help to keep the listener engaged through its intensity and dramatic flair, leaving the listener in awe by the time it ends. Although some pieces like “Never More,” which uses a flute to create a despondent, unnerving feeling, and “Call thy name, ‘Stella Mystica,’” whose menacing tone done through a singer and a piano in the background captures the feel of a forbidden dark ritual, none of them are as enjoyable as “Si deus me relinquit” which grabs you through the raw power of its emotions.

Si deus me relinquit
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Call thy name, “Stella Mystica”
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The Indian tracks also bring a bit of character to the soundtrack. Though the music doesn’t strive for something beyond stereotypical traditional Indian music, its strength lies in the novelty factor. It’s not often that one gets an opportunity to listen to Indian music, and being able to do so makes for a nice change from all the ominous orchestral tracks. For that, these tracks are worth checking out, especially if one is fond of ethnic tracks that cover the gamut of soothing sitar melodies to energetic Indian chants that convey an exotic aura.

rudra
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Although the third disc includes an excellent set of tracks ranging from SID’s “Kiss of Monochrome” to Kalafina’s “Lacrimosa,” Kuroshitsuji’s soundtrack’s strengths still lie in the BGM on the first two discs. Iwasaki has done an excellent job of bringing together the aristocratic tones and the ominous, foreboding auras that makes up a large part of the show’s supernatural side while also mixing in Indian rhythms, chants, and melodies. The effort is solid all around and though there are a few earaches, those comprise a few tracks which are easily compensated for by tracks like “La gardenia” and “Si deus me relinquit.” So whether you’re a big fan of the series or of Iwasaki, you should find this album to be an enjoyable listen since Kuroshitsuji is one of his better works as of late.

Rating: Very Good