I’ve been ranting and raving about the Gust Sound Team for years now, because the team (Daisuke Achiwa, Ken Nakagawa, and Akira Tsuchiya) could do no wrong. Everything they made was awesome. With each new soundtrack release, I wondered if I would ever find myself tired, or worn down, by their style. Would it ever stop sounding fresh and original? I started to wonder if the time would ever come.
Well, it seems the time has finally come. It is my fervent belief that the Mana-Khemia 2 OST is the worst thing Achiwa and Nakagawa have done together. They certainly would have benefited from some tracks composed by Tsuchiya.
Now that I’ve dropped the bomb, let’s clarify (and hopefully mitigate) the condemning statement I’ve made. The OST isn’t bad. That would be a real shocker, if they put out something that just stunk to high heaven. The production, mixing, composition, and vocal performances are all above par for a game soundtrack. The Gust “style” (light, airy, bouncy) is maintained. It’s just that it’s not as memorable or pronounced. The battle themes are still strong thanks to the guitarist who’s been around since the SSH arranged albums were released (see “Chaotic Moon,” or “Roar of Delirium”). And some of the tracks that stand out are those that DON’T follow the formula, such as the jazzy “Mr. Goto’s Theme.” Here, we see the team branching out.
But still, for the most part, this soundtrack is truly inferior to everything from Atelier Iris 1 onward for Gust. There are simply too many mediocre “filler” tracks in the way of a few gems.
