Mana-Khemia ~The Academy’s Alchemists~ Original Soundtrack

 

Review by · August 30, 2007

As much as I love the Gust Sound Team, there was one thing I’ve feared over the last two years of their work; eventually, people would get tired of it. They’d level the same complaint against Gust that VGM critics (myself included) say about Motoi Sakuraba: “it all sounds the same.”

If you made that complaint about Mana-Khemia, I’d not argue with you. For Nakagawa and Achiwa, this is their sixth score in five years (starting with Atelier Viorate). And let’s face it: they write using some very speific styles, and some particular instruments that other composers don’t know how to write with like this team does. But there is good news…

For those that enjoy the Gust sound, it’s still enjoyable. The formulae for writing town themes, battle themes, and event themes are all there. But there are plenty of small, new twists introduced to the soundscape, enough to make you want to keep collecting Gust albums.

Though Mana-Khemia is, technically, part of the Atelier series, the unique ideas used in “Ar tonelico” are here too. Songs like “Dark Black” use that moody, atmospheric sound are here, and we also find English spoken word (rap) in the 8-bit “Rectangular Wave of Love.”

And, if you enjoyed the rock arrangements of the Atelier Iris games from SSH, know that guitarist Toshinori Hiramatsu lent his talents for a number of battle tracks in Mana-Khemia, including “Repulsion” and “Nefertiti.” The former uses the trademark “Megaman” guitar sound (with harmonic thirds all over the place), and the latter is a battle theme worthy of the greatest “Ys” battle tracks you’ve ever heard.

Furthermore, what Gust soundtrack would be complete without an onslaught of vocal tracks, performed by the now-infamous Haruka Shimotsuki or Noriko Mitose? There are a total of five vocals: the opening, two ending tracks, and two event songs from vocalist “Marie.” Without a doubt, my favorite among the bunch is Mitose’s “STIGMATA” for its in-your-face music structure and intense melody. Other tracks use non-verbal vocal parts to create a silly sound. The “Stupid Hair Saga” track is a good example of this, and it’s one of my favorite “silly songs” from Gust to date.

What I really love about this album, much like the previous Atelier Iris albums, is that there isn’t a single track I’d want to skip while listening. “Filler” music? Not a chance. Every song is either a bouncy romp through a fantasy world, an intense battle theme, or a moving ballad. I can’t get enough of it.

If you’re anything like me, and you can’t get enough of the Gust sound, you’ll definitely want the Mana-Khemia OST. If, however, you were getting tired of the style around the time of Atelier Iris 2 or Ar tonelico, don’t think you’ll find something entirely new and refreshing in this album.

For information on our scoring systems, see our scoring systems overview. Learn more about our general policies on our ethics & policies page.
Patrick Gann

Patrick Gann

Therapist by day and gamer by night, Patrick has been offering semi-coherent ramblings about game music to RPGFan since its beginnings. From symphonic arrangements to rock bands to old-school synth OSTs, Patrick keeps the VGM pumping in his home, to the amusement and/or annoyance of his large family of humans and guinea pigs.