Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but this soundtrack is on fire! It’s the Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Original Soundtrack! Four hours of music written exclusively for the updated version of Shin Megami Tensei V launched nearly three years after the base game. This album was a huge surprise to me. SMTIII: Nocturne‘s expanded Maniax edition included an extra hour of music, and SMTIV: Apocalypse (Final in Japan) added two hours of new music. So, I guess Atlus is just building these definitive/extra content versions with more and more care as time passes?
While the Shin Megami Tensei V soundtrack (for the base game) features music from both Ryota Kozuka and Toshiki Konishi, the Vengeance experience is a Kozuka solo project, through and through. Kozuka also handled the SMTIV Apocalypse soundtrack after working with a team of composers on the original SMTIV, so creating an additional set of music for an SMT expansion is not a new endeavor. Though both are great in their own right, I think Vengeance has a more sophisticated soundscape than Apocalypse.
As it was in the base game, so shall it be in Vengeance. The three main track types stand as the pillars of the OST. They are the “Da’at” environment themes (7 total), the “Quest” themes (14 total), and the “Battle” themes (20 total). Whoa. That is a lot of battle music, nearly doubling the total number of battle tracks when adding it to the original game.
Many of the musical tricks and tools return for this soundscape. A cynical way to talk about this would be to say it’s “more of the same.” But that’s not quite right. For example, while distorted vocal chants and samples run rampant through this OST (especially its battle themes), I noticed an increase in mid-range voicing and pulling these voices to the background. “Battle -no hypocrisy-” is a great example of this, where a shakuhachi flute takes center stage with voice samples providing the latticework to make the song function. An intentionally detuned piano and drum machine provide the rest of the structure, and the end result is a truly unique battle theme.
Much as I love all the Da’at, Quest, and Battle themes, some of my favorite tracks in Vengeance are the incidentals for interactions between two characters. These pieces are short, but goodness, are they memorable! I especially love the minimalist piano work in “Tao and the Young Man,” utilizing a series of harmonic intervals that remind me of the score to the cult classic film Donnie Darko. Similar piano work, now blended with a sustained synth choir, features in the track “Yuzuru and Tsukuyomi.” The subtle depth that arises from these softer, minimal pieces helps elevate the entirety of the SMTV musical experience.
An interesting observation I had is how backloaded this OST is. I generally gravitate to discs three and four over the first two, and the last five tracks are well-developed, polished, and produced. These tracks are a series of strong rock-infused battle themes (“the adversary,” “Masakado,” “Konohana Sakuya,” “Dagda”), and then the six-minute staff roll music “‘Vengeance’ end theme.” As far as end credits music goes, this is a winner in my book. For once, the vocal tracks are clear, matching the piano for a joint melodic force, ending the soundtrack on a bright note in an otherwise strange and chaotic soundscape.
As a final note, I’d like to point the reader to the catalog number and publisher. “AGM” stands for “Atlus Game Music.” For the better part of a decade, Atlus had been publishing under the Mastard Records label. Starting with Persona 3 Reload in early 2024, Atlus has followed Square Enix and Falcom in self-publishing retail soundtracks. Vengeance is their second publication, and since then they’ve released the Metaphor: ReFantazio OST and more! This is an exciting development, and I’m hopeful it leads to more frequent and timely soundtrack releases from Atlus!
