Super Robot Wars Alpha Original Score II: Earth Chapter continues the Original Score trilogy. This installment consists vocal versions of the SRX crew, plus Levi, along with miscellaneous songs. None of their theme songs are featured in this album (that’s in the next installment). As much as I like the SRX team, I did not think their themes were that great, compared to a number of others. The same should not be said for the vocal versions, since I felt they were well done in general, and listening to their original themes again gave me more appreciation to it. Of course, the vocal songs have drama bits (except one) in this installment as well.
The soundtrack starts off much better than in the first album with a much more engaging vocal theme. A remix of Ryusei’s theme “Everywhere You Go” that I found instantly engaging once the song starts kicking in. The vocalists managed to capture the spirit of the hot-blooded hero quite well, plus it has such a catchy chorus, making the song even more enjoyable.
I thought the non-vocal songs were not so outstanding this time around. “Twilight Battleground” is an interesting, funky tune. I thought if it went slightly more fast-paced with its style, it would’ve been more interesting. “For the Sake of Every Great Cause” was also a fine listen, having a bit of an epic feeling to it. Once again, I thought it would’ve been more interesting if the pace sped up a little bit, but that’s just me. “Detestable Visitor” and “Ace Attacker” are still fun listens for me, despite hearing them in other soundtracks prior to this. I noticed that this version of “Detestable Visitor” has a much shorter melody than the ones later on, so it repeats more often. “Ace Attacker” remains intact on the other hand.
Once again, the meat of the soundtrack are the vocal songs, and once again it turned out enjoyable. Aya’s “Psychic Energy” was quite catchy, unlike her regular theme, with good vocals (though sometimes a bit too high-pitched), and a funky beat to complement it. Rai’s “Ice Man” is alright, with a good vocalist, but still felt the melody is a bit lackluster. Good listen regardless, but I prefer the vocals for Ryusei’s and Aya’s theme. Ingram’s “Time Diver” was a bit of a letdown for me, considering I liked his theme a lot. The cons are opposite of “Ice Man” where I thought the melody was great, but the vocal is sub-par. Between the two, “Ice Man” wins making “Time Diver” last place. Last, but not least, there is also a vocal version of the SRX theme “Steel Spirit.” I find the vocals a bit shaky in the beginning, but as the song progresses, I began enjoying it a lot more. May not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a good hot-blooded song.
I thought the vocal version of “Marionette Messiah” was the best of all vocals in this soundtrack. I thought the original melody was wonderful, and the vocal version of it is great as well. The vocal version gave the main melody a more haunting feeling using orchestral instruments, and with a strong vocalist, it was very well-done. Both versions of “Marionette Messiah” are simply winners.
The way this soundtrack ends was pretty funny in my opinion. It is not a song, but rather a preview talking about Original Score III from what I picked up. Certainly something you don’t really hear in soundtracks; it felt more like the end of an anime episode.
Original Score II is personally my least favorite of the three, but it was still enjoyable to listen. The vocal inclusion is what really makes it worthwhile for me, but non-vocal songs are fine listens too. The most fun of all lies in the next installment.
