At Unicorn Overlord’s release in 2024, I became unexpectedly absorbed into its strategic, brain-itching teambuilding and gorgeous aesthetics, and blasted through Alain and company’s world-sprawling campaign for liberty. RPGFan’s resident VGM wizard Patrick Gann called Unicorn Overlord’s OST a “strong contender for best soundtrack of 2024,” and I agreed in my end-of-the-year list. In 2025, the team of composers, led by Mitsuhiro Kaneda, reunited with producer Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy Tactics, FFXII, Vagrant Story) and his team at Basiscape for the unambiguously titled Unicorn Overlord Orchestral Album ~Atlus × Vanillaware Works~, and now I can’t hear this music any way but live.
Unicorn Overlord Orchestral Album takes recordings from a TOKYO Chamber Orchestra concert at Sumida Triphony Hall. More than most recent live orchestral albums from already orchestral scores (such as the many Final Fantasy VII Remake/Rebirth albums), Unicorn Overlord’s epic, militaristic music lends itself to the acoustics of a concert hall. In general, the strings are allowed to soar higher than on the OST, and the tracks propelled by the deep percussion and bright brass section make me want to charge into battle on horseback. The album also condenses 89 tracks from the five-hour OST into 26 tracks at under an hour and a half, without leaving any major gaps.
“Main Theme” opens the concert with a swelling boom, showcasing some of the best brasswork on the album. Halfway through the track, the strings desperately rush into and then alongside a choir harmony that sets my heart ablaze. “Prologue -Dark Clouds- ~ -Beginning-“ is perhaps the only story dressing track, that is, a mood-setter rather than a battle, overworld, or character theme. In this way, listening to Unicorn Overlord Orchestral Album is like re-experiencing the narrative.
On other medley tracks, minor themes are brilliantly arranged as transitional melodies between more epic themes, making countries like Cornia and Bastorias feel more sonically cohesive. Instrumentally, too, each region has its own flair. The playful flightiness of Elheim and its elves comes through in the flutes and twinkling percussion in “Elheim Overworld (Day) – Elheim’s Theme melody.” Then you have the timpani drums and tuba evoking the frozen sturdiness (and Viking aesthetic) of Bastorias in “Bastorias Overworld (Day).”
The subrhythm of the marching snare drum is ever-present, perhaps a musical metaphor for the hero Alain, who goes about recruiting each country into his army. Even on rather calm tracks, this military snare often pops in to remind you of the overarching struggle in Unicorn Overlord.
Unicorn Overlord Orchestral Album balances drama and levity with an adeptness I might expect from, perhaps, a big-budget Monster Hunter soundtrack. Tracks like the snacky, lighthearted “Liveliness at the Dining Table,” the guitar-led “Peaceful-Memory Medley,” and the gently sacred “Rite of Covenant” are much-appreciated breathers in the tracklist, though even long epic themes like show-stopper “Unicorn Overlord -Stage- Unicorn Overlord -Battle- Decisive Battle Medley” are uplifting in their own ways. Said track is seven-plus minutes of teetering between despair and triumph, perfectly suiting my feelings upon taking turns with the enemy army in the final few battles.
The latter half of the second disc wraps things up with a lot of pomp, including fan-favourite vocal track “Farde mal diavolo -Destroy Evil, then Come-,” which plays in-game during the prologue battle and the final battle. Again, the storytelling within the tracklist makes this a very cinematic, satisfying listen front to back, and even those unfamiliar with the game can enjoy the earned grandiosity the music allows itself. The album closes with “Main Theme (Reprise)”—granted, it’s an exact retake of the opener, so the album doesn’t lend itself to instant-repeat listens, but I like how they allow applause to filter into the end of the reprise.
To highlight my favourite tracks, “Cornia Stage” epitomises the various factions and races’ campaigning urgency, with duelling brass, flute, and string melodies somehow not overpowering each other. “Elheim Overworld (Day) – Elheim’s Theme Medley” displays some of the most unique and fanciful rhythms on the soundtrack and conveys war spreading into a strange land. Finally, the track so nice they put it in twice, “Main Theme” is undeniably heart-pounding, propulsive, and perfectly sets the mood for adventure.
You can do no better in ninety minutes of militaristic, fantasy-epic music than Unicorn Overlord Orchestral Album, so suit up in your toughest steel (or else your finest tuxedo) and enjoy a night at the concert hall.
