Vampire Variations: A Musical Tribute to Castlevania
Comments from album director Alexandre Mourey (Chernabogue) and ReMixers
Album freely available at http://vampire.ocremix.org

It is with an immense pleasure and honour that I am able to present to you Vampire Variations: A Musical Tribute to Castlevania.

Vampire Variations was created to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Konami's landmark series, Castlevania. Twenty musicians to arrange the mythic soundtrack of the original NES game that started it all. Andrew Warwick as visual artist to recreate the unique atmosphere of the demon's lair known as Castlevania. A wide variety of musical genres going from rock and orchestral to jazz and electronic music, including various references to other titles from the series.

It has been a true honour and a privilege to create, direct, and contribute to a such project. I would like to thank everyone who supported this venture, and to all people involved be they musician or visual artist.

Now, be prepared for an Aria of Sorrow, a desperate Rondo of Blood to this Symphony of the Night! The Lord of Shadows rises from his grave and only one man can stop him...
...What a horrible night to have a curse!

-Alexandre Mourey

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01. Stemage feat. Chris Dlugosz - "Prolapse"
Source: "Prologue (Start BGM)"

Chernabogue: Having a true legend like Stemage opening the ball is something unique: you know it's going to be good. The bat sound effects, the organ (by Chris Dlugosz from Armcannon -- no less!), the heavy rhythm guitars, and the crazy lead one make the perfect introduction to the album, and to the whole trilogy.

02. The Dual Dragons - "Flames of Passion"
Source: "Heart of Fire (Dracula's Castle Main Building BGM)"

Chernabogue: Right after Stemage's intro, The Dual Dragons jump into the action right away with their bombastic arrangement of "Heart of Fire." The harpsichord, the other orchestra instruments, and the middle-section breakdown add a lot to a source that's already been "metalized" to death.

03. Viking Guitar - "Swamp Ripples"
Source: "Stalker (Tower BGM)"

Chernabogue: VGM and metal usually result in fast-paced tracks. On the opposed side, Viking Guitar proves it can also be slower and yet very heavy, with his (almost) atmospheric arrangement. The result is unique and some parts of it may remind of old Black Sabbath tracks -- a.k.a. good stuff.

04. Magellanic - "Enough Time to Dance"
Source: "Out of Time (Clock Tower BGM)"

Chernabogue: Magellanic, back when he was known as Lidawg, approached this track with different genres in mind. The use of electro elements with electric guitars, plus a few 8-bit SFX, works wonders. This track could be considered as the ancestor to Jorito's Volume III track -- a mix of several elements that can stay coherent.

Magellanic: So... where to start... Well, I joined the Vampire Variations project fairly late, so there weren't many tracks free for claim. Castlevania was not a game I was familiar with before I started the project (please forgive me, but I have played it since!). What stuck out about the source was the melody. There wasn't much material, but the motifs that are in the original have strong character and lend themselves to a fair amount of expansion. I had difficulty arranging this in a way that expanded on the source, but didn't render it unrecogniseable. After many versions and feedback, I have a version that I am pleased with. It may not pass the panel but, for me, the production and style on this are the best out of the tracks I've produced so far. I've learnt a lot from it, enjoyed it and hope you enjoy listening to it.

Well, in advance, I'd like to say thank you for the feedback. It was really useful and it was also great hearing from OCR's newest judge (congrats, BTW). This version may sound rather different to the last but I think its punchier, clearer and more energetic. There isn't really any change to the arrangement. What's mostly changed are the synths. They should sound more organic and human. They are better quality and I've re-recorded the parts to give them a bit of swing and soul. Andrew mentioned that he would of liked the drums to have more oomph... I think they have a little more than before. Hopefully, the soundscape is a bit more exciting and atmospheric too.

Other than that, I'd just thought I'd say how this mix has been a labour of love. I started the track in July for Vampire Variations and it is now almost unrecogniseable from what is was then. I've lost count of how many times this mix has been revised. I owe a lot to the guys on Vampire Variations, they were and are fantastic to work with. I really appreciated Chernabogue letting me onto the project. I can imagine I was somewhat of a risk with my limited abilities, but I think it turned out okay in the end. I love the project so much and just want to show that passion by making this track as good as it can be. Whether this is accepted or not, the judges have really enabled me to stretch my abilities. Thank you again, all your hard work is really appreciated! 

05. Dj Mokram - "Heartbeat Shift"
Sources: "The Silence of the Daylight (Town Stage BGM)" - Castlevania II, "Heart of Fire (Dracula's Castle Main Building BGM)," "Ecclesia" - Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, "An Empty Tome" (I) - Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

Chernabogue: When I encouraged artists to pick sources from other Castlevania games, Mokram actually revisited several games in one track, from the NES to the DS. While the samples may have aged a little, the track keeps a certain charm. Mokram proves medleys can fit multiple sources in one track without problem of any kind.

06. Guifrog - "Wild Night"
Source: "Stalker (Tower BGM)"

Chernabogue: I'll be honest: Latin dance music may not be what you're expecting in a Castlevania album. Yet, Guifrog succeeded in bringing his own style to the party. The result is very unique and sounds a little "magical" -- only Guifrog has the secret to such arrangements.

Guifrog: Chernabogue wanted everyone to give their own styles to the project, so I decided to make an entry and made an Afro-electronica track. "Wild Night," because the way this mix turned out, I guess it's pretty much nightclub-friendly, crazy-dance friendly, party-hard frenzy whatever. :P That said, it's a mix of mixes, as I tried to give contradictory emotions to it - eerie, but dancey. Obscure, but fun. Some SFX have a pretty subtle haunted feel to them and things end in a fadeout; but the brass turn things somehow bright and the boom-tiss beat from the chorus will make you dance before thinking of getting scared.

Also, I was mostly influenced by Benin singer Angélique Kidjo when I made this. She's totally awesome!

Breakdown:

0:00-0:12 - Windy arp plays source's 0:00-0:04; Kalimba plays source's 0:05-0:11
0:13-0:25 - Original writing
0:26-0:38 - Windy arp - 0:00-0:04; Synths - 0:05-0:11
0:39-0:52 - Windy arp - 0:00-0:04; Kalimba - 0:05-0:11; delayed synth - 0:05-0:11
0:53-1:18 - Source's 0:12-0:29
1:19-1:31 - Windy arp - 0:00-0:04, flute with an original melody
1:32-1:44 - Source's 0:00-0:04
1:45-1:58 - Source's 0:05-0:11
1:59-2:11 - Brass leads - 0:30-0:34
2:12-2:18 - I love percussion! ^^
2:19-2:30 - Source's 0:30-0:34 by Mr. Brass
2:31-2:40 - Ribbits
2:41-2:48 - Windy arp - 0:00-0:04; Kalimba - 0:05-0:11; Delayed synth - 0:05-0:11
2:49-3:27 - Source's 0:12-0:29 until the end

07. Brandon Strader - "Vampire's Kiss"
Source: "Vampire Killer (Breaking into the Castle BGM)"

Chernabogue: "Vampire Killer" is one of the most memorable tracks from the entire VGM realm -- it is a big challenge to arrange this track and do something truly unique. Well, symphonic black metal mixed with Nicolas Cage quotes does sound unique. Brandon delivers a touch of madness to the album with a high-quality track full of energy and of cheesy lines.

Brandon Strader: Hi. I signed on for "Vampire Killer." I knew it was a popular theme and had been remixed like more than 3 times, so I wanted to try to do it in a way that hasn't been done before. My choice was to do it as black metals, very much in the vein of my own black metal project, "In Staid Grace," which includes orchestration, black metals, and a nice acoustic break. The concept behind the remix was to pay tribute to Castlevania and also Vampire's Kiss, possibly my favorite Nicolas Cage movie of all time. Also Dracula X was called Vampire's Kiss, in like, Europe or something. I highly recommend seeing that movie at least once, and also play Castlevania. 'Cause it's a game.

The Vampire's Kiss tribute takes the form of many soundbites from the movie which are placed and edited to fit in specific parts of the song. As for my overall take on "Vampire Killer," I really like it, I think it's the birthdays wurtha gud, and I feel that subbing it to OCR is a risk, but one I am willing to take. This is nowhere near as traditional and legitimate as Harjawaldar's "I den Svarte Skogen," which I felt captured the essence of black metal completely in every regard, really a perfect mix (http://youtu.be/qt0cW5KZtpE). Harjawaldar is an incredible musician.

When I heard that Vampire Variations wasn't hitting OCR, I did take a few steps to make this mix more true to the genre, mostly lowering the bass guitar, adding more click to the kickdrum, and making the high end more crispy as a whole. Also, the reverby atmospheric guitar lead at the beginning, very blackmetal-esque. I'm subbing this to OCR, 'cause I figure there's a 50/50 chance it could make it on there, even with being only partially commercialized black metal. Commercial black metal is an oxymoron anyway. The genre really isn't meant to be all that appealing, especially not to the masses, though the scene is trendy as heck... I love making black metals, but the flashy garb and makeup isn't for me.

Fun fact: No major chords are present in the song.

Fun fact: This is my first black metal submission since "Blak Metal Chocobo" in 2005, which actually wasn't black metal at all, nor was it really a remix. I was a noob back then and I still feel guilty for it, haha. I will somehow make it up to Larry someday for making him sift through the entire FF5 soundtrack.

Soundbites:

"This part, I don't know if this really happened or I dreamt it later, or wha- I mean, I'm fighting this bat off all alone, and I'll be damned if I didn't get really... turned on."
"You know, I was in mortal combat with a fucking bat, give me a break!"
"Aaaaahhhh!" (death scream)
"I'm a vampire! Kill me! Kill me!"
"Vampire, you idiot! Nosferatu!"
"Christ! The tortures of the daaamned!"
"I'm a vampire! I can prove it!"
"I guess I was... pretty horny. I was drunk too. That was it. I had a little to drink. I was a little drunk. Plus, I was horny."
"Don't rape me... / Rape you? I will!"
*bat screech*
"Boo HOO! Boo HOO!"
"Hey... hey... I'm a vampire, a real vampire!"
"I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire! I'm a vampire!"
"Go ahead! Kill me!"
"Well, the fact is I did murder someone last night. I turned into a vampire, it's a long story... / Goodness!"

08. Daemon9623 - "What a Horrible Night..."
Source: "Black Night (Last Boss BGM)"

Chernabogue: Even if the quality of the track may not hold up to today's standards, Daemon's use of chiptune sounds, mixed with fast-paced metal rhythm guitars, works wonders in terms of arrangement. Who can say no to such a bizarre combination? I can't!

09. BONKERS feat. Viking Guitar - "The Gate of Nightmares"
Sources: "Poison Mind (Boss BGM)," "Nothing to Lose (Last Stage BGM)," "Heart of Fire (Dracula's Castle Main Building BGM)," "Out of Time (Clock Tower BGM)," "Black Night (Last Boss BGM)," "Bloody Tears (Street-day time-Stage BGM)" - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, "Vampire Killer (Breaking into the Castle BGM)," "Name Entry 2K2" - Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, "Player Miss," "Voyager (Ending)," "Wicked Child (Outdoors BGM)," "Stalker (Tower BGM)," "Poison Mind" - Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, "Stage Clear"

Chernabogue: Topping goat's "Scourge of 1691" is a very ambitious goal. Yet BONKERS took the entire soundtrack to Castlevania I and built an insanely long medley full of surprises. Epic guitar solos (one being from Viking Guitar), crazy synth leads, non-stop action -- it's a real adventure just to listen to the whole thing!

BONKERS: I originally signed up to do this song  back in September of 2010. It was going to be a simple heavy metal medley of 4 songs that had yet to be claimed. I had a burst of inspiration and thought I could make a quick turnaround. BOY, WAS I WRONG.

I came up with an initial concept... and then it sat for a month... two months... until, finally January/February rolled around.

I had a different idea this time. And, essentially, I started working on what you hear now in the finished song. I had this GRAND idea of expanding the original 4 songs into just as many songs of the soundtrack I could fit in significantly as possible. It would have tons of tracks and music written for an entire orchestra almost.

Except that I started sequencing everything out of ORDER starting with "Underground"/"Name Entry 2K2." I don't recall why, but I started transcribing the percussion (which is a bitch, by the way, if you ever want to try) and didn't finish. And left it there until the point that in the timecode of the project file I needed the space. I didn't know how long the song would be by that point (around March/April), so I just kept moving my tempo marker and all the MIDI files over and over. This resulted in (because of tempo changes made in between the previous original tempo and the tempo of this section) the files being all kinds of messed up, with half of them being at weird looping points.

At this point, I was about around I think at "Out of Time." I stopped working, because I had to work on other songs. And then in late May, I spranged my knee somehow at my aunt's house for Memorial Day while playing volleyball or chasing down my cousin's dog or some shit like that.

Now a sprang may sound like nothing, but HOLY HELL. I've never felt this kind of pain before, I've broken bones and it hurt less. The night of, my knee had swollen to about the size of a big grapefruit. And I couldn't move my leg at all. Just to get up to go to the bathroom, I had to have my mother help me. As bad luck often goes, late in the night I had to go on my own by crawling on my hands and knees, and when I got back to the couch where I was staying for the night, I couldn't get back up. I tried, but the pain was just too immense, to the point where I started (crying from pain) yelling for people in the house to wake up and help me. That didn't help much, even after my mother and brother came out to help.

Eventually, my mother slept in the living room with me that night. I, however, couldn't sleep. So I watched the Green Hornet movie, and some other stuff to kill time until morning. Went to urgent care around 11AM, got some crutches and a perscript for pain meds. However, they screwed up with communication somehow at Walgreens, so I didn't get home with my meds until 3PM (with a stop at my grandmother's house to pick up a wheelchair to borrow). Needless to say, I got high from pain meds and felt OK. However, I didn't fall asleep until 7AM the following day.

Then, in July, I had to move back to Oregon, and I wasn't better yet. It wasn't until August that I could sit in a chair long enough without extreme pain to work on music. So I worked on overhauling my FF: Random Encounter songs.

Then, in September, I started working on Vampire Variations stuff again, because the release was drawing near. It was around this time I claimed "Wicked Child" from The Dual Dragons. I pegged that song a lot quicker than this song (although with a lot of last minute fixes). And the entire month up until the 31st, I was up around noon/2PM-ish, eating, doing basic household chores, and then working on "TGONightmares" until around 5/6 AM average (sometimes more, sometimes less)

I had to work quick to get everything done in a competent way and get all the production the way I wanted it. I use samples that already have un-removable reverb from being stage mic'd when they recorded them. So I did some research on the sample set and what hall it was recorded in. So I then figured out the physical dimensions, etc., and created many custom reverb presets based on this depending on the instrument/effect/position of the above, etc.

I wanted to make this sound like a live recording as much as possible with the time and tools I had at my disposal. (Yeah, laugh if you want. But just know that I have 0 hardware other than my PC/instruments and my Line 6 GuitarPort. Everything else is done in software.)

Forgot to mention that also Viking Guitar and I had planned for him to do a solo over a year prior. With a week or two to spare, I got to the point -- structurally -- where his solo was going to go. But I needed to finish the structure and then flesh it all out before he could get his hands on it.

We both use Reaper (F***, yeah!), so I created a mixdown of that section, inserted it into a COPY PROJECT file at the exact same time point, removed all other FX, created a .txt file with instructions and possible ways we can handle processing/mixing, RAR'd it, and sent it to him. Got it back a week later, with his own .txt file and different .wavs with different levels of processing/mixing I could use.

I won't say which one I used. ;) Nyerk. Like it matters though.

The end of October drew near and I was almost done -- the last few days I kicked it into overdrive. Tweaking/adding in every which way possible to polish up and round off the corners of everything. From going back to the intro and completely re-writing parts to creating a voice FX chain that would make my voice sound like Dracula in a sort of low-bitrate/samplerate way that was done on consoles in the early 90's.

I think I finished with just a few days to spare.

Now, I know it's not perfect. But I poured my heart and soul into this song to make it as perfect as I possibly could with what I have (which is not a lot, by any standards). It's like my one-hit wonder shitty magnum opus! AHHAHAHA

Being realistic, by this point, we all know how much I LOVE and respect Castlevania music. That's why this song's instrumentations isn't like any other song I've ever done. I wanted to be creative, while retaining the "Castlevania sound" and tried not to alter melodies too much whilst going to town on harmony, percussion, and other lines.

I built this PC specifically to work on songs like this. I maxed out my 6GB of RAM by the time it was finished (while using a 32-bit DAW that lets you farm out VSTi to dedicated processes! W00T! Thanks, Reaper!) and I ran into more slowdown from RAM usage (in other programs) than CPU usage. Which to say wasn't even significant! (Also is a HUGE difference from the P4 rig I came from. I couldn't run more than a few plugins without maxing out my CPU on that PC. This i7 950 @ 4.2GHz scoffs at nothing!!) Not even an 82-track song could bring it to its knees!

82 Tracks. Including FX sends/buses and groups.

LATER, YO.

10. Chernabogue - Underworld Pulse"
Sources: "Underground (Naming BGM)," "Clock Tower" - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, "Walking on the Edge (Underground BGM)"

Chernabogue: I decided to arrange "Underground" because the rest of the album was already claimed. The very short source is very repetitive and allows for some interpretation, and I couldn't resist using some parts from tracks. So I included a bit of "Walking on the Edge," my favorite track from the classic soundtrack, and "Clock Tower" from Aria of Sorrow most notably. My aim was to use percussions, and percussions only, for at least one remix. Last year, during the Grand Maverick ReMix Battle, I arranged Duff McWhalen (yes, I call him/it like that, sorry, DarkeSword!) in a percussion-only way (and got eliminated by Neblix during the first round, sigh). However, I used all the feedback to make another track, in the very same way and that's how "Underworld Pulse" was born. The result, while being a bit quirky, still makes an interesting break in the middle of the album.

11. Super Guitar Bros. - "Of Whips and Strings"
Sources: "Prologue (Start BGM)," "Vampire Killer (Breaking Into the Castle BGM)," "Poison Mind (Boss BGM)," "Heart of Fire (Dracula's Castle Main Building BGM)," "Voyager (Ending)"

Chernabogue: This track definitively popularized the SGB duo, and it is well deserved -- both of them spent dozens of hours to write and record this excellent medley, full of interesting arrangement ideas. Acoustic guitar remixes are highly appreciated, and this one is no exception.

Super Guitar Bros.: The Super Guitar Bros. are Steven Poissant (formerly known as Aktulua) and Sam Griffin (formerly known as Sascratch) - though you probably never heard of those names before, LOL!

The Super Guitar Bros. are not actually brothers -- they're bros! Steve met Sam back in 2007 at a local coffee shop he was performing at with a mutual friend. After seeing Sam's incredible classical skills, Steve knew the two of them had to start making music. After their first jam session together, you could tell the two of them just clicked. They've been playing together ever since. Not only do they both love making video game covers, they have been working on many original songs, which they plan to share further down the road.

And now some info about the song:

Steve: Sam and I had been planning on making a Castlevania arrangement for a while now, so it worked out pretty well when I got a message from FoxxDragon telling me about the Vampire Variations album and asking if we would join. From beginning to end, it took us probably about 2 months to learn each of the songs, figure out how we would arrange them together, practice the hell out of it, and then finally record and mix the song. As with all the other songs we've done, this one is played from beginning to end in one take: No cuts, no punch-ins, no copy/paste, just a straight performance. Because of this, we've spent many late nights trying to record the song with as little mistakes as possible. It took us at least 60+ takes before we finally got one we were satisfied with. It was a fun, but also incredibly frustrating experience - same with all the other videos we've done so far.

The video for "Of Whips and Strings" (http://youtu.be/8CODplxE8E0) shows the actual performance that we used for the album, while the closeup hand shots were recorded at a later date.

Well, that's it, hope you guys like it!

12. Daemon9623 - "At the Gates"
Source: "Prologue (Start BGM)"

Chernabogue: Remixing a short jingle is a hard task, and while his track may sound a little quirky, Daemon's arrangement introduces nice ideas around this very short source. 

13. Viking Guitar - "Ballad of the Gears"
Source: "Out of Time (Clock Tower BGM)"

Chernabogue: While his first track was quite calm, Viking Guitar returns for a total metal blast. The quieter introduction is quickly replaced by heavy rhythm and really crazy guitar work. This shows how polyvalent an artist can be on one album -- no wonder why he's featured everywhere!

14. Hat - "Heartburn to Death"
Source: "Heart of Fire (Dracula's Castle Main Building BGM)"

Chernabogue: And now for something not expected, once again: Hat brings in a unique jazz arrangement. The first part closely covers the source, while the second introduces new arrangement ideas. The whole remix's production sounds very vintage, and it adds a lot to the track's charm.

15. BONKERS - "Children of the Wicked"
Source: "Wicked Child (Outdoors BGM)"

Chernabogue: Even after his big juggernaut, BONKERS insisted on doing another track. True to his metal style, but eager to add something more to it, he regularly changed the track's tempo to add different sections. Add a few synths and you'll end up with a very nice remix.

BONKERS: I'll begin with how I got lined up to do this song for Vampire Variations! :P

Flash back to late August of this year. During regular discussions over on The Shizz about various general non-spoiler stuff about the project as a whole, Chernabogue (the project head and an awesome guy all around) posts about The Dual Dragons having to drop doing "Wicked Child" due to a busy schedule. (They ended up doing 2 songs, "Heart of Fire" and "Walking on the Edge." I suggest you go check them out!) Me, being the DARING risk-taker I am, say "Oh god, I know I'm gonna regret this. But, I'll take it." I was already in chin-high in doing a medley that I'd been working on for months, of near the entire soundtrack that was an even bigger logistical nightmare than my tracks for Random Encounter! But I'll save that story for another time!

Back on topic, here and there, I started playing around with some general ideas based around "Wicked Child" that would be interesting, but different than I've ever heard. My big inspiration around this period was the arrangement of "Wicked Child" from Castlevania Chronicles (which is my favorite official version of the tune) and its really cool synthesized garage ambient rock feeling it had to it, as well my arrangement of level 3 from the Genesis/Mega Drive game Gaiares from Dwelling of Duels' Level 3 month early this year played a role to in how I got some ideas(first intro). A day or two later, *DING*, like a light bulb going off in my head, something set me off and I figured out my idea, went to sequence it and the end result was in fact the Ending of the finished song as a proof of concept. (You can hear my concept here: http://box.net/shared/9od9ikbs9rrfxe8apeei.)

About 2 weeks pass by and, by then, I had started my September month long uber music making crunch time to meet the deadline for VV in October (up every day until 5-6 AM or later). I had been waiting on new strings for my guitar to come in the mail so I could get started working on guitar lines for both the medley and "Wicked Child;" finally, they arrived. So, I string up my bass and my guitar both with new strings and got to work! d(>w<)b

Everything went pretty smooth, I took my original inspiration and some inspiration from Viking Guitar's "Out of Time" (a good friend of mine); if you listen to the song, you can hear how he took some elements of the original tune and turned them in to really cool rhythm guitar riffs. So, I thought to myself "Oh, this is really an awesome idea and I should figure out a way to do the same with 'Wicked Child' in order to keep it different from my arrangement done for the medley!"

The result of this thinking is what you hear on rhythm guitars on the 3rd part of the intro, section B-pre-chorus (the part after the funky little section A to B transition) and during the first chorus. In perspective, "Wicked Child" doesn't entirely lend itself to this and I've never quite heard this done for this song before, so for a long time it almost kind of bugged me, because it sounded different. Same with the extension of the last bar of section A from 4/4 time to 6/4 to create the exact funky transition I heard in my head while writing the arrangement.

Another curious thing is that to make the rhythm's sound REALLY heavy and low on my drop C-tuned guitar I had to change the original key to F#min and then back into Dmin after the first chorus into the mellow keyboard section (ironically, it isn't much of a change when you listen to the song! Hahah), which itself extends into the second chorus and solo and, then, ending of the song.

Looking back on it, Castlevania is HUGELY important to me. In middle school, I would spend hours at the public library browsing sites like The Castlevania Dungeon and Mr. P's Castlevania Realm. And I am absolutely certain that if I had never been introduced to Castlevania back when I was still just a toddler on the NES, that I would not be here writing this today to submit to you guys on OCR. I never would've had the gall to get interested in music in the same way that I am today. (Though many other things play a big part in that role too.) I wouldn't be who I am, I would venture that I would probably be incredibly ignorant and immature, among other things. Hell, I'd probably already have a kid and who knows where I'd be. I owe nearly all of who I am to staying home and playing video games growing up instead of going out and becoming a troublemaker, doing things like smoking pot, going to jail and all that junk, like many people I knew growing up did. Anywho, enough of my emotional blabbering!

I ended up getting the song overall done in about 5-7 days (and nights) of work. With many minor and major changes/re-takes and whatnot right up to the days before VV came out.

I know there are some things I could've done differently (like ballant wanking -- a lot of people you see on YouTube do this to make "Castlevania Metal" /sarcasm). Hell, I could come up with an entirely new version of this song I wanted to. But I've gotta just leave it like it is and not end up spending another 2 months working on it to make it 5% better. I set out to do something with an idea, take a fairly short composition and make it interesting to listen to for three and a half minutes while maintaining general melodic integrity of the source.

I'd wager it turned out pretty good and I hope everyone can enjoy it for what it is!

P.S. Gondola. That is all.

16. The Dual Dragons - "Edge of Darkness"
Source: "Walking on the Edge (Underground BGM)"

Chernabogue: This source, while being less known than others like "Vampire Killer," is my favorite from Castlevania -- and it was the very first finished track I ever got for the project. The Dual Dragons used more synths to create a more ominous, yet epic atmosphere. The drum writing is also excellent here.

17. Omigadrive feat. Viking Guitar - "Veneficus Mens Mentis (Variations on a Theme of Simon)"
Sources: "Poison Mind (Boss BGM)," "Simon Belmont's Theme (Stage 1-2 BGM)" - Super Castlevania IV, "Bloody Tears (Street-day time-Stage BGM)" - Castlevania II

Chernabogue: Omigadrive introduced Super Castlevania IV a bit early in the VV trilogy, but his rock-oriented remix features so much goodness we can't resist. Choir, synths, guitars, strings, and a solo from Viking Guitar -- a very nice combination indeed.

Omigadrive: This track is based on a fairly old idea I had of using the 4-chord rhythm from the intro of the theme of Simon Belmont with the melody work of "Poison Mind." I can't speak much for the technical side of things, since my musical knowledge is limited to knowing what a C and D chord is and that is it, but the track is laid out to evoke the feeling of Simon Belmont taking on a boss. I kept the segment using Simon's theme close to the original except for the choice of instrumentation here and there. My reason for that was that it is ultimately a small section of the song by comparison and yet, for only 1 minute and 30 seconds of music, the original track just had that much going on to begin with.

I took a few more liberties with the "Poison Mind" segments, playing around with subtle yet different rhythms to the chord progression used beneath the melody lines and extending runs from the main melody into something that I felt was more fluid. Viking Guitar provided the guitar solo towards the end as well as doing the final mastering of the track. If I had anything technical to add, I would... really need to find where I put that music theory book.

18. Chernabogue - "'And Now, the Finale'"
Sources: "Nothing to Lose (Last Stage BGM)," "Black Night (Last Boss BGM)," "Illusionary Dance Music (Stage 8 · Dracula's Theme)" - Akumajo Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, "Player Miss," "Poison Mind (Boss BGM)"

Chernabogue: This track is the music that accompanies the final battle between Simon Belmont and Dracula. Each battle with Dracula is the ultimate climax in the Castlevania series, and I accepted the challenge to recreate that final duel ambiance in the album. It is a full-orchestra, epic, and ominous-feeling track, inspired by Hans Zimmer's music, but also but Óscar Araujo's. It is my biggest production so far (as far as I can remember). It was made with EWQL Symphonic Orchestra in FL Studio. I must say I'm still impressed by how good the voice samples fit with the music. The arrangement features quotes from other tracks, such as "Poison Mind" near the end, but also a short tribute to Helloween -- I just couldn't resist!

19. Existence Zero - "Path of the Voyager"
Source: "Voyager (Ending)"

Chernabogue: All good things have an end, and this one is pretty good. EZ's rock remix features an orchestral intro that fits perfectly after the bombastic final fight. And while the rhythm guitars may sound heavy, there's a calm atmosphere that emerges from this track -- maybe the satisfaction of having finished this great adventure?