RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Music Reviews > Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty OST
Reviewed by: Zhuzhen
First off, I'd like to mention that this album only features music from the FMVs/cut-scenes and not the in-game music. That being said, the in-game music can be found on the second Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty Original Soundtrack entitled the Other Side.
~01- "Metal Gear Solid" Main Theme
-TAPPY, Harry Gregson-Williams
This song can be heard in the introduction FMV. It surpassing something that I thought could never be surpassed; the first Metal Gear Solid's main theme. The first thirty seconds really prepare you for the rest of the song. The next minute is a really high paced and is sure to get your blood pumping. After that, the song calms down long enough for you to catch your breath before it hits you in the chest again with the fast-paced action. All in all, this song truly represents how Metal Gear Solid 2 flows. There are times of fast-paced actions and times of stealth. This is by far the greatest song on this album.
~02- Opening Infiltration
-Harry Gregson-Williams
After the opening track, I was excepting something similar in tone and that is what I got. This song starts out slow and after about a minute picks up and then goes back down. This song ties in perfectly with the FMV that is shown while this song plays. While I will not spoil, anyone that has played the game knows what I'm talking about. As the hero speeds up, so does the song.
~03- Russian Soldiers from Kasatka
-Harry Gregson-Williams
The percussion in this song is excellent. I love the synthesized drum beats. It adds an aspect of mystery (which, to anyone that has played the game up to this point, knows that that is true). It really ties in well with the FMV it plays with.
~04- Olga Gurlukovich
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I really do not like this song. It is almost too bland for the character it portrays. To me, the song would be better if it was shortened and stuck onto the end of another song. It does flow right for the scene but it never really picks up in the end like it should. This song really doesn't lead into the next song played in-game (which happens to be an extremely fast-paced one) at all, which is its biggest downfall.
~05- Metal Gear
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is another track that I'm on the fence about. It's short and to the point, and I like that, however it is a little bland. The fading echoes in the end of this track really do help to amplify the presence of the Metal Gear in the game.
~06- Revolver Ocelot
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I had to listen to this track a few times to truly decide about if I liked it or not. The first fifty seconds sound like they've been done before so no extra points there. In fact, it's about a minute into this song that it really gets original. It has a feel to it that no other song I know has, and when you think of the character it represents, this should be no surprise.
~07- RAY Escapes
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I have nothing but good things to say about this song. It almost beats the first track as best track of the album. So very close. The first minute is by far the best part of this song. Although, I must say that after that minute I was let down. Still, not a bad song at all.
~08- Can't Say Good Bye to Yesterday (Piano Version)
-Rika Muranaka
Let me first say that I'm a huge fan of piano. That having been said, I truly do not love this song. Is it good? Somewhat (if you ask me). It's not one that I want to hear over and over again. It just doesn't do much for me. However, I've heard much worse before this just isn't my favorite piano track.
~09- Big Shell
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is another song that didn't do much for me. It really didn't capture the astrosphere of the big shell itself. It may very well be the worst song on this soundtrack. Not much more I can say about it. :/
~10- Fortune
-Norihiko Hibino
Oui vei. This is some of the best saxophone work I've heard in the past year. Not only that, this song really does add to the sadness in the air when it plays. And while the saxophone doesn't last the whole song, it still is good just because of the first forty seconds and the last fifty seconds. The music in the middle didn't do much for me.
~11- Kill Me Now!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is the song I was waiting the whole game (and the whole album for that matter) for. The only fault of this song was the fact that it's only a minute and four seconds long. I'd have loved to see this song looped at least once. Still, the way this song flows is breathtaking. This is perhaps one of the finest battle tunes I've ever heard.
~12- Vamp
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Okay, this one I have a problem with. It seems to blend in with track nine far too much. They both are extremely bland and this one in no way represents the character it is titled for. Also, it sounds far too much like the in-game song played while you're on the Big Shell.
~13- The World Only Needs One Big Boss!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Ah yeah, another good song. I don't quite want to call the first forty-five seconds of this song technoish but I feel I have no other word to describe it. After that, however, the song sort of goes downhill. Still, it does the cut-scene well (which is all that matters, I guess).
~14- It's the Harrier!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Another short song that should have been looped. Although, the fast beat tone of these song really does the Harrier good. When I think of helicopters, I don't think of a slow moving hunk of bolts. No, I think of fast, rotating blades of death and this song helps me to picture it. Another classic helicopter theme from the Metal Gear series.
~15- Arsenal Is Going To Take Off!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This song reminds me of something you'd hear when you're running through the jungle trying to escape the evil raptors that we're let lose by a mad man. At first, everything is calm. Then, almost out of nowhere, the tempo picks up as the raptors spot you. You, in turn, pick up your pace, and you do that fast. You know that there is no escape from the raptors once they've got you. Now, while there are no raptors in Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty, I think you can understand this analogy better if you listen to this song.
~16- Who Am I Really?
-Norihiko Hibino
This song also features a piano. I must say that I like track seven much more than this one. At least that had a style. This song seems to be strung together at the last minute. If track nine isn't the worst song on this album then this song is. Although, I did enjoy the part right before the piano kicks in but I did not enjoy the parts before or after it.
~17- Can't Say Good Bye to Yesterday (Full Version)
-Rika Muranaka, vocals by Carla White
Genius song. The vocals truly fit well with the story of Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty. I absolutely love the jazz feel to this song. I know a lot of people find this song to be atrocious but I am not one of those people. I find Carla White's voice to be so comforting I've fallen asleep to this song (along with other songs, of course).
-=(The Bottom Line)=-
I'm giving this soundtrack a 75% because frankly I think it could have been done better. Certain songs are really lacking while other songs are extraordinarily good. It still glooms in contrast to both its prequel game's soundtrack and the second soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty.
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| Album Information | Reviewer Rank |
|---|---|
|
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty OST Published by: Konami Music Entertainment Release Date: November 29th 2001 Composed by: Harry Gregson-Williams, Norihiko Hibino, Rika Muranaka, Tappy Arranged by: Harry Gregson-Williams 1 Disc, 17 Tracks Catalog: KMCA-127 |
75 |
Reviewed by: Zhuzhen
First off, I'd like to mention that this album only features music from the FMVs/cut-scenes and not the in-game music. That being said, the in-game music can be found on the second Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty Original Soundtrack entitled the Other Side.
~01- "Metal Gear Solid" Main Theme
-TAPPY, Harry Gregson-Williams
This song can be heard in the introduction FMV. It surpassing something that I thought could never be surpassed; the first Metal Gear Solid's main theme. The first thirty seconds really prepare you for the rest of the song. The next minute is a really high paced and is sure to get your blood pumping. After that, the song calms down long enough for you to catch your breath before it hits you in the chest again with the fast-paced action. All in all, this song truly represents how Metal Gear Solid 2 flows. There are times of fast-paced actions and times of stealth. This is by far the greatest song on this album.
~02- Opening Infiltration
-Harry Gregson-Williams
After the opening track, I was excepting something similar in tone and that is what I got. This song starts out slow and after about a minute picks up and then goes back down. This song ties in perfectly with the FMV that is shown while this song plays. While I will not spoil, anyone that has played the game knows what I'm talking about. As the hero speeds up, so does the song.
~03- Russian Soldiers from Kasatka
-Harry Gregson-Williams
The percussion in this song is excellent. I love the synthesized drum beats. It adds an aspect of mystery (which, to anyone that has played the game up to this point, knows that that is true). It really ties in well with the FMV it plays with.
~04- Olga Gurlukovich
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I really do not like this song. It is almost too bland for the character it portrays. To me, the song would be better if it was shortened and stuck onto the end of another song. It does flow right for the scene but it never really picks up in the end like it should. This song really doesn't lead into the next song played in-game (which happens to be an extremely fast-paced one) at all, which is its biggest downfall.
~05- Metal Gear
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is another track that I'm on the fence about. It's short and to the point, and I like that, however it is a little bland. The fading echoes in the end of this track really do help to amplify the presence of the Metal Gear in the game.
~06- Revolver Ocelot
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I had to listen to this track a few times to truly decide about if I liked it or not. The first fifty seconds sound like they've been done before so no extra points there. In fact, it's about a minute into this song that it really gets original. It has a feel to it that no other song I know has, and when you think of the character it represents, this should be no surprise.
~07- RAY Escapes
-Harry Gregson-Williams
I have nothing but good things to say about this song. It almost beats the first track as best track of the album. So very close. The first minute is by far the best part of this song. Although, I must say that after that minute I was let down. Still, not a bad song at all.
~08- Can't Say Good Bye to Yesterday (Piano Version)
-Rika Muranaka
Let me first say that I'm a huge fan of piano. That having been said, I truly do not love this song. Is it good? Somewhat (if you ask me). It's not one that I want to hear over and over again. It just doesn't do much for me. However, I've heard much worse before this just isn't my favorite piano track.
~09- Big Shell
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is another song that didn't do much for me. It really didn't capture the astrosphere of the big shell itself. It may very well be the worst song on this soundtrack. Not much more I can say about it. :/
~10- Fortune
-Norihiko Hibino
Oui vei. This is some of the best saxophone work I've heard in the past year. Not only that, this song really does add to the sadness in the air when it plays. And while the saxophone doesn't last the whole song, it still is good just because of the first forty seconds and the last fifty seconds. The music in the middle didn't do much for me.
~11- Kill Me Now!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This is the song I was waiting the whole game (and the whole album for that matter) for. The only fault of this song was the fact that it's only a minute and four seconds long. I'd have loved to see this song looped at least once. Still, the way this song flows is breathtaking. This is perhaps one of the finest battle tunes I've ever heard.
~12- Vamp
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Okay, this one I have a problem with. It seems to blend in with track nine far too much. They both are extremely bland and this one in no way represents the character it is titled for. Also, it sounds far too much like the in-game song played while you're on the Big Shell.
~13- The World Only Needs One Big Boss!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Ah yeah, another good song. I don't quite want to call the first forty-five seconds of this song technoish but I feel I have no other word to describe it. After that, however, the song sort of goes downhill. Still, it does the cut-scene well (which is all that matters, I guess).
~14- It's the Harrier!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
Another short song that should have been looped. Although, the fast beat tone of these song really does the Harrier good. When I think of helicopters, I don't think of a slow moving hunk of bolts. No, I think of fast, rotating blades of death and this song helps me to picture it. Another classic helicopter theme from the Metal Gear series.
~15- Arsenal Is Going To Take Off!
-Harry Gregson-Williams
This song reminds me of something you'd hear when you're running through the jungle trying to escape the evil raptors that we're let lose by a mad man. At first, everything is calm. Then, almost out of nowhere, the tempo picks up as the raptors spot you. You, in turn, pick up your pace, and you do that fast. You know that there is no escape from the raptors once they've got you. Now, while there are no raptors in Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty, I think you can understand this analogy better if you listen to this song.
~16- Who Am I Really?
-Norihiko Hibino
This song also features a piano. I must say that I like track seven much more than this one. At least that had a style. This song seems to be strung together at the last minute. If track nine isn't the worst song on this album then this song is. Although, I did enjoy the part right before the piano kicks in but I did not enjoy the parts before or after it.
~17- Can't Say Good Bye to Yesterday (Full Version)
-Rika Muranaka, vocals by Carla White
Genius song. The vocals truly fit well with the story of Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty. I absolutely love the jazz feel to this song. I know a lot of people find this song to be atrocious but I am not one of those people. I find Carla White's voice to be so comforting I've fallen asleep to this song (along with other songs, of course).
-=(The Bottom Line)=-
I'm giving this soundtrack a 75% because frankly I think it could have been done better. Certain songs are really lacking while other songs are extraordinarily good. It still glooms in contrast to both its prequel game's soundtrack and the second soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty.
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