RPGamers Network > Reviews > Game Music Reviews > Silent Hill OST
Reviewed by: Lav
The average gamer that has played Silent Hill probably didn't know that the game even had music (with a few minor exceptions), let alone good music. Silent Hill was a very freaky game, and it had a lot of freaky music (unlike the 'action-packed"-type air that hangs around Resident Evil, Silent Hill is more of a terror game, and the music backs this up). Granted, many (most, actually) of the tracks are hardly what most people would consider "music", but there are a few mainstream-type tunes, and the ones that aren't manage to maintain a listenable quality.
The first track, "Silent Hill", starts out with somewhat of a Spanish feel, with a very fast plucked guitar-type sound, then proceeds into a slower, somewhat sad melody with guitar, bass, and a bit of piano. The song is meant to have an old feel to it, and has some phonograph-like hisses and clicks. This is one of the few tracks on the album that most would actually consider "songs", and it's very well done.
Tracks 02 through 37 (with a few exceptions; read below), however, are one mass orgy of banging, clanging, hissing, and growling. They all keep the terrifying nature of the game, and listening to them alone in the dark might not be a good idea. While they are, for the most part, just noise, they do have a certain melody to them, whether it be the rhythm of the banging or the rising and falling of the screeching. It's really hard to describe any of these songs so that someone who hasn't heard the album can understand it. Basically, though, anyone that hates industrial or metal will probably hate most of this album.
The exceptions in this section of the album that I mentioned above would be tracks 10 (Claw finger), 21 (Far), 22 (I'll kill you), and 35 (Not Tomorrow 1). "Claw finger" has an eerie chime melody, and is actually long enough to be enjoyable. The chime is really the only thing this song has going, besides maybe a little hum or echo in the background. It's very simple, but it's pretty good. "Far" has a Resident Evil feel to it. It doesn't really have much of a tune, but it does appear to be played by real instruments of some sort, and not just noise. "I'll kill you" is bordering between industrial noise and an actual tune. Its main instrument is somewhat similar to "Claw finger’s, but it has a haunting drum beat in the background, and later into it, a really freaky chorus starts up. One of the scarier songs in the game, in my opinion. And ending this section's "songs" is "Not Tomorrow 1". Without giving out any spoilers, this song is played when something tragic happens to one of the main characters in the game. It's a sad guitar melody, and it's personally my favourite song on the entire album. Its only downside is the fact that it's only 48 seconds long. I would love to see a remix or arrange of this song; it's very good. "Not Tomorrow 1" is followed by two of the most annoying songs on the album, "Not Tomorrow 2" and "My Heaven". After that, it's back to "real songs".
"Tears of..." is another plucked guitar-type song, and is probably my second-favourite song on the album. "Killing time" is a weird song with a lot of phonograph-type hisses and clicks. It's got a good beat, but it's not as good as "Tears of...". "She" has a more contemporary rock feel to it. The instrumentation is similar to Fastball's 90s hit, "The Way". This is followed by “Esperándote", a vocal European (Spanish?) song. I don't like this song much at all. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the game at all, and it's completely different from the rest of the album. The first 4-and-a-half minutes of the last track, "Silent hill (otherside)" is silence, followed by the song that plays during the character credits FMV at the end of the game, which is ironically upbeat. And of course it wouldn't be a Silent Hill song without phonograph clicks and hisses (surprise!).
The moral of the story, I guess, is that this album is, for the most part, an acquired taste. The "real songs" that I’ve referred to (the first one, the few in the middle, and the last five tracks) are almost all excellent, and they're all well-done. The other tracks, however, aren't for everyone. Industrial and metal fans will be more inclined to like this album than anyone else. I would make sure you're prepared for what you're getting before you go out and buy it.
All in all, I give the Silent Hill Original Soundtrack a 76; personally, I feel it deserves at least an 80, but I’m taking into consideration the fact that a lot of people will hate this album very much. The style is definitely not for everyone, but the album is well done either way. People looking for the same feel, but more music and less noise, should check out Silent Hill 2's soundtrack.
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| Album Information | Reviewer Rank |
|---|---|
|
Silent Hill OST Published by: King Records Release Date: March 05th 1999 Composed by: Akira Yamaoka, Rika Muranaka Arranged by: Akira Yamaoka 1 Disc, 42 Tracks Catalog: KICA-7950 |
76 |
Reviewed by: Lav
The average gamer that has played Silent Hill probably didn't know that the game even had music (with a few minor exceptions), let alone good music. Silent Hill was a very freaky game, and it had a lot of freaky music (unlike the 'action-packed"-type air that hangs around Resident Evil, Silent Hill is more of a terror game, and the music backs this up). Granted, many (most, actually) of the tracks are hardly what most people would consider "music", but there are a few mainstream-type tunes, and the ones that aren't manage to maintain a listenable quality.
The first track, "Silent Hill", starts out with somewhat of a Spanish feel, with a very fast plucked guitar-type sound, then proceeds into a slower, somewhat sad melody with guitar, bass, and a bit of piano. The song is meant to have an old feel to it, and has some phonograph-like hisses and clicks. This is one of the few tracks on the album that most would actually consider "songs", and it's very well done.
Tracks 02 through 37 (with a few exceptions; read below), however, are one mass orgy of banging, clanging, hissing, and growling. They all keep the terrifying nature of the game, and listening to them alone in the dark might not be a good idea. While they are, for the most part, just noise, they do have a certain melody to them, whether it be the rhythm of the banging or the rising and falling of the screeching. It's really hard to describe any of these songs so that someone who hasn't heard the album can understand it. Basically, though, anyone that hates industrial or metal will probably hate most of this album.
The exceptions in this section of the album that I mentioned above would be tracks 10 (Claw finger), 21 (Far), 22 (I'll kill you), and 35 (Not Tomorrow 1). "Claw finger" has an eerie chime melody, and is actually long enough to be enjoyable. The chime is really the only thing this song has going, besides maybe a little hum or echo in the background. It's very simple, but it's pretty good. "Far" has a Resident Evil feel to it. It doesn't really have much of a tune, but it does appear to be played by real instruments of some sort, and not just noise. "I'll kill you" is bordering between industrial noise and an actual tune. Its main instrument is somewhat similar to "Claw finger’s, but it has a haunting drum beat in the background, and later into it, a really freaky chorus starts up. One of the scarier songs in the game, in my opinion. And ending this section's "songs" is "Not Tomorrow 1". Without giving out any spoilers, this song is played when something tragic happens to one of the main characters in the game. It's a sad guitar melody, and it's personally my favourite song on the entire album. Its only downside is the fact that it's only 48 seconds long. I would love to see a remix or arrange of this song; it's very good. "Not Tomorrow 1" is followed by two of the most annoying songs on the album, "Not Tomorrow 2" and "My Heaven". After that, it's back to "real songs".
"Tears of..." is another plucked guitar-type song, and is probably my second-favourite song on the album. "Killing time" is a weird song with a lot of phonograph-type hisses and clicks. It's got a good beat, but it's not as good as "Tears of...". "She" has a more contemporary rock feel to it. The instrumentation is similar to Fastball's 90s hit, "The Way". This is followed by “Esperándote", a vocal European (Spanish?) song. I don't like this song much at all. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the game at all, and it's completely different from the rest of the album. The first 4-and-a-half minutes of the last track, "Silent hill (otherside)" is silence, followed by the song that plays during the character credits FMV at the end of the game, which is ironically upbeat. And of course it wouldn't be a Silent Hill song without phonograph clicks and hisses (surprise!).
The moral of the story, I guess, is that this album is, for the most part, an acquired taste. The "real songs" that I’ve referred to (the first one, the few in the middle, and the last five tracks) are almost all excellent, and they're all well-done. The other tracks, however, aren't for everyone. Industrial and metal fans will be more inclined to like this album than anyone else. I would make sure you're prepared for what you're getting before you go out and buy it.
All in all, I give the Silent Hill Original Soundtrack a 76; personally, I feel it deserves at least an 80, but I’m taking into consideration the fact that a lot of people will hate this album very much. The style is definitely not for everyone, but the album is well done either way. People looking for the same feel, but more music and less noise, should check out Silent Hill 2's soundtrack.
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