Monster Original Soundtrack
Anime: Monster
Album: Monster Original Soundtrack
Musicians: David Sylvian, Haishima Kunaiki
Composer/Lyricist: Haishima Kunaiki
Release Date: 23 Jun 2004
| Monster Original Soundtrack – Haishima Kunaiki Tracklisting 1. For The Love Of Life (Ending Theme Full Version) *Bold titles – recommended listening. |
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OVERVIEW
Monster is an amazing anime, one of the true gems in the medium. Much of the credit for its absorbing atmosphere must go to Haishima Kunaiki and his soundtrack… but it is far more accurate to say that it was the care with which each song was chosen for each scene that really needs to be complimented the most. This is quickly proven by listening to Monster Original Soundtrack as a standalone album. In this respect, it is lacking – while the best songs are poignant and beautiful and make for great listening, numerous songs are either boring or serve best as background to create atmosphere, rather than for leisurely listening.
THE GOOD
For the Love of Life (Ending Theme Full Version)
David Sylvian’s haunting vocals and lyrics truly enrich the full length version of this unforgettable ED song. The song swings between a soft poignancy and great intensity (created by a beautiful string assembly) with ease, making this song - a song that may be called an exercise in philosophy - not just thought-provoking thanks to its lyrics, but also aurally pleasant. Monster’s first ED song is the highlight in this soundtrack, and it is a fitting way to close out each episode of this anime masterpiece.
GRAIN
A number of fans of Monster will not be able to help but remember the OP sequence while listening to the anime’s intense OP song, which may instantly bring up images of Tenma’s crusade against the devil. The intensity of this song builds slowly with time, much in the same way the drama does in the amazing story told by the anime. This song creates the perfect mood for Monster, a mood that can be re-invoked by this song even after one has finished watching the series.
Drift Mind
Haishima’s strength is the poignant nature of his tunes, again apparent in “Drift Mind”. A feeling of hope and discovery emanates from the strong melodic violin line, matched perfectly by a harmony created by the regularity of a double bass and strumming of an acoustic guitar. However, there is also a sense of great sadness in this song. The odd mix of instruments perfectly creates this equally odd mix of emotions, exhibiting a complexity from relatively simple components - a great metaphor for Monster.
Part
Monster’s odd position in the world of stories as a melancholic thriller is beautifully brought forth in “Partâ€. The slow regularity of string chords composed with purpose does a great job of creating an atmosphere of internal torment and an end of innocence. The song ends with a high violin note to create a feeling of anxiety. This track is one of numerous pieces responsible for Monster’s engrossing atmosphere.
THE BAD
Sweet Home
The weaker parts of this soundtrack are the songs used in the anime to create tension, as is the case here. What may be gripping with a foreground of nail-biting atmospheric drama is simply noise when that disappears. This song lacks direction, and simply comes off as an unlistenable cacophony of bass and percussion, leaving a song that is easy to skip.
NACHT TOUR
“NACHT TOUR” is another song that lacks direction and meaning when played as a standalone. A repetitive and, at times, annoying tune underscores a terse vocal line composed more of grunts and jibberish than lyrics. This is a forgettable and arguably pointless song.
Gossip
The problem with “Gossip” is that it’s simply a boring song. The melody is carried by a meandering clarinet in a song where not much of anything happens until the end, at which point the song fades out into violent whispering; obviously a nod towards the title. What implications it is trying to make about Monster and its themes, I honestly don’t know.
The Rating: 6
Reviewed by: Sorrow-kun
