Hellsing 1: Raid [Soundtrack, Import]

If you liked the creepy atmospheric music Goblin did for the movie "Suspiria", rocked out to the industrial majesty of Manson's "Antichrist Superstar", and/or have grooved to the jazz and blues of "Cowboy Bebop" courtesy of Yoko Kanno and The Seatblets, chances are you'll dig the music that Yasushi Ishii wrote for the popular vampire anime series, Hellsing.

Sure the song titles are ridiculous, and some of the lyrics aren't much better, but the real champion here is the densely layered and eclectic music. Ishii draws from many influences and genres using jazzy pianos, firey guitars, shrieking electronics, Spanish acoustic guitars, moody keyboards, and world music beats. I normally am a bit more demanding when it comes to the quality of lyrics. However, as far as this sountrack is concerned, the music rocks so hard I simply don't care! Most of this album is instrumental anyway.

The only flaw in this album is that sometimes it's too much. There's something about the way it's produced. There are so many elements at work in the mix that sometimes it feels like you're being bludgeoned by a super thick collage of sound. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it can be if you're not in the mood for it or if it's not your thing. This album probably could have benefited from a more open and less claustrophobic sounding mixdown.

Other than that, there is a lot to like about this CD. If you're into the show or simply like dark creepy music, especially if it has a confident swagger to it, then give this one a try.

I'll start off by saying that this isn't a CD for everyone. But then, if you're looking up this page it's probably because you've seen the anime and was hooked, like I was, by the poignant background music.

The sound produced for the Hellsing anime is unlike any I've ever heard before. It's a seamless mashing together of cool, dark blues and jazz that would seem out of place with its sometimes cheerful horn play but manages instead to seem mockingly sarcastic- a splash of musically morbid humor that allows the sound to fit in with the gritty atmosphere while also adding an element of playfulness that lightens the otherwise heavy ambience. Also accomplishing this affect is the addition of a few fun, upbeat grungy rock tracks such as 'When you start the War, fight with arrows spears and swords!'

Added to the mix are energetic rock'n'roll compositions such as 'Fool cross over Nirvana -Grudge Prohibited-' and the thick Gothic edge of Dracula-esque horror movie themes and church organs. Ethereal synth, distorted vocals, and quiet, bass guitar-heavy pieces also get thrown into the blender and to top off the tasty combination Yusushi Ishii also tosses in some seemingly random bits of sound, things like dramatic audio that sounds as if its been ripped from very old black and white movies, complete with an in-and-out fading effect and crackling static noise that gives you the impression of something old and mournfully decaying. These are the kind of tracks that, when listened to alone in the dark on a quiet night can easily best most horror movies in creepiness factor. There's no denying the atmospheres created, be they black and monstrous, or wickedly cool and smooth via tracks like 'World Without Logos'.

The presentation of this CD is top notch as well. Colored in vibrant, if forboding red and blacks the booklet features eye-catching character 'introductions' as well as English credits and lyrics for some of the songs- although, given the giberish that comprises some of these lyrics you might not care to read them at all.

I would like to have given this CD five stars. The music certainly warrants it in my opinion. The one thing exstinguishing that fifth star is a fault that lies with Geneon. Track number 11 'Bodhisattva of Cathedral -featuring Tatsuo Tabei-' was cut in half. This track that begins with a somber, haunting aura dies off for a brief moment before exploding again with ominous guitar that leads into an up-tempo and almost teasingly playful finale. On this CD, however, the song ends after the mellow introduction. I find this highly dissapointing as track eleven is one of my favorites and, having heard it in its entirety it sound woefully incomplete on this soundtrack. While I suppose this could be a defect of the individual copy I have in my possession, I don't think it is. The dissescted track 11 leads smoothly into track 12 without any kind of pause or dead-air lapse in music between tracks to indicate a defect.

Regardless, this CD is otherwise a lovely domestic release significantly less costly than importing, so if you enjoy unconventional music that's a marriage of horror, the darkly cool, and the morosely playful I'd definately suggest picking this up.

I love it. Actually, I like Ruins better, but the main reason I want to post this at all is 'cause if some people are put off by it not including 'Shine' (the credits theme) know that you can legally download the full song from Mr Big's site ("http://www.mrbigsite.com/discography.html", it is on the left hand side). So if you like Hellsing, this is a great CD and you can still complete the soundtrack.