[Album] Suite Wizardry III ~Knight of Diamonds~ [APCG-4003]

Wizardry III Knight of Diamonds
Catalogue Number APCG-4003
Publisher Apollon
Composition Kentaro Haneda
Arrangement Kentaro Haneda
First Printing April 21, 1990
Price ¥2600

Download Source

• Galbadia Hotel

- Playing Time 45:19
01 Knight of Diamonds -Opening Theme- 4:49
02 Llylgamyn Castle 3:42
03 Gilgamesh's Tavern Third Scene 2:55
04 Adventurer's Inn III 4:15
05 Boltac's Trading Post III 3:51
06 Temple of Cant III 4:06
07 At Edge of Town 2:37
08 Dungeon Theme III 3:33
09 In a Camp 3:03
10 Fighting Theme 4:11
11 No One is Alive -Exterminated- 4:00
12 Knight of Diamonds -Ending Theme- 4:17

Wizardry III is the third release of Wizardry arrangement album. The album was released in 1990 by Appolo Record. The same music publisher who released the Dragon Quest for Piano Albums.

Wizardry III ~Knight of Diamonds~ was released for NES in 1986. Contrary to the limited ability of NES sound driver could produce, Wizardry III has a very good music, very suitable for game which has nuance of Mediaval europe. This album consists of 12 tracks contain very fine arrangement of original Wizardry music. Most of the tracks are composed in the way of classical, which almost close to Baroque Style.

I could see the reason why I like Haneda compositions, simply because he's classical-trained musician. I could feel the nuance of Bach in this album. Obviously, if you listen to 0:41 of 01 Knight of Diamonds -Opening Theme- , you will get what I meant. That part is quite similar of Bach's Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565). This track is quite dramatic and enjoyable.

2nd Track, 02 Llylgamyn Castle features lead by a synthesized harpsichord and organ accompaniment, this piece goes slowly and smoothly. The atmosphere of the music is quite gloomy, but overall, it's nice. The 3rd track, 03 Gilgamesh's Tavern Third Scene is one of the most confusing track in the whole album. I love this track to death in the original OSV. But the opening of this music is using a very weird synthesizer, I couldnt tell what it is, but it does resemble to distorted Harpsichord. My first impression of this track was a total bizzare, but as I listen to it more, I began to appreciate this track. This track is very cozy, resembles to the original version.

04 Adventurer's Inn is features a slow music that resembles a bit like lullaby. This arrangement is good, and thepiano accompaniment in the 2:24 making an impression of a 2nd movement of a concerto. But the best track in this album for me is 05 Boltac's Trading Post, personally, this is the coziest song I ever listen in my entire venture of VGM. I could listen to this track looped for hours. this track seems the only onr using flute instrument as the lead effectively in the entire album.

As we goes to halfway of the album, we listen to 06 Temple of Cant III. This track is one of the slowest one in album, using harpsichord lead, the music give atmosphere of a church. I dont like this track too much, it's a bit boring for me. 07 At Edge of Town is a very spiritiful and optimistic music in the whole album. The syntesized violin takes the lead and I got impression of the heroes is walking toward the gate of the town, preparing themselves to enter dungeons. This track resembles to Track 09 In a Camp is a melodious tune and bit jazzy, resembles a bit of 7th track.

The 10 Fighting and 12 Knight of Diamonds -Ending Theme- are the only tracks that using band and metal guitar in this album, contrary to the rest of tracks which mainly using Syntesizer. I dont like this two tracks too much, I think the arrangement is a bit strange because it ruins the classical atmosphere.

This album is a bit mediocre, considering the quality of synthesizer and lack of dynamic. I think the music of this album is more suitable to be performed in chamber music. I dont think this album is suitable for everyone, but it surely has something enjoyable. If you like mediaval VGM music, I recommend you to listen to this album. This album is quite an epic, but not as powerful as Suite Wizardry I and V I guess.

4/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.