[Album] Metal Slug 5 OST (No Cat#)

“Yowzaa!” That was the first thing resembling a word to come out of my mouth when I sat down to listen to Metal Slug 5 OST for the first time. I had long been a fan of SNK's 2D Contra-inspired, cartoony side-scrolling-shooter series (I actually named my first car “Metal Slug”), but the music always took a bit of a backseat to the frantic shooting and jumping one-hit-and-you-die gameplay. Not to say the music was bad (it was actually a rather smooth pairing of military-based marches and solid rock themes), but it wasn't something I was jumping up to go order the soundtrack for either. That probably contributed to the shock value of my first listen to Metal Slug 5's OST ... Toshikazu Tanaka essentially starts the music in the series over anew by emphasizing the “metal” in Metal Slug.

Calling this release an OST is rather misleading, as this is clearly an arranged album of the original score. I'm fully aware of the Neo Geo's sound-producing capabilities and there is no way it can make sounds like this, outside of possible highly advanced streaming techniques. From start to finish the listener is bombarded with the sounds of pounding bass, wailing guitars and frantic drumbeats, along with the occasional voice sample or cultural music sample. Although the compositions are primarily heavy-metal in nature, it's a completely different sound than other game music albums that use a similar style. It's much less melodic than Guilty Gear music, as the emphasis is much more on drums and bass to give the compositions their punch (whereas Guilty Gear music is mostly driven by the lead guitar). I was awestruck the first time I heard it, but only after listening carefully to the clever drum patterns and basslines present in each track did I come to realize the brilliance of Tanaka's handywork. The most recent VGM album with a similar feel is probably the Shin Contra OST - both albums feature some music that is outright ferocious and not always comfortable to listen to, as it feels like the listener on a highway to hell from start to finish. However, even that comparison is off, as Shin Contra relies heavily on techno/dance elements ... Metal Slug 5 gives the exact same effect with heavy metal alone.

So you put the disc in your CD player and the first thing you're greeted with is a simple march - a march consisting of drumbeats, a steady bassline and the occasional guitar screech. This track runs for less than a minute, but it's the equivalent of standing in front of your superior officer as he screams at the top of his lungs: “ATTEEEENTION! LISTEN UP, YOU SCRAWNY MAGGOT! WE HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT TASK ON OUR HANDS! TODAY, WE'RE GOING BEHIND ENEMY LINES AND WE'RE GOING TO BLOW THEIR COTTON-PICKING HEADS OFF! YOU, PRIVATE ... WHATEVER YOUR NAME IS, WILL BE OUR FIRST WAVE OF ATTACK! I HOPE YOU HEAR WHAT THIS MUSIC IS TELLING YOU SOLDIER, THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO ENTER HELL, ARMED ONLY WITH A GUN AND A SET OF GRENADES, AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A HELLUVA GOOD TIME BLOWING AWAY THE ENEMY AND SAVING OUR CAPTURED TROOPS! GOOD LUCK, SOLDIER!” And with that, the listener is sent to the front lines of hell...

Actually, the first couple of tracks are quite distinctive for the levels they represent. “Heavy African” fuses jungle sound effects, tribal chanting and a distinctly African flute with the thumping bassline that drive the piece. “Ruins Excavation” follows in the same vein, with eerie chanting and instrumentation that is strictly Egyptian in nature (mostly wind instruments and percussion). However, this comes with no loss in intensity, as Tanaka uses a brilliantly catchy underlying bassline to fuel this piece, as the power of the voices build. I feel this track is an absolute masterpiece after hearing it many times - it simply must be heard to see how well the various sounds flow together. It's exactly this kind of music that makes Tanaka stand out among rock VGM composers like Yamaoka and Ishiwatari: the sound heard is extremely fresh and unique. “Windy Day” moves over a continent and infuses sounds from the Wild West in the metal elements, such as whistling and an acoustic guitar…It definitely feels like cowboys and Indians here.

From track 6 and on, the music returns to being primarily straight-up heavy-metal. While “Ruins Excavation” is my favorite piece on the album, “Intrigue” is easily number two. By far the most memorable theme on here, this sucker opens with a bassline that will easily eat its way into your head. It continues and changes up several times, as the main melody starts up and runs its course. The bassline never loses steam and never feels like it's competing with the lead guitar that comes in. This is another trait of Tanaka's rock: every instrument is used with such a striking precision, it's hard not to be impressed by the end result. Other tracks that stand out as impressive are “Speeder” (very similar to “Intrigue”, but with a much looser melody), “Fierce Battle” (another particularly impressive bassline) and “Final Attack”-Dencyu's Arrange Version (this is a classic militaristic Metal Slug theme from the earlier games, but perfectly arranged in a metal style). Finally, “Road to Success” is a satisfying ending theme. It still has the "rock'n" going on through it, but the trumpet/guitar combo playing the melody has the feeling of finality behind it.

If you're not into the sounds of heavy metal and the promise of loud guitars and addictive basslines don't interest you, you may want to pass up this CD. Unlike Guilty Gear music, the audience for this CD is pretty much pre-determined, as you really have to enjoy the sounds of the instruments themselves to appreciate the compositions. It isn't unfair to say this CD wouldn't be nearly as attractive if it had been done on Neo Geo synth and the powerful instrumentation compensates for the (sometimes) lack of melodic awe. However, if you are a fan of rock in VGM like I am, you simply can't afford to pass this CD up. It's the perfect driving CD and it deserves a spot in your next CD order. Remember the name Toshikazu Tanaka as well ... the guy knows his stuff.

5/5

Jam it back in, in the dark.