CASTLEVANIA: JUDGMENT OST LINER NOTES
Staff Comments

IGA
Producer

With this game, we're looking back on 22 years of history, so we tried to create something with a real focus on the characters from our past games and the music.
So, for the soundtrack, we chose selections from the games in which the characters appeared
we then proceeded with our plans to feature arrangements of them in Judgment.
We really enjoyed choosing the songs, too - for example, for Simon, we thought, yeah, it's gotta be "Vampire Killer."
"Bloody Tears," though, was a track that posed big problems for us. It's a famous composition, a standard of the series, so we couldn't very well leave it out.
We were trying to figure out what we could do with it, and then we remembered: In the games, Carmilla sheds tears of blood, so it was a perfect fit for her!! [Note: Well, the giant skull she rides does, sometimes.]
We also were thinking of going with "The Tower of Dolls" for the Golem right from the very start,
so there were actually characters who didn't give us any trouble at all.
The character who gave us the MOST trouble, though, was Cornell.
The Nintendo 64 games didn't really have the most melodious compositions!
So what we created for him was...well, have a listen and see for yourself.
Be it through this CD or the game itself, I hope this project gives you a sense of the 22-year history of the Castlevania series.

A. S. Minakata
Director

Hello; I'm A. S. Minakata, and I served as the director of Castlevania: Judgment.
In the latest Castlevania, characters from every era have gathered for a grand battle.
For the BGM, we therefore chose and arranged tracks that were suitably evocative of each character from the games in which these characters appeared.
We assembled a murderer's row of source tracks and, through the efforts of our composer, created some spectacular arrangements.
And thanks to the efforts of our extensive staff, the game is a product behind which we can stand with full confidence.
After you've thoroughly enjoyed the game, we'd love it if you gave the soundtrack a nice, leisurely listen.

Hiroki Nakamura
Assistant Director

Here we have a carefully-curated selection of tracks from Castlevania, a series that has produced so many storied compositions - presented here in brilliant arrangements.
This is a soundtrack to be reckoned with!
I'm really at a loss when I'm asked to name a favorite. I guess it's gotta be "Vampire Killer"... Well, no, I can't forget "Dracula's Castle"... No, "Bloody Tears"! At this rate, I'll just end up naming them all.
And then there's the original theme for the game, "Darkness of Fear";
it's still crystal-clear in my mind how I felt when I first heard it against the backdrop of the opening movie. Thanks for such a terrific track!
The composition is actually used elsewhere besides during the opening movie. (I won't say more, though, for the sake of those that haven't gotten to that part yet.)
But that part is without a doubt the true hour of judgment! And what awaits beyond...!?
I hope you enjoy both the game and the music!

Yasushi Asada
Composer

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be able to count myself among the composers of the Castlevania series. It is an incredible honor.
I am also extremely grateful that the soundtrack enjoyed a release in this format.
The primary goal was to express an atmosphere of gothic horror through orchestral & rock music,
so I feel I was working with a genre of music that was close to my own style and saw me at what I personally consider to be my best.
The orchestral components are relatively prominent, but I'm a guitarist by nature, so I'd love it if you paid close attention to the guitar in the tracks as well.
I also, of course, think you should listen to the music while reflecting back on scenes from the game.
I'd like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to IGA & Mr. Miyazawa from Konami Digital Entertainment and everyone involved in production for being kind enough to give me this opportunity. I truly appreciate it.

Atsumu Miyazawa
Sound Director

I often go out drinking with IGA,
but this is the first time, I guess, that we've worked together! It comes as a bit of a shock to me!
Well, I'm writing this just after completing the master. Even the studio engineer was telling me, "That's a good CD, huh?" Even so, though, it really was a surprisingly tough job, getting so many famous tracks together from across the franchise's history.
The melodies and lengths of the tracks are so different - and there are so MANY of them. Thank goodness for Yasushi Asada!