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Since I was a child with a Sega Genesis, I have had an affection for video game music. Whether it is 8-bit, 16-bit, 64-bit or 1 jillion, I have been fascinated by the effects that soundtracks have to the gaming experience. Music can enhance the mood of the game, ranging from adrenaline to fear to sadness to hilarity. Elsawin seat data dvd logo. As such, the band known as Crush 40 has developed a following for their contributions to Sonic the Hedgehog and Sega music.Like his fellow gaming contemporaries Mario, Link, and Kirby, Sonic the Hedgehog has had a fair share of incredibly catchy tunes occupying his fast-paced titles.

1. Crush 40 Youtube

Since Sega’s creation of their mascot in June 1991, music has played a substantial role in the character’s success. This is certainly the case in the “modern” era of Sonic; enter Crush 40.The band, whose sole composers are guitarist Jun Senoue and vocalist Johnny Gioeli, debuted on the 1999 Sega Dreamcast launch title, Sonic Adventure. Their hard rock/80’s-esque tone was a vast departure from the traditional Sonic music formula, which was mostly comprised of mid-90’s techno and electronic beats. I can attest to this; I remember turning the game on for the first time and being almost literally blown back by the roar of distorted guitars and drums.This move was requested by the CEO’s of Sega, who sought to make a statement of Sonic’s entrance to “modern gaming” with the introduction of the Dreamcast. It proved successful, as Crush 40 were quick to develop an underground following amongst the Sonic fan base, despite losing the some of the traditional purists who preferred the old-school soundtracks.

The band went on to provide the theme songs of many Sonic titles, which are featured on their best of album, Super Sonic Songs.The 2009 album itself chronicles the band’s contributions to Sega titles, as well as a few original works. The titles themselves chronologically range from the 1999 Dreamcast debut to the 2006 theme of the Gamecube title, Sonic Rider’s: Zero Gravity. Classics including “Open Your Heart”, “Live and Learn”, “Revvin’ Up”, and “Into the Wind” showcase the band’s hard rock sound, as well as Senoue’s intricate guitar work and Gioeli’s powerful vocals.

Crush 40 Youtube

There are also the more recent tunes developed for the 5th generation of consoles, such as “I AmAll of Me”, “Ungravitify”, “Knight of the Wind”, and “Sonic Heroes”.It is interesting to note the progression of the band’s sound throughout the years. An example is the obvious 80’s Bon Jovi-meets-Dokken influence of “Open Your Heart”, with a fast palm-muted guitar riff that never spares a dive bomb and harmonized lead. However, fast forward to 2005 with the release of the game, Shadow the Hedgehog. The band wrote “I AmAll of Me” to capture the darker and more grim atmosphere of the title by applying down-tuned guitars, heavier bass, and some usage of industrial-inspired keyboards. Needless to say, it was a short-lived experiment, as the band went back to their traditional sound for the 2006 game, Sonic ’06.As was stated before, there are also a couple non-Sonic songs performed by Crush 40 included in the album. A notable example is a cover of the Cult song, “Fire Woman”. The cover pays good tribute to the original, applying a slightly modern touch with some slap bass and a bottom-heavy EQ on the track.As the songs themselves serve their purposes truthfully (occupying the game’s central theme with music), the album itself does have a couple discrepancies.

The most common one is the differences in volume levels between the tracks. This is most apparent when going from an older song to a newer release, like “Live And Learn” to “Fire Woman”. I suspect it is a mastering error that may have gone unnoticed, but it is not severe or distracting enough to take away from the music.Overall, the album is a decent collection of Crush 40’s works over the years. To this day, they continue to make music, as well as perform in Sonic-related conventions and event gatherings. I have kept up with the band since I first played Sonic Adventure back in the day, and they fail to disappoint.

Anyone is who is a fan of the blue critter ought to give this album a listen to and proceed to, as the kids call it nowadays, “rock out”.BrandonRATING: B.