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Sampling Masters Overdrive Hell 3 :: Review by Bryan
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Album Title: | Sampling Masters Overdrive Hell 2 |
| Record Label: | Sweep Records | |
| Catalog No.: | HZMT-0003 | |
| Release Date: | August 14, 2010 | |
| Purchase: | Buy at eBay |
Overview
The Sampling Masters series of albums have a reputation of having some of Shinji Hosoe and Ayako Saso's most insane compositions, among several other composers. Once the series was revived with Sampling Masters Overdrive Hell, it really took an odd direction and became one of the most insane series ever from a game music composer. Overdrive Hell 3 takes the styles of the first two albums and enhances the insanity with slightly more recognizable melodies and instrumental solos. So, how does this addition hold up against the first two? Let's find out!
Body
"Lesson 11 Sanzu Creek" is probably one of my favorite hardcore tracks of Hosoe's. Along with the typical fast paced beat used in almost every track, Hosoe makes some incredible additions of electric guitar and changes up the beat on several occasions. He even enriches the catchy beats with a "burping" sound effect that somehow fits perfectly in the buildup sections he uses it in.
Moving on, "Lesson 13 Rocket Valley" is Hosoe's other work on the album, and it really shines as an overdriven hardcore track. This seems to be a mishmash of other hardcore Samplingmasters tracks than anything else. He even uses sound effects and vocal samples from a variety of past works, such as "Junk Plant" by Ayako Saso from the Nanosweep series.
Speaking of Ayako Saso, she lends her amazing hardcore skills to the other two tracks featured here. "Lesson 12 Frenzy Speed Demon" sounds exactly as it's titled. It builds the majority of its focus on highly overdriven electric guitars and heavily distorted vocal passages. One section even sounds like she uses the electric guitar to simulate vocal passages! Besides the few sections that rely on single instrumentation, this track is pretty much just noise.
"Lesson 14 Athletic Meat" takes Hosoe's trend of refocusing his own first work into a mishmash of insanity. This one basically runs with the "noise" trend of Saso's first work. It's really difficult to go on much further, so I'll leave you with one comment. This track will either leave you sick, or with a headache from all the headbanging.
Summary
So, Overdrive Hell 3 has come and gone. This one has pretty much sealed the deal for me and my love of this series. As with the other two albums, assigning a fair score to this is rather difficult. On one hand, fans of this style will foam at the mouth over its awesomeness. On the other hand, it is a very "niche" style and those who aren't specific fans of this exact style will not be able to appreciate it at all, and will find it among the worst albums they have ever heard. I obviously am a raging fan of it, so I will leave it with the highest praise. However, in keeping with the scoring system we used for the past two albums, my score will reflect its listenability as a whole, and not my feelings toward it alone. If you liked the first two albums, this one will be no different. If you didn't, then stay away, this is not for you.
