A very different beast to the last Marvel soundtrack I covered on the site (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/10/spider-man-original-video-game.html) Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy takes the approach of having a double-disc setup featuring two incredibly different genres of music.
The first disc contains the fictional Star-Lord Band album, written and performed by Steve Sczepkowski and Yohann Boudreault. This record is very much a mid-‘80s metal deal, that’s been realised – and captured – extremely well, it could genuinely be a remastered update of a lost metal classic.
The second disc, however, is the meat of the music from the videogame proper, this record was composed by Richard Jacques – a man who has a rich history in the videogame medium stretching back to 1995, most recently working on a slew of Sonic-based games such as Sonic Forces, Sega Heroes and Team Sonic Racing.
The result of this combination? A multi-award winning and very unique soundtrack!
The presentation of the whole package is really neat. The vibrant cover art grabs your eye with its image of the Guardians of the Galaxy themselves leaping into action against a bright, neon backdrop whilst the rear is more minimalist in approach, with a smaller image of their ship gliding through space.
Opening up the double gatefold sleeve takes a moodier approach, as the Guardians are now lined up in chains and flanked by soldiers, their forms in a shadowy half-light, in contrast to the brightly lit and heroic cover image. All artwork is courtesy of the evidently very talented César Moreno.
The records themselves are in black anti-static sleeves (good), with the Star-Lord Band record presented on 180g white to purple swirled vinyl, it looks like an amazing ice cream and echoes the colours in the artwork. The second record is a bright neon green with light swirling, again absolutely matching the vibes of the rest of the designs and art.
There’s also a glossy sheet that features Star-Lord proudly thrusting his trusty cassette player (the Melody Runner 2000, natch) aloft, with a blaster in the other hand and the tracklisting below - and on the flip side, a list of credits etc.
Finally, there’s an included comic which is a really nice touch and a great read! It explains the history of the Star-Lord Band and is a copy of the comic seen in the game itself. That’s cool, that is.
Tracklist
Disc One
Star-Lord Band (Written and Performed by Steve Szczepkowski, Yohann Boudreault)
Side A
01. Zero to Hero
02. Bit of Good (Bit of Bad)
03. Ghost
04. Watch Me Shine
Side B
01. We’re Here
02. Space Riders with No Names
03. All for One
04. The Darkness Inside
Music by Richard Jacques
Side A
01. Entering the Zone
02. Busted
03. The Monster Queen
04. Your Bones Are Mine
05. Good People Never Really Die
06. A Handy Way to Travel
07. The Matriarch
Side B
01. Universal Church of Truth
02. Spoken Like a True Kree
03. Discouraged Souls
04. Knowhere Under Fire
05. Dragon Lord of Kakaranathara
06. Gardeners of the Galaxy (Featuring Steve Ouimette)
Each record is really beautifully pressed and plays smoothly, with a crisp mastering sheen. I have to say though, that the two different genres really do stand apart. As I listened to the Star-Lord Band, I was transported back through time a couple of decades to sitting in a friend’s house, a monster music system booming out Annihilator’s Brain Dance as I sat surrounded by CDs of RATT, MegaDeth and the like as he desperately tried to get me out of my grunge-laden funk (unsuccessfully).
This really is a record that takes all aspects of ‘80s metal and brings them to the fore. Squealing guitars, fiercely rhyming lyrics, pounding, energetic drums and full drum rolls around the kit, chugging power chords and widdly-widdly solos as well as heartfelt acoustic ballads with forty gallons of reverb on the guitar…it’s all here.
It’s not my particular jam, but I’m familiar with the music through growing up with friends that love the genre so it still has a place for me, although I can’t help but pop a smirk every now and again as the lyrics continually reference ‘candles burning’, or ‘flames rising’ etc. a fun and well-produced record that shows off some serious musical chops, especially on the trusty axe – with a tongue remaining firmly in cheek.
The second record is driving, rousing orchestral music which reminded me of John Paesano’s work on Spider-Man. This features a less glossy production than the first disc as it goes for a more natural and organic sound.
There’s a lot of bottom-end percussion that underpins the horns and violins, with woodwind instruments adding more delicate sections to give variety through the heavily orchestral tracks. Again, like John Paesano’s work on Marvel’s Spider-Man, there are a handful of tracks that are accented by light electronic beats such as Busted, but there are far more bombastic, filmic moments such as The Monster Queen that clearly would be playing during the more cinematic events of the video game. That said, there are more tender, heartfelt moments such as Good People Never Really Die, which consists of delicate strings, lightly played piano and an ambience of melancholy reverence.
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