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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Music of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Music of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance''}}
{{Good article}}
{{Good article}}
The music of ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'' (2013), developed by [[PlatinumGames]] and published by [[Konami]], was composed primarily by [[Jamie Christopherson]]. Composed over a period of six months starting in November 2011, Christopherson worked with several other artists such as [[Logan Mader]] to create 13 [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] tracks for the game, some of which were assigned to specific characters and are adaptive to the gameplay. The soundtrack received praise for its composition and usage in the game. The game itself experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, attributed to a spate of new [[internet meme|viral memes]] based on its music.

== Background and composition ==
The soundtrack of ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'' was primarily composed by [[Jamie Christopherson]] over a six-month period. Christopherson had previously done work for several Japanese clients and composed music for games such as ''[[Lost Planet 2]]'' (2010). Christopherson was first contacted by [[PlatinumGames]] when they hired [[Soundelux Design Music Group|Soundelux DMG]] for the game's sound effects and voiceover work.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Workman |first=Robert |date=2013-03-12 |title=Interview: Rocking out with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance composer Jamie Christopherson |url=https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-rocking-out-with-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-composer-jamie-christopherson/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=GameZone |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326144423/https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-rocking-out-with-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-composer-jamie-christopherson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As they were hiring Soundelux, Platinum requested that Christopherson compose the game's soundtrack in November 2011, around midway through the game's development.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Rea |first=Jasmine Maleficent |date=2013-02-23 |title=The peculiar origin of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's heavy-metal sound (interview) |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/the-peculiar-origin-of-metal-gear-rising-revengeances-heavy-metal-sound-interview/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929040151/https://venturebeat.com/games/the-peculiar-origin-of-metal-gear-rising-revengeances-heavy-metal-sound-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3" /> This was Christopherson's first time composing an entire album's worth of music, and he described the amount of work and collaboration needed to create it to ''GameZone'' as "something completely different than I've experienced before in producing a soundtrack" and as "the most collaborative effort of any project that I've worked on".<ref name=":3" />


Due to the scale of the project, Christopherson enlisted the help of other artists to sing and write the game's vocal tracks, such as former [[Machine Head (band)|Machine Head]] guitarist [[Logan Mader]], electronic DJ [[Ferry Corsten]], [[Voodoo Highway Music & Post Inc.|Voodoo Highway]] singer Graeme Cornies, [[Jason Charles Miller]], and remixers Maniac Agenda.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=How Memes And An Immortal Soundtrack Have Revived Metal Gear Rising |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-memes-and-an-immortal-soundtrack-have-revived-metal-gear-rising/1100-6504409/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924151533/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-memes-and-an-immortal-soundtrack-have-revived-metal-gear-rising/1100-6504409/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Christopherson was also given some guidelines by [[Hideo Kojima]] on writing lyrics for the game's bosses, though most of the guidance was given to Christopherson by Platinum.<ref name=":3" /> Unlike previous games in the ''[[Metal Gear]]'' series, which were stealth-based and primarily used more [[cinematic music]],<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Jamie Christopherson - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance [Original Video Game Soundtrack] Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-original-video-game-soundtrack--mw0002488033 |access-date=2023-12-07 |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180630/https://www.allmusic.com/album/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-original-video-game-soundtrack--mw0002488033 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Metal Gear Rising'' was being developed as a [[hack and slash]], and thus the soundtrack was required to be more energetic.<ref name=":3" /> Platinum requested a heavy metal soundtrack for the new game, like that of previous projects such as [[Bayonetta (video game)|''Bayonetta'']] (2009) and ''[[Anarchy Reigns]]'' (2012), though due to Christopherson's lack of experience in creating metal music, he required assistance from artists he had hired to collaborate with.<ref name=":4" /> The team also integrated different "types" of metal for the boss fights, citing "[[Rammstein]] metal" as the basis for the track "Red Sun", and using primarily [[synthesizer]]s for tracks such as "The Stains of Time".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Will |date=2022-06-16 |title='Metal Gear Rising' composer talks meme resurgence and lyrical boss fights |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/gaming-features/metal-gear-rising-composer-talks-meme-resurgence-and-lyrical-boss-fights-3249361 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=NME |language=en-AU |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180528/https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/gaming-features/metal-gear-rising-composer-talks-meme-resurgence-and-lyrical-boss-fights-3249361 |url-status=live }}</ref> A total of 13 tracks were composed for the game, and by the end of development, around 700 gigabytes worth of files were transferred back-and-forth between Christopherson and Naoto Tanaka, Platinum's music director.<ref name=":4" /> During the game's midnight launch in Los Angeles, [[Konami]] invited the first 150 people in line to a private concert where Christopherson and his team performed the soundtrack live.<ref name=":3" />

=== Implementation in-game ===
{{Listen
| filename = The Only Thing I Know For Real (Short).ogg
| title = "The Only Thing I Know For Real"
| description = An excerpt from "The Only Thing I Know For Real", used in the game's boss fight against Jetstream Sam and demonstrating the soundtracks heavy metal composition. Critics praised the tracks lyrics for fitting with Sam's theme of struggling with identity loss.
}}

Platinum arranged and mixed Christopherson's work with the [[Wwise]] engine to make the soundtrack adaptive to gameplay, in particular, causing elements of it, in Christopherson's words, to "kick in at the height of the boss battles".<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1"/> A notable example occurs in the game's opening sequence, where the vocal of the track "Rules of Nature" is scripted to begin at the moment the player character [[Raiden (Metal Gear)|Raiden]] parries a [[Metal Gear Ray]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McCrae |first=Scott |date=2023-02-21 |title=Forget remakes and remasters – there's never been a better time to revisit Metal Gear Rising Revengeance |url=https://www.vg247.com/no-remake-no-remaster-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-retrospective |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=VG247 |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216220232/https://www.vg247.com/no-remake-no-remaster-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-retrospective |url-status=live }}</ref> A reversal of the technique occurs in Raiden's boss fight with Jetstream Sam, where the vocal for "The Only Thing I Know For Real", the latter's theme track, diminishes as the fight intensifies to "represent [Sam{{'s}}] inner thoughts being overtaken by concentration", in the words of ''[[NME]]''.<ref name=":6" /> Another unusual feature of the soundtrack is that the lyrics for the boss themes express the bosses' motivations, giving a greater sense of psychological depth to characters who might otherwise be perceived as one-dimensional.<ref name=":6" />

== Album ==
{{Infobox album
{{Infobox album
| italic_title = no
| italic_title = no
Line 41: Line 25:
| chronology = [[Metal Gear|''Metal Gear'' series]]
| chronology = [[Metal Gear|''Metal Gear'' series]]
}}
}}

The music of ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'' (2013), developed by [[PlatinumGames]] and published by [[Konami]], was composed primarily by [[Jamie Christopherson]]. Composed over a period of six months starting in November 2011, Christopherson worked with several other artists such as [[Logan Mader]] to create 13 [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] tracks for the game, some of which were assigned to specific characters and are adaptive to the gameplay. The soundtrack received praise for its composition and usage in the game. The game itself experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, attributed to a spate of new [[internet meme|viral memes]] based on its music.

== Background and composition ==
The soundtrack of ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'' was primarily composed by [[Jamie Christopherson]] over a six-month period. Christopherson had previously done work for several Japanese clients and composed music for games such as ''[[Lost Planet 2]]'' (2010). Christopherson was first contacted by [[PlatinumGames]] when they hired [[Soundelux Design Music Group|Soundelux DMG]] for the game's sound effects and voiceover work.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Workman |first=Robert |date=2013-03-12 |title=Interview: Rocking out with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance composer Jamie Christopherson |url=https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-rocking-out-with-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-composer-jamie-christopherson/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=GameZone |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-03-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326144423/https://www.gamezone.com/originals/interview-rocking-out-with-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-composer-jamie-christopherson/ |url-status=live }}</ref> As they were hiring Soundelux, Platinum requested that Christopherson compose the game's soundtrack in November 2011, around midway through the game's development.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Rea |first=Jasmine Maleficent |date=2013-02-23 |title=The peculiar origin of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's heavy-metal sound (interview) |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/the-peculiar-origin-of-metal-gear-rising-revengeances-heavy-metal-sound-interview/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=VentureBeat |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230929040151/https://venturebeat.com/games/the-peculiar-origin-of-metal-gear-rising-revengeances-heavy-metal-sound-interview/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3" /> This was Christopherson's first time composing an entire album's worth of music, and he described the amount of work and collaboration needed to create it to ''GameZone'' as "something completely different than I've experienced before in producing a soundtrack" and as "the most collaborative effort of any project that I've worked on".<ref name=":3" />

Due to the scale of the project, Christopherson enlisted the help of other artists to sing and write the game's vocal tracks, such as former [[Machine Head (band)|Machine Head]] guitarist [[Logan Mader]], electronic DJ [[Ferry Corsten]], [[Voodoo Highway Music & Post Inc.|Voodoo Highway]] singer Graeme Cornies, [[Jason Charles Miller]], and remixers Maniac Agenda.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=How Memes And An Immortal Soundtrack Have Revived Metal Gear Rising |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-memes-and-an-immortal-soundtrack-have-revived-metal-gear-rising/1100-6504409/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924151533/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/how-memes-and-an-immortal-soundtrack-have-revived-metal-gear-rising/1100-6504409/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Christopherson was also given some guidelines by [[Hideo Kojima]] on writing lyrics for the game's bosses, though most of the guidance was given to Christopherson by Platinum.<ref name=":3" /> Unlike previous games in the ''[[Metal Gear]]'' series, which were stealth-based and primarily used more [[cinematic music]],<ref name=":0">{{Citation |title=Jamie Christopherson - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance [Original Video Game Soundtrack] Album Reviews, Songs & More {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-original-video-game-soundtrack--mw0002488033 |access-date=2023-12-07 |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180630/https://www.allmusic.com/album/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-original-video-game-soundtrack--mw0002488033 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Metal Gear Rising'' was being developed as a [[hack and slash]], and thus the soundtrack was required to be more energetic.<ref name=":3" /> Platinum requested a heavy metal soundtrack for the new game, like that of previous projects such as [[Bayonetta (video game)|''Bayonetta'']] (2009) and ''[[Anarchy Reigns]]'' (2012), though due to Christopherson's lack of experience in creating metal music, he required assistance from artists he had hired to collaborate with.<ref name=":4" /> The team also integrated different "types" of metal for the boss fights, citing "[[Rammstein]] metal" as the basis for the track "Red Sun", and using primarily [[synthesizer]]s for tracks such as "The Stains of Time".<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Will |date=2022-06-16 |title='Metal Gear Rising' composer talks meme resurgence and lyrical boss fights |url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/gaming-features/metal-gear-rising-composer-talks-meme-resurgence-and-lyrical-boss-fights-3249361 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=NME |language=en-AU |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180528/https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/gaming-features/metal-gear-rising-composer-talks-meme-resurgence-and-lyrical-boss-fights-3249361 |url-status=live }}</ref> A total of 13 tracks were composed for the game, and by the end of development, around 700 gigabytes worth of files were transferred back-and-forth between Christopherson and Naoto Tanaka, Platinum's music director.<ref name=":4" /> During the game's midnight launch in Los Angeles, [[Konami]] invited the first 150 people in line to a private concert where Christopherson and his team performed the soundtrack live.<ref name=":3" />

=== Implementation in-game ===
{{Listen
| filename = The Only Thing I Know For Real (Short).ogg
| title = "The Only Thing I Know For Real"
| description = An excerpt from "The Only Thing I Know For Real", used in the game's boss fight against Jetstream Sam and demonstrating the soundtracks heavy metal composition. Critics praised the tracks lyrics for fitting with Sam's theme of struggling with identity loss.
}}

Platinum arranged and mixed Christopherson's work with the [[Wwise]] engine to make the soundtrack adaptive to gameplay, in particular, causing elements of it, in Christopherson's words, to "kick in at the height of the boss battles".<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":1"/> A notable example occurs in the game's opening sequence, where the vocal of the track "Rules of Nature" is scripted to begin at the moment the player character [[Raiden (Metal Gear)|Raiden]] parries a [[Metal Gear Ray]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=McCrae |first=Scott |date=2023-02-21 |title=Forget remakes and remasters – there's never been a better time to revisit Metal Gear Rising Revengeance |url=https://www.vg247.com/no-remake-no-remaster-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-retrospective |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=VG247 |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216220232/https://www.vg247.com/no-remake-no-remaster-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-retrospective |url-status=live }}</ref> A reversal of the technique occurs in Raiden's boss fight with Jetstream Sam, where the vocal for "The Only Thing I Know For Real", the latter's theme track, diminishes as the fight intensifies to "represent [Sam{{'s}}] inner thoughts being overtaken by concentration", in the words of ''[[NME]]''.<ref name=":6" /> Another unusual feature of the soundtrack is that the lyrics for the boss themes express the bosses' motivations, giving a greater sense of psychological depth to characters who might otherwise be perceived as one-dimensional.<ref name=":6" />

== Album ==
The soundtrack was included as a part of the Limited Edition of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', which released on February 19, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-28 |title=Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Limited Edition announced |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/75986/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-limited-edition-announced |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Shacknews |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180417/https://www.shacknews.com/article/75986/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-limited-edition-announced |url-status=live }}</ref> It also received a separate physical and digital release at the same time.<ref name=":3" />
The soundtrack was included as a part of the Limited Edition of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'', which released on February 19, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-09-28 |title=Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Limited Edition announced |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/75986/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-limited-edition-announced |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Shacknews |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180417/https://www.shacknews.com/article/75986/metal-gear-rising-revengeance-limited-edition-announced |url-status=live }}</ref> It also received a separate physical and digital release at the same time.<ref name=":3" />
{{track listing
{{track listing
Line 170: Line 172:
The soundtrack of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'' received generally positive reception from critics.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-14 |title=Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC) - Hardcore Gamer |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pc/69704/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180724/https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pc/69704/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It has been praised for its ability to adapt to in-game actions by Scott McCrae of [[VG247]], with the track "Rules of Nature" being considered a "perfect introduction" to the game.<ref name=":1" /> A staff review for [[AllMusic]] described the soundtrack as a "driving and hectic blend of electronica and hard rock" that helps "get players in the right headspace to play as katana-wielding cyborgs".<ref name=":0" />
The soundtrack of ''Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance'' received generally positive reception from critics.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-01-14 |title=Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC) - Hardcore Gamer |url=https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pc/69704/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180724/https://hardcoregamer.com/reviews/review-metal-gear-rising-revengeance-pc/69704/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It has been praised for its ability to adapt to in-game actions by Scott McCrae of [[VG247]], with the track "Rules of Nature" being considered a "perfect introduction" to the game.<ref name=":1" /> A staff review for [[AllMusic]] described the soundtrack as a "driving and hectic blend of electronica and hard rock" that helps "get players in the right headspace to play as katana-wielding cyborgs".<ref name=":0" />


The connections between the soundtrack and specific characters, philosophies, and in-game events have also been praised.<ref name=":1" /> McCrae observed that "each song perfectly encapsulates the character it represents",<ref name=":1" /> giving as examples "The Only Thing I Know For Real" and "It Has To Be This Way" for their underscoring of Jetstream Sam's struggle with loss of identity and Senator Armstrong's forced conflict with Raiden respectively. McCrae's views on "The Only Thing I Know For Real" were echoed by former ''[[Kotaku]]'' writer Heather Alexandra<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-08 |title=Goodbye Heather Alexandra, Stealth Ninja And Big Boss Critic |url=https://kotaku.com/goodbye-heather-alexandra-stealth-ninja-and-big-boss-c-1843348204 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180629/https://kotaku.com/goodbye-heather-alexandra-stealth-ninja-and-big-boss-c-1843348204 |url-status=live }}</ref> in her book ''Rules of Nature'', noting how the track emphasizes the fact that Sam doesn't "even know the reason they are holding their weapon".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Alexandra |first=Heather |title=RULES OF NATURE |publisher=[[Lulu.com]] |year=2016 |isbn=9781365140983 |pages=19, 32–33}}</ref>{{Rp|page=19}} Alexandra additionally praised the tracks "Collective Consciousness" and "The Hot Wind Blowing", for their thematic focus on the American military, blind obedience to one's country, and [[Territorial evolution of the United States|American westward expansion throughout history]]. She described "Collective Consciousness" as focusing on the American populace as a whole, while "The Hot Wind Blowing" focuses on the relationship between the population and the military, with buffalo imagery being used in the latter track to evoke the [[Bison hunting|hunting and near extinction of buffalo]] and the historical image of "[[American imperialism|American carelessness]]".<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=|pages=32–33}}
The connections between the soundtrack and specific characters, philosophies, and in-game events have also been praised.<ref name=":1" /> McCrae observed that "each song perfectly encapsulates the character it represents",<ref name=":1" /> giving as examples "The Only Thing I Know For Real" and "It Has To Be This Way" for their underscoring of Jetstream Sam's struggle with loss of identity and [[Senator Armstrong (Metal Gear)|Senator Armstrong]]'s forced conflict with Raiden respectively. McCrae's views on "The Only Thing I Know For Real" were echoed by former ''[[Kotaku]]'' writer Heather Alexandra<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-05-08 |title=Goodbye Heather Alexandra, Stealth Ninja And Big Boss Critic |url=https://kotaku.com/goodbye-heather-alexandra-stealth-ninja-and-big-boss-c-1843348204 |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Kotaku |language=en |archive-date=2023-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180629/https://kotaku.com/goodbye-heather-alexandra-stealth-ninja-and-big-boss-c-1843348204 |url-status=live }}</ref> in her book ''Rules of Nature'', noting how the track emphasizes the fact that Sam doesn't "even know the reason they are holding their weapon".<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Alexandra |first=Heather |title=RULES OF NATURE |publisher=[[Lulu.com]] |year=2016 |isbn=9781365140983 |pages=19, 32–33}}</ref>{{Rp|page=19}} Alexandra additionally praised the tracks "Collective Consciousness" and "The Hot Wind Blowing", for their thematic focus on the American military, blind obedience to one's country, and [[Territorial evolution of the United States|American westward expansion throughout history]]. She described "Collective Consciousness" as focusing on the American populace as a whole, while "The Hot Wind Blowing" focuses on the relationship between the population and the military, with buffalo imagery being used in the latter track to evoke the [[Bison hunting|hunting and near extinction of buffalo]] and the historical image of "[[American imperialism|American carelessness]]".<ref name=":2" />{{Rp|page=|pages=32–33}}


The soundtrack has seen extensive use in [[Internet meme]]s, with early ones revolving around "Rules of Nature".<ref name=":1" /> In 2022, a number of new memes based on the game went viral, spawning a 1000% increase in players of the game on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in May of that year.<ref name=":5" /> The memes included some unusual mashups, such as a pairing of "Collective Consciousness" with [[Mariah Carey]]'s [[All I Want for Christmas Is You]].<ref name=":6" /> The style of adaptive music featured in ''Revengeance'' has been employed in later games, including ''[[Devil May Cry 5]]'' (2019) and ''[[Hi-Fi Rush]]'' (2023).<ref name=":1" /> The soundtrack was listed in 2013 by both [[Clash (magazine)|''Clash'']] and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as one of the best in video game history, with the former describing it facetiously as "(tremendously) ludicrous" and the latter as adding an "additional level of propulsive energy to the game's frenetic hack-and-slash action".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diver |first=Mike |date=2013-09-16 |title=7 Of The Best: Video Game Soundtracks |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/features/7-of-the-best-video-game-soundtracks/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews |language=en-GB |archive-date=2013-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924052542/https://www.clashmusic.com/features/7-of-the-best-video-game-soundtracks/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Deane |first=Donald |date=2013-10-04 |title=Nine Legitimately Awesome Video Game Soundtracks |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nine-legitimately-awesome-video-game-soundtracks-69019/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=2018-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018172751/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nine-legitimately-awesome-video-game-soundtracks-69019/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The soundtrack has seen extensive use in [[Internet meme]]s, with early ones revolving around "Rules of Nature".<ref name=":1" /> In 2022, a number of new memes based on the game went viral, spawning a 1000% increase in players of the game on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] in May of that year.<ref name=":5" /> The memes included some unusual mashups, such as a pairing of "Collective Consciousness" with [[Mariah Carey]]'s [[All I Want for Christmas Is You]].<ref name=":6" /> The style of adaptive music featured in ''Revengeance'' has been employed in later games, including ''[[Devil May Cry 5]]'' (2019) and ''[[Hi-Fi Rush]]'' (2023).<ref name=":1" /> The soundtrack was listed in 2013 by both [[Clash (magazine)|''Clash'']] and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as one of the best in video game history, with the former describing it facetiously as "(tremendously) ludicrous" and the latter as adding an "additional level of propulsive energy to the game's frenetic hack-and-slash action".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diver |first=Mike |date=2013-09-16 |title=7 Of The Best: Video Game Soundtracks |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/features/7-of-the-best-video-game-soundtracks/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews |language=en-GB |archive-date=2013-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924052542/https://www.clashmusic.com/features/7-of-the-best-video-game-soundtracks/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Deane |first=Donald |date=2013-10-04 |title=Nine Legitimately Awesome Video Game Soundtracks |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nine-legitimately-awesome-video-game-soundtracks-69019/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US |archive-date=2018-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181018172751/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/nine-legitimately-awesome-video-game-soundtracks-69019/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Latest revision as of 21:18, 25 November 2024

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Vocal Tracks
Soundtrack album to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance by
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2013
GenreElectronic rock, heavy metal
Length1:11:16
LabelKonami Digital Entertainment, Sumthing Else
ProducerJamie Christopherson

The music of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (2013), developed by PlatinumGames and published by Konami, was composed primarily by Jamie Christopherson. Composed over a period of six months starting in November 2011, Christopherson worked with several other artists such as Logan Mader to create 13 heavy metal tracks for the game, some of which were assigned to specific characters and are adaptive to the gameplay. The soundtrack received praise for its composition and usage in the game. The game itself experienced a resurgence in popularity in 2022, attributed to a spate of new viral memes based on its music.

Background and composition

[edit]

The soundtrack of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was primarily composed by Jamie Christopherson over a six-month period. Christopherson had previously done work for several Japanese clients and composed music for games such as Lost Planet 2 (2010). Christopherson was first contacted by PlatinumGames when they hired Soundelux DMG for the game's sound effects and voiceover work.[1] As they were hiring Soundelux, Platinum requested that Christopherson compose the game's soundtrack in November 2011, around midway through the game's development.[2][1] This was Christopherson's first time composing an entire album's worth of music, and he described the amount of work and collaboration needed to create it to GameZone as "something completely different than I've experienced before in producing a soundtrack" and as "the most collaborative effort of any project that I've worked on".[1]

Due to the scale of the project, Christopherson enlisted the help of other artists to sing and write the game's vocal tracks, such as former Machine Head guitarist Logan Mader, electronic DJ Ferry Corsten, Voodoo Highway singer Graeme Cornies, Jason Charles Miller, and remixers Maniac Agenda.[1][3] Christopherson was also given some guidelines by Hideo Kojima on writing lyrics for the game's bosses, though most of the guidance was given to Christopherson by Platinum.[1] Unlike previous games in the Metal Gear series, which were stealth-based and primarily used more cinematic music,[4] Metal Gear Rising was being developed as a hack and slash, and thus the soundtrack was required to be more energetic.[1] Platinum requested a heavy metal soundtrack for the new game, like that of previous projects such as Bayonetta (2009) and Anarchy Reigns (2012), though due to Christopherson's lack of experience in creating metal music, he required assistance from artists he had hired to collaborate with.[2] The team also integrated different "types" of metal for the boss fights, citing "Rammstein metal" as the basis for the track "Red Sun", and using primarily synthesizers for tracks such as "The Stains of Time".[5] A total of 13 tracks were composed for the game, and by the end of development, around 700 gigabytes worth of files were transferred back-and-forth between Christopherson and Naoto Tanaka, Platinum's music director.[2] During the game's midnight launch in Los Angeles, Konami invited the first 150 people in line to a private concert where Christopherson and his team performed the soundtrack live.[1]

Implementation in-game

[edit]

Platinum arranged and mixed Christopherson's work with the Wwise engine to make the soundtrack adaptive to gameplay, in particular, causing elements of it, in Christopherson's words, to "kick in at the height of the boss battles".[5][6] A notable example occurs in the game's opening sequence, where the vocal of the track "Rules of Nature" is scripted to begin at the moment the player character Raiden parries a Metal Gear Ray.[6] A reversal of the technique occurs in Raiden's boss fight with Jetstream Sam, where the vocal for "The Only Thing I Know For Real", the latter's theme track, diminishes as the fight intensifies to "represent [Sam's] inner thoughts being overtaken by concentration", in the words of NME.[5] Another unusual feature of the soundtrack is that the lyrics for the boss themes express the bosses' motivations, giving a greater sense of psychological depth to characters who might otherwise be perceived as one-dimensional.[5]

Album

[edit]

The soundtrack was included as a part of the Limited Edition of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which released on February 19, 2013.[7] It also received a separate physical and digital release at the same time.[1]

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance – Vocal Tracks (disc 1)
No.TitleLength
1."Rules of Nature" (Platinum Mix)2:30
2."The Only Thing I Know For Real" (Maniac Agenda Mix)2:26
3."Dark Skies" (Platinum Mix)2:21
4."I'm My Own Master Now" (Platinum Mix)2:10
5."A Stranger I Remain" (Maniac Agenda Mix)2:25
6."Return to Ashes" (Platinum Mix)2:15
7."The Stains of Time" (Maniac Agenda Mix)2:10
8."Red Sun" (Maniac Agenda Mix)2:13
9."A Soul Can't Be Cut" (Platinum Mix)2:19
10."Collective Consciousness" (Maniac Agenda Mix)2:38
11."It Has To Be This Way" (Platinum Mix)2:55
12."The War Still Rages Within"5:00
13."The Hot Wind Blowing feat. Ferry Corsten" (Platinum Mix)2:18
14."A Soul Can't Be Cut" (Platinum Mix)2:19
15."Dark Skies" (Platinum Mix – Low Key Version)2:17
16."Return to Ashes" (Platinum Mix – Low Key Version)2:14
17."A Soul Can't Be Cut" (Platinum Mix – Low Key Version)2:10
18."Rules of Nature" (Platinum Mix – Instrumental)2:30
19."The Only Thing I Know For Real" (Maniac Agenda Mix – Instrumental)2:26
20."Dark Skies" (Platinum Mix – Instrumental)2:17
21."I'm My Own Master Now" (platinum mix – instrumental)2:10
22."A Stranger I Remain" (Maniac Agenda Mix – Instrumental)2:25
23."Return to Ashes" (Platinum Mix – Instrumental)2:15
24."The Stains of Time" (Maniac Agenda Mix – Instrumental)2:10
25."Red Sun" (Maniac Agenda Mix – Instrumental)2:13
26."A Soul Can't Be Cut" (platinum mix – Instrumental)2:19
27."Collective Consciousness" (Maniac Agenda Mix – Instrumental)2:38
28."It Has To Be This Way" (Platinum Mix – Instrumental)2:55
29."The Hot Wind Blowing Feat. Ferry Corsten" (Platinum Mix – Instrumental)2:18

Reception and legacy

[edit]

The soundtrack of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance received generally positive reception from critics.[4][8] It has been praised for its ability to adapt to in-game actions by Scott McCrae of VG247, with the track "Rules of Nature" being considered a "perfect introduction" to the game.[6] A staff review for AllMusic described the soundtrack as a "driving and hectic blend of electronica and hard rock" that helps "get players in the right headspace to play as katana-wielding cyborgs".[4]

The connections between the soundtrack and specific characters, philosophies, and in-game events have also been praised.[6] McCrae observed that "each song perfectly encapsulates the character it represents",[6] giving as examples "The Only Thing I Know For Real" and "It Has To Be This Way" for their underscoring of Jetstream Sam's struggle with loss of identity and Senator Armstrong's forced conflict with Raiden respectively. McCrae's views on "The Only Thing I Know For Real" were echoed by former Kotaku writer Heather Alexandra[9] in her book Rules of Nature, noting how the track emphasizes the fact that Sam doesn't "even know the reason they are holding their weapon".[10]: 19  Alexandra additionally praised the tracks "Collective Consciousness" and "The Hot Wind Blowing", for their thematic focus on the American military, blind obedience to one's country, and American westward expansion throughout history. She described "Collective Consciousness" as focusing on the American populace as a whole, while "The Hot Wind Blowing" focuses on the relationship between the population and the military, with buffalo imagery being used in the latter track to evoke the hunting and near extinction of buffalo and the historical image of "American carelessness".[10]: 32–33 

The soundtrack has seen extensive use in Internet memes, with early ones revolving around "Rules of Nature".[6] In 2022, a number of new memes based on the game went viral, spawning a 1000% increase in players of the game on Steam in May of that year.[3] The memes included some unusual mashups, such as a pairing of "Collective Consciousness" with Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You.[5] The style of adaptive music featured in Revengeance has been employed in later games, including Devil May Cry 5 (2019) and Hi-Fi Rush (2023).[6] The soundtrack was listed in 2013 by both Clash and Rolling Stone as one of the best in video game history, with the former describing it facetiously as "(tremendously) ludicrous" and the latter as adding an "additional level of propulsive energy to the game's frenetic hack-and-slash action".[11][12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Workman, Robert (2013-03-12). "Interview: Rocking out with Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance composer Jamie Christopherson". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  2. ^ a b c Rea, Jasmine Maleficent (2013-02-23). "The peculiar origin of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's heavy-metal sound (interview)". VentureBeat. Archived from the original on 2023-09-29. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  3. ^ a b "How Memes And An Immortal Soundtrack Have Revived Metal Gear Rising". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  4. ^ a b c Jamie Christopherson - Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance [Original Video Game Soundtrack] Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, archived from the original on 2023-12-07, retrieved 2023-12-07
  5. ^ a b c d e Nelson, Will (2022-06-16). "'Metal Gear Rising' composer talks meme resurgence and lyrical boss fights". NME. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g McCrae, Scott (2023-02-21). "Forget remakes and remasters – there's never been a better time to revisit Metal Gear Rising Revengeance". VG247. Archived from the original on 2023-12-16. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  7. ^ "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Limited Edition announced". Shacknews. 2012-09-28. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  8. ^ "Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC) - Hardcore Gamer". 2014-01-14. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  9. ^ "Goodbye Heather Alexandra, Stealth Ninja And Big Boss Critic". Kotaku. 2020-05-08. Archived from the original on 2023-12-07. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  10. ^ a b Alexandra, Heather (2016). RULES OF NATURE. Lulu.com. pp. 19, 32–33. ISBN 9781365140983.
  11. ^ Diver, Mike (2013-09-16). "7 Of The Best: Video Game Soundtracks". Clash Magazine Music News, Reviews & Interviews. Archived from the original on 2013-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  12. ^ Deane, Donald (2013-10-04). "Nine Legitimately Awesome Video Game Soundtracks". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2018-10-18. Retrieved 2023-12-07.