Japanese doujinshi (self-published) music group Magical Trick Society has created one of the best arrangements of Legend of Zelda music, with an overall, unique, upbeat and high quality sounding album. Not only are the arrangements unique, but so are the selections, named “Zelda Triforce Trilogy” this album only contains music from the first 3 games in the series: The Legend of Zelda, Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, and Zelda: A Link to the Past. This makes for a nice tribute to this earlier time in the Zelda series’ history, and giving attention to some underused songs. After I came upon an eBay listing for this rare doujinshi CD and sampled the music on the group’s website I had to have this, eventually buying it used from a seller on VGMdb.net.
The artwork for the CD and case has an eye catching yellow theme with wire frame Triforces all over it, and you can tell this album is going to be something special.
The CD starts with the title theme from The Legend of Zelda, introducing it with static sound effects as if this were playing on an old record while a bell tolls, a violin then plays a slow, proud rendition of the title theme, as if the Legend of Zelda was beginning. The music in the Japanese version of The Legend of Zelda is slightly different than the U.S. one because of the Famicom Disk System, and while I listened I realized those were bells tolling in the original FDS version.
Track 2 beings with a drum beat that lasts through the whole track before exploding into the overworld theme, with a tribal yell halfway through during the bridge as if a tribe were dancing around a campfire to the beating of drums, then sailing into the overworld theme of Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link (my favorite part). You get the sense that Link off on his adventure.
I could listen to the Game House theme from A Link to the Past all day, as guitars strum back and forth.
One of the under used songs in from The Legend of Zelda, Death Mountain (Level 9), has a great beat, and gives me chills just listening to it, thinking about going through Ganon’s lair. Unfortunately about 2/3 of the way in its ruined by a news report about real world events, I would have rather heard something about Ganon stealing the “Power of Triforce”.
Underworld from The Legend of Zelda has a very dreading sound to it as violins keep a fast pace and the deep sounding melody gets across how dark the dungeons Link must explore are.
Zelda’s Theme (“Crystal” on the CD) has the feeling of a nice jam, with a flute playing the main melody while cymbals are tapped, and you can feel the tragic sorrow of Princess Zelda.
The Boss theme from Zelda 2 has a cool low beat to it, though I think this is based on the more repetitive Japanese version.
Sanctuary (Palace or Temple) from The Adventure of Link starts of rather slow before going all out in a thunderous arrangement. I didn’t quite like this one at first but it’s grown on me, and I can picture Link slowly wandering through the beginning of a Temple as the camera fades from scene to scene, then encounter monsters as he descends further into the labyrinth.
The Dark World theme almost has a pirate flare to it, and I’m starting to think the Gerudo Valley theme in Ocarina of Time is based on this theme.
Ganon’s Theme opens with a few low rifts, with a female vocalist humming in the background, before kicking into a mix of the boss battle music.
The Fairy theme from A Link to the Past never gets old as the harp plays and a beat sounds as though water is dripping at a steady pace. I can picture the fairies aiding Link as they help him in his quest to defeat Ganon and save Hyrule.
Ending out the cd is the Ending theme from The Legend of Zelda, another underused theme from the first game. Starting off with a music box rendition of the first part of the ending, it then goes all out into a spectacular, happy farewell with a xylophone hitting the main notes. Link has destroyed Ganon, saved Zelda, and become the hero of Hyrule.
Every song here is beautifully arranged (with the minor annoyace of speech in Death Mountain) with a nice beat while still maintaining the essence of the original music. If you get a chance to track down Zelda Triforce Trilogy, I highly recommend it to all Legend of Zelda music fans.
Tags: CD, Doujinshi, Magical Trick Society, Review, Triforce Trilogy, Zelda
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