Scarlet Moon Halloween - Volume 1 - Review

Music label Scarlet Moon have released Christmas themed compilation albums for a number of years, but in 2022 they have released their inaugural Halloween celebration album - Halloween Volume 1! The album kicks off what will be an annual tradition that will feature a variety of Halloween-flavoured themes that are remixed and rearranged as well as other game music tracks recorded in a Halloween style! This first volume gets things off to a fantastic start! It features tracks from Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Doom, Castlevania and Metroid from a variety of artists. I am a massive fan of the Silent Hill and Resident Evil franchises so getting to listen to new versions of their game music is a treat!

The full track list for Scarlet Moon Halloween Volume I is as follows:

1. bLiNd - Kraid's Brew ("Kraid's Lair" from Metroid)

2. Jordan Chin - Vampire Killer (from Castlevania)

3. Sean Schafianski - Silent Hill (Short Ver.) (from Silent Hill)

4. Mustin - Night of the Chozos ("Menu Theme" from Metroid Prime)

5. Peter Reid Jones - Sinister Moon ("Sinister [E2M6]" from DOOM)

6. Jamphibious - A Moment of Relief (from Resident Evil: Code Veronica)

7. Sean Schafianski - Silent Hill (Long Ver.) (from Silent Hill)

My favourite tracks on the album are Sean Schafianski's Silent Hill Themes. These are hauntingly beautiful and I recommend the long version over the short if you can only pick one. The original always gave me chills and these are fantastic versions in their own right!

I'm also glad that the track covering the Resident Evil series is from Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Not only is it one of the most overlooked games of the series, but it has some great tracks that never got the recognition they deserve. Whilst my favourite save room theme is from the original Resident Evil 2, A Moment of Relief from Code Veronica is up there with the best and Jamphibious have done a fantastic cover here with a more upbeat version as if it was some kind digital jazz elevator music - and I love it. Mustin's Night of the Chozos sounds like some kind of 80's horror theme that you would expect to hear in Stranger Things or Fear Street and Jordan Chins Vampire Killer from Castlevania is a fast rock out of a track. Every single track on this release hits the right notes and they come together to form a great Halloween playlist for any video game fan!

This is a fantastic compilation that all video game horror fans should listen to. Every track is well worth a listen and I look forward to seeing what Scarlet Moon has in store for next years Volume 2! Also roll on this years Christmas compilation! Ho Ho Ho!

Total Score: 9/10

Scarlet Moon Halloween Volume I can be listened to and purchased on a variety of platforms including Itunes, Spotify and Amazon! Click the link HERE to find a full list and more information. A copy of the album was provided to us to produce this review. A huge thanks for that!