The open narration sent the hairs on my arm standing on end. It was about then, I knew that Danny B’s OST for Edmund McMillen’s ‘The Binding of Isaac’ was going to be something special — the man’s made magic in the past after all. But just how good would this one be, could it possibly even be great?
From the first few notes of track three it was evident that this was a Danny B collection. Although he has proven himself to be quite the musical chameleon, his sound is as unique to him as a fingerprint. Among the various stings and interludes, this 28 track OST has a good amount of stand alone tracks that would easily fit into any given Hollywood movie. The VSTs used are easily recognisable, but Danny B is able to get them to do things that I rarely see desktop composers accomplish. I can only imagine what this musical mad man would be able to create given unlimited resources.
Track five “Sacrificial” is by far my favorite, it’s just too bad that it came in so early in the track list. It sets the bar so high that I felt no other track was going to be able to surpass it. It starts with a soft tone interluding into a high energy mood that kicks on with a great drum rhythm accompanied with the noise percussion loops from earlier tracks. The song brings us back and fourth between these two styles a few times before ending. Almost like we are being pulled from one world into another.
Tracks seven “Divine Combat” and eleven “Repentant” are a bit on the electronic side. Giving quite a good variety to the mix of orchestral stings and ambient mood tracks. While tracks seventeen “Thine Wrath…” and twenty two “…Be Done” set the stage for epic boss battles and fast paced action. Sprinkled between these high energy tracks are ambient mood pieces that sound like good solid throwbacks to Akira Yamaoka’s work on the first Silent Hill and give the OST variety and showcase Danny B’s flexibility.
The soundtrack ramps up as it progresses through the track list and hits another high note in “End Times.” This was a particularly good track, and nearly manages to reach my aforementioned favorite “Sacrificial.” Starting with a hard edge saw and aggressive drum rhythm then breaking down into the other worldly tones that are spread across this album.
Danny B’s OST to The Binding of Isaac was pretty rad. It had all the energy of Canabalt fused with the quirkiness of Super Meat Boy. Even if you have no intention of playing the game, this is an awesome album as a stand alone compilation. At $1 on Bandacamp or Steam, you’ve little reason not to snatch up this one today.