
Video game music record label Materia Collective has revealed its latest vinyl boxset, 'Music from Castlevania - Black & Red' and it looks stunning. There's just one catch, it's flipping expensive!
The hefty price tag of £433 / $549.99 will be like garlic to a vampire for many, and we don't blame them. However, the collection is beefy enough that if you really squint at it, it starts to feel like good value.
'Music from Castlevania - Black & Red' covers Konami's iconic monster-hunting series from 1986 to 2010, with 46 LPs featuring remastered recordings, complete OSTs and newly arranged tracks. These vinyls are sorted into two outer boxes ('Black' and 'Red', fittingly), each adorned with gorgeous artwork by Johnny Dombrowski — the jackets feature 46 pieces of original art, too.
The collection also contains liner notes from author and Video Works host Jeremy Parish, so you can keep up to date with how the soundtrack develops with each series entry. It's an educational purchase, see?
With 974 tracks providing over 30 hours of listening, a complete tracklist would be a little excessive here. However, you can see the games in every LP below:
BLACK (LPs 1-23)
- LP1
Castlevania (FDS)*
Dracula II: Noroi no Fuuin (FDS)*
Akumajou Dracula (MSX)*
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (NES)*
- LP2
Akumajou Densetsu (FC)*
- LP3
Castlevania III: Dracula’s Cruse (NES)*
- LP4
Castlevania: The Adventure (GB)*
Castlevania II: Belmont’s Revenge (GB)*
- LP5
Akumajou Special: Boku Dracula-kun (FC)*
Kid Dracula (GB)*
- LP6
Castlevania Legends (GB)*
Haunted Castle (AC)
- LP7
Super Castlevania IV (SNES)*
- LP8
Super Castlevania IV (SNES)*
Dracula X (SNES)*
- LP9
Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (PCECD)*
- LP10
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
- LP11
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (GBA)*
- LP12 / LP13
Castlevania (N64)*
- LP14
Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness (N64)*
- LP15
Castlevania (X68000)
- LP16
Castlevania (X68000, Roland CM-64 Sound Module Version)
- LP17
Castlevania (X68000, Roland SM-55 Sound Module Version)
- LP18 / LP19
Castlevania Chronicles (PS)
- LP20 / LP21
Castlevania Judgment (Wii)
- LP22
Castlevania: The Arcade (AC)
- LP23
Castlevania: The Arcade (AC)
Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (WiiWare)
RED (LPs 24-46)
- LP24 / LP25 / LP26
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PS, SS)
- LP27
Castlevania: Bloodlines (GEN)*
- LP28 / LP29 / LP30
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (PS2)
- LP31
Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (GBA)
- LP32 / LP 33
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (GBA)
- LP34 / LP 35
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS)
- LP36 / LP37 / LP38 / LP39
Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (PS2)
- LP40 / LP41
Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (DS)
- LP42 / LP43 / LP44
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
- LP45 / LP46
Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (Xbox 360/PS3)
*Contains new recordings exclusive to this release
As you might expect, this is a limited edition release with only 500 numbered units available. The collection is now available to pre-order from the Materia Store with an estimated shipping date of Q1 2025.
It's a pricey one, yes, but it seems fitting that it should arrive in what has been quite the year for the franchise. The awesome Castlevania Dominus Collection brought three DS classics to Switch earlier this year, and Vampire Survivors has just landed its excellent 'Ode to Castlevania' DLC. It's a good year to be a Belmont fan.
Will you be splashing the cash on this Castlevania LC collection? Let us know in the comments.
[source materia.store]
Comments 20
Admittedly, that's quite a collection.
The Castlevania soundtrack is pure perfection
That is why my ringtone is "Simon's Theme", and my alarm tone is "Bloody Tears"
They boast a great soundtrack spanning the entire series. If only you could buy them separately, if anything, to alleviate the price...
On a barely related note, Vampire Survivors' Castlevania DLC soundtrack managed to get some forgotten gems and turn it into a list of almost 40 flawless pieces
It's Castlevania, so it's great it exists, but it comes from Materia and they do not deserve your hard-earned cash.
The sum per LP is actually pretty decent, but it's not a product that can cater even to most collectors of VGM on vinyl due to its sheer size and price. I was considering it briefly, but it Materia's terrible reputation with the "VGM on Vinyl" community quickly changed my mind. That, and the $600 shipping quote.
I just hope that this wasn't the reason for us not getting stand-alone LP releases for the DS games.
Generally, Castlevania's releases constantly coming from different companies (Mondo, Ship to Shore, Limited Run) has been kind of annoying...
I would say this is too pricey but then I think of a scenario where Nintendo would release a similar set for Mario or Zelda (or, heck, Yoshi even, but they wouldn't be THAT crazy just for those couple big Yoshi fans like me lol), and I would be all over that even for this price I think.
Not for me also considering the price, but it looks stunning indeed and I'm happy for those going for it!
I'll never understand the appeal of digital music pressed to vinyl. I'm also plenty well off with the CD box set which has everything here except the Harmony of Despair and rebirth ost.
"Portrait of Financial Ruin"
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
$12 a record is actually pretty cheap.
Don’t have a vinyl collection? How would you like to start with 46 of them immediately?
It's pretty cool! I got into vinyl several years ago (it went out when I was a teenager), but I already can't afford to buy new vinyl releases as the prices of even 90's re-releases is sky high. I never got into buying digitally, but vinyl prices are trying to push me there. Guess I'll stick with CDs.
Anyway, as pointed out above, pressing digital music to analog vinyl is silly. Pretty, but silly.
"Portrait of Financial Ruin" is outrageously hilarious to me, haha! Nice work.
Still cheaper than that new PlayStation. I haven’t played much Castlevania except Lords of Shadows. I should really start looking for them on the few systems I do have…
@TheBoilerman CDs are still the best physical media. Easy to store, gorgeous sound and last a lifetime (if looked after).
@BigLarry
Amen!
I have enjoyed a few Castlevanias over the years, but have no interest in this.
However, the article subheading elicited a chuckle.
I’m going to find a way to start incorporating “Portrait of Financial Ruin” into my everyday conversations now. I think it might be the funniest subheading I’ve ever seen on here, and there have been plenty of quality ones so well done whoever did it!
@Coalescence : Beat me to it. This is easily one of the stupidest products I've ever seen. Not a bad price for the number of included records, mind, but there is not a single reason in the world why one should buy this over a CD boxset (or a lossless download).
"Portrait of Financial Ruin"
Sounds like a photo of me.
@TheBoilerman What kind of vinyls are you into?
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