I know the album was being discussed a little in Bernhardt's topic, but I felt it was worthwhile to create a new topic to draw attention to the pre-orders that just opened up. They're offering a special introductory price of $10, which is two bucks off, but it only lasts until December 12th. Snap it up while you can. :)

http://www.rockednloaded.com/

Did that just now.

Oh! I ordered now...

Thank you^^!

Bad. Ass.

To people in America, to others, it's $16, which isn't much thankfully dollar being a weakling.

Yeah, sorry about that. I made the post right as pre-orders were opening up, and they hadn't yet thought about overseas orders. Most of these American remix albums actually get next to no buyers from outside of the US and Canada, although Rocked 'n' Loaded is already getting an impressive turnout. We've had orders from Japan, South Korea, Russia, Belgium, Finland, Norway, you name it. Well, when I say "we", I'm not directly involved in the project, but since I'm SnappleMan's fiancee, I'm forced into helping with the orders. :P

International orders are getting a discount too, though. All prices will be bumped up 2 dollars after this introductory period.

Ordered! Music's too good not to get. I've had Contra music from the old school days stuck in my head and since we never got the original soundtrack that virt did - damn you, Konami for only putting it in with the Japanese game - this will do splendidly. Can't wait to listen to rocking tunes!

No prob about not mentioning the overseas price, as I said, it's dirt cheap, even to Finland.

Too bad that January is still soooooo far away. I hate waiting for stuff I've (pre)ordered.

Alien Hive/HEART BATTLE!!!

I hope HEART BATTLE will be awesome!!!

Publisher issues look to have pushed the album back to February.  In the meantime, they've released the Base/Base Boss track "BRICKWALLER" on the official site.  It's sounding incredible, guys!

Yeah, if the rest of the album is that quality, it's album of the year material easily.

Another track is up on the official site for sampling, the Factory theme "BALLS OF STEEL."  The sound effects-laden middle section is nuts.

Hi everyone. I'm Snappleman from the RnL team. Just wanted to let you all know that the album started shipping out to you on Friday and you should be getting yours soon! I really hope you all enjoy it and thank you all for putting up with the delays!

Got mine today at work. Already got it ripped to my computer and will be savoring it in the car tomorrow as well. From what I've heard, this is an incredible fan album. Can't wait to hear what 'Let's Attack Aggressively!' sounds like.

Enjoying it currently, the album is so f---ing metal that even the case couldn't contain all the metalness inside.

(in other news, I'm soon running out of jewel cases, clearly some Postal God doesn't like me ordering stuff)

I'm planning a full review for Soundtrack Central, but my initial listen of the album concedes to its back label proclamation: 

http://i407.photobucket.com/albums/pp15 … c4-RnL.jpg

To Andreas, Tony, and the rest of the team.... you did an INCREDIBLE job.  This badboy was definitely worth the wait. :)

Can't wait for that review, Angela. Regarding your picture of the CD cover back, I chortled when I saw that. It was so appropriate and every Contra fan would probably agree with it tenfold to the max. What are your favorites out of the entire CD? (If not the entire CD, which does rock hard).

I'm taking a real shine to the Harbor arrangement. It's turned one of the tracks that I never really paid much attention to before in-game to one of my favorite tracks. When it hits 3:22 and the back guitar riff starts, I really start headbanging. I'm always partial to both Jungle arrangements and the Alien Hive/Heart Battle one. 'Balls of Steel' (Factory) is amazing and virt's rearrangement of the End Credits is so awesome. (BTW, what does the acronym of that track stand for)?

The album's triple-whammy opening salvo that is Jungle Exploder, Brickwaller, and Shrapnel Facial can't be beat.  Especially Jungle Exploder -- recall that Jungle 1/Normal was prominently featured on my Most memorable tracks of the last decade list, so you can imagine how much I wanted this particular arrangement to deliver.  And boy, does it ever; SnappleMan is my personal god for the month.

I've always had an affinity toward Harbor, so Slave Freighter is a treat.  Never had the privilege of hearing the Smash Bros' MAGFest performance featured on the Japanese Dual Spirits CD release, though..... how does it compare, I wonder?

I'm still trying to decide if "Let's Attack Aggressively!" was remastered for the better.  The bass is somewhat punchier than Cannon and Dlugosz's original Dwelling of Duels submission, but at the cost of crisper sounding fidelity.

As for B.E.I.G.L., your guess is as good as mine.  Big Ending Instrumental Gaming Love?

Impressions so far: Jungle Exploder and Shrapnel Facial are way too mellow to be CONTRA, but luckily BRICKWALLER ups the ante in a big way. Don't care for track titles like "Bass Fishing" or "Dey Callim Boss", and "Balls of Steel" better be packing a punch, but "Flesh Harvest" is a nice punny title. Have big hopes for the arrangements of the endline tracks.

Thanks for the feedback so far, guys! The titles are meant to be really stupid. We had no idea what to do about titles so we stayed up really late on night making things up, and nobody outside of the RnL team will ever know what B.E.I.G.L. stands for !

Couldn't disagree more. After extensive listening, I'm disappointed to say that the album is very mellow. It tries to be way too groovy but without dropping all the rock out either, so it doesn't go all the way in either direction. It could be that the original arrangements were more kickass, but then they were overproduced and softened out in the finishing stage, like Angela hints at. The middle of the road approach really doesn't work for CONTRA.

This is not really an album that you could jam and groove to, but it's also severely lacking in the kick-ass rockitude that its external elements try to project and which is present in the original CONTRA 4 and its soundtrack.

I agree with you Sami. As someone not entirely familiar with Contra series, having only played 1, 3, and Shin, this was definitely not what I expected. By the time the guitars essentially faded into the background and that cheesy-as-shit keyboard synth kicked in on the first track I was confused as hell.  Rock it all the way or go home, there's no inbetween as far as I'm concerned.

BUT I will say that synth/guitar blend worked well on Slave Freighter (one of my favorite tracks). And luckily as the album draws to its close the tracks do get better. The album felt like a ship sinking in reverse.

To offer a counterpoint to the argument, I think the album actually does strike a healthy balance between jam and groove - precisely because of the presence of synth.  The Contra 4 original soundtrack clearly took its influences from the chiptuned composed and quasi-orchestral offerings of Contras 1 and 3 respectively, and less from the balls-out heavy metal rock styling of Shattered Soldier.  In that regard, I believe the use of synths here adds a crucial and familiar element to the proceedings, especially to some of the more melodic sections of the score.  While I concede it's not always used to best effect (Flesh Harvest, for instance, is one track I wished they had gone way out more with the guitars and purported 'rockitude'), I think the implementation as a whole is far more masterfully done than other arranged albums that attempted to do the same.  *shoots a snide glance at Black Mages III*

I can't wait to hear. I just ordered my copy a couple of days ago and now I sit patiently waiting. Ever since Thrash the Plank, Snappleman is one of my heroes so I can't wait to see what happens with the soundtrack.

I'm very satisfied. Because of my poor English.. I can write well. But I think this album is pretty awesome! Thanks for nice Album.

This I completely agree with, the Contra 1 and 3 references are very obvious and awesome in Contra 4. But you can't listen to something like HEART BATTLE and not go, "...whoa."

It's not the synth that I have a problem with, it's that the tracks have been arranged too mellow, but without the far-reaching touch that would allow me to dive really deep into the arrangement and the melody.

It could have been an ambient/lounge chilaxation album with retro touches and that would surely have made me go "...whoa." (Even Shattered Soldier had "Relic of Moirai"!) Maybe this will grow on me... but it doesn't look too likely at this point.

Delayed, but definitely not forgotten.  I had a review written up since week one, but I wasn't entirely happy with it, and I haven't gotten the chance to do a rewrite yet.  I don't do too many formal reviews, so I really want to make sure I get this one right.

I apologize to both you and Adam -- and to anyone else who may have been expecting the review.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer.