So where is a release date for this? Like many of you, I really enjoy Yamaoka, and I am looking forward to this release. I am surprised that there doesn't seem to be a release date with the game being released tomorrow.

Yamaoka said the soundtrack would be released in September in this recent interview about SHH:

http://www.originalsoundversion.com/?p=562

However, I haven't received confirmation from Konami's US office, and haven't see anything on their website.  Should probably watch the Japanese site for updates.

I'm wondering the same thing. The last SH soundtrack (Origins/Zero) was released three months after it's corresponding game, so maybe its too early to get worried, but still... Konami have been somewhat weak on releases lately. Apparently, the Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia soundtrack will only be released in the limited edition game-bundle, and instead we get obscure releases like this and this. WTF? They better not skip on Homecoming, or someone's gonna get hurt.

No, they had definitely better not skip Homecoming. I can't imagine that they would, really. I thought that the SH0 came out a bit closer to the release of the game, though I suppose I did not pay that close of attention to the release of the game, as I did not get the game until it was ported to the PS2.

SH PSP came out on 11/06/07 and 12/06/07 in the US and Japan, respectively, and the OST came out on January 25th. That said... I'll bet that SH5 OST is announced within a couple of weeks with a release date of mid December. I had a dream that it was coming out on December 16th, so maybe it'll come true.

Thinking about it some more, I wonder if Yamaoka meant the game was coming out in September in the States, and not the soundtrack.  Haha.

That's what I'm guessing as well. I'm hoping for an early December release date, that'd be so sweet.

Now that I think about it, we shouldn't really be worried about whether its coming or not, given the release history of the series so far... Both Silent Hill and Yamaoka are pretty high-profile, they'd be fools not to release it. Its just my impatience to hear the music that has me nervous... An unreleased Silent Hill OST is as improbable as a Silent Hill OST without half the music missing.

Amazon is sending this link out to people who ordered the game from them.  It's a zip file that contains three tracks from the upcoming soundtrack, ripped in high quality, full songs!!  They even have the track numbers tagged so we can expect 21 tracks on the OST.  Witchcraft is easily one of Yamaoka's most beautiful pieces yet, Cold Blood makes good use of that eerie piano, and The Sacred Line is classic SH vocal goodness with returning favorite Mary Elizabeth McGlynn.  I'm really looking forward to this soundtrack release!

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?R=1ILZ6 … onustracks

-Mike

Amazon? In the US? So the soundtrack is getting an American release? Or are the tracks from an upcoming Japanese release?

Also, thanks for the link! Busy tonight, will listen to the tracks tomorrow.

I'd say it sounds like it.  But I'm sure there will be a physical release too.  Konami USA is trying to put out a lot of stuff through iTunes/Amazon to avoid the costs of selling physical CDs.

"Cold Blood" owns. I'm not too fond of the vocal track, but otherwise I'm getting really great vibes from the samples so far. Can't wait to hear the full soundtrack.

How about that...some fellow by the name of zach_1987 has done a rip!

http://www.silenthillmemories.net/music/shh_csts_en.htm

I knew I could trust you to keep a look out for something like this! Will download pronto, but probably will not be able to give it a full listen for a while (hellishly busy right now). Have to remember to snag their SH4 complete rip as well.

By the way, I found this in the news section of the site:

Many of you probably wonder where is the promised Original Soundtrack to the game stated by Akira Yamaoka to be released at the end of September. However, apparently this was just a translation error and Yamaoka was actually referring to the game. The soundtrack probably won't be until the Japanese game release sometime in the end of 2008.

Well, that explains that. I was under the impression that Homecoming was released the same date in Japan as it was in the US. But it seems that the Japanese version isn't out until the end of the year (they've only just now set up the site for it). Since a possible OST-release will probably be after the Japanese release of the game, its no wonder that they haven't set a release-date for the CD yet.

Thanks a lot.

They really got this rip done fast, I hadn't expected one for a while.

So far I think the soundtrack is not particularly striking, though I have only had limited time to get familiar with it. I just had to post again to say that "One More Soul to the Call" and "Soldier's Orders [Theme of Alex]" are absolutely great.

Holy shit, look here! US promo release, WTF?! Anyone know anything about this?

No word on a Japanese release yet.

What the fuuuuuck? That's... interesting. Probably some sort of Gamestop promo or something. I couldn't anything on eBay. Hmmm...

EDIT: Circumventing the swear filter FTW.

Yep, it's a Gamestop promo. My buddy works there and is gonna hook me up with one later on. I'm pumped!

Yo Zane, I don't suppose there's any way your bud can hook me up with one of those as well?
I'm not expecting a "yes", but thought I'd ask anyway At any rate, if anyone else finds one or has one let me know! I wants it...

cheers,

-avatar!

Poor old I is too lazy nowadays to go hunt around for limited edition promo-releases. If there's an ordinary commercial release of this (which there most probably will be), I'll pick it up ('cause its Yamaoka). If not, I'll just stick with the mp3s.

One thing is strange with this release, though. If its a Gamestop promo, why does it pop up now, 2 months after the game's release? These things (US promo soundtracks) are usually shallow, fleeting affairs used to promote a game when its released, and they typically are handed out to people who pre-order the game. Why would Gamestop sit on this for two months? Did they somehow reckon the demand would increase the more the word gets around that Homecoming is a half-assed mess of a game? Doesn't make any sense. And if they just got the CD now as promo material, why...?

Questions, questions... Maybe that September interview with Yamaoka where he mentions the soundtrack being released in the US wasn't a mistranslation after all, maybe he was referring to this thing.

I'm also wondering why they didn't have this ready for people who actually pre-ordered the game back when it was released?  Kinda lame since I now already own both games.  Oh well, I ended up grabbing the soundtrack on eBay for cheap so I can't really complain.  Five bucks for one of the best soundtracks of the year?  Yes please.

Is it just me or do the Homecoming vocals completely blow away the Origins vocals?  Elle Theme in particular, it's just so different from their usual style.  Plus the piano in that track instantly reminded me of the original Halloween music by John Carpenter, not sure if anyone else made that connection.

-Mike

Who knows, man. I asked my friend about it and he said that they just showed up at his store in shipment the other day, completely unannounced or unadvertised. It would have made sense if it was a preorder bonus, but... hmm. Maybe there was a delay in the printing/pressing/shipment of the discs and it was meant to be a preorder bonus? Either way, I'm glad that the music is out there now and I am definitely looking forward to this album (haven't seen my friend this week yet).

Agreed, they're much better than I expected. I don't particularly like "This Sacred Line", but the other three are awesome. Especially "One More Soul To The Call". Anyone who likes vocal songs should check that one out, ASAP.

Nice job getting that price, as they're selling for $20-$25 now.  Unfortunate because it's probably the best SH soundtrack release since the third game.

Argh! I'm not buying many CDs nowadays, but if there's anything that can get my ownership withdrawal symptoms burning, its a new SH OST. I f---ing hate eBay and am not getting an account there again no matter what, have to find some other way to track down a copy...

I'm going to have to prematurely agree with Soto on this one. I had the pleasure of hearing about half of the tracks while listening to VG Memories in-studio Sunday night (woot!) and they did a tribute to the album. Some of the stuff on there like "Voodoo Girl" and "Witchcraft" are some of the best songs Yamaoka has done in years, and the vocal tracks blow the ones from SH Zero out of the water (or should I say they blow them back? Har har!). I'm really looking forward to hearing this one in full.

I think it was probably intended as a pre-order bonus, but printing got delayed or something.  I guess it's sort of a "Holiday Bonus" now, but it's funny that Konami didn't really publicize it or even tell the retailers about it.

So perhaps Yamaoka wasn't lying when he said the soundtrack was supposed to be released at the end of September!

I'm actually gonna have to surprise the community and say that, so far, I'm kinda underwhelmed by the Homecoming OST. Like everyone's said, the vocals are pure killer, and there are also many awesome instrumental pieces, as one could expect. But there are also some uninspired and meandering tracks (dare I say some of them sound rushed...?) on there and a certain lack of cohesiveness to the whole album. The tracks feel kinda randomly thrown into a heap on the album floor, if you get what I mean. There's only a few tracks that I'd call "bad", but, considering the fact that I think most of Yamaoka's previous albums have been flawless masterpieces from start to finish, an album with five or six bad tracks is still going to raise my eyebrows in surprise. I'm still in the process of digesting the music, so it might very well be that I'm gonna warm up to the music sooner or later (its growing on me more every time I listen to it), but so far I can't agree that its the best since SH3 OST. It might or might not beat Zero, but judging from my impressions so far, its no way near surpassing SH4's OST (that was one awesome album despite the tepidness of it's game).

I'm going to listen to it many more times, and will post more elaborate thoughts once I get the music into proper perspective.

Brilliant.

Apologies to the guy who just bought my copy, but the SHZero OST really didn't do anything for me.  I never thought I'd say that about a Yamaoka SH soundtrack.  SH4 is an enjoyable album, and I think .  Once I get my copy (I managed to haggle with a guy on eBay) I'm going to listen in greater depth, but my first few listens have it a little above The Room.

Wait, so SH3 > SH2 OST?

No, I wrote "since" SH3, which means SH3 and those following it. SH2 was before that. I was replying to Soto's line "Unfortunate because it's probably the best SH soundtrack release since the third game."

By the by, if anyone around here has a Homecoming soundtrack FS/FT let me know!

cheers,

-avatar!

I got a copy of this last night, and it seems both people I offered it to have it already - it's yours if you want it.

You bet
Thanks a ton! I really appreciate this...

cheers,

-avatar!

I'd also be interested in buying a copy. If anyone has one for sale, please contact me!