Zweihander - Ranger of the Old Woods - 2022

This collection of songs is really more like two albums in one (plus a couple of bonus tracks). I just didn't want to release it as two albums or make people pay twice.

The first six songs are a concept piece about a ranger finding a secret area in the ancient woods where she's been a ward for years. The story is told in the lyrics. These songs start with DOS ADLIB & OPL2 sounds, progress to Roland Sound Canvas (fancy midi), and end with two SNES-inspired tracks.

The following few songs are an homage to the old sci-fi, cyberpunk, and noir games we grew up playing.

Finally we have a fun track in both the NES and DOS styles... Lastly, I included two fully symphonic tunes.

There are two tracks that feature alternate versions. I have been thinking a lot about how older soundtracks used to sound different based upon the platform or even the sound hardware used. So, I explored that a little.

I tried to limit myself to different systems or styles more so than on previous albums. The results are a bit more "purist" than usual. I cheated a couple of times with a light touch of reverb, but most of the tracks are very similar to what you would hear on the original hardware.

Here's a track list with the style/system in parenthesis.

1. Bobbit's Journey (DOS | OPL2/Adlib)
2. Rainspell (DOS | Roland Sound Canvas)
3. Secrets of the Forest Ruins (DOS | Roland Sound Canvas)
4. City Beneath the Mountain (DOS | Roland Sound Canvas)
5. Journey Through the Enchanted Chasm (SNES)
6. Even Sexy Vampires Must Die (SNES
7. My Vision is Augmented (FM Synth)
8. Private Eyes (DOS | Adlib)
9. Apparition Apprehension Agency (DOS | OPL2)
10. Autumn Snow (DOS | OPL2)
11. Dance the Light Away (NES)
12. Dance the Light Away (DOS | OPL)
13. Allure of the Dark Castle (Symphonic)
14. Even Sexy Vampires Must Die (Symphonic)

Enjoy and please leave me a review so I know which songs you enjoyed the most.