4 out of 5

Label: Kid Katana Records

Produced by: Tee Lopes

Juggling retro and modern sensibilities for video game updates / remakes is quite a skill, and that requires a top to bottom balance – soundtrack included. With Sonic Mania, and now Shredder’s Revenge, composer Tee Lopes has proven to understand this balance, and effects it with the most consummate ability, and respect for the source material.

Old school Sonic and TMNT aren’t the holy ground of scores or anything, but these are themes firmly rooted in gamers’ psyche: go too traditional and while there’s still value – replicating the tunes with more modern tech – it can seem like a missed opportunity; but can too far astray and you’ll get called out for mismanaging the vibe. Tee knows how to split that difference, casting guitar / keys / drums in a synth-y light that works for the 16-bit era look of the game, but is here effected with infinitely more range; the tunes also use classic TMNT themes (from the games and Fred Wolf cartoon, and I’d even say the 1990 movie) as springboards, maintaining the spirit in full and iterating on it.

One of the inherent limitations of this slice of the franchise, though – maybe that original movie aside – is that it’s pretty simplistic tonally: it’s all pretty goofy. And that lightheartedness dominates the first half of this soundtrack, with a couple cuts maybe leaning too far into new wave kitsch (I see this more as the movie nod, as that soundtrack, score aside, was all new wave jamz). Lopes’ accurate representation of the games’ general sound also leans this part of the score more towards keys, with the mix kind of flattening out the low end. The stuff is zippy as hell, and often quite dense, but listened to in bulk, it blends together.

However, once we explore some other tones, the score opens up, and when later material starts to favor more rock via heavier guitar and drums, it really feels like Lopes can start to dig in, and the memorability of the music increases tenfold.

The vocal tracks are all pretty good, with the Raekwon / Ghostface track awarded the first TMNT rap to successfully sound badass and not cringe, and while closer Pizza Party is kinda (purposefully?) cringe, I can’t deny smiling during its sax soloing.

The modern redo of the Fred Wolf theme that kicks this off doesn’t necessarily add much, but heck, if you’re gonna get someone to sing it… mad respect for it being Mike Patton.