Materia Collective have solidified themself as one of the biggest forces in the video game music world. Their tenacity to help artists and creators bring their work to life is one of the main reasons they received the VGM WAX Award for “Record Company of the Year” in 2018, and why they continue to be a lasting beacon with many great projects coming in 2019. This release is amongst their best yet and should be a mainstay in any video game vinyl collector’s library. The album art was crafted by talented Alderion-Al, featuring a gorgeous rendition of Princess Zelda, aptly gothic in design! The matte material of the gatefold allows for the colors and splash of gold here to really pop on the package. The design of this release is absolutely stunning and carried out by Diego Jimenez. The layout of the album’s tracklist is sectioned into acts, and contains iconic quotes from the games they come from, as well as explanations of their origin or meaning by Rozen himself. Artist credits and lore for this release is quite meticulous, sprawling both the inner gatefold and the reverse side of the jacket. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing, it acts as a roadmap to help illustrate the journey the listener is about to take. Mastering on this album by Jett Galindo from The Bakery in Los Angeles is so crisp and clean that I often forgot I was listening to a vinyl at all. The rich and warm tones add so much to this grim score, all while having little surface noise. There is a wide and lush noise floor that gives much room for the album’s dynamics to breathe and carry their accents to a broad and potent finish. All around, this is a superb release that will have a lasting impression on anyone who nuzzles their needle into its cryptic grooves.