Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric OST Review

 

Summary

After Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal, I went into this next one with an open mind. Boom has a bad name, but I still found a few tracks to be fond of.  

Unfortunately, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric should be renamed Sonic Bedtime: Rise in the Morning. I usually like atmospheric, dramatic tracks. But this time around, ugh. Not that it is bad, but it can be boring.  

A lot of the music sounds very similar to itself. To be honest, it's not really atmospheric like "painting a picture" of the location. It's more like the tone of what's going on, mostly being about being careful, exploration, or tension. 

Some have compared it to a movie soundtrack, but it seems more generic. There does not seem to be a main goal. Indiana Jones, for example, has a really fun and memorable adventure theme. Star Trek: Voyager has a dramatic opening that is more depressed but does not stray from exploration. Many recall the ominous mystery of Lost's brief opening. Horror movies are more menacing, romance movies swell-up...So if Rise of Lyric was a movie or a show, what would its theme be? What would it be about? Sadly it's hard to say. That lack of personality/purpose is what makes it generic, not the quality.  

If this were cutscene music I'd excuse it, but it's pretty hard to imagine boss battles with these tracks. It would make the "slow" game even slower.  

It's still more mature/professional than what I expect from the Boom side of the franchise I guess. 

Best Song:  Lyric's Weapon Facility

Runner-Up (s): Abandoned Research Facility (Generator), Lyric's Weapon Facility (Save Tails), Lyric's Weapon Facility (Elevator), Pit (boss), Pit (inside 2), Slow Poke Isle (chase), Slowpoke Isle Cave (battle), Creeper Gorge, Sky Citadel (chase), Lyric's Lair (Speed)

Out of this entire OST, this is the only one I'll probably still remember or want to listen to again. Yeah, it's on the slow side, but I think it is quite sad and beautiful. I could almost see this as some kind of lonely Ice Cap bad future, and the instrumentation is more interesting.  

Worst Song: Clift's Excavation Site (battle)

Runner Up (s): Main Theme, Forest Battle, Lyric's Tomb (forest, tomb), Lyric's Weapon Facility (Sentinel), Pit (Inside 2/Speed), Slowpoke Isle, Slowpoke Isle Cave, Ocean Purification Plant (entrance), Ocean Purification Plant (outside/battle), Final Boss, Bygone Island, Bygone Island (battle), Clift's Excavation Site, Clift's Excavation Site (Speed)

A lot of this OST is simply easy to forget. A lot are similar, just adding a few instruments here and there for the different versions (battle, chase, speed, etc). This one is a good example. It's not just dull or "boring," but I don't have any idea what this evacuation site looks like or who is fighting. Bland, undefined, and not worth listening to.    

 

Final Ranking: E

If you're looking for tracks that are dramatic and "movie like"...I'd recommend the cutscene music of 06. Of Secret Rings. Of Zero Gravity. There have been great, epic Sonic tracks that are "slower" yet stunning. With that ONE exception, Lyric just isn't really worth a listen. 

It's not that the music is terrible, it doesn't make you hate it. But even the "good" tracks did not really leave any kind of impression. For the first time I have to agree with the "generic" consensus. 

Also, Shattered Crystal beats this one by a long shot.