Perfect Selection: Dracula Battle

Long before heavy metal covers of videogame songs clogged Bandcamp and YouTube, Naoto Shibata Project outdid all of them – and with the blessing of the game company itself. Former Anthem bassist Shibata pulled together a collection of Japanese studio pros to transform his arrangements of the (already great) Gothic chiptunes from the Castlevania series into the screaming heavy metal shredders they were always meant to be. He turns “Bloody Tears” into an arterial spray, forges the legendary “Vampire Killer” whip in blessed steel, highlights the tragedy of the Belmont’s clan’s “Calling from Heaven.” Dracula’s undead legions don’t stand a chance against these holy power chords.