Living during the years when Twilight Princess came out was pretty interesting. Having come out of the Toon Link wars fought throughout the fandom years earlier, many were hyped to see an edgier, more Adult Link from Ocarina of Time inspired version of the hero. With every new trailer and all the bits of gameplay, the game just seemed to ooze with a moody darkness. It was like watching the series enter its goth phase in a way.
Despite all of the ways that the game leaned into a more “adult” feel, the music still remained pretty similar to what had come before. Sure, it was more somber at times, but it wasn’t really any more adult or more edgy. Through his metal version of the “Twilight Princess Hyrule Field Theme”, Simon Loveridge introduces us to what could have been if the game had shifted its music through the dark mirror.
Right from the beginning, there’s a sharp difference. Yeah, you can still recognize the melody, but the way it sweeps up into metal wail is very distinct and fun. The deep lower notes that keep the beat also add a sense of edginess to the whole song. While the green of his tunic has already been darkened a bit in the game, you can almost imagine the version of Link ripping through this Hyrule Field ditching the green garb entirely. Dark Link’s shadowy tunic may be more his style.
The relentless advance of the beat paired with the wailing strings sounds of the guitar speak to me of the Hero of Twilight’s drive. Despite being cursed into a much furrier lot in life and having to deal with the taunts and insults of not just enemies but also his companion, Midna, Link never gives up. He rides hard in the face of enormous enemies like King Bulblin, masters his bestial side, and befriends the fiendish imp who was once the Princess of Twilight. No matter what distorted menace Zant sends his way, Link will not yield. He must save his friends, rescue Zelda, and bring the Twilight Realm and Hyrule back into harmony.
Hearing Simon Loveridge’s version of the “Twilight Princess Hyrule Field Theme”, I can only imagine the uproar it would have caused if the music in the game were like this. While fans were ready for a darker tale, I don’t know if they would have been ready for the music to be so metal, to go this hard. And honestly, that would have just made it even more metal and, in some ways, even more Zelda. The series has never been afraid to shake things up. Goin toon or going dark, more linear or more open world, Eiji Aonuma and his team do what they want. They march to the beat of their own drum, or maybe they rock to the beat of Simon Loveridge’s “Hyrule Field Theme.”
