Rating: 6/10, Source: Aversionline
This surprisingly brief EP contains six short tracks inspired by and in part derived from the "Castlevania 3" video game. I remember always thinking the "Castlevania" series had the best music when I was a kid, so I was interested to hear this work to see what the outcome would be. The only thing that bothers me is that in many cases some of the samples from the original game have been left too intact, which makes for a less curious listen than some of the original material herein (not to mention that which I've heard from the project in the past). It makes sense when opener "Bruise in the Sky" opens with a standalone sample from the game, but then once some distorted guitar textures layer together and create an eerie landscape it becomes one of the more effective passages herein; while "Shiver of Night Has Arrived" uses a glitchy percussive rhythm and piano against haunting moans and faint wails in the distance (the background sounds are really awesome in this one and could've made for a great lead presence). "Descent of Severed Limbs" is the weakest composition as it's mostly just distorted "Castlevania" samples, so while thicker and more aggressive it doesn't have its own feel compared to the other work. "Swamp Reverberation" uses a lot of low-end pulses that sound like they've been pitch-shifted and layered against distant melodies also sampled and twisted from the game, but even though it's not necessarily my thing it's been more creatively handled than some of the other pieces; such as "Crimson Stained Glass", which opens with some music that has been left a little too straightforward, while the background textures and hums that faintly seep in are again much more sinister and intriguing to my ears. "Fall of Ancient Bone" has a horror movie style to it, with more glitchy beats and resonating drones that are also not necessarily my thing, but do have some interesting elements going on. The CD-R comes in a small sleeve screenprinted in maroon and metallic silver inks on matte black paper, so some of the imagery is abstracted with little contrast but it looks nice. Along with a bit of text inside the sleeve is hand-numbered of only 44 copies, and that's that. Nice packaging aside, this a fair listen, but it doesn't represent Narcotic Dreams' own work as much as I would've hoped. I don't feel that the concept behind the release was fully explored per se, so while some of the results are promising, a more thorough development would be needed to make a completely effective release out of it. This is just a strictly limited EP and everything, but I would rather hear some more of Narcotic Dreams' own work without any restrictions placed on it to get a better idea of where the project is headed. Running time - 12:10, Tracks: 6
[Notable tracks: Bruise in the Sky, Shiver of Night Has Arrived]

Industrial.org
Personally I think that Narcotic Dreams is a terrible name but since this turned out not to bean EP of wilted goth whimpers I can forgive them that. Instead, "Cursed Night" is both an ode to and a reworking of the old NES game "Castlevania 3" that combines elements of the actual soundtrack together with a mix of oddball instrumentation and improvised manipulation. So is this cart a keeper you ask?

Thumb candy has some very specific connotations (for me anyway) and despite the inspirational spring for this release, I would not consider it "game music" as such. Unlike acts such as the slick and shiny Naked Intruder, "Cursed Night" sounds like Magwheels leaving the NES on in their jam room while they put on fresh strings and test out a new pedal. The game system is in there sure, but it is definitely separate from and not integral to.

Sonically we have a mix of large scale guitar based washes formed via trailing reverbs and distortion, effects based noodling which sounds very software in nature (time stretch and autotune artifacting, synthetic glitch beats with FM organs, etc.) plus some straight up game samples. Odd and varied is probably the best description I can offer since the changing density and tone makes it a little slippery to hold onto.

Ultimately I think that the NES influence would have worked better if it had been recreated instead of sampled. Hearing 2A03 sounds in this context seems a tad out of place, like catching ear of a PS2 startup chime as you bend over for a lubed glove prostrate exam. The way the NES is integrated so haphazardly makes it seem more like a lazy or unfinished gimmick as opposed to one worshipping at the 8bit shrine. I like the disc despite this as it is often inventive and lively, I just think that it represents a missed opportunity since a spaced out "Castelvania" adventure would be well worth the entrance fee. So this one's a rental then.

Vital Weekly
NARCOTIC DREAMS - CURSED NIGHT (CDR by 804noise) Cursed night is the second release of the limited 804 noise series. This time on this 3" Narcotic Dreams AKA James McCrea is trying to reuse a sound palette from the 'Castlevania 3: Dracula's Curse' NES game and make a cover or reinterpretation of this innocuous amusement combining it with experimental/noise moments. Lo-bit game sounds are still giving an impression of old video games and B-rated horror films. This whole gothic and horrid atmosphere is intensified with guitar distortion and noises making the tension even stronger. An unusual combination of cinematic mood, gothic feeling and contemporary noise - enjoyable for fans of old computer games and cheep black/white horror movies. (Toni Dimitrov)