Contra NES music Archives

When it comes to fusing heavy metal with the 8-bit sounds of classic gaming, few names resonate louder than VomitroN. The project is the brainchild a Massachusetts-based musician, producer, and lifelong gamer whose work has turned the nostalgic bleeps of the Nintendo Entertainment System into sprawling metal epics. What started as an experiment in the late nineties while playing Contra in a college dorm became a full-blown passion project, and by the mid-2000s VomitroN had begun carving out a cult following in both the retro gaming and metal communities. VomitroN’s first record of original music appeared in 2007, but it was his video game work that truly set the project apart. With albums like No NES for the Wicked and NESessary Evil, he painstakingly reconstructed soundtracks from Mega Man 2, Blaster Master, Final Fantasy, Bionic Commando, and many more, adhering to the exact tempos and structures of the original compositions while layering them with walls of guitars, thunderous drums, and just enough synth textures to keep the atmosphere true to its roots. Unlike some other VGM metal acts who improvise or solo over the source material, VomitroN’s philosophy has always been about strict faithfulness: preserving every note while reimagining the scope and power. The response has been remarkable. From the days of MP3.com and MySpace to modern streaming platforms, fans across the world have latched onto his arrangements. Overseas CD orders from places like Spain and Portugal showed him early on that people far beyond New England wanted to hear “metalized” Nintendo music. Communities of retro gaming fans, musicians, and collectors still hold his albums in high regard, with deep cuts like Ninja Gaiden and Blaster Master receiving just as much praise as more mainstream covers of Zelda or Contra. Have a listen from a VomitroN Sampler video! https://youtu.be/yoHnxy8mU-8 As VomitroN gears up for future releases, he has hinted that the next chapter may expand beyond the NES and into platforms like the C64, SNES, N64, and even PC games, where so much of his favorite music resides. For now, his catalog stands as one of the most ambitious attempts to preserve and amplify the soundtracks of the eight-bit era, and his interview below offers a rare look into the mind behind it. The Interview (09.08.25) Q: (Retro Replay) Do you remember the moment you first thought about combining NES music with heavy metal?A: (VomitroN) I do not recall the specific moment, but it was around 1997 or 1998 in the college dorm playing Contra on the NES and talking with my buddies about how awesome it would be to hear these parts as metal guitar riffs. Naturally I was always a huge metalhead so hearing this stuff from the 80s that already had enormous metal vibes intrinsically, it seemed like a god damn no brainer. However, I put it off for months, maybe years, mostly mulling over even how it could be done because it seemed like an enormous undertaking. And it was. Q: (Retro Replay) Which NES soundtrack first hooked you and made you want to transform it into something bigger?A: (VomitroN) See number one. Q: (Retro Replay) Who were your biggest musical influences outside of video games?A: (VomitroN) I was brought up playing classical music on the piano from an early age, and somewhere around high school I heard Mercyful Fate for the first time, and that combo began the downward spiral into metal. Growing up I was constantly exposed to hair metal stuff, and later always heard bands like Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer, but Mercyful Fate were the ones that really grabbed my attention. From there it was Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, and riff-heavy bands like Iced Earth that I was obsessed with. Q: (Retro Replay) Was there a particular band or guitarist that shaped your sound when you started?A: (VomitroN) For my original stuff it was a hodgepodge of artists, but for the NES work, not really. I just tried to interpret those tunes as best I could with my heavy metal background. Q: (Retro Replay) When you sit down to reimagine an NES track, what does your workflow look like from start to finish?A: (VomitroN) After years of doing this I have developed a formula. I always start with the drums. I line up the NES tracks from a ROM or wherever else I can get the original track, and get all the tempos down in the DAW. Then into the drums. From there I build around it with instruments, guitar, synth, or bass. Before you know it, you can remove the original track, and voila, you got all this metal NES stuff. Q: (Retro Replay) How do you decide which game soundtracks are worth turning into full metal arrangements?A: (VomitroN) Up until now it was always games from the original NES I played obsessively as a kid, games that would not sound stupid as metal tracks, and games that had enough material to fit into a reasonable-length song. That is why I sometimes split them into two or three sections. Going forward I will likely expand into different platforms and different methods. Q: (Retro Replay) What was the most difficult NES track to translate into your style and why?A: (VomitroN) Tough question. Many were difficult and time consuming, but at the end of the day I would say Final Fantasy. Not because the material was difficult (that award goes to Silver Surfer or Ninja Gaiden) but because I had such a hard time arranging it. The songs just did not flow well into each other, so it feels disjointed and jarring. Something like Blaster Master came out so much better because the tunes flowed easily into one another. Q: (Retro Replay) Do you usually stick closely to the original chiptune structure, or do you like to expand and improvise around it?A: (VomitroN) I try to stick as close to it as humanly possible. The only thing that changes really is the arrangement. Originally there really is no arrangement. Q: (Retro Replay) How do you balance keeping the nostalgic vibe while also making the songs feel like full blown metal epics?A: (VomitroN) By adhering strictly to tempo and instrumentation. All parts of the original tunes are accounted for, with nothing missing or added, or seldomly added. All tempos are exact with no exceptions. I might add a synth pad here or there for texture or mood, but almost nothing is added creatively. The lone exception was Ninja Gaiden, where I played a B3 solo at the end. I am not even sure why, maybe I was high on painkillers following surgery. Q: (Retro Replay) What is your favorite piece you have ever recorded under VomitroN?A: (VomitroN) If you are talking about all the VomitroN material including originals, I would say the upcoming VomitroN 3. For video game music, I would probably go with Bionic Commando or Mega Man 2. Q: (Retro Replay) No NES for the Wicked is considered a classic. What inspired that album and how did it come together?A: (VomitroN) Honestly it was not even my idea. My friends were psyched with Contra, and then MP3.com and MySpace reacted amazingly well to it. Someone suggested I try other games, so I went with Blaster Master and completed that one. After the reaction, I decided to do an entire record of it. That is how No NES for the Wicked was born. Q: (Retro Replay) Looking back, what has changed in your approach from your first album to your latest releases?A: (VomitroN) Nothing really. It has been largely the same, which is probably a bad thing. Q: (Retro Replay) Which album do you feel represents your vision for VomitroN the best?A: (VomitroN) For my original stuff, the upcoming VomitroN 3. For the NES work, I feel like NESessary Evil stands out. It all peaked with that one. Q: (Retro Replay) How have fans reacted to your deeper cuts like Blaster Master or Ninja Gaiden compared to more well known tracks like Zelda or Contra?A: (VomitroN) Amazingly. Actually, better in many ways. The deeper cuts are the ones the fanatics are really fans of — or critical of. Q: (Retro Replay) Has there been a game soundtrack you always wanted to cover but have not gotten to yet?A: (VomitroN) Absolutely. Most are not on the NES platform though. I have pretty much finished all of the ones I wanted to do, with the exception of a few, maybe Rygar, Castlevania 3, T&C Surf Design, Super C, and a couple others. Q: (Retro Replay) How has the retro gaming and VGM fan community responded to your music over the years?A: (VomitroN) I cannot even explain how well. It has been humbling and incredible. I cannot believe how many video game music dorks are out there like me. And that they like it as much as they do. Q: (Retro Replay) Do you remember a moment when you realized people all over the world were listening to your work?A: (VomitroN) I think when I started getting CD orders from overseas like Spain and Portugal. That was when I thought, wow, I cannot believe anyone wants to listen to this goofy stuff. Q: (Retro Replay) How do you feel about being compared to other video game metal acts like Powerglove or Megadriver?A: (VomitroN) I did not even realize I was compared. I have never heard of Megadriver, but I met the guys in Powerglove years ago, and Mario Minor was always impressive. Honestly though, I set out to be as faithful and accurate as possible. Everyone else seemed to want to improvise and solo, and I hated that. I always wanted to hear the game music, not someone’s random solo. Q: (Retro Replay) What is the most memorable fan message or story you have ever received about your music?A: (VomitroN) Some gal on YouTube said my music made her squirt. I wanted to reply with my phone number but thought better of it, as awesome as a comment as it was. Q: (Retro Replay) What do you want people to take away when they hear a VomitroN track for the first time?A: (VomitroN) If it hits them hard enough to remember it, then I am happy. If it ever hits anyone as hard as the music I love hits me, that is a miracle and what it is all about. Q: (Retro Replay) Do you ever listen back to your own recordings for fun, or do you move on once they are finished?A: (VomitroN) Sure I do, not as much once they are done though. You have to listen to them thousands of times to get mixes right, so I always take long breaks after they are finished. A year later I will listen again and it feels brand new. Q: (Retro Replay) If you could collaborate with any video game composer, past or present, who would it be?A: (VomitroN) I would love to get in the heads of Tim and Geoff Follin. Their Silver Surfer soundtrack blew me away. Q: (Retro Replay) Which NES soundtrack do you think is criminally underrated?A: (VomitroN) Silver Surfer for sure. That is why I even did it. The game sucked, but the music is unbelievable. Q: (Retro Replay) What is the strangest or funniest thing that has happened while recording or mixing a track?A: (VomitroN) Being high on meds during No NES for the Wicked. It was only Ninja Gaiden and Zelda 2, but I remember giggling the whole time. Q: (Retro Replay) If you could only cover one NES game for the rest of your life, which would it be?A: (VomitroN) N/A Q: (Retro Replay) Do you ever think about expanding VomitroN into other types of projects, such as collaborating with visual artists, game developers, or other musicians?A: (VomitroN) I have not considered it, but I would certainly be open to it. Q: (Retro Replay) Outside of gaming and music, what other hobbies or passions drive you creatively?A: (VomitroN) N/A Q: (Retro Replay) If you could remake one of your earlier albums today with your current skills and equipment, which one would you pick?A: (VomitroN) N/A Q: (Retro Replay) Do you have any guilty pleasure games or soundtracks that would surprise fans if you covered them?A: (VomitroN) N/A Q: (Retro Replay) Just for fun, if VomitroN itself were a video game, what kind of game would it be and what role would you play in it?A: (VomitroN) N/A Q: (Retro Replay) Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of VomitroN and where would you like to take the project next?A: (VomitroN) For VGM I am definitely going to expand into C64, SNES, N64, and PC games. As far as original stuff, it depends on where inspiration takes me at the time. Outro After nearly three decades of tinkering, arranging, and re-imagining, VomitroN remains one of the most uncompromising voices in video game metal. His process is meticulous and his philosophy is clear: stay faithful to the original, keep the tempos exact, and let the music speak for itself. That devotion has created albums that not only resonate with gamers but also stand up as full-fledged metal records in their own right. What makes VomitroN special is the way he balances reverence and power. Tracks like Bionic Commando, Mega Man 2, and Contra hit just as hard as modern metal releases, yet they carry the unmistakable DNA of the NES. Fans continue to rally around both the obvious hits and the deep cuts, celebrating the way he elevates soundtracks that might otherwise have been forgotten. Looking ahead, VomitroN plans to expand into new platforms, the C64, SNES, N64, and PC... while also releasing more original work. Wherever the inspiration takes him, his fans know they can expect riffs, precision, and passion. Follow and support VomitroN here: Official Website: http://www.vomitron665.com Bandcamp: http://vomitron665.bandcamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vomitron665 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/vomitron665 Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/vomitron665.com Whether you grew up on the NES, found his work through the VGM community, or simply love hearing riffs where you least expect them, VomitroN proves that the spirit of the eight-bit era is alive, and louder than ever. If interested, we have interviewed other Retro Gaming musicians and you can find more on Retro Replay. Our more recent, an interview with the epic FamilyJulez!

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VomitroN Interview: NES Metal Covers, Gaming Roots, and the Future of 8-Bit Metal