Soundtrack reissue label Waxwork Records has a massive project rising from the sea in 2021: an 18LP box set collecting two decades' of scores from the Godzilla film series.

Japanese studio Toho Pictures introduced the legendary kaiju - known natively as "Gojira" - in an acclaimed 1954 film of the same name. Released less than a decade after shocking nuclear attacks on the country during World War II, Godzilla played upon the anxiety around those weapons in the form of a massive, dinosaur-like creature with distinctive scales on its back and a powerful "atomic breath" blasting from its jaws. Godzilla's artistic success was due in part to special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya - which used actors in suits destroying model cities - and a stirring, theme-packed score by Akira Ifukube.

The film became a massive international hit when it was re-edited and released in America as Godzilla, King of the Monsters! in which new footage was filmed with future Perry Mason star Raymond Burr. A sequel soon followed - 1955's Godzilla Raids Again, released in America as Gigantis, The Fire Monster - and in 1962, Toho began franchising the series in earnest, pitting the monster against legendary American monster King Kong, then a myriad of other kaiju created by Toho, including Rodan, Mothra, the three-headed King Ghidorah and even the robot clone Mechagodzilla.

The Showa era of Godzilla (so named for Japan's emperor during the film's releases) ended in 1975, when Toto mothballed the character for nearly a decade. The Heisei era began with Return of Godzilla in 1984 (Americanized as Godzilla 1985, again featuring Burr) and ended 11 years later. Toho has since embarked on Millennium and Reiwa iterations of the character (the latter encompassing live action and anime). America's first attempt at an original Godzilla story resulted in a 1998 misfire from the makers of Independence Day, but a new U.S. series from Legendary Pictures has become successful: two Godzilla films, the reboot Kong: Skull Island, and a planned face-off, Godzilla vs. Kong, due this spring.

Waxwork's box set - a perfect music-only complement to the Criterion Collection's package of the same - features the complete scores from the first 15 original Godzilla films pressed on 180-gram colored vinyl (the first time together in the format). They've all been newly prepared for this collection with Toho's full cooperation, pre-mastered by Thomas Dimuzio and mastered by Adam Gonsalves. Robert Sammelin has created striking original sleeve art for each soundtrack on matte laminate coated jackets, plus original box and slipcase designs. (The box closes with a magnetic flap that, when folded down, shows each of the album covers.)

While licensing restrictions prevent this box from being shipped outside the U.S., American Godzilla fans have something to stomp about when this box lands in March. Pre-order at the link below and check out the full track list!

Godzilla: The Showa Era Soundtracks 1954-1975 (Waxwork, 2021)

LP 1: Akira Ifukube, Godzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1954)

1. Main Title
2. Eiko-Maru Sinking
3. Bingo-Maru Sinking
4. Uneasiness on Odo Island
5. Ritual Music on Odo Island
6. Storm on Odo Island
7. Frigate March I
8. Odo Island Theme
9. Godzilla Appears on Odo Island
10. Horror in the Water Tank
11. Shinagawa Pandemonium
12. Attack Godzilla
13. Godzilla Comes Ashore
14. Deadly Broadcast
15. Godzilla to Tokyo Bay
16. Repel Godzilla
17. Devastated Tokyo
18. Oxygen Destroyer
19. Prayer for Peace
20. Frigate March II
21. Godzilla Under the Sea
22. Ending

LP 2: Masaru Sato, Godzilla Raids Again: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1955)

1. Main Title
2. Koji Kobayashi's Crisis
3. Battle At Iwato Island
4. The Quiet Peace
5. Godzilla Located
6. SDF Scramble
7. Godzilla in Osaka Bay
8. Flares & Godzilla
9. Scarlet Chain Reaction
10. Osaka in Flames
11. Death Battle At Osaka Castle
12. Osaka in Ashes
13. Northern Land with Dancing Snow
14. Godzilla Advances
15. Fighter Sortie
16. Kobayashi's Plane & Godzilla
17. Kobayashi's Death I
18. Kobayashi's Death II
19. Memories Left
20. Battle to the Death
21. Last Attack
22. Ending

LP 3-4: Akira Ifukube, King Kong vs. Godzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1962)

* music by Sei Ineko

1. Main Title
2. Series of World Wonders
3. The Sparkling Iceberg
4. Pashin Commercial
5. The Seahawk in Crisis
6. The Great News Gathering Team Departure *
7. The Seahawk's SOS
8. Faro Island
9. The Natives
10. Thunder and the Devil
11. Fumiko's Misgivings
12. Godzilla's Resurrection
13. Faro Island Exploration
14. The Cry of the Devil
15. A Prayer to the Rolling Thunder
16. The Devil in the South Seas Drums of Battle
17. Giant Octopus vs. King Kong
18. The Sleeping Devil
19. King Kong Advances on Fuji
20. Godzilla Goes South
21. The Terror of Godzilla

1. The Invincible King Kong
2. Preparation for Operation Burial
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla I
4. Preparations for Operation One Million Volts
5. Burial Plan Commencement
6. Operation Burial
7. Operation Burial Fails
8. Operation One Million Volts I
9. Operation One Million Volts II
10. Kong Shows Up in Tokyo
11. The Plan to Rescue Fumiko I
12. The Plan to Rescue Fumiko II
13. The Plan to Transport King Kong
14. King Kong Advances on Fuji
15. The Confrontation at Fuji
16. King Kong's Resurrection
17. King Kong vs. Godzilla II
18. Ending

LP 5-6: Akira Ifukube, Mothra vs. Godzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1964)

* music by Yuji Koseki; words by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Shinichi Sekizawa, Ishiro Honda

1. Main Title
2. After the Storm
3. The Giant Egg Drifts Ashore I
4. The Giant Egg Drifts Ashore II
5. The Little Beauty's Theme
6. Reflection of the Little Beauty
7. The Giant Moth at Night
8. Mothra Leaves
9. Hamakaze Hotel
10. The Dome is Reactivated
11. Mysterious Radioactivity
12. Godzilla Appears
13. The Attack on the Industrial Complex
14. Godzilla and Nagoya
15. The Dome at Sunset
16. Infant Island
17. Evil Spirit Purification Ceremony
18. Sacred Springs
19. Mothra's Song *
20. Mothra's Journey
21. Godzilla vs. the Tank Corps
22. Godzilla Advances

1. Mothra vs. Godzilla I
2. Plan A Electrical Discharge Strike
3. Plan B Electrical Discharge Strike
4. Mahara Mothra
5. Birth of the Larval Mothra
6. Mothra vs. Godzilla II

LP 7: Akira Ifukube, Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1964)

* music by Sei Ineko
** music by Hiroshi Miyagawa; words by Tokiko Iwatani

1. Main Title
2. Princess Salno I
3. The Flash
4. Kurobe Valley Theme Song I
5. Kurobe Valley Theme Song II
6. Discovery of the Meteor
7. Why That Direction?
8. Let's Try to Be Happy I **
9. Princess Salno II
10. Rodan from Aso
11. Godzilla from the Pacific Ocean
12. Magnetism
13. The Two Monsters Appear in Yokohama
14. The Birth of King Ghidorah
15. Matsumo City and King Ghidorah
16. Godzilla vs. Rodan I
17. The Fury of the Gravity Beam
18. Let's Try to Be Happy II **
19. Godzilla vs. Rodan II
20. Godzilla vs. Rodan III
21. The Three Monsters Converge
22. The Three Monsters Parley
23. Godzilla Attacks Rodan
24. The Greatest Battle on Earth I
25. The Greatest Battle on Earth II
26. Ending

LP 8: Akira Ifukube, Invasion of Astro-Monster: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1965)

1. Main Title
2. The P1 and Jupiter
3. The P1 Descends
4. The Mystery of Planet X
5. The Underground Passage
6. Monster Zero
7. The P1 Returns Home
8. Washigasawa and Lake Myoujinko
9. Godzilla at the Bottom of the Lake
10. Appearance of the Disc
11. The Electromagnetic Capsule
12. Back to Planet X
13. Arrival at Planet X
14. The 3 Monsters on Planet X
15. Namikawa on Planet X
16. Leaving Planet X
17. The World in Utter Chaos
18. Monster Control I
19. Monster Control II
20. The Fury of the 3 Monsters
21. Monster Mega-War March
22. Monster Mega-War
23. Ending

LP 9: Masaru Sato, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1966)

* words by Tokiko Iwatani

1. Main Title
2. Endurance Dance Rally
3. Appearance of Yoshimura
4. Transportation by Yahlen I
5. Transportation by Yahlen II
6. Yacht and Hurricane and Monster
7. Letchi Island
8. Red Bamboo
9. Fierce Ebirah
10. No Way to Survive
11. Wish of Dayo I
12. Mothra's Song I *
13. Sleeping Godzilla
14. Infiltration of the Enemy Base I
15. Infiltration of the Enemy Base II
16. Escape
17. Ryota's Escape
18. Mothra's Song II *
19. Crisis in the Pasture
20. Sleeping Godzilla
21. Godzilla's Wakening
22. Depature of Boat to Letchi Island
23. Rebirth of Godzilla
24. Godzilla vs. Ebirah I
25. Red Bamboo Base
26. Retreat from Base
27. Godzilla vs. Giant Condor
28. Godzilla vs. the Fighter Squadron
29. Destruction of Red Bamboo Base
30. Godzilla vs. Ebirah II
31. Godzilla vs. Ebirah III
32. The Wish of the People on Infant Island
33. Godzilla vs. Ebirah IV
34. Mothra's Song III *
35. The Arrival of Mothra
36. Before Nuclear Explosion
37. Ending

LP 10: Masaru Sato, Son of Godzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1967)

1. Opening
2. Main Title
3. The Sherbet Plan
4. Visitors from the Sky
5. The Uninvited Guests
6. The Giant Praying Mantis
7. The Young Gift from Sollgel Island
8. Preparing for the Experiment
9. The Frozen Sonde I
10. The Synthetic Radioactive Sonde I
11. The Island's Mystery
12. Kamacuras
13. The Appearance of the Egg
14. The Silhouette of the Tree
15. The Birth of Minilla
16. Parent Godzilla Comes Ashore
17. Saeko and Minilla
18. Maki and Saeko
19. Godzilla and Minilla I
20. Godzilla and Minilla II
21. Night on Sollgel Island
22. The Hot Red Marsh
23. The Research Team's Impatience
24. Saeko's Crisis
25. Minilla vs. Kamacuras
26. The Appearance of Kumonga
27. Preparing to Escape
28. Minilla vs. Kumonga
29. Preparing for the Final Experiment
30. The Frozen Sonde II
31. The Synthetic Radioactive Sonde II
32. Godzilla vs. Kumonga
33. Snow Falls on the Tropical Island
34. Ending

LP 11: Akira Ifukube, Destroy All Monsters: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1968)

1. Main Title
2. Title Credits
3. Monster Land
4. The Lunar Base I
5. Unusual Change on Monster Island
6. The Lunar Base II
7. SY-3
8. The Unmanned Subterranean Center
9. The Kilaak Starmen I
10. Escape from Monster Land
11. The Unknown Metal
12. Discovery of the Monster Controls
13. Rodan Comes Flying
14. The 4 Monsters Attack Tokyo
15. Counter-Monster Warfare
16. Command Post Ruins
17. Monster Defense Line
18. Rodan in Pursuit
19. The Kilaak Starmen II
20. The Lunar Base and SY-3
21. SY-3 Sortie
22. The Expedition Vehicle Breaks Through I
23. The Expedition Vehicle Breaks Through II
24. Remote Control Destruction
25. Monsters Pow-Wow on Earth
26. Major Battle at Fuji I
27. Major Battle at Fuji II
28. Base Destruction
29. Fire Dragon Pursuit
30. Ending

LP 12: Kunio Miyauchi, All Monsters Attack: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1970)

* music by Gendai Kano; words by Shinchi Sekizawa

1. Main TItle (Monster March I) *
2. Monster March II *
3. Alongside the Tracks on the Way Home
4. Dawdling Away the Time
5. Message from Mother
6. The Love Assignment
7. Ichiro Heads Off to Monster Island
8. Godzilla vs. Kamacuras
9. Monster Island's Monsters I
10. Monster Island's Monsters II
11. The Strange Vines
12. The Encounter with Minilla
13. Appearance of Gabara
14. Ichiro and the Local Bully
15. Back to Monster Island
16. Gabara Attacks
17. Reunion with Minilla
18. Godzilla vs. Ebirah
19. Godzilla vs. Kumonga
20. Minilla vs. Gabara I
21. Minilla's Lesson
22. Minilla vs. Gabara II
23. Minilla's Unusual Strategy
24. Godzilla vs. Gabara
25. Ichiro's Bravery
26. Three Men in the Abandoned Building
27. Ichiro's Crisis
28. Ichiro Gets Busy
29. Lord Animal Brat Showdown
30. Ending

LP 13: Riichiro Manabe, Godzilla vs. Hedorah: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1972)

* words by Yoshimitsu Banno

1. Opening
2. Give Back the Sun! I *
3. Bizarre Incident at Suruga Bay
4. Investigation at the Bottom of the Sea
5. The Giant Tadpole
6. Terror in the Water
7. Ken's Cry
8. The Mysterious Monster
9. Godzilla and the Polluted Ocean
10. Multiplying
11. Hedorah Comes Ashore
12. Give Back the Sun! II *
13. Smokestacks and Hedorah
14. Godzilla Launches an Offensive
15. Give Back the Sun! III *
16. Hedorah in Pieces
17. Two Giant Monsters in Factory Town
18. The Factories That Strip Away the Green
19. Fragments
20. Hedorium
21. Catalytic Action
22. Hedorah's Birthplace
23. Highway Attack
24. Sulfuric Acid Mist
25. Anti-Hedorah Masks Hit the Market
26. Nuclear Fission
27. Identifying the Weak Spot
28. The Transforming Pollution Monster
29. Preparing for the Electrode Plate Experiment
30. Guitar in the Wilderness I
31. Guitar in the Wilderness II
32. Our Energy I
33. The Flowers Die, The Water Dies
34. Our Energy II
35. Telepathy from Godzilla
36. Showdown at the Foot of Mt. Fuji I
37. Showdown at the Foot of Mt. Fuji II
38. The Youngsters Die
39. Godzilla's Bitter Struggle
40. Showdown at the Foot of Mt. Fuji III
41. Operation Lead the Way
42. Hedorah Approaches I
43. Hedorah Approaches II
44. Tranquility
45. Radioactive Fury
46. Godzilla in Sight
47. Give Back the Sun! (Male Chorus Version) I *
48. Victory
49. Godzilla Heads Off
50. Give Back the Sun! (Male Chorus Version) II *
51. Give Back the Sun! (Male Chorus Version) III *
52. Ending

LP 14-15: Akira Ifukube, Godzilla vs. Gigan: Original Motion PIcture Soundtrack (1972)

* music by Kunio Miyauchi; words by Shinichi Sekizawa

1. Main Title
2. Childland Construction
3. Monster Island
4. Special Tape
5. Construction Committee President
6. Night Park
7. Tape's Whereabouts
8. Anguirus Sent Forth
9. Older Brother's Whereabouts
10. Identify Investigation
11. To Yamano City
12. Disaster One Year Ago
13. Defense Force Deployment I
14. Anguirus Repulsion
15. Take-Off
16. Assassination Squad Attack
17. Signal to Space
18. Godzilla, Anguirus Depart
19. Godzilla Tower Infiltration
20. M Space Species
21. Invader's True Shape
22. Defense Force Deployment II

1. Space Monsters Attack Tokyo
2. Four Giant Monsters' Violent Fight
3. Godzilla Tower Escape Plan
4. Earth Monsters vs. Space Monsters
5. Space Monsters' Fierce Attack
6. Destruction of Godzilla Tower Operation
7. Earth Monsters' Counterattack
8. Ending (Godzilla March) *

LP 16: Riichiro Manabe, Godzilla vs. Megalon: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1973)

* words by Shinchi Sekizawa

1. Opening
2. Main Title
3. Changes of the Lake
4. Highway Road
5. What the Intruders Left Behind
6. Deteriorated Room
7. Intent of the Intrusion
8. Chase
9. Making of a Robot
10. Kidnap I
11. Kindap II
12. Underwater Kingdom
13. Megalon on Land
14. Jet Jaguar Takes Action
15. Car Chase
16. Defense Team Takes Action
17. Attack Preparation
18. Crisis in the Container
19. Megalon Approaches
20. Attack Begins
21. Monster Island Flies
22. M. Space Hunter Sends Message to Star
23. Invincible Megalon
24. Godzilla of Monster Island
25. The Fierceness of Megalon & Gigan
26. The Big Transformation of Jet Jeguar
27. Jet Jaguar
28. Godzilla by Way of the Sea
29. Bitter Battle
30. Godzilla Appears
31. Monster Match I
32. Monster Match II
33. Monster Match III
34. Strike Back
35. Godzilla's Strong Punch
36. Victory Shake
37. Jet Jaguar Growth
38. Godzilla & Jet Jaguar Punch-Punch-Punch *

LP 17: Masaru Sato, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla: Original Motion Picture Sountrack (1974)

* words by Jun Fukuda

1. Opening
2. Main Title
3. Phantasm of Fear
4. The Ornament in the Cave
5. The Legend of Caesar
6. Black Cloud Mountain
7. The Mysterious Intruder
8. The Disquieting Shadows
9. Azumi's Cry
10. Godzilla vs. Anguirus
11. Godzilla vs. Godzilla
12. The Appearance of Mechagodzilla
13. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
14. Restoration of Mechagodzilla
15. Sunflower
16. Sunlight on the Sea
17. Godzilla and the Torpedo Attack
18. The Sea Coral
19. Traces of the Dark Cloud
20. Mechagodzilla Repair Work Complete
21. The Fallen Pipe
22. The Aggressor's True Identity
23. Red Moon
24. Keisuke's Return
25. The Sun Rises in the West
26. Appearance of King Caesar
27. Mechagodzilla Swings Into Action
28. Miyarobi's Prayer *
29. King Caesar vs. Mechagodzilla
30. The Legendary Monster
31. Godzilla Comes Ashore
32. Showdown Between the 3 Large Monsters in Okinawa I
33. Showdown Between the 3 Large Monsters in Okinawa II
34. The End of the Invasion
35. Ending

LP 18: Akira Ifukube, Terror of Mechagodzilla: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1975)

1. Main TItle
2. 'Akatsuki One' in Distress
3. Mugal to the Earth
4. Dr. Mafune's Past
5. The Female in the Mafune Family
6. Off to Mount Amagi
7. Mechagodzilla II
8. Ichinose and Katsura
9. Katsura's Memories
10. Escape from Titanosaurus
11. Ichinose Gets Tailed
12. Titanosaurus Swings Into Action
13. Titanosaurus Attacks
14. The Appearance of Godzilla
15. Cyborg Surgery
16. Completed Robot Monster
17. The Mafune Family Tragedy
18. Mechagodzilla II Goes on the Offensive
19. Mechagodzilla Counterattacks
20. Godzilla Arrives
21. Godzilla vs. Titanosaurus
22. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II
23. Katsura's Death I
24. Katsura's Death II
25. Invaders' Last Moments
26. Ending