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While I have a legitimate excuse:
Dear readers, I present to you my personal “top of the pops” song from TBM. And I do promise to try to do this awesome piece (at least, I think it’s awesome lol) justice =)
Ladies and gentlemen,
The GOLD MEDALLIST =D
Song: Force Your Way (Final Fantasy VIII)Album: The Black Mages Track Number: #3
What it was.
Just as we had The Decisive Battle and Those Who Fight Further as “boss themes” for Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII respectively, Uematsu-san gives us Force Your Way for Final Fantasy VIII. Easily one of the best songs on the original FF VII soundtrack, the initial version starts off straight in the middle of things – literally. A frantic keyboard press opens the montage with a warbling synth drop in the background for support; some percussion staccato support in the midst of all this adds another dash of pace to the setup.
As the camera pans and swoops around the boss that you’re facing – and your characters ATB gauges come up – the song bursts into full momentum: this happens very early – at 0.23 to be precise. The keyboard sounds metamorphose into full-blown arpeggio play, driving the main rhythm along an extremely catchy line which takes on an incredible amount of chords in its very first sequence.
And it never seems to stop: the sequence drives on for an extended bit before dropping the rhythm in favour of a slow synth null-climb. This null-climb takes us to the end of the loop. Finally, the warbling synth returns, and the keyboard reappears quickly to take on the frenetic pacing of Force Your Way again. But this is not just any ordinary loop…
Because uniquely among FF tunes, this one actually has a climax. Yeah, that’s right – it doesn’t just loop endlessly: it actually builds you up for a melodic peak!! After two loops have been played, you noticed that the warbling synth has become something less ambiguous – it actually comes to the foreground and takes you into a steady region of keyboard play. The backing motif of the song becomes the focal point here, as Uematsu composes the song in a way that allows the climbing keyboard holds to peak twice in succession before culminating in a peak of higher degree than its predecessors.
This climb drops after a bit, and the loop truly comes full circle – we are back with the frantic keyboard press and side-bashing. Now-
What The Black Mages did.
A ridiculously awesome job. They open with a moaning synth climb which is a completely new add-on to the original: the fader moans continue for a bit in a direction that actually comes across as ambiguous and well, quite lost.
But then the drums come in, thumping to a steady rhythm which one can actually recognize as the tempo’s backing setup for the original. The beats get more prominent as they come, slowly building towards what you are sure will be an explosion –
Thump, thump, thump, thump -
With an absolute roar the guitars come in at 0.23; Uematsu-san dives to provide the warbling synth from his organ. However, in the midst of all this electric twanging, you realize the star of the show is Fukui’s keyboard play which closely mimics the rhythm of the original and – more importantly – actively tries to emulate its frenetic setting. The guitars throb for about fifteen seconds – note how Uematsu’s organ playing takes on a redefined role here as he suddenly appears and starts providing more prominent sections of the warbling background – before Fukui comes in with a simple addition to the fore: high pitch sections of the melodic bed.
People, I cannot even begin to describe how powerful the tune is in its poise at this point – it is perfectly set up, with just the right amount of power play and nostalgic references. One thing I really like about this intro is the fantastic synergy of all the instruments of the band as they meld together as a unit to recreate this classical FF VIII tune – check out the section from 0.47 to 0.58 to see what I mean; its just awesome play by the Mages as a whole.
1.00. Sekito’s back-play of the guitar catches you for a bit- you actually remember this part of the original; and then, The Black Mages just blow you out of the water.
The back-play morphs into the main climbing rhythm of the original tune, and damn its awesome!!! Sekito power-plays his way through, redefining the crazy set of notes in the original with a fantastic set of chords – listen to the way he takes the riff by the neck, pushes it all the way home, and then dumps it instantaneously only to pick it up for a second go. After the second loop, the Fukui enters for a bit and sends you off into the band’s jam session – which I have to say, contains among the best bits of individual play I have ever heard from the band members.
The guitar solo – backed up by solid bass – is all you could ever ask for – insane, forceful, and all round lethal to the ears. Then Uematsu enters with the organ – at around 1.40 – and relieves the guitar of sonic command. People, if you hated Uematsu’s random bits in songs like Vamo’ Alla Flamenco and Matoya’s Cave, trust me – this is not one of those random ghetto bits as it actually sounds really good in the way it dances along the audio trail left behind by Sekito’s original play. Yes, it jars and is harsh-sounding, but what more can you ask of for a song that attempts to capture the terrible power of bosses like Omega Weapon and Diablos? The return riff is equally amazing – the guitarist simply folds you back in as he drives back out, which is the perfect bed for Uematsu to finish you off with a peak of speed in organ play.
If you think that was intense, trust me, the best is yet to come.
At 2.14 the jam session ends, and the re-entry is just magnificent: Sekito takes the initial tune and then adds a note of final foreboding to it before pushing the song out of its jam paradigm – I remember gripping the edge of my thigh in absolute “Ohmigawdness” at this point. The Mages then taunt you for a bit with some simple line play, making as if they are ready to rev into the climax – yes, remember there IS a climax – of the song at any moment. They build for three seconds, then -
Guitar rev; Sekito takes you in. The original climax is mimicked by the electric guitar down to every last note. The melodic feel here is intense – I actually had gentle recollections of my in-game party of Squall Leonhart, Zell Dincht and Irvine Kinneas (who was only in my final line up because he kinda shared my name XD) being put through their paces in battle; I’ll be Mickey Mouse (or minnieman XD) if your hairs are not standing on end here. The Mages keep it going, actively piling on the pressure of the guitar-play as they throttle towards the waiting triple peaks.
We finally arrive, and the way it is dealt with is awesome. Sekito pulls you up, and you can feel the guitar absolutely straining as it struggles to capture the strength of the pitch. I was actually bobbing my head, almost in a trance (@.@) at this point when I first heard this song. As the guitar strains, it pulls you closer to the drop, and again we see masterplay by the Mages: as the guitar takes you down with the tune, note that the synth in the background actually takes on the tune first, and the guitar dives in succession just after – the blending is just brilliant, like a restating of a thesis in a way.
Then they bloody do it again, rubbing it in @.@
At this conjecture I announce that this bit was the first ever time a musical composition actually made me cry for being so harshly beautiful =’)
Then we are back in the loop, barreling towards a repeat with only mere seconds on the song clock. You start wondering how the hell are the Mages going to finish this – remember the song is an ambiguous entity of endless cycles – and start having doubts if the ending will be as cool as the rest of the song was.
Well, the band has an answer for you. they take you down the original loop for a bit, actually building – even though you are inches from the end – and manage to get you back to their original 1.00 riffing line. The coming ending is a prime example of the band’s technical strength – they take the 1.00 build, halt it, and cap it off with a solid drive of the electric guitar – so it actually ends on what is possibly the strongest section of guitar play that the arrangement has to offer @.@
Brilliant. Brilliant. BRILLIANT.
Looking back at this virtual foot of writing, I don’t know if I’ve actually done the song justice. And trust me, I have tried very hard.
Sigh.
Best moments of the song:
Like, yeah, seriously.
Here we go again; silver medallist.
#2:
Song: Clash On The Big Bridge (Final Fantasy V)Album: The Black Mages Track Number: #2
Coming just short of first place is the band’s first ever single off their debut album “The Black Mages”. It was the second song I ever heard from the band (the first being FFVII’s Those Who Fight Further), and I think it rocks big time. Here’s why:
What it was.
A classic very old synthesizer tune from the days of solid old 2D gaming; the original tune plays up in-game when the player’s party crosses onto a (surprise, surprise!!!) really big bridge swarming with monsters and also a boss unit, Gilgamesh. We begin with a downward-spiraling synth of sorts as the keyboard wannabe drops a multitude of different club-like beats in the first ten seconds – amidst random bashing by a computerized drum sequencer. The sequencer picks up however, and by 0.28 the main body of the track has come around – in the form of a couple of keyboard presses. The bass is solidly existent in this one and is used to drive the whole rhythm around, as the same keyboard presses and drum bashes try to eke out a hopefully thrilling battle beat.
It gets better at 0.42: the keyboard synth goes into a straight build and stays there for a whole 25 seconds – a 25 second build, if you will – and only allows the backup sounds to drag it down after it has built at decidedly interesting set of pitch peaks. This loop continues throughout the whole of the song, and you realize that the only thing that keeps it going is that trumpeting “25 second build” which is perfectly understandable.
What The Black Mages did.
I really like the unassuming intro for this one: a slow synth build picks up the start of the track and keeps going for about 19 seconds but never really goes anywhere – it thus sorts of lulls you into a false sense of expectation with its extremely causal tonal increase and meandering nature; and you can sort of pick up the resonance of the original tune in the background too in fact. You sense the slow change up to 0.19, and by then will be totally in the dark as to what will come next-
But then the guitars explode onto the song in awesome fashion, and proceed to provide a series of powerful introductory riffs as the bass also enters and starts booming in the background just for you. The power created by this movement is just intense, and the nostalgic keyboard warble coupled up in the background just serve to make it all the better. Side note: I think this was a very clever marketing ploy by The Black Mages – remember how this is their first ever single - therefore people have essentially no idea what to expect from them; and here they are, creating a very familiar atmosphere to that of the games and showing how, in so many ways they are similar to the original…before breaking the bank and electrifying the scene, saying also “this is how we are different.”
Anyway, the electric guitars are on the scene for a bit; at 0.43 they go into a pause however, and allow the keyboard to dance over the whole tune for a bit whilst they join the bass for backing support – this is perfectly understandable: you might actually break your fingers trying to recreate this particular part of the track on a electric guitar – so many chords!!! Then the main body of the song comes around – that “25 second build” bit – and the guitars come screaming back in, riffing furiously, simply throttling the main tune across the floor, before dumping it back down – check the guitar rev here – and picking it back up for a two-front finish that descends into more metal power play.
Then they do it again – by now you’re simply head over heels, air-guitaring for all you are worth (at least I know I was). Come, keyboard drop; the guitar follows suit, and Kawamori’s bass is startlingly clear for a bit: jam time. Fukui comes in with possibly the second best keyboard solo that the Mages have ever included on any album of theirs – the best I think was in their remake of Final Fantasy VI’s The Decisive Battle – he starts slow, calmly playing along the motif of a slow development of the tune; but the thing you want to look out for here is Kawamori, or rather his bass play: it just haunts the background, driving a repeat of the same theme he introduced barely seconds ago – nice.
The electric guitars re-enter at 2.59 with another set of crazy riffs, before actually heading back to the “25 second loop”; Sekito takes you on again and does the same old dash, but with a barely noticeable change in chordal command – the end is nigh. Once more you air-guitar your way out and prepare for the drop in rhythm via keyboard which comes soon enough. The guitars take on a serious note of provisionary support and finality here as the tune holds, halts, and drops, before allowing the guitars to riff it into second place.
Best moments of the song.
1.) All remakes of the 25 second build – I can’t even begin to express the power of their recreation here. 2.) And oh yeah, good intro!! 3.) Those guitar revs are awesome. 4.) On a whole, this is an awesome first single – and a true sign of very wonderful things to come.And now for the gold medalist.
The countdown continues with the bronze medallist:
#3:
Song: Vamo’ Alla Flamenco (Final Fantasy IX)Album: The Skies Above Track Number: #3
Coming in at the base of the podium is The Black Mages’ rearrangement of the Spanish-flavoured tune Vamo’ Alla Flamenco, off the Y2K release of Final Fantasy IX. Many initially thought that the band was taking too big of a risk in trying to meld metal and heavy guitars into such a distinctive and well-loved tune; some even retained this opinion even after the album was released.
Obviously, the position that this song is awarded in my list of best TBM songs states my opinion on the matter.
What it was.
The song is played only once in the game, which is very early on in Disc One – the party has landed in Alexandria and are in the midst of performing the play “I Want To Be Your Canary” (the script of which has some very interesting allusions to previous Final Fantasy editions) for the royal lords and ladies of the land. As the play progresses from a love scene to a duel, the player is handed full control of the avatar – Zidane Tribal – and asked to perform a series of dancing/duel-related tasks (which is accomplished by tapping certain sequences of buttons on the PS1 controller) as dictated by an on on-screen character named Blank. As the two “duel” to advance the course of the story, the tune starts up; the gentle strumming of a (scarily accurate) acoustic guitar synth begins the opening montage. There is some scattered clapping in the background (remember that Zidane is in front of an audience here) and tonal uplifting for the first fifteen seconds; then the main rhythmic body – which is the acoustic guitar strum – comes in.
The cheery tune dances around the main melody for a bit before stopping to allow a keyboard synth to come in and finish off the remaining half of the musical body. The same synth rotates at the end of this – going through a complicated series of up-down turns – and then delves into a bridge-of-sorts, which serves to build the ending half of the song. One thing to note is that at the end of this rotation, a second similar sounding synth comes in and plays an entirely different mood of the same tune, so you are actually listening to two different things at the same time. Why is this important? You’ll see soon enough 
The intermittent clapping continues throughout, creating a very nice festive feel for this Spanish-flavoured song.
And about two-thirds in, there is a sudden change in basic rhythm, and the song sort of holds back for a moment – and allows a small vocal cry to enter the setup; there is a short yelp of “Vamo’alla flamenco!!” which quickly fades away as if its only purpose is to remind you of the masterpiece that you are now listening to.
What The Black Mages did.
Unlike with Matoya’s Cave, for this one the Mages choose to keep almost all of the initial setup of the song – down to the instruments used. Gentle strumming by Sekito opens this third track of their second album – he plays you four strokes as Fukui holds the building synth in the background; at the end of the fourth pull the acoustic guitar starts to repeat the opening motif of the original tune, slowly building the mood as the rest of the band remains largely still. The acoustic play continues for a while up to 0.26, and then, for an infinitesimally small moment, there is absolute silence.
Then Hanyuda slams the drums, throwing us directly into the waiting sonic range of Okamiya’s electric guitar – the main tune starts up, and we are well on our way, dancing up and down across the opening sequence of Vamo’ Alla Flamenco. Listen carefully here and you will catch Sekito’s own electric guitar quickly drop back into a holding role and produce intermittent riffs to cap off and smoothen Okamiya’s rough handling of the main tune; the latter finishes the first bit soon enough and passes over the proceedings to Uematsu-san, no less.
Our famed composer has the organ carry over the second half of the tune, creating an interesting juxtaposition of electric guitar and organ as Fukui plays support synth in the background – Okamiya cranks the guitar back up soon enough and we are reintroduced to his sonic range before 1.10 is past. This trading process continues: Uematsu reclaims the main melody at 1.33, and the two musicians effectively swap roles again; this way, either one – be it the guitar or the organ – is always playing the support to the other’s reinterpretation of the Final Fantasy IX tune.
Jam time enters at 1.52: surprise surprise, it is driven by the use of the acoustic guitar solo – a nice touch, I must say, especially when said solo is chorded in a folk-flavoured manner. The highlight of this section though, is the role that Hanyuda is given – just listen to him produce a super convoluted staccato in the background, constantly in-step with the acoustic guitar play.
Dum-di-di-dum-dum…dum-dum-dum…
The guitarist (it is unclear who exactly) twists out of the acoustic section and dumps the tune back in the realm of the electric guitar; you realize that he has been building you up so that the electric guitar can essentially trumpet the ending half of the song in your ears – and it comes across as more brilliance; Sekito’s holding role also casually slips back into being here. We are now at 2.50, and the Mages hope that you remembered how the original tune kept two synths playing at the same time – for they are about to do the same.
For essentially the first time so far, Fukui takes the lead in the song’s proceedings, having the keyboard hold a subtler version of the original rhythm, just like the first synth did in the original. However, there is also a small electric whine in the back, and a electric guitar enters as well – this is the absolute best part of the song: listen to how Fukui plays along and goes one way (i.e the original way) with his keyboards whilst the anonymous guitar ignores it completely and proceeds to set its own tonal command to the mood, bending down when the synth climbs, before somehow meandering almost aimlessly (while the synth drives determinedly on), and then deciding to end in a different manner from the rest of the setup. It sounds awesome and is simply neat – like having alternate endings at once to the same story. An organ solo is up next; Uematsu-san simply flashes his fingers across the keys here, leaving you to wonder what are the digits present in his real age.
(HA…HA…I challenge you to find the insane pun in that last line btw XD + =p)
A final guitar pull – Okamiya simply lets loose on this one, pushing away at all the ranges on his guitar – and the song screams upwards with a strong tone of finality-
- and stops. The acoustic guitar floats in gently, repeating the song’s main tune in an ever slowing tempo; it gives you two sets and then comes to a steady halt amidst Fukui’s synth meltdown.
The first time I heard this song I liked it so much I virtually wept, and my hairs stood on end.
Best moments of the song:
1.) Fantastic usage of reminiscent intro. 2.) Just replaying the tune of Vamo’ Alla Flamenco with any instrument earns you super points. 3.) Hanyuda delivers solid backup play throughout. 4.) Synth-guitar bi-directionality; so good it should be made illegal. 5.) Gradual, hair-raising ending.Silver medallist up next =)
So The Black Mages released short clips of nine of their ten new songs on their website last night (the one exclusion was the tributary composition Life ~ In Memory of KEITEN ~) and they sounded really good. I had a very pleasant surprise as the songs which I had written off as “not too much to expect” were the ones which stood out in terms of samples; for example, I had thought Assault of the Silver Dragons‘ (Final Fantasy IX) initial presentation was nothing too amazing-almost too typical. But then the sound samples went up last night, and I am absolutely enthralled by its rearrangement – just as the song dies off, you can hear the guitars go into a super build which I assume precludes the solo section -
EXCELLENT.
Grand Cross (also of Final Fantasy IX) is another one, with shafting guitar samples driving the rear motif off the song -
But this post is not about the song samples. It is about the band’s previous exhibitions of brilliance; the countdown continues:
#4 :
Song: Matoya’s Cave (Final Fantasy I) Album: The Skies Above Track #: 6Okay, my total playing time of Final Fantasy I is not very much: I have only gotten my characters to Level 3, and was last at the exit of the initial castle grounds.
I have not played Final Fantasy I as of yet. Therefore I am in truth relatively unfamiliar with many of its tunes. However, the synth tune that plays upon the Final Fantasy I player’s entry to the dwelling of the old witch Matoya is one particular tune that has been famous enough to not escape my attention-
- and also that of The Black Mages.
What it was.
A VERY jiggy synth. Remember that this tune originates from the time when the SNES was the video game console to have; as such, the quality of the sound – even compared against modern synth – is rather low in variation and relative intensity. The tune begins with an introductory-melody-cum-this-is-the-main-tune of sorts, as a main jigging synth ekes its way out of the background noise of an incessant set of beepings which provide for an imitation of the bass-line. One can appreciate how much room for variation and adjustment such a tune provides, as its up-down tune acts as a perfect bed for innovation to grapple with. The upstart tempo also puts one in an in-game mood frame of exploration, which I assume is the right mood to have, as this tune is the theme track of a venue north of Coneria.
The old witch Matoya herself.
What The Black Mages did.
A LOT.
The band takes the artistic liberty of abandoning the original introduction of the old tune, opening instead with a resonating bass, and four simple, almost random, strums of the acoustic guitar. The sound editing here is excellent, as one can hear the slight creaks in the strings and vibrations created by the picks on the selected notes, which adds to an overall authentic “feel” of the track. A few more sets of acoustic guitar strumming – the last one (which ends with a slow uplift of the chords) is particularly complicated – and we are in.
(Might I add that one should listen to Kenichiro Fukui’s “silent” use of the synth build in this opening sequence.)
The original introductory tune enters at 0.38, perfectly reinterpreted by the usage of the acoustic guitar. A second acoustic rhythm soon joins in – I assume it is Sekito’s – to provide enthrallingly simple strumming support. Lead guitarist Okamiya then guides you gently through the rest of the tune, leaving you at the gentle concluding repeat motif of the original, while Sekito’s background role takes on a more complicated strumming tempo. We are now done with the first main loop.
Then the bass booms-
- and the rest of the band enters. Kawamori begins first with resonating bass play, followed closely by Hanyuda who deals with the percussion sets of the drum routine – note that we haven’t heard anything from the drums yet (it is already 1.21), while one of the guitarists begins the second loop of the tune with the electric guitar, creating a fantastic juxtaposition of the two opening sequences of the song. The electric guitar is rougher in its handling, clumsily turning around the up-down curvature of the song, but somehow it comes across as beautiful – you really come to appreciate the melding of sound that the band provides: soft percussionary strokes, gentle synth warble and acoustic residue – all coupled with the firm handling of a metal arrangement and a booming bass that simply drives the song on.
Excellent so far.
Then the band starts experimenting, and things start to get a bit iffy: there is a roll of the drums, and the organ simply screeches in, jarring away all of the rhythm which the band has delicately built so far. Uematsu-san starts playing loudly, and the band chooses to use only Kawamori’s bass as support audio – even the drums are regulated to a background role. A long organ solo ensues; however its directionality or musical intention is never really clear – Uematsu takes you on a jarring opening at the beginning, goes on a super-rapid section, then happily pushes the whole tune back down for a small electric guitar interlude – and somehow finishing that with a staccato of sorts. The whole series ends with an abrupt handing of musical proceedings back to Okamiya, whose initial playing of the electric guitar almost sounds as surprised as we are.
Opinions on this section have been mixed at best – I have found some who simply detest it; yet there are others who claim it’s the best part of the song.
Anyway.
Okamiya leads out of the organ solo brilliantly, riffing in a jazzy-blues manner which evokes images of 90’s rock music; this section ends with a multitude of seemingly-senseless chords that actually tie back quite neatly into Hanyuda’s steady drum tempo and Kawamori’s never-ending resonance in the background. The original tune returns again, as Sekito and Okamiya take turns to repeat the main riff motif of the original track; the climax of the song then arrives: both electric guitars go silent and a slow synth creeps in – one which is an exact mimic of the original; and we have nostalgia.
The band takes care not to have it last too long: Hanyuda cues the guitars back in with a smart rap of the percussion set, and the main motif returns for a final loop. However in this section one can actually hear a slight, yet tangible difference in the chord command; there is now the feeling of finality within the notes as Okamiya plays lower and lower. A short drumroll, and the acoustic guitar (yes, it returns – a very nice touch) powers the slow song down.
A well-done arrangement, innovative reinterpretation of the original tune, and some solid twin guitar play land this song firmly within the Top 5 at number 4.
Best moments of the song:
1.) Nice building intro. 2.) Kawamori’s bass. Ridiculously repetitive but absurdly essential. 3.) Well played acoustic guitar-electric guitar interswitch. 4.) Very controlled tone throughout: we start steady and end steady. 5.) Entrance of original MIDI synth at 3.40 – fantastic allusion – and smart recue.Next: the podium!!!
Shamus and Murphy fancied a pint or two but didn’t have a lot of money. Between them, they could only raise the staggering sum of one Euro.
Murphy said ‘Hang on, I have an idea.’
He went next door to the butcher’s shop and came out with one large sausage.
Shamus said ‘Are you crazy? Now we don’t have any money left at all!’
Murphy replied, ‘Don’t worry – just follow me.’
He went into the pub where he immediately ordered two pints of Guinness and two glasses of Jamieson Whisky.
Shamus said ‘Now you’ve lost it. Do you know how much trouble we will be in? We haven’t got any money!!’
Murphy replied, with a smile. ‘Don’t worry, I have a plan, Cheers!’
They downed their drinks. Murphy said, ‘OK, I’ll stick the sausage through my zipper and you go on your knees and put it in your mouth.’
The barman noticed them, went berserk, and threw them out.
They continued this, pub after pub, getting more and more drunk, all for free.
At the tenth pub Shamus said ‘Murphy – I don’t think I can do any more of this. I’m drunk and me knees are killin’ me!’
Murphy said, ‘How do you think I feel? I lost the sausage in the third pub’.
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!! XD XD XD XD
Forgive an eccentric man his daily whim, but-
I am so excited and psyched up about the impending TBM album release this 19th March!!!!! =D =D =D I really really am – the band is simply spectacular at song rearrangement, and nothing beats the powerful feeling of nostalgia that they provide through their metal reinterpretations of classic Final Fantasy tunes. I think it’s simply wonderful that they have come back after a four year hiatus, and by God, judging by the short track samples from the third album – Darkness and Starlight – that they have released on their website, it seems like the we’re in for one helluva treat come mid-March 
Therefore, in the band’s honor, I have decided to list down my Top 5 favourite TBM songs from their debut album The Black Mages, and their sophomore effort The Skies Above. All full TBM songs were considered – even if they were largely based on synth support or the rhythmic organ; if it was on either one of the albums, it was considered for this list. I also took into account their Flame Demon Monster Gaspard guest performance on the Dark Chronicle Premium Arrange album as I thought it would only be fair to the band to do so.
What I did NOT consider for this list were the songs “This Is The Final Battle” – which was a bonus track on the soundtrack of the remake of Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS – and also the band’s scattered performances (sometimes as individuals, sometimes as a quartet) on the brilliant Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Original Soundtrack. The latter was because I wanted any evaluation of mine to be of the band as a whole, the former because it is apparently appearing on Darkness and Starlight (the one major complaint I have about the album so far =.=”).
So, this series of posts begins with my fifth favourite TBM song of all time. I am evaluating based on everything – musical soundness, rhythm, reintepretation quality, gut feeling…everything.
Let the countdown begin:
#5 :
Song: Those Who Fight Further (Final Fantasy VII)Album: The Black Mages. Track #: 8
The first ever song that I heard from the band also ranks as my fifth all time favourite TBM song. Those Who Fight Further – termed “Still More Fighting” in the original game soundtrack release – is perhaps one of the more famous Final Fantasy VII tunes after “One Winged Angel” and “Opening-Bombing Mission“. It is heard at any point in the game where one encounters an end-region “boss” and the game shifts into a fully-fledged battle sequence. What sets this tune apart from the rest of the tracks in the game is the fact that its notes are very distinguishable – after a short span of playing, you will realize that your fingers start getting tensed over the PlayStation (or PC) controls the moment you hear the first few digitized beats.
What it was.
The original begins with a hard synth staccato – very much like a digitized imitation of an electric guitar – whilst backed up by a synth base line which, one discovers, will follow the tune throughout the rest of its duration. A digital organ-piano synth enters after a bit, and takes over from the harder staccatos; at around 0.23 it starts jumping around and begins driving the sound in preparation for the main section, which is run by a slower, steadier holding synth. This holding synth builds for quite a bit, (I think this is a very clever bit by the composer, because at around this time the battling player should be starting a spell-casting routine, which is focused on building Materia magic sequences) before lapsing back into the beginning staccato – and we are back where we began in the loop.
What The Black Mages did.
The rearrangement stays very faithful to the original: it opens with a heavy guitar riff in exact imitation of the original hard synth; it also sure knows how to grab your attention – the electric guitars simply explode onto your speakers @.@ The organ appears a bit sooner – around 0.13 – to support the electric strings and descend into a fantastic up-down rhythm, accompanied by rapid drums within its pauses. The same organ then turns into a motif, pushing the song along the lines and notes of the original tune – while the guitar drops back to a holding role and provides power support in the background.
The real audio treat starts at 1.02 – the holding synth is reinterpreted as a keyboard section. Listen to Kenichiro Fukui’s solid imitation of the original holding synth and how he infuses it with a raw style to make it familiar, yet not redundant. Again like the original, the motif holds: Fukui builds you for a bit, makes you remember what you are listening to – and remember how you are casting spells here – then spins the keyboard round to bring you back to the rhythm guitars which have been waiting in the background; the opening riff reappears in full glory with super drum support.
The Mages’ play for a bit – keeping it going – then dump the tune with a couple of guitar revs; they are going to do the solos, two of them – simultaneously. Sekito begins first – you can tell by the steadier and calmer building tunes – Okamiya enters at 2.02, riffing furiously before handing it back to Sekito, who obliges with power chord play that serves to push the song to higher levels of energy. Okamiya’s next bit will be based on a downturn play, pushing the song back down – if you have good bass speakers, you can hear Kawamori’s haunting bass play here – for Sekito to finish. Another rev-
- then the 0.13 organ motif appears again, segueing smoothly into the guitar solos. The driving organ rhythm starts up again, and we are truly back in “Still More Fighting“. Fukui’s keyboard motifs now become steadier and more solid in play – there is nothing for the keyboard to build anymore – to prepare for the guitared finish. Then a vibrating keyboard press – real synth enters here, giving one a sudden feel of reminiscence as the game’s original sounds are merged into the metal rearrangement. The end is also near – Uematsu does the honours, a fancy bit of organ play enters amidst solid drum bashing and Kawamori’s bass; then the guitars enter, and the song finishes on two solid notes, with all instruments pushing at the same time.
Just brilliant, and well deserving of #5 on the list.
Those Fighting Further.
Best moments of the song:
1.) Powerful riff intro – a direct carbon copy of the original. 2.) Complicated organ – drum – bass intertwining just before the main organ driving section – this happens four times in the song @.@ 3.) Dual guitar solos between 1.49 and 2.36.4.) Very solid raw finish – the song starts strong and ends strong.
Next up: Number 4!!!
So I was walking back from Sparks Street in downtown Ottawa this morning, having gone over to the Royal Bank of Canada branch in town to pay and mail off my off-campus work permit. The sounds of Yellowcard vibrated through my ears; it wasn’t a song I particularly liked, but I didn’t want to spare a hand to change tunes on my iPod as I needed them to hold on to something as I negotiated the slippery sidewalks.
The path I took back wound under a small underpass by Rideau Street; this underpass was notorious for being the favourite haunt of homeless people and beggars alike, and today was no different. Amidst the scattered puddles of murky water and softened snow (we saw above zero temperatures in Ottawa today) stood a middle-sized homeless man, holding a guitar with his back against the wall. Although relatively clean, the signs of hard living showed in his gear – he had paper thin gloves, a tattered and dirty snow cap, and his jacket and scarf looked like they could render a washing machine to tears and embarrassment.
His empty guitar case lay a few feet in front of him; said musical instrument was in the man’s hands as he hummed and strummed, almost aimlessly, trying to earn his keep. His playing wasn’t spectacular, unlike some of the hobos I’ve seen who could actually put Britney Spears out of business (on the condition that they had a shave and grew boobs, of course); in fact, one would be hard pressed to find even the fragment of a note in this particular street performance.
I find it hard to resist trying to help out, especially if I have some loose change. So I dug my hand in my pocket as I approached the yodeling hobo; my groping fingers felt the familiar size of the Canadian quarter and prepared it for charity.
Even then, I admit I actually hesitated – I am flat broke as it is, and as a student in another country, you never know if the spare quarter you have in your hands right now could be your last for the week. And again I admit, I was thinking about myself at the moment…I had no bread left in my larder, and the only thing in my biscuit jar was nothing.
Oh what the hell.
As I passed the homeless radio’s guitar case, I bent down and chucked in a quarter – I even managed to count the amount of money he had in his begging case – there was a loonie and a twonie, amongst two more quarters (including my own); a grand total of CAD 3.50, that’s how little he had in his coffers. I then rose from my stoop and continued on my way.
And as I raised my head I caught the sight of a sincere smile from the face belonging to the body holding the guitar. It was a pure smile, one that conveyed appreciation and sincere gratitude.
“Thank you man, I appreciate it! Have a good day!“
I smiled back; I don’t think I need words – on any given day, even a smile is thanks enough.
But this man had more in the way of gratitude. I had barely taken five steps before I started flailing and sprawling, my sneakers struggling to find a grip on the warm, melting ice. Behind me a voice called out:
“Oh yeah, walk on the peanuts okay? Be careful and watch your step!“
What peanuts?
And then I saw them: strewn and scattered on the ice were small brown peanut fragments, ground into the snow. The little things provided for frictional relief and traction as one ascended the slippery slope out of the underpass…someone had deliberately bought a packet of grocery peanuts, smashed them up, and placed them on the ground for others to walk safely…
The memory of a certain sincere smile crept into my head, along with the sounds of nonsensical strumming just behind me.
I should have given him a dollar.
…
“Lead on to save me-
Lead us all there,
Find me some answers-
It’s time that you cared…”
- Words, Hands, Hearts by Yellowcard.
“Oh, Maria…
Oh, Maria…
Though I call you from afar,
Will this message reach your heart?
Oh, how I long to be with you…
Oh my hero, my beloved,
Shall we still be made to part?
Your promises of perennial love
Yet sing here in my heart…
I’m the darkness, you’re the starlight.
Shining brightly from afar,
Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer
To you, my evening star…
Must my final vows exchanged
Be with him and not with you?
Were you only here to quiet my fear…
Oh, speak! Guide me anew.
I am thankful, my beloved,
for your tenderness and grace.
I see in your eyes,
So gentle and wise,
All doubts and fears erased!
Though the hours take no notice
Of what fate might have in store,
Our love, come what may
Will never age a day.
I’ll wait forevermore!”
-Aria Di Mezzo Carratere, composed by Nobuo Uematsu; reintepreted as Darkness And Starlight by The Black Mages.
=’)
Ladies and Gentlemen, the tracklisting of The Black Mages III ~Darkness And Starlight~:
1.) Opening-Bombing Mission, Final Fantasy VII Arranged by Kenichiro Fukui.2.) NeoEXDEATH, Final Fantasy V Arranged by Michio Okamiya. 3.) The Extreme, Final Fantasy VIII Arranged by Michio Okamiya. 4.) Assault of the Silver Dragons, Final Fantasy IX
Arranged by Arata Hanyuda. 5.) This Is The Final Battle, Final Fantasy III Arranged by Kenichiro Fukui. 6.) Distant Worlds, Final Fantasy XI Arranged by Kenichiro Fukui. 7.) Premonition, Final Fantasy VIII Arranged by Tsuyoshi Sekito. 8.) Grand Cross, Final Fantasy IX Arranged by Keiji Kawamori. 9.) Darkness And Starlight, Final Fantasy VI
Arranged by Michio Okamiya, Tsuyoshi Sekito, and Kenichiro Fukui. 10.) LIFE~in memory of KEITEN~, original composition by The Black Mages. *All songs composed by Nobuo Uematsu ** Original song title for Track #9 is The Dream Oath: Opera Maria And Draco.
Now, we wait.
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