#a lot of them are just songs with the same leitmotif or just alternate mixes of each other to be fair

[leapingtitan]

Promare Original Soundtrack Review

Alright, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these and this is the perfect candidate. I have waited for this Sawano OST for almost 8 months, ever since Sawano was confirmed to compose for Promare, and now it’s finally here.

A little side note to my followers who aren’t aware: Promare is an anime film by the duo behind Kill la Kill (Hiroyuki Imaishi and Kazuki Nakashima) and the 2nd time they got Sawano to compose for their project. And boy, was it worth it. I have been hyped about Promare since I first saw the announcement after finishing KLK and before Sawano was confirmed as the composer. And at long last, it’s here. The movie is still gonna take a while to come out internationally, be it at the movies or as a disc release, but the soundtrack is out and that’s what I’ll be talking about today.

This marks the first original, non-sequel Sawano anime work since Re:CREATORS which was... almost 2 years ago. That’s a lot of time, and 2018 was a... questionable year for Sawano’s discography filled with average and low-effort sequel works and an abundance of Jpop songs as part of the [nZk] project. But anyway, here is the review to the soundtrack of Promare, composed by Hiroyuki Sawano! As usual, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on each track individually before discussing the soundtrack as a whole. Let’s get right into it!

01. Inferno (vocal: Benjamin, mpi)

Here is what I like to call the “sub-theme vocal track” of Sawano OSTs that follow this pattern. This is basically the “Track #1 that’s a vocal song that could be the main theme but actually comes before the main theme” (similar to God of ink from R:C and Perfect Time from NnT), and a pretty neat one at that. I was looking forward to this track ever since I heard it in the OST CM and it’s honestly very pleasant. Ben and mpi have a lot of synergy as vocalists and the lyrics, plus overall tone and production are very good.

I am generally not a fan of more bright, upbeat and playful vocal songs but this one doesn’t really come off to me as that kind of track. It’s very “everyday” especially the verse and the chorus is super catchy and memorable. Overall, a very solid track. I also really like how Ben and mpi alternate now and then especially with the first and second verse/chorus instead of just having them all sing the same thing. They do that, but only in the last chorus and it sounds like a nice ending to it. The choir in some of the parts (which Sawano himself is part of) is also very nice. 

I have two complaints about this track, however. The first one is that outside of the guitar chords and drums, the instruments are barely audible in the mix because of the percussion. You can make out some of the guitars but overall it sounds a bit drowned out. That, and it ends a bit suddenly without a proper outro to tone down the last chorus. Those are still very much nitpicks though, great track otherwise but not my favorite vocal song on this soundtrack.

02. PRO//MARE

And now we come to the actual instrumental main theme of the movie. I have genuinely missed original Sawano works because most of the modern ones have this thing where he names the main theme after the show it’s made for, and it’s just a really cool pattern that never gets old to me.

PRO//MARE is the newest entry to this category and it’s the orchestral track that was heard in the first half of the 2nd trailer. Part of it was also showcased at AnimeJapan at the Promare section. Personally, this is one of my favorite tracks in the album. I love how unpredictable the structure is and the subtle synths and guitar give it a unique flavor that make it stand out from the typical Sawano orchestral tracks. The strings part at 1:55 is my favorite part and it’s just amazing. The main melody is also very nice and overall, it’s a very solid main theme that gets its purpose across. On top of that, this has to be one of the best uses of fake choir Sawano has integrated into an orchestral track.

On top of that, it also does not have a 2nd half and has a pretty good length for an instrumental track. This actually makes it more solid and doesn’t give the feeling of Sawano not knowing how to make a track longer without a 2nd slow half. Overall, very good and again, a big highlight on the album for me.

03. GAL-OTHY-MOS

After 3 years of no woodwinds, it was time to go home.

Okay, here is an absolute banger. Galo (the protagonist)’s theme marks the return of woodwinds in Sawano’s works which is something we didn’t think would happen at this point. And oh boy, this one is big.

Right off the bat, the flute establishes itself very nicely alongside the overall Japanese/ethnic sound the track is going for, which I need to talk about on its own. It’s so freaking cool how unique this theme sounds like with the whole ethnic soundscape mostly because of how appropriate it is for Galo as a character. A side note about Promare, the movie is basically about firefighters who use mechs called “MATOI” which, aside from being a cheesy Kill la Kill reference, are banners used by Firefighters in the Edo period. It’s just so sweet how the overall sound comes together as a character theme.

The track itself is dope. Aside from the ethnic melodic elements it focuses on standard band percussion and orchestra, which is pretty nicely mixed if I might add. The arrangement of the strings stands out among Sawano orchestral tracks and I love the ostinatos throughout the track. Structure and melody iis also very strong.

The 2nd half leaves a bit to be desired as it’s basically a slower version with some instrumental changes, but other than that it’s not that interesting. Still, overall very nice and another highlight for me.

04. Λsʜᴇs (vocal: Gemie)

Another vocal song, and this time it’s Lio’s theme... well, of them. I like to think of this as the main theme among all the other tracks that use the same leitmotif. Anyway, right off the bat, Λsʜᴇs instantly reminds me of RE:3343 and ABYSSwaltz from Re:CREATORS. This also marks the return of a very nice vocal technique that I’ve missed in Sawano works which is layering a whispering of a vocal line alongside the main vocal line with both lines being the same. Adds a very interesting “ethereal” sound to the vocals in a track that is already pretty ethereal on its own.

The strings here are nice but of course, Gemie’s voice is the highlight and boy did I not know she can sing this high. The wailing/non-lyrical part after the chorus is very powerful and personally this is one of the best Gemie songs for me. There is another version of this song later on which I prefer more, but this one is also very nice.

Lyrics are also quite interesting, as expected of cAnON. and her particular choice of vocabulary.

05. WORLDBIGFLAMEUP

Say hello to the track with the best song name on the OST and one that perfectly describes the Sawano fans’ reaction to the soundtrack dropping. This is the initial teaser track that played all the way back then and our first sample of Sawano’s work for Promare. (Well, technically it was the strings part in GAL-OTHY-MOS but we just assumed it was the same track).

WORLDBIGFLAMEUP is, to put it short, awesome. Instead of an all-out bombastic orchestral Sawano track, it’s more of a tense, emergency and action type of piece that goes at a fast pace and overall delivers a feeling of uneasiness and chaos, which perfectly captures the whole “Fire” aspect of the movie’s concept.

Instrumentally, I have to say this is one of my favorite instrument choices Sawano has done for an orchestral track outside of the usual strings and brass. It partially has some ethic elements here and there with the dulcimer which adds a whole new layer to the rhythm of the piece.

And then there is the gamelan which is probably my favorite instrument in this entire track and what makes the whole track what it is for me. It’s so cool and the little quiet sections where it’s more audible are probably my favorite. That’s just all I have to say. It’s awesome.

The 2nd half of the track was a thing I had a problem with initially because it’s another “2nd slow half” to fill up track space, except this one has grown on me. I like the piano addition though overall it sounds like the track was slowed down in Audacity or something... I just think the overall arrangement makes it a better fit for the fast pace of the first half and not the way it’s presented in the 2nd half.. that is until it gets to the main part with the band percussion. This is where I would make a PotS/<X9> joke, but this one is actually pretty cool and pure headbang material, especially the last part. I mostly have to thank @shifter-lines for getting me to like this as much as I do now, haha. Yet another highlight for me and a very good track.

06. PROMARETHEME

So, GAL-OTHY-MOS was the first of two tracks to have woodwinds return and that’s something we’ve known about since the initial recording tweet. This is the 2nd, except it’s a tin whistle instead of a flute and boy does it sound good.

PROMARETHEME legitimately sounds like Sawano went full Zimmer/Powell and made a Kung Fu Panda track because it’s so awesome with the tin whistle it’s hard to put it into words. Oh yeah, and it’s an orchestral version of Inferno that was actually made before Inferno itself. This is one of Imaishi (the director)’s favorite tracks as far as my knowledge goes and one of the sub-themes for the movie. 

Overall, it has a very powerful start with, again, the tin whistle and the choir part after the main chorus is equally awesome. I initially thought it was going to go into a 2nd half after that pause but it was just that, a pause. Overall, a pretty neat track... again, that tin whistle.

07. BangBangBUR!...n?

Hoho boy, here it is. I am not ashamed to use this joke for the 10000th time since this OST released last week, but this piece is an absolute Banger. It’s pure fire and is my favorite instrumental track on the Promare OST.

This was initially first played in a very obscure CM in Japan that came out around the same time as the initial teaser and didn’t show any new footage, but it had a bit of this track playing and I loved it.

BangBangBUR!...n? is one of those tracks that don’t need a good and powerful lead melody to stand out. The overall sound design and instrument choice for this piece is freaking amazing and I highly recommend listening with headphones for the full experience. The bass, the beat, the synths and the guitars, plus the synth ostinato and combination of electronic kicks with additional distorted drums to add to the rhythm is absolutely incredible. It’s an awesome track in every way.

The strings portion makes it even more awesome by adding a melody to it and repeating the previous part, essentially building onto the foundation it sets for itself beforehand.

The 2nd half is probably the best 2nd half Sawano has ever done if we count slow arrangements in the same piece. Instead of just slowing down the first half, it changes up the arrangement a bit and sounds like a semi-ambient dark piece while maintaining the coolness factor of the first half. The strings are equally awesome. By the way, this is the director’s other favorite track and he loved the demo Sawano initially showed him. Of course he did.

Overall, absolute banger and again, best instrumental track on the OST for me. Go listen to it, and if you haven’t seen the first 5 minutes of the movie online yet, go do that as well. This track is used perfectly as an establishing piece for Promare and what it is.

08. NEXUS (vocal: Laco)

We come to the first original Sawano Laco song to be officially released! (Because Zero Eclipse is taking forever). NEXUS initially gave me a much different impression than the one I have right now. When I heard it in the OST CM, I didn’t really like it to be honest.

Like I’ve said in the past, I generally dislike “happy”, playful vocal songs because it doesn’t feel like they have any emotional impact for me while I’m listening to them and this is pretty much what I expected.

Instead, I get a 90s pop song that has one of the sickest drum productions I’ve ever seen. Seriously, those drums are insanely good. It sounds like typical four on the floor type of beat at first, and that’s what it mostly is in the chorus, but the drums in the verse are insane. You can, to quote someone else here, internally feel the rhythm and it’s amazing.

The synths are super catchy and compliment the vocal line really good and, again, sound straight out of a 90s pop song. Laco’s singing itself is also pretty good and I think she stands out as an OST Sawano vocalist with a different tone to her voice than Gemie, Eliana and... someone else whose name I can’t remember. Weird.

Anyway, the vocal effect in the intro with the reverb/semi-choir sounds dope. The lyrics for the song itself are kind of weird, though.. and from what I’ve heard, this track was kinda overused as a battle theme in the movie. And, although I think it can fit under said circumstances, I don’t think using it for every battle scene would benefit it, especially the chorus which is my least favorite part compared to the rest of the tracks. It just sounds... but overall, the track is great, Laco’s singing is great and the production quality is very high. Great piece overall.

09. BAR2tsuSH

We come to the big baddies (well, some of them) villain theme. This and WORLDBIGFLAMEUP are the closest to being a KLK-esque track on this OST and this one is pretty good. It’s the “group villain theme” for the Mad Burnish, also part of the song name and it’s a pretty neat one at that.

Instrumentally, it goes ham with the scratchy synths and the edgy guitar chugs around the middle of the first half. Also, the rhythms of this song are sick. I like how it goes into a different drumming pattern after the first two measures in the synth portion and the main part is also a nice Sawano orchestral vocal track. Great alternating melody between the synths and brass with a nice ending to it.

The 2nd half is unfortunately a bit weak and doesn’t really do anything interesting with the first half other than the typical “slow it down, change up the instruments” thing. It’s not bad, just nothing outstanding either. Overall, a nice piece. That’s all I have to say.

10. DeusPRO召す

Next up we come to the theme of a character who is so important to the plot, they have barely shown anything about him and his last name, Prometh, literally has the name of the movie in it.

Deus’ theme is super cool and unique. Right off the bat it establishes a unique soundscape with some interesting synth ostinatos that make you think you are listening to a factory/laboratory theme in a video game. The rhythm elements with the brass coming on later on are also very nice and this is another like I think can hold its own without a powerful lead melody in a similar matter to BangBangBUR!...n?. Not quite as good at it but still very good nonetheless. I can totally lay back and listen to this.

The 2nd half gets interesting because it brings up the PRO//MARE (main theme) melody and does some interesting things by layering the synths and drums from the first half over it and it works pretty well.

I mean... you know you’re an important character when your character theme rearranges the main theme of the movie you’re in.

Overall, this is a dope track. Wish I could say more but I’d be repeating myself.

11. fanFAREpiZZA

Next up is the track with the most questionable song name for someone who hasn’t listened to it. The first half is exactly what it says. A fanfare sort of victory theme and a pretty good one with some cool synth over it that almost sounds like it’s a continuation from DeusPRO召す. The only thing that’s weird is that the brass here is sampled... not entirely sure why when all the other orchestral tracks have actual brass recordings. It’s a bit weird but it doesn’t really sound that bad. It’s a pretty nice track. Can’t say anything else.

...Except about the 2nd half. “piZZA” is in the title as well and... it’s a comedic track. Harmonica, catchy beat and nice guitar going on in the left channel. I love it. It’s the only comedic/everyday laid back track on the OST and a pretty good one at that. Watch the 11-minute prequel to the movie if you want to see how it’s used. It’s pretty darn sweet. Again, I want to say more but.. that’s about it.

12. Λsʜᴇs ～RETURNS～ (vocal: Gemie)

And here is the better version of Λsʜᴇs, in my opinion at least. At the cost of the ethereal feel of the original, this one slaps on distorted drums and some really cool synths over it and makes it more like an orchestral bombastic track, and a really tragic but good one at that.

One thing that I absolutely love about this one is how the strings and especially Gemie’s vocals are re-recorded instead of reused from the original track. You can tell by the tone of her voice and especially in the chorus where she sings louder and the wailing part which is completely different. Overall, this is a much more chaotic version of the original and an excellent arrangement. I love 6/8 orchestral Sawano tracks and this one in particular reminds me of Ω from Guilty Crown which is one of my all-time favorite orchestral Sawano pieces.

Very good piece and yet another highlight of the soundtrack.

13. 燃焼ING-RES9

The Burning Rescue theme is yet another arrangement of Inferno which I guess fits-context wise. Anyway, on my first listen-through, this was my least favorite track because unlike PROMARETHEME it didn’t do anything interesting with the Inferno melody. At least, those were my thoughts at the beginning. Also, it kinda sounds like it borrows the drumline from Before my body is dry in some parts.

Regardless, like NEXUS, this track has grown on me and I think the guitars in the start make the whole thing a lot better for me. It also has a nice little outro section going on there which I also like.

Overall, I don’t have that much to say about this one apart from what I wrote above. I prefer Inferno and PROMARETHEME more to this one but it’s still alright.

14. BAR2NG4女14yoN

Next up we come to yet another absolute banger and a highlight for me. When I first saw the teaser visual for Promare and informed myself about what it was and from who it was after watching Kill la Kill, this track is very close to the kind of music I initially imagined for Promare. A fast, electronic, upbeat sort of battle theme that’s super uplifting. Also, another one I recommend listening to with headphones.

The drums in this track, like NEXUS, have insanely good sound in the mix and are basically the main instrument of this piece. Overall, it’s a more rhythm-focused track rather than a melodic one. Also has some sick guitars going on there that remind me of bL∞dy f8 a little bit. Then comes Gemie with the (uncredited) vocals that add a sweet layer to the already upbeat piece and a melody so it’s not purely rhythmic. Overall, very uplifting and an absolute banger.

I can mostly say the same about the 2nd half which is also quick and synth-focused but doesn’t have vocals. It’s more neutral/concentrated in terms of sound and less “playful” than the first half and imagine some high-altitude, high-speed fight scene happening in the movie with this playing in the background. The synths add to the overall mood of the piece and it’s great. Again, great drums and great rhythm all around. Definitely a highlight in the OST.

15. 904SITE

...I don’t know guys, he still might not be the villain.

Okay seriously. There was a point before the Promare premiere where they stopped trying to hide the fact that Kray was the antagonist of the movie and this theme playing in the OST PV was basically like “nah nah fam what are you talking about.”

Anyway, right off the bat, this is my least favorite track on the soundtrack. It’s not bad, I just prefer everything else over it. And the track itself is a bit...well... it’s an arrangement of BAR2tsuSH and a slow one at that... and that track already has a 2nd slow half.

Thing is, this is more of a mood-setter made for a certain scene in the movie. Personally, I don’t enjoy it that much as a standalone track because it just feels very raw and weak, especially since I had the expectations it would be a full-length character theme like GAL-OTHY-MOS, which it isn’t, and it’s not even an original melody for the most part. Overall, it’s not a bad piece, just underwhelming, but regardless, was probably important and used well for the movie, which is what’s important on its own at the end of the day.

16. REG-GIRT

The track that spells “Trigger” backwards. Classic Sawano.

Okay, so for the record I had much lower expectations for this track based on what I heard in the OST PV. Because it’s literally PRO//MARE with synths, drums and guitars layered over it which screams 2018 Sawano and we don’t talk about that here.

But anyway, that’s not entirely what it is. For once, said synths, guitars and drums are actually pretty great even when you do hear that it arranges the main theme instead of being an original track. On top of that, some of the string sections are new and not in PRO//MARE. The main part is probably the weakest for me since it’s very much the original track with the drums over it. This was played in the 3rd PV and honestly, this part in particular is just uninteresting. 

The outro itself is cool but for goodness sake... remember my complaint about Inferno ending suddenly? This one ends so suddenly it sounds like it immediately cuts off into silence which is just weird... at least let the instruments echo/fade out. Makes me think it was made for a scene which ends on an unexpected note... wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case.

17. RE:0

No, this is not a Re:Zero reference.

Judging from how Sawano names character themes after the character themselves, you’d assume this would be Lio’s theme but for me... that’s Λsʜᴇs, and this is the piano version of it. Yep, classic Sawano making a piano arrangement of an existing track. And this one is really good.

I don’t have that much to say about piano solos in general but this one is definitely up there with the likes of omake-pfadlib for me and overall perfectly executes the emotion for me and is a great rendition of Λsʜᴇs. Favorite out of the piano solos on the OST.

18. PIROMARE

The last arrangement of Inferno on the album and a pretty good one at that! It’s another piano solo with some nice touches to the original track, especially towards the ending. Really like it, but I wish it was more of a medley that included more melodies like PRO//MARE rather than just Inferno, but it’s still a very pleasant piece to listen to. Again, not much else to say.

19. Gallant Ones (vocal: Benjamin, mpi)

And here it is. This is the Holy Grail of the Promare Original Soundtrack and the one song I have been most looking forward to ever since hearing the instrumental in the 2nd half of the 2nd PV.

Gallant Ones is, without a doubt, my favorite song on this entire album and by default my favorite vocal song. It’s also straight-up one of the best vocal songs Sawano has ever written for a soundtrack work and I would easily put it up there with the likes of theDOGS. Not quite too close to it but still a huge favorite for me.

This track borrows some of the percussion from BangBangBUR!...n?, as well as the ostinato pattern, except it changes the key and makes a freaking guitar play it. And speaking of guitars, this is without a doubt some of the best guitars Sawano has written in ages, mostly because of the fact that there are more melodic elements than rhythmic ones and that’s something you just don’t see Sawano do with electric guitars nowadays.

Going into the guitars again, one of my favorite production techniques when writing guitar parts is writing two semi-improv lines with one on each side of the panning (channels). And when played together, it sounds like pure fire. Gallant Ones does this with the verse guitars which were originally showcased in the 2nd half of PV2. It’s pure groove.

The percussion is another thing that makes the track what it is. It has a bunch of stuff going on that’s very similar to BangBangBUR!...n? like I already said, but the beat itself is dope and I love it so much.

Vocal-wise, this is far better than Inferno and Suck your blood from Kill la Kill for me. Ben and mpi make an even better duo here, combined with sick lyrics and absolutely lit chorus/vocal melody, this track is amazing in every sense.

If there is one thing I had to mention it would be my initial complaint about the length of Gallant Ones. The track is a few seconds short of being 3 minutes long which is pretty short for a vocal song that starts off like this. However, the more listen to this track (I’ve heard this well over a few dozen times at the time I’m writing this) the less it bothers me. If it had the standard structure of Sawano vocal songs where it repeats the chorus two or three times, it would have gotten repetitive really quick so I think the length is actually a plus here.

Despite all of that, if it was up to me I would have given it an extra 40 seconds or so by adding in the parts from the PV, specifically an instrumental version of the chorus where the guitar ostinato can be heard clearly, or the guitar outro which is better than the actual outro in this song. However, even now those are just nitpicks. Gallant Ones is incredible. Go listen to it.

“YOU ARE THE ENGINE AND THE POWER, LET’S FIGHT THIS TRUTH AND NAIL”

“I AM THE PILOT IN THIS GAME AND THIS TEAM WILL NEVER FAIL!”

...Had to get that out.

20. stRE:0ings

This is another one of those tracks like 904SITE where I don’t doubt that it was used well in the movie but still find its position in the OST a bit meh. It’s basically exactly what it says... a strings + piano version of RE:0 which is a piano version of Λsʜᴇs, which... also has strings and piano. What.

Okay seriously, I don’t mind it on its own, I just think it’s a bit too similar to Λsʜᴇs for me to fullly enjoy it, but it’s nice regardless. Don’t have that much else to say.

21. 火-YO!人

At last we come to the final track, which is the 3rd piano solo on the Promare OST and a pretty interesting one. It’s very dissonant and sounds like it’s from a Guilty Crown Another Side album. Overall, I think it’s nice. Really like how it sounds like it’s gonna go off into a melody then abruptly stops, and the closing section is nice.

Overall, a nice finisher to a great OST.

Conclusion

As a whole, this soundtrack is amazing. This is the kind of music Sawano can make when given proper direction. Of course, he’s worked with Imaishi before on Kill la Kill, and that OST turned out great. This one did as well. It’s a very fresh Sawano soundtrack with a lot of interesting elements, amazing vocal songs and diverse instrumental tracks.

Since KLK is a 2-cour anime show with more music, the music itself is all over the place and there’s a lot of tracks. Promare, on the other hand, likes to keep thinks in flavor but also concentrate on certain aspects, since it’s a movie and has to have a higher level of consistency.

Anyways, after a tough year of average low-effort sequel OSTs, getting this originality back again was very welcome and was well-worth the wait. I highly recommend checking this out if you haven’t listened to it already.

Also, I made a poll for the soundtrack! Make sure to check it out if you do get around to listening to it. Always like hearing what other people think! 

Favorite vocal song: Gallant Ones

Favorite instrumental track: BangBangBUR!...n?

Favorite piano solo: RE:0

Favorite song name: WORLDBIGFLAMEUP

Least favorite track: 904SITE

Other highlights: PRO//MARE, GAL-OTHY-MOS, WORLDBIGFLAMEUP, NEXUS, DeusPRO召す, Λsʜᴇs ～RETURNS～, BAR2NG4女14yoN

Overall Album Rating: 9/10

#hiroyuki sawano #music review #promare

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Hiveswap Act 1 OST Review

Ok, I’ve been listening to it for some time. I should really review the OST! 

I’m a musical ameteur so this is a bad idea. Hope you enjoy it! 

1. Definitely Safe Forever -  good. 3 out of 5. nothing else to say on the matter

2. Snake Escape - great. very funky, nice bass tones. iconic hiveswap tone... 4 out of 5.

3. Joey Claire, Extraordinaire - Nice slow buildup, gentle theme. Feels welcoming and safe, yet a bit more curious than your average Pokemon hometown theme. The wind instrument gets extremely loud at times, maybe too loud. But this track is so different from what Homestuck usually offers that it paints a new identity for Hiveswap. It’s repetitive enough to not distract you, but interesting enough to not bore you. I like how it gets a bit more mellow and bittersweet over time, which is something you can say for a lot of tracks. 4/5.

4. Half-Harley Manor - I have always liked  the leitmotif for this house. It’s... not quite spooky, but not warm and welcoming either. I love how this track starts loud and spooky, then you have quiet percussion, then it gets back to the original theme with a bit more windiness... very satsifying. Then the part where it gets VERY sparkly and happy. Idk what intrument that is. Keyboard? It’s the only part of the song that makes this feel like home, ut then it loops back into the original alienating theme. 4 out of 5..... 

5. Relatively Visible Darkness - I don’t like the trumpets in this much but I enjoy everything else about this theme. Serves its job. Relatively unspectacular... until the chorus in the second half,  then it gets great. for a little bit. 3 out of 5.

6. Bedroom for an Annoying Dog - Love the final fantasy joke. Love how scary they made the fucking basement sound. Love how this builds up with the, uhh, organ pipes? 5 out of 5.

7. That’s How I Beat Snake - hmmm... Very nice intro but the main theme is a bit shit, until it hits the chorus, then it gets catchy. Its soundfont is... odd. I think it serves well as a fight theme but is the weakest battle music in the game. I do like the drop at the second part a lot! 3 out of 5. or 6 out of 10. yes. lets start doing them out of 10 from now on because fuck consistency.  

8. Jude Harley, Bizarrely - Nice character theme but terrible music. I think that’s the intention. You do however lose points for it being a remix of Joey’s theme and Harleyhouse Manor because it means the only sort of leitmotif Jude has is how fucking bad his music is . 6 out of 10 get this CANMT shit out of here.

9. Table for Tooth - NICE INTRO! This was used in the trailer, right? I love the initial drop. The main theme’s instrument is... garbage, yes. But then it plays the Harleyhouse theme and it’s SO GOOD.  Wish that part was longer. 7 out of 10. 

10. Final Spice - if you think this sounds like an Undertale track it’s cos this one had the least touching up by James. It reminds me of Toriel’s theme. Nice and catchy but not quite good enough for me to enjoy. 7 out of 10. 

11. Living Legend - The final and best battle theme on tis track. Another Final Fantasy joke. I love this theme and what James and Toby did with it. 9 out of 10.... not quite the best track on the album, but very close. 

12. Singular Peril - nice and perilous. Also nice coming off of the Final Fantasy track cos this reminds me  of when you escape the nuclear plant in FF7. 8 out of 10. Would work better if it wasnt heard for just 3 seconds.

13. A More Defensible Position  - I, think this is the tied second-best track on the album because of its second part. So magical, so ominous. You feel shit building up here.  9 out of 10. 

14. Open the Door - Majestic buildup, dark, intense, spooky......... then it becomes nothing shot of an anticlimax. It needs to be LOUDER on the piano part! Then it could have been the best track easily! 7 out of 10. 

15. Keep Your Head Down - I’m annoyed at how far forward this track is cos you only hear it after Xefros gets flattened. I love it though, very 80s, fitting remix of Xefros’s theme to represent the path he and Joey have ahead of them. 1980 out of 2000.

16. Oh Whoah, What’s This - The theme’s fine. A nice intro to Dammek’s hive, gentle and empty after the dramatic teleportation. The name however is unacceptable. 0 out of 10. 

17. Some Kind Of Alien - WHOAHHHH the transition between these two themes is nuts. I love how LOUD this track is! I love the waltzy beat, the flute, how it represents Dammek’s conspiring nature. It gets much more cheerful as it goes on,perhaps indicating this boy isn’t entirely a weird jerk.  And it ends on Karkat! 8 out of 10. Probably deserves a 9. 

18. Rustblood - When people play through this game, this tune really catches them. And I enjoy it, because this is the part of the game that starts feeling like homestuck, yknow? Anyway Xefros has by far the most distinguished theme out of any of his mates. This is very Toby Fox. Very solid 7 out of 10. 

19. Filthy Nuclear Bunker - you know how HYPE this track is? You just want to click on everything and read all the text, because it has hit you that you’re playing the HOMESTUCK VIDEOGAME  and youre REALLY ENJOYING IT. 9 out of 10 for the variety of instruments, the upbeat mood. Despite the weird soundfont. I’m feeling generous. This music is relatively long though, compared to the others. It should end before I change my mind.

20. SPORTS! Personally I Love Them - this is the third time ive listened to this track today. 7.8 out of 10 too much Superbowl. Liked the Dark Souls reference in this room. I wish the music that played during the puzzle was in this OST.

21. Lofted Gunpile - A more “meh” version of Dammek’s theme. I prefer what they eventually went with. Why did James want it to be so.... low? Same complaint as the anticlimactic portal theme. Do like when the instruments start blending together near the end. 6 out of 10. 

22. Serpent Genesis Better, original version of the snake fight with better soundfont. 8 out of 10. 

23. We Shall Go Together - Beautiful ending to the game. Nothing spectacular about it though. 6 out of 10. 

24. Wish You Were Here - Our first taste of Trizza’s theme and by jegus it’s amazing. Very little can make you more hyped for act 2 than an intimidating introduction to the antagonist, a selfie over a burning village. WHOAHHH its actually playing now and I like it even more. That DROP. 9 out of 10 easily. 

25. Intermission 1 - Welcome to the best track on the fucking album. I think the credits should always be the best. Starts off with continuing Trizza’s theme, letting us absorb what we just witnessed, as drawings of the game we just played appear. Then you get hints of the theme from Dammek’s hive. Quieter during this part.... funkier again... THEN IT GETS REALLY INTENSE.  That’s easily my favourite part. Anyway, 10 out of 10. This track alone has me ready to wait for act 2. 

26. Alternate Recipe - 8bit mix of the spice theme. Louder, which is good. 7.5 out of 10. Catchy.

27. Heavy Snaking - I... prefer the original snake theme in the context of a fight. This is ok to listen to by itself though. Oh gosh that bass! 8 out of 10 great music, wrong atmosphere for the extremely brief battle. This’d be great as a boss encounter theme though. If it was used in the right place, then it’d possibly score even a 9 or 10.

28. “How It Could Have Gone” - seems to be about the portal? A ot louder than what they went with. I wouldnt have minded this being merged with the actual theme, but I still think it could be better. 7 out of 10.I love the spookiness of the original and would be sad if that was gone.

29. Old steps - Dance, Joey, Dance! Not really a song. 

30. UNDERTALE. 10/10. Sincerely. I love it. 

Total musical rating -  8 out of 10. Does its job very well of being good but not distracting. Good background music, rather than the energetic music of Homestuck itself.

#hiveswap #homestuck #james roach #toby fox

[kayostesting]

"8HIT" makes for a really good Training Montage. "Abstract Nonsense" by Rin. Apparently her being suicidal and with black hair contributes to the sheer awesomeness of this song. "Adolescence" uses the tune of "Cendrillon" and renders it better. Len's a capella cover of "Ark" (originally by the band Sound Horizon) is absolutely amazing. Rin and Len's "Astral Domination" has some awesome guitar and vocaloid-work. Len's cover of Justin Bieber's "Baby". Haters to the left! Their cover of "Bad Bye". Once again, the Kagamines cover one of Miku's songs and make it even more awesome (be warned, this video is somewhat disturbing). Rin's "Black*Rock Shooter", backup voices courtesy of Len. "Bloody My Doll" shows that Len tops Edward Cullen any day. "Butterfly on Your Right Shoulder", Len's version. The original Rin version was already great, but Len completely tops it. "Candy Psychologist" by Rin. Just like the name, it's addictive. "Childish War" made by Giga-P and sung by both, both the song and the PV are awesome, very upbeat and catchy. Sibling rivalry at its finest. "City Lights" by PowaPowa-P. "Cloud", an awesome Rin song. "Cosmic Star" by emon, for Rin Kagamine. A very sweet, beautiful song. "CULTURE Liberalization Ward (BUNKA)" features the Kagamines as detectives! Here's to hoping that they'll be able to solve any case that comes their way! "Cursed Glasses: Stray Girl In Her Lenses" by Rin (featuring Gakupo) is outrageously funny and weird at the same time. "Darkness 6". There are no words. "Death Should Have Not Taken Thee!". A parody song of Dragon Quest I made by Jesus-P. Warning, it's EXTREMELY catchy. And has an equally catchy sequel, "Your Adventure Log Has Vanished!". "Discotheque Love" for Len, from Lelele-P. Rin's "Dolls", combined with the very well made video, is incredibly beautiful and touching. Knowing the lyrics also makes it even more tear jerking. "Dreamy Cherry Blossoms" is about a rich girl (Rin) that's getting married in a little while that happens to fall in love with a violinist (Len). It's also note worthy that the art style in the PV is just as beautiful as the song that accompanies it. "Electric Angel" has excellent vocals by both Rin and Len, as well as a very catchy beat and awesome electronica elements (not surprising considering the name of the song). PowaPowa-P's "Equation×**". Len's cover of "-Error". Has some of the best vocalizations by Len. Rin's version sounds rather cute but still good. "A Faint Wish" and its sequel song, "A New Millenium" are very heart-warming. From the same series, we also have "Utopia", which is not quite as heartwarming. "Falling Falling Snow" is such a beautiful song with a simple yet touching PV. Rin's "Fate of Soul", an epic song that manages to be dreamy and powerful at the same time. "Fire Flower" is definitely one of Len's best. "First Virus Resistance". That is all. "Flames of Yellow Phosphorus" by mothy. Disturbing, sad, and absolutely epic. "Gekokujou", hands down. Nothing'll get you hoisting a yellow standard quicker. "Gemini" is just d'aaaaawwwww. "Gigantic O.T.N" is about Len gushing over his enormous penis. No really! You'll love it. PowaPowa-P's "Girl A". "Himitsu ~Oath of Black~" anyone? It's fantastic, and the story is heartbreaking. "Hot Cocoa" by Len is a very motivational song to listen to if you're trying to get work done. It's about Len trying to finish a homework assignment that he put off until the night before it was due. Rin's "I Like You, I Love You" is an adorable song about a shy girl's awkward attempts at a love confession. Len's cover of "Ievan Polkka" (the entire song, not just the leekspin gibberish portion; and in good Finnish too). "Imagination Forest", originally for IA and covered by Rin Sweet APPEND, the mood is captured very nicely and this version is just as nice as the original... and then there's the added bonus of Len coming in for the song's climax. Another amazing AVTechNO song, "Innocence". Awesome use of Len's Power append, sexy heavy beat, and one Epic Riff. "INTERSTELLAR", a Kagamine Rin original by FROMAGE. "Iroha Song" by Rin is a vibrant rock ballad with a traditional Japanese sound about being consumed by love and then losing it (oh, and bondage). "Jabberwocky Jabberwocka" sung by their appends is extremely catchy. The flashy PV doesn't hurt either. "Jutenija" by DATEKEN. Think priestesses singing in a desert temple and you're almost there. "Juvenile" from Dixie Flatline, a nice R&B song with smooth singing by Rin and great rapping from Len. "Karakuri Burst" is an absolutely amazing song. Len looking quite sexy (and non-shota) in that military uniform certainly doesn't hurt, either (also, please note that 卍 itself is not a symbol of the Third Reich — the Nazi symbol faces the other direction). "Karma". Bro. The composition is fantastic, as is Rin's voice, and that scream! "Kokoro". Just... "Kokoro". Len's version or Rin's version, there's really nothing better...except, of course, the mixed version. "Last Stage" and its Tear Jerker alternate ending, "Last Battle". The Synchronicity triology: "Looking for You in the Sky", "Paradise of Light and Shadow" and "Requiem of the Spinning World". "Lost Destination". Act 1 Len with Power, Cold, and Serious Append with an almost Crusader-like, cynical atmosphere. It is truly epic. This version uses Len Append Power and Cold, along with beta versions of Kaito Append Normal, Soft, and Whisper. Yes, Kaito. Append. Rin's "Lost Life" is just so rockin' awesome,and the high pitched voice fits the song perfectly. "The Lost One's Weeping" by Neru. It's a powerful rock song that'll get your head bopping... if the lyrics telling the story of a kid who's gone empty from exceeding pressure to succeed doesn't hit you in the feels too hard. This remix of "Love is War" is better than the original. "Magical Kitty Len Len" is more of a Funny Moment but still awesome nonetheless. "Main Character", a Len song. Awesome tuning, awesome music, but slightly Tear Jerker lyrics. "Make a Wish" is an excellent use of Rin's voice. "Meltdown". By far one of Rin's best. "Memory", a vocal version of the Leitmotif of the title character of the video game Ib sung in Surprisingly Good English by Rin. Ignoring the Engrish, "MIDI MASTER!!" will leave you clicking replay over, and over, and over again... Len's "Monochrome Dream Eater" has an extremely catchy beat. The voice of Len in it is nice, low and just ridiculously fitting for the song's tone. One of Len's best solo songs. Append (Power, Cold, Serious) Len's cover of the Girls' Generation song "Mr. Taxi" is amazing. "Never" is a pretty upbeat song (that comes with Len rapping!) about... eating natto. Their cover of Limahl's "The Never Ending Story". "Noiz bom", "Noiz Are NEL" and "DARK NEL" by AVtechNO are absolutely great. You know, let's just say anything by AVtechNO! Rin's cover of "Only My Railgun" completely overpowers the original. Their cover of "Our 16bit Warz" by their V 4 X voicebanks is just plain amazing, and they sound incredibly realistic. "Pantsu Nugeru Mon", or "I can take off my panties!", is definitely a lot more innocent than the title would suggest, and contains probably the best use of panties as a metaphor (for the care and control of her guardians) that we'll ever see in a a song. The story is about Rin going through puberty, standing on the border between childhood and adulthood, as she is torn between the freedom but responsibility of adulthood and the restrictions but irresponsibility of childhood. The song is very catchy, too! When "Paradichlorobenzene" and "Anti-Chlorobenzene" combine. Here's a Project Diva version of the combination. Len's Append voice with "Pink Rose" is quite lovely. Giga-P's, Orebanana's, and Reol's "Pinko Stick Luv". "Plus Boy." Len is a horny schoolboy who wants to get laid. Rin's cover of "Popipo" is just as energetic as Miku's. AvTechNO!'s "Plus/Space". "Q" by PowaPowa-P, featuring Rin. "Recycle Bin" sung by Len will prevent you from deleting a file from your computer in good conscience ever again. The sequel in Rin's point of view, "Salvage", doubles as a Heartwarming Moment. "The Riddler Who Can't Solve Riddles", a mystery song for Len Also, "The Riddler Who Won't Solve Riddles", its sequel song for Rin. Rerulli gives us another sexually charged Len song in "Sacred Spear Explosion Boy". Like "Brain Fluid Explosion Girl" before it, the words fly by fast, but it's still catchy. "SheSaw Day", a sexually charged song with the most realistic-sounding Len ever. Rin's cover, made by Lu Yurippe, is equally as amazing. Rin's "The Shibuya Catastrophe", complete with a PV as full of explosions as a Michael Bay movie. "SHOTA=RELEASE". Lyrical Dissonance and some absolutely stellar tuning make it a standout Vocaloid song, despite the scary mplications. "Sigh". Some might need a few tissues. "Silver Girl -awaking mix-", sung by Rin — the most epic coming-of-age rock ballad ever. "Skeleton Life" needs to be here. One of the best examples of Vocaska out there. "Skyblue!" is an upbeat song sung by Len, about friendship. Kind of... it's probably supposed to be, at least. Rin's song "Soleil", a song with beautiful instrumentals and an interesting storyline. "SPICE!" is pretty damn seductive. "Spinning Song" is a very soothing song which has a very traditional Chinese feel to it. "Taiyou no Kiss (Rerensa Mix)", a cover of Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" sung by Len. "Tokyo Teddy Bear" by neru. It's about Rin wanting to change herself, and hating herself. It's a bit of a Tear Jerker, but the beat is so strong, you may be too busy headbanging to cry. Vocaloid Halloween? Try "Trick & Treat". "Undead Enemy" is a sleeper hit of Rin's, and would you believe it's actually about not being able to live up to expectations and good grades in school? Rin and Len cover Miku's "Unhappy Refrain" and completely steal the show. "Unrelated Emergency", which is about how most people think the news going on in the world doesn't concern them. "Vermilion" by toya, a duet by two Lens. "The Weekend's Coming!" Rin wants to confess her feelings to her crush, but the end of the world comes in the way. "Wings of the four seasons", a musical adaptation of a beautiful folktale, with amazing harmonies done by Hitoshizuku x Yama. "White Brick and Black Mourning Dress", sung by Rin, is a little bit confusing, but very touching and a real Tear Jerker. Len's cover of Harry Nilson's "Without You". Not a bad effort of trying to get Len to sing in English. "The Wolf That Fell In Love With Little Red Ridding Hood" by HitoshizukuP. Exactly What It Says on the Tin, although seeing as they're just characters of a story and Status Quo Is God, the two will never get together. However, many suspect that the bitten apple at the end of the PV may prove otherwise... Rin and Len's cover of "World's End Dancehall" by Giga-P is epic in its own right. And it combined with this Project Diva Edit PV just adds to the awesomeness that is this song. Len's cover of "World Is Mine". A must-see for Rin/Len shippers. "The Worst Carnival" is a very empowering Rin song about not letting rejection get to you. "YELLOW TRICK" by Yuugou-P. PowaPowa-P's "Year 3 Class C-14, Chiyoko Kubozono's Joining of the Cabinet", while having a rather lengthy title and having Mind Screw-y lyrics, is interesting and pleasing to the ear.