#every time i listen to the overworld theme i get so PUMPED | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

superrcell · 5 years

Note

ooooo for the video game ask thing botw or ffxv!!! :3c (sorry if thats a bit boring but im so interested in hearing ur thoughts about those soundtracks! :D)

hdsjkghjk dw those are both great i would love to talk about them and im doing both because. i never get a chance to talk about them and i have nothing better to do so long post time

botw

Fav Character Theme

tbh... revali’s theme, actually. i dont like revali all that much but his theme is so so beautiful i love it so much. i dont think i really realized how much i love his theme until just about right now, actually. i also love sidon’s theme, but i think that revali’s is actually my favorite.

Fav Area Theme

hmm.... i think the hyrule castle interior, honestly. though the stables theme is also really up there. hyrule castle is just really nice and i love the atmosphere it has, but also the stables just... makes me feel safe its always so nice to hear it off in the distance when playing. oh and also the flight range... its so pretty. ohhh and the sheikah tower theme.... this is so hard so many areas of the game are so good.

Fav Battle Theme

tbh... i think the talus battle theme! idk its just really good ghdsgk i really think that it really perfectly captures fighting just a big rock + i love the mix of the instruments that are playing + i dont hear it too often. i really like the guardian battle theme, too, though, but i think that the talus battle theme is slightly better because idk.. it doesnt feel as... empty as the middle part of the guardian battle theme? yeah.

WAIT I FORGOT ABOUT THE MOLDUGA THEME. ITS THAT ONE DEFINITELY. ive listened to this one so so much its soooo so good. ESPECIALLY the second half. i love those string instruments.

Fav Boss/Final Boss Theme

absolutely divine beast vah ruta’s theme... vah medoh’s comes in second but something about vah ruta’s has just really stuck with me. its just so so so beautiful. i think its because it really reminds me of the first time i was doing the quest.. idk the music just perfectly captures the moment.

Personal Fav Theme

its really really hard to choose because i love literally everything else ive mentioned, but i think its the dragon’s theme. like... literally everything about that song is so good, and hearing it in-game... its just really so good.

A song you didn’t like at first but grew to like

i dont know if i didnt like it at first, though i probably did, but the cave theme, i think. idk its just really.. idk not something i would normally like, and the high notes are kinda uneasy to listen to somewhat, but i love hearing it in the game it just. makes for a really good atmosphere, makes me feel safe. idk i love it a lot now. i also really have to mention i love the field (freezing cold) song... like i love love love the cold song and i dont think i wouldve ever enjoyed this as much as i do because its not really like? that much of a song? but yeah i love it.

One of the first songs you heard from the game

i would say the main theme! i never saw any of the trailers beforehand, so the first song i heard was just... the first song in the game! and its a really really good song so.

A song that gets you pumped

i know i just mentioned these two but really divine beast vah ruta and vah medoh’s themes really do. like theyre just so good.. but something i havent mentioned: the divine beasts strike! (and then really all dark beast/calamity ganon songs but gdhjsgkjsj)

A song that makes you happy

tbh, i think the song in link’s memory with the silent princess! its hard to find songs that make me really like... happy, ig, but this part is like. my favorite memory it makes me so happy watching and listening to the song reminds me of it. and then also i think the main theme! because im sentimental gdbsjkghjkds

A song that makes you sad

idk! i dont know any songs really make me all that sad, either. i think ill say the epilogue because again im. sentimental 😢

The song you like least from the game

i think tarrey town actually x_x its not bad but its just so annoying when it comes up on the playlist because its. 10 minutes long of almost the same song. but its really really cool how it changes! though for a song that i dont like because of the music, hm... im just going through the ost right now and i dont like divine beast vah rudania’s theme. i also dont like the themes when youre inside the beasts that much, either, or the [x]blight ganon themes that much. this is too many songs huh gdhsjkghkds

theres so many other songs i looove but weren’t able to put here just know i love the entire ost basically.

ffxv

Fav Character Theme

um... i definitely have to say home sweet home because i love prompto. i also love love love noctis’ theme (especially this version which i just now really listened to) but also like... i just love prompto so much gdhjksgk

Fav Area Theme

this is impossible to answer because i just want to say literally every overworld theme from prompto’s dlc buuuut also i love wanderlust!! especially the old version!!!!! idk so many area themes are so so good in ffxv but ill just go with overworld themes here.

Fav Battle Theme

🤔 this is actually a lot harder than i thought it would be? so many are pretty good, except maybe the daemon ones... hearing all of them, i think maybe invidia, actually! idk it isnt one that i think i would get annoyed with if it were to play a lot, but all of them are really good!

Fav Boss/Final Boss Theme

absoooollluuutteeeelllyyy the somnus battle theme from the ardyn dlc like idc about the actual battle, or even somnus tbh, but the song somnus has always been my favorite song from the game and this was like OISIFUDSGUSDFHGSDHGIOSHGDSDFSHJGHDSGGJDSKGJKDS especially because of ardyn’s theme which i ALSO love like iaigjdsiogdsgiovdsjovfjiodjifdjbfdigjs ITS SO GOOD .. . . ..

Personal Fav Theme

like i said, the somnus theme you hear in insomnia ... ive always loved it because i love songs where its like a remix (or, really just the original song) when youre in a different place, and the feeling of going through insomnia with this playing over the speakers... just an immensely wonderful experience its absolutely my favorite part of the entire game. theres a lot of other songs i love, but this has been my favorite for so long i just cant like... say its Not my favorite.

A song you didn’t like at first but grew to like

it was one of the battle themes from promptos dlc, like it was the first one so it mightve been trigger? idk it was one of them that wasnt like really the same as the other battle themes before it, but now i cant even 100% find the song i didnt like because i love all the battle themes from prompto’s dlc sm ghdjskgkj. i think its because of the song which i put as the one i dont like really made me appreciate everything more.

One of the first songs you heard from the game

oh, huh... i would think that it would be the same as botw, where the first song i heard is the first song that plays, so somnus instrumental! maybe? i cant really remember but yeah i think i first just watched my little brother play it from the start of the game! maybe ....

A song that gets you pumped

theres so many and i think the somnus battle theme which i already mentioned is especially one, but other than that, hm.. yeah i think thats it! idk i dont know many other songs that make me that FHDSHGDSG you know?

A song that makes you happy

hm... maybe rodeo de chocobo! nothing bad happening, just some big birds c: yeah, not many are really that upbeat so this one is kinda an easy pick ghdjksgds

A song that makes you sad

oh everything in prompto’s dlc. but no ghjkdsjgk from the main game, probably dewdrops at dawn. idk like theres other parts of the game that are sadder, but just like... idk when i hear the song i can remember the whole cutscene, and the view of the world turning back to light and its just... i love it. it doesnt make me like really sad but idk... that sort of area of emotions dhjsgkj but yeah. but not from the main game, hm... promptos feelings/home sweet home from prompto’s dlc. i feel like its. pretty self explanatory ghdjkshg

The song you like least from the game

oh absolutely the song in insomnia in ardyn’s dlc ive always hated it. it just feels so out of place with the entire rest of the soundtrack and it's definitely not the kind of music i like fhjdskghjkds

anyways stan prompto

#long post #ffxv #botw #if this doesnt go under a read more i am so sorry hdskghjkds #but yeah !!! i havent actually listened to much of the ffxv ost past the main one and a couple of the dlcs (so no vol 2 really)#but yes thank u emma !!!!! <3333 !!!!!!#primaljudgement

3 notes · View notes

housebeleren · 4 years

Text

Theros Beyond Death Odds & Ends

We got a lot of updates regarding Theros Beyond Death this week. I’ve already talked about the trailer, so now I’ll just run through some of the other items and give my quick thoughts.

Elspeth & Ashiok

These are super sweet. Elspeth is looking fierce as ever, and that spear is fucking fantastic. As a card, I think she’s going to be a major player in Standard, as a recursive threat that’ll just keep generating value for you. Ashiok is gorgeously illustrated by one of my favorites, Raymond Swanland. The purples, blues, and blacks are basically all my favorite colors, so I’m sold. As a card, I think it’s super well balanced. Could be a great alternate finisher for control that comes down a turn earlier than Liliana or Ugin, but isn’t quite as clearly game-ending as those if it sticks. That said, pumping out a 2/3 every turn is pretty sweet unto itself. So yeah, I’m feeling both of these. My only wish is that they had flipped one of the arts so they’d be facing each other, Duel Deck style. That would have been just one extra little touch of awesome.

Also, these are freakin gorgeous. I particularly like the Ashiok one, but I’d be excited to get my hands on either of them.

Also, Maro has confirmed that there are 3 Planeswalkers in the set. Wonder who the third would be? By color alone, it would be someone Green/Red, But there aren’t a ton of those that seem like good fits, and it would be too similar to Theros, round 1. Only time will tell.

Gods & Demigods

We also got previews of a few other fun cards. Athreos, Shroud-Veiled is the buy-a-box promo for the set, which makes some amount of sense. My guess is, after the strong mono-color theme of Throne of Eldraine, we’ll see the five mono-color gods return in this set with new versions, and not get any of the other 2 color gods except Athreos, since he will likely play some part in the story, either as an element in or an obstacle to Elspeth’s escape.

We also got a Demigod, which is a new creature type that’s pretty awesome. Daxos, Blessed by the Sun is an interesting title, especially given it’s opposition to Elspeth’s “Sun’s Nemesis” title. My speculation is we’ll see Elspeth exact her revenge on Heliod, then she takes over the mantle as God of the Sun, and through her newfound God-power brings back Daxos. Totally speculation, but that’s what I’m reading from this.

Mechanics

We got a Theros Beyond Death Mechanics article, so I’ll run through them real quick:

Escape - This is the only new mechanic in the set, representing Elspeth’s escape of the Underworld. Seems like a solid workhorse mechanic for Standard, and there will almost certainly be at least one card that’s completely obscene in Modern or Legacy, because what’s ever gone wrong with graveyard mechanics in the past?

Devotion - Oooh, I called it. As soon as the strong mono-color theme in Throne of Eldraine became clear, I was sure we’d see Devotion again. It’s perfect seeding between sets. This is a fun one, and will continue to swing the pendulum towards 2 and 1 color play, which is honestly a good thing. It’ll be interesting to see if they find some new design space for it.

Constellation - Oooh, I called it again! Maro has been harping about the biggest mistake of original Theros block being that they didn’t do Enchantments-matter early enough, so it seemed all but certain that they would jump right on board with it this time around. Plus, it’s another perfect through-line from Throne of Eldraine’s W/U theme. Looks like they’re going to put Constellation on some non-Enchantment cards as well, so that’s a little new for it.

Sagas - I loved Sagas when they showed up in Dominaria, and I’m stoked to see them again here. They’re fun, they have interesting gameplay, and they’re just gorgeous to look at. My guess is they’ll play around with the number of chapters this time, just to keep it interesting.

Of course, we’ve got Enchantment Creatures coming back, and I did see one card that had a Heroic mechanic on it (sans keyword, of course), so that could be a fun limited archetype in this set. Plus, it’ll give Feather decks a little boost to maybe bring them back to playability.

Basic Lands

Okay, then there’s this. Truly, I do love the look of these, though I understand some people’s aversions to them. They do look a little like Pokemon Energy cards, for sure. That said, I am very excited to pull them, and some people will really love having them.

But I also want to mention these:

These are also basic lands for this set, and they are STUNNING. Every land has 2 variants, an overworld and an underworld version. You can see all of them on Wizards’ Twitter account. The catch? These lands are only available in the Bundle and Planeswalker decks. That’s it. You can’t open them in any booster product, at least to my understanding as of now.

And that’s a shame, because as cool as the full art Nyx lands are, these are beautiful works of art and should be seen! And lots of people just won’t. I would have strongly preferred they handle this like they did with Amonkhet, and have the full arts as just one of the standard rotation, along with these beauties.

This really gets at the heart of the biggest issue I have with Wizards’ product design at the moment, and it’s that it’s so hard to keep track of everything that’s out there. I love the spirit behind Project Booster Fun, but I’m sorry, it is so fucking complicated to figure out what comes in each product at this point. I’ve had to correct the shop owner of an LGS about the specific contents of Collector Boosters, and I don’t blame him for the mistake one bit. Because who can keep it all straight? Anyway, rant over. But Wizards, if you’re listening, tone it back a little. Stop dividing your cards in to a million different products.

Anyway, on one final good note:

Thirst

Whoever this hotness is. Holy shit, I thought Wizards was going after the “Gay & Thirsty” contingent with Oko but it’s clear they have no intentions of letting us ignore this set either.

That’s a gay Halloween costume right there, ready to go.

Given the landscape orientation here, I’m guessing he’s a generic card from the set, not a Planeswalker. But it’s possible we’re only getting some of the art, but I’d say that’s a long shot. Either way, I’m 100% here and living for more acceptably sexualized men in Magic. May the gods bless the Thirsty.

#MtG #theros beyond death

1 note · View note

machinaetribeblog · 7 years

Text

MaSu Studio Album Rankings From a View of Two Fans

This will by far be the longest post to be submitted to this page this far but here goes nothing. This post was a long time coming and was discussed for some time within the MachinaeTribe on Facebook. Dan Janoff and myself (Victor Vellon) have decided to weigh in on the albums existing so far and where we would rank them, if we decided to take on this really hard task to do so. We gladly welcome your feedback (even if you disagree highly, as we expect some will) and look forward to the discussion that will come as a result. Let’s do this!

Deus Ex Machinae:

VV: Deus Ex Machinae marks the entry for the band into studio album territory. It remains a fun listen to this day with its SID-Heavy presence throughout the album and gives a aggressive album feel. The unique element to Machinae Supremacy’s music overall is the superb use of SID sounds. One needs look no further than tracks such as ‘Super Steve’ and ‘Throttle and Mask’ for great examples of this.The album consistently rocks throughout, even if it lacks the complexity or vocal progress seen in future releases.

The album starts of strong with Insidious, a SID-Heavy in your face track of sorts. The album also dives into melodic territory with a duet in ‘Flagcarrier’, which also features acoustic guitar work.

The bass tends to stand out most in this album than the rest and is a high point for this particular record, which can be seen in select tracks such as ‘Deus Ex Machinae’ and ‘Dreadnaught’. Between the SID elements and heavy guitar presence throughout, you get the overall feeling of the album pretty quickly into it. Some tracks dive into atmospheric territory offering a bit more to the listener, while ‘Ninja’ in particular quite literally talks about the art of being one and “killing you in your sleep”. Album closer ‘Machinae Prime’ offers a instrumental which feels more atmospheric than the tracks before it and offers more of the same to make for a fantastic track worth hearing if you listen to nothing else on the album.

Personal Favorite Track: Player One

DJ: Deus Ex Machinae starts off strong and has hard hitting tracks throughout the album. ‘Return to Snake Mountain’ has a very classical sounding feel while blending it with the hard-driving sound. ‘Player One’ is just epic throughout truly sounding like it could be in a video game (obviously with the title) while ‘Attack Music’ is a song that really gets you on your feet from the get go and keeps you moving throughout. ‘Throttle and Mask’ however, is the stand out for me on this album. Everything you need to know about this band can be heard within this one song. The amazing intro that can be heard consistently throughout the song and it one of the best uses of the aforementioned SID in this album. If this band were a game, I believe this would be their theme.

Personal Favorite Track: Throttle and Mask

Redeemer:

VV: Redeemer takes all that was good about Deus Ex Machinae and turns it up to eleven. This album rarely slows down in pacing, much like the previous album, and loses a bit of the “SID feel” in favor of more focus on the entire band. This results in hearing more backing vocals which are very welcome, along with solos all throughout the album. The SID still exists however and doesn’t disappoint.

This album has lots of instrumental parts of the Jets‘N’Guns soundtrack in this album, except with lyrics added; making for quite the treat for anyone that played the PC game before hearing this album. There are two versions of this album, Underground and Retail. Underground is the way to go as it has all the tracks meant to be heard on the album. The noteworthy song of the Retail Edition is ‘Ghost (Beneath the Surface)’ and is the only drawback to the Underground Edition, since it does not have that track. The album however is not without its epic sounding tracks. ‘Seventeen’ keeps the SID heavy and present throughout. ‘Empire’ and the intro track before it sets up the atmosphere for a epic track that is heavy as hell and an excellent closer for the album. ‘Oki Kuma’s Adventure’ takes a page from the duet presented in the first album, showcasing vocals that harmonize well together in duet format much like ‘Flagcarrier’ before it. The song ‘Fury’ is also worth noting as it hits the Underground Edition of the album and was previously a free download track from the band’s webography tracks. There is even great use of piano in what would turn out to be the band’s first music video in fan-favorite and constant live set closer ‘Through the Looking Glass’. One would have a hard task trying to find a slow spot on this album. It simply doesn’t let you down at any point and is a fan favorite with very good reason.

Personal Favorite Track: Seventeen

DJ: ‘Elite’ really kicks your ass and gets your heart pumping to start off. It makes me want to start moshing and that’s not a bad thing. ‘Rise’ continues to build on that momentum while bringing in more melodic moments. ‘Kaori Stomp’ even though it’s not in English, the sound still continues its theme of being super heavy and having a fantastic solo towards the end of the song. ‘I Know the Reaper’ is my stand out song for this album. It has a very epic feel to it with its phenomenal guitar riffs that get me every time. ‘Seventeen’ is another great song that just misses as it being my standout. It’s got a bouncy feel while still remaining heavy with that awesome breakdown towards the end of the song. ‘Rogue World Asylum’ has a very memorable beginning along with a very catchy chorus that I always find myself singing. Lastly, there is the epic track that is ‘Empire’. This is a hell of a song to finish the album with giving it the right amount of epic sound and feel while finishing off just as strong as it started. There is also ‘Ghost (Beneath the Surface)’ to consider as well. If you enjoy guitar solos like me, this is your go to for that. It has one great solo after another that leaves you with your jaw dropped.

Personal Favorite Track: I Know the Reaper

Overworld:

VV: Overworld is one their best produced albums (if not their best, period) and also happens to be a very singable one. All the tracks on this album sounds great vocal wise and makes for a very catchy listen. It is also a more balanced album overall, showing off various elements of what the band is capable of. Whether it is SID heavy songs such as ‘Need For Steve’, melodic tracks such as ‘Skin’, or even a pop cover such as Gimme More (SID), it is all here.

Machinae Supremacy also keeps the tradition of making great album closers and openers. This is shown in the form a fun headbanger such as ‘Overworld’, and one of the album's best closers in the uplifting track known as ‘Stand’. A track in which feels atmospheric and while being a slower track on the album, it is a powerful one. “We stand by our ways, it is not just a game that we play”, you know what you're in for right from the start. Standing up to whoever or whenever, and also standing up for what you believe in. Deep and thoughtful lyrics along with the instrumentals that show a willingness to experiment, makes for an album that stands on its own, versus the previous two. Regardless of subject matter, this album gives off a punk vibe in the sense that the band doesn't hesitate to try new things, such as questioning habits and political beliefs. Hearing this in combination with one of their best sounding albums makes for an album that could be a good example of what to show a new fan to express what the band is all about.

Personal Favorite Track: Stand

DJ: First, we have the title track of the album (‘Overworld’) that has a great SID intro that goes right into some heavy guitar parts then follows with a very catchy chorus. All of that serves as a theme for throughout the album. You’re able to head bang while singing along easily. ‘Need for Steve’ is another one with a really cool intro as it blends SID with an awesome guitar solo. Speaking of guitar solos, this song has my favorite guitar solo on this album towards the end of the track. Next is ‘Edge and Pearl’, a song that has, in my opinion, the catchiest chorus on the album. I always enjoy singing along to it. ‘Radio Future’ continues the same pattern along with have a cool intro as well. Moving into ‘Skin’, it’s one of the more melodic songs on this album, yet is also one of the standout songs, while also seamlessly flowing from melodic into very heavy-driving sounding guitars. ‘Truth of Tomorrow’ has another one of my favorite choruses to sing. It was very easy for me to memorize and that’s not because it’s redundant but because I enjoy singing it so much. ‘Dark City’, another standout song for me, has my favorite intro to any song on the album. The sound of that guitar is such a beautiful melody and is a theme that carries throughout the entire song. It also has great melodies and more beautiful sounding guitar parts. All in mind, this is my favorite song on the album. ‘Conveyer’ starts out fast making you want to mosh around the room while again being brought back down to earth with more incredible melodies. Next is the Britney Spears cover ‘Gimme More’. Usually, when a band covers a song like this, you can tell it’s a cover from the overall sound and use of their instruments. In this case, they’ve truly made this song one of their own with their brilliant use of SID. Also the guitar solos so good, you forget that it’s a cover to begin with. ‘Violator’ follows a similar pattern and is the shortest track on the album. ‘Sid Icarus’ is another great song as it uses those elements that I keep talking about throughout this review. It’s great instrumentation throughout, catchy chorus and kickback to Jets’N’Guns make for a stellar track. Lastly, we have ‘Stand’ and they couldn’t have have written a better song to close out this album. More melodic and a slower song than the last few tracks, it makes for a strong end to an already fantastic album. While continuing to use the elements that make this album so great, it’s one of the more epic sounding songs it has to offer.

Personal Favorite Track: Dark City

A View From the End of the World:

VV: This album could easily be the favorite of any gamer or longtime fan alike. While Overworld is certainly a good album to introduce people to the band within its own right, this is the album to introduce the band to someone with. A View From the End of the World is a stellar album that gives you the whole package of what Machinae Supremacy is about. Want your SID? You’ve got it. Pop-like songs with heart? Check. Awesome opener and closer for the album? You’ll definitely find it here..

The title track kicks things off with a bang with catchy guitars and powerful vocals, leading into a epic song which toys with the idea of a “all hope is lost” feel which can be heard within the lyrics. Standout track ‘Rocket Dragon’ showcases one of the better examples of a higher pitched vocal range to this point within the track itself. ‘Cybergenesis’ takes a cue from Terminator with the “there is no fate but that which we make for ourselves” line and also makes for one of the heavier tracks on this album. ‘Shinigami’ combines a bit of everything in a fast paced track, referencing the Death Note anime series, right after the short instrumental ‘World of Light’ that is very much influenced by the series as well. Tracks such as ‘Action Girl’, ‘Nova Prospekt’, and ‘Crouching Camper Hidden Sniper’ appeal to the gamers out there with clear references either within the titles themselves, or the actual track lyrics. ‘Crouching Camper’ gets special notice due to the fantastic use of SID towards the middle of the track, right up there with ‘Winterstorm’ from back in the day. ‘Persona’ continues what ‘Skin’ started last album, with a melodic track containing heartfelt lyrics. ‘Indiscriminate Murder Is Counter-Productive’ shows the band isn’t afraid to experiment and have fun. That very thought is actually a good part of why the album is as well-rounded as it is. It manages to show off different playing speeds, styles, and sounds while still being a consistently pleasant listen. Album closer ‘Remnant’ (March of the Undead IV) is a slow yet dark track which very much gives you the feeling of closure once it is done.

While personal bias clearly shows with this album description, it is very much a entry point for new fans. They wouldn’t hear anything before this point and not know exactly what they are in for. Those that cling to Redeemer may have a issue with the more melodic tracks towards the end of the album, but they are good in their own right and have their own messages. Every song seems to have it’s own clear message which is part of why this would be a top contender for a album to listen to if no other.

Personal Favorite Track: Cybergenesis

DJ: A View from the End of the World kicks off with its title track and it’s an awesome kick off with a fun sounding guitar part that echoes throughout the song. Also, halfway through, the SID kicks in making that part sound like it was taken right out of a video game. Then we have ‘Force Feedback’ that has great hard driving guitars, are the driving force of this song. No pun intended. Whether it’s the hard driving parts or the incredible guitar solos, it takes you on an incredible ride. Moving into ‘Rocket Dragon’, it has one of my favorite guitar solos on the album. It’s not the length of it that makes it great, but how it blends in so well with the SID towards the end of the song. ‘Persona’ takes things down a notch in terms of tempo, but still stays true to the album’s flow. This is also the one song where I feel like Rob shines on this album, especially when he goes just a little higher in pitch than normal just before the chorus. With the previous song taking the tempo down, ‘Nova Prospekt’ injects one hell of a groove that will keep you moving and “feeling the bounce”, if you will. From beginning to end, guitar solo included, you won’t want to stop. Now we have ‘World Of Light’, which brings things back down with a great instrumental and soulful sounding guitars, but are very brief. ‘Shinigami’ kicks your ass from at the very beginning with a cool intro and more awesome use of SID. The track then brings things down periodically throughout the song. It summarizes the album perfectly at the halfway point. Next, there are songs that will always make me want to start drumming along with my hands. ‘Cybergenesis’ is perfect for that and also adding another solo that gets knocked out of the park. This is by far one of my favorites. ‘Action Girl’ has a very cool intro, very old school video game sounding, which is something I always love to hear along with the guitar solo. If you haven’t been able to tell, I love guitar solos. ‘Crouching Camper Hidden Sniper’ is the perfect song to use for playing any first person shooter. If the title was enough of a giveaway, lyrics like “I’ll teabag you for your behavior” will further prove that point. It also has a hard driving part towards the end that makes each kill that much more satisfying. ‘Indiscriminate Murder is Counter-Productive’ is another bouncy song that make it impossible to stand still while hearing. It also has another cool SID part that continues throughout the song. ‘One Day in the Universe’ brings it back down again making it one of the more softer sounding songs on the album, but continues the theme of cool sounding guitar solos. ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ continues along with the aforementioned theme. That’s not to say it’s a bad thing, because the songs before these two are just so good, that these two got overlooked for me. ‘Remnant (March of the Undead IV)’ is the one track that brings it all back. It’s the song that takes you on an incredible journey from the soft-sounding beginnings, into its beautiful choruses, and complemented by its brilliantly written guitar parts. It is my favorite song on the album and caps off perfectly one of my favorite albums that they’ve done.

Personal Favorite Track: Remnant (March of the Undead IV)

Rise of a Digital Nation:

VV: Rise of a Digital Nation is the shortest studio album in this list but not one to be looked over. Rise has some powerful songs throughout but unlike A View, it is a shorter album in which by the time you start to perhaps grasp the album for what it is, it’s is over. There are some interesting tracks both instrumental wise and vocal wise seen in both ‘99’ and ‘Battlecry’, which shows the bands further willingness to try something new from time to time and also succeed at doing so. ‘All of My Angels’ makes for a excellent opening track and also has a great video to go with, clearly speaking out to fans of Doctor Who with the weeping angels references. ‘Laser Speed Force’ showcases a rare case in which Jonas takes front and center vocals for parts of the song and makes for a excellent track showcasing just how well the dual vocals sound together in a single song. Title track, ‘Rise of a Digital Nation’ speaks to people all over the world with its powerful lyrics and callout to all like-minded fans who are all united regardless of distance and being willing to speak our minds, despite cultural differences. The album becomes more questionable of a listen when you start comparing the newest ‘Hero’ to the previous one, which lacks the overall raw sound of the past, but gains better overall vocals and a extended ”live section” which once heard, cannot be unheard. ‘Cyber Warfare’ will make you crave the older MaSu sound upon hearing this short instrumental track and ‘Pieces’ suffers from mediocrity when compared with pretty much any other MaSu track, in my personal opinion.

Rise of a Digital Nation brings back thoughts to when first hearing Overworld. Because the album is shorter, it takes a few listens to take in but somehow never feels complete, which is the difference between this and Overworld. If we throw in the live factor into this album however, select tracks (mainly RoaDN/LSF) have one hell of a live presence. Also worth noting, since ‘Hero’ is technically a existing song redone, I personally consider ‘99’ to be the true closer of the album, and when looked at that way, MaSu hold their tradition of having strong openers and closers to their albums.

Personal Favorite Track: 99

DJ: ‘All of My Angels’ kicks off this album in a great way, with its incredibly catchy chorus. It also holds a special place in my heart because of the Doctor Who reference of the weeping angels. That of course is referring to one of my favorite antagonists that the Doctor’s faced. The next song ‘Laser Speed Force’ is a great hard driving song. It also features the vocals of their guitarist Jonas, who harmonizes very well with Rob. The title track of the album (‘Rise of a Digital Nation’), which has become the theme of the entire fan base, has all the elements for it to be just that. You have a catchy sounding chorus, meaningful lyrics, and great use of SID. Moving onto ‘Cyber Warfare’, the shortest track on the album, and it does not disappoint with how heavy it is. That continues into and throughout ‘Republic of Gamers’. The highlight of the song for me is the use of SID just before the guitar solo. It’s so much fun to listen to. ‘Battlecry’ deserves attention due to the dubstep-like part thrown into it. Normally, I’m not a fan of the genre at all, but it definitely works here. ‘99’ slows it down while maintaining an amazing melody. By far, it’s the best track on the album, in my opinion.

Personal Favorite Track: 99

Phantom Shadow

VV: Phantom Shadow is one of MaSu’s best efforts but also serves as an attempt at a concept album. MaSu nails this while offering a variety of songs that keep you interested based on story content, references to older songs, lyrics filled with emotion, and some catchy sing along tracks. Some tracks even tend to be have that older “raw sound” as heard in tracks like ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ and “The Bigger They Are the Harder They Fall’ that people crave from the band.

The issue with putting this album on top of a ranking is the entry point for a newer fan. Without grasping the context of the story, it can be hard to get into. Past the possible hurdles of a concept album, the overall package is a sweet one and that much better if you have listened to the bands work up to this point. ‘Villian of This Story’ starts the album and gives off the concept album vibe with some great SID throughout, while ‘Perfect Dark’ continued said pattern and engages you further into the story while tossing multiple characters at you at this point as well. Older fans get some treats within the album with ‘Renegades’ and ‘The Second One’, the former containing lyrics and some instrumentation from the webography track ‘Nemesis’ and the latter being a sequel of sorts to ‘Indiscriminate Murder’. ‘Europa’ makes you think back to ‘Flagcarrier’ from DxM due to the female vocals provided by Ingeborg and a overall melodic track. Rob and Ingeborg harmonize very well together in this track and at times you may even think she is lead; a testament to her wonderful performance on this track. Added to this track are the presence of violin and a acoustic guitar. The sweeping technique used throughout the track however can be hard on the ears if using headphones. Always wondered if this would be able to be mixed better so this wouldn’t be the case, but one of MaSu’s greatest tracks to date regardless. With the first album to feature Tomi on guitar in its entirety, he shows off some wicked guitar work in the form of solos throughout the album to be enjoyed by the listeners. Spoken word tracks placed throughout also help keep you engaged in the story and tell it from the perspective of multiple characters. This album is more of a journey as a result than your typical MaSu album. Frantic yet consistent drumming can be enjoyed in ‘Throne of Games’. ‘The Bigger They Are the Harder They Fall’ while being mostly instrumental, has some lyrics. There are very few in this particular track but sets the scene perfectly for a upcoming battle with a past character. Heartfelt lyrics in ‘Hubnester Rising’ help bring a sense of closure to both the album itself and the story it was telling throughout. Powerful lyrics are also delivered in ‘Beyond Good and Evil’ which contains one of the best uses of Rob’s vocals in the bridge section of the song along with some of the best SID usage on the album.

Phantom Shadow is one of their longer albums to date but certainly not without good reason. Due to what it tries to accomplish, it will draw you back in for multiple listens. You will find yourself picking up on more and more story details upon doing so and some of the best overall instrumentation from the band to this point.

Personal Favorite Track: The Bigger They Are the Harder They Fall

DJ: ‘The Villain of This Story’ has a great intro that continues to build while having a classic sounding guitar part. As the track closes, it transitions very smoothly in their signature sound. ‘Perfect Dark’ is another one of those songs that has a cool sounding SID part in the background that plays throughout that almost harmonizes with Rob’s vocals. ‘Europa’ has a very melodic and classical feel to it. It also introduces Ingeborg, who harmonizes with Rob beautifully. It almost sounds like a rock opera. Moving into ‘Throne of Games’ starts off really heavy while blending in with a very bouncy melody that makes you want to mosh with the person next to you, making it one of my favorites on the album. ‘Renegades’ has groove to it back with awesome sounding guitar parts flow throughout the song. ‘Beyond Good and Evil” is a song straight out of a video game with it being the heaviest use of SID. Add a great guitar solo, and you have my favorite song on the album. ‘The Second One’ has another “bouncy” feel that makes it a lot if fun to listen to. This is well represented in the guitar solo as well. ‘The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall’ has more fun SID parts that makes you forget you're listening to a band but instead listening to a soundtrack to a video game. The aforementioned details makes it yet another favorite song of mine. ‘Hubnester Rising’ ends this album incredibly well giving it an epic conclusion to the story of this album with it's seamless transitions from melodic to heavier sounding parts. As a obvious sucker for solos, this one sounds pretty epic. As the track fades out, one can’t help but think this song serves as one of MaSu’s best closers yet, putting and end to a already fantastic album.

Personal Favorite Track: Beyond Good and Evil

VV: 1. A View From the End of the World

2. Phantom Shadow

3. Overworld

4. Redeemer

5. Deus Ex Machinae

6. Rise of a Digital Nation

In my honest opinion, Machinae Supremacy has yet to put out a bad album or even a mediocre one. For a band that has been out since the year 2000, that is a amazing task. It all came down to personal preference and I view each album on here ranging from an 8 to a 10; if we were to use number scores that is. The first two were easy picks. The rest required lots of thought as well as ditching the nostalgia glasses. Ditching the nostalgia glasses led to me placing Overworld over Redeemer (literally a last minute decision) and it wasn’t a easy one. Overworld has a better overall sound (possibly their best produced album) and catchier songs when compared to Redeemer. Thinking about listening to both Deus Ex Machinae vs Rise of a Digital Nation as a whole, I feel DxM gets the leg up in taking you through a variety of feelings when listening and atmospheric tracks. Rise just doesn’t give me that same feeling but does have standout tracks I wouldn’t pass up if putting together a top songs list. For example, I couldn’t imagine living without the title track because of a variety of reasons mostly to do with the meaning behind the track itself. Because this is based entirely off the studio albums, and live presence isn’t considered while doing this, this is the order I ultimately decided on.

DJ: 1. Overworld

2. A View From the End of the World

3. Phantom Shadow

4. Redeemer

5. Rise of a Digital Nation

6. Deus Ex Machinae

This list was very difficult for me to make, because I have thoroughly enjoyed all of Machinae Supremacy’s discography. At the end of the day, I’m going to be choosing the order based on the albums I’ve enjoyed the most. The more songs I liked on the album, the higher it’ll be on my list. My top pick is Overworld. I’ve listened to them all scattered throughout the beginnings of when I got into the band, but this was the first album I had the privilege to listen to all the way through, and there is no album that I’ve ever enjoyed more. For me it’s just one song after another that leaves a smile on my face and has me singing along. That’s what I really love doing. Next is A View and that is a near perfect album in itself. Towards the end is where I don’t enjoy it as much. It’s not to say those songs aren’t good, because they are, but there is a definite drop off. Moving on to Phantom Shadow, the story that’s being told here is brilliantly done, but that’s not what I enjoy the most about listening to albums and that’s the only reason why it is where it is. Next, I have Redeemer. Like Overworld, it has a lot of SID use, which I love more than anything because it’s what sets the band apart from others. However, I find myself not singing along as much. That’s not to say that’s a bad thing though. The tough part was trying to pick between Rise and Deus Ex. Going back to my original basis for my list, I enjoyed Rise just a little bit more than Deus Ex. That’s not to say one album is better than the other. I’m simply going off my personal preference, which is why Rise gets the edge here. Thank you for taking the time to look at this. Lots of time was spent to pull this off and it wasn't easy. I'd like to give a nod to AudioVein Entertainment, which will be nice enough to also post a slightly tweaked version of this same post on their site for further band exposure. Also, my partner Dan that took part in this very post writes for said site. Check out the site below.

http://audioveinentertainment.com/

#machinaetribe #review #masualbum #deusexmachinae #machinaesupremacy #Redeemer #Overworld #aviewfromtheendoftheworld #riseofadigitalnation #phantomshadow #sidmetal

5 notes · View notes