#then there's the chorus near the end and it all ends very dramatically/epically

[landofanimes]

Ranma 1/2

OVA Ed#1: Ranma to Akane no Ballad (The Ballad of Ranma and Akane)

[you-turn-it-into-light]

H-el-ical// - Kaihouku (解放区) (2022) Album Review

Sorry I’m a bit late to the party, I was busy and waiting for the physical album to arrive. I’ve given it one listen so my thoughts might not be super coherent but I’ll also give some updated thoughts on the songs that reappear in the track list.

Overall Thoughts:

The promo image made me think that we’d see a larger picture of Hikaru, there’d be more of that paint and we’d see the full outfit, so I’m a little disappointed with the cover art especially the regular edition.

No extra booklet coming with the limited edition is disappointing as well

While I enjoy that Hikaru branched out with composers more, I wish she kept writing more of the lyrics. I like it when artists write their own lyrics because it feels more like their song and Hikaru’s lyrics added a lot of character and a feeling of connection with her through the songs. I hope she doesn’t go down the route of continuing to only let people write lyrics for her songs.

I’m a bit let down by the new songs, I only love one of them lol.

I like the new route she’s taking, most of these songs sound different that stuff she’s done before and it’s a nice break from the samey stuff from her last few mini albums. Even though I’m sad there weren’t more dark or epic songs in this album, it’s really just my personal preference.

Altern-ate- (7/10)

This song is interesting in some ways, I really like the verses and the bridge especially. The arrangement is quite epic and I love the choir in the beginning and the strings section near the end. I like how the lyrics incorporate both lines from within the anime with 「二人で一つ」(the two of us become one) and 「この物語の集約じゃない」(I am not the protagonist of this story) as well as the actual Gleipnir norse mythology. Hikaru really did but a lot of effort into these lyrics and they’re so interesting. The main strings riff however is a little boring and the chorus is also quite bland. There are also a couple of moments in the studio recording that I go ‘okay Hikaru you didn’t want to do a second take?’ like the ‘nazo wa tokenai mama’ and parts where she was obviously straining her voice but at this point I expect this is every Hikaru song.

Rasen no Mayu (螺旋の繭) (6.5/10)

I don’t mind this song, it sends like a very generic pop-rock song. I like Hikaru’s low notes in the verses and the chorus is growing on me with each listen to be honest. The subtle additions of two harmonies is a nice touch but the chorus is honestly my favourite part. The instrumentation and arrangement is honestly kind of generic and forgettable, nothing much to say about it. I like the song fine but it’s probably the most forgettable out of all the new songs.

The Sacred Torch (4/10)

This song is just kind of... okay? I don’t mind the verses and I like the urgency of the the pre-choruses but the chorus is boring and bland. The flavour of this song isn’t really my thing and it’s definitely my least favourite A-Side in all of H-el-ical//’s single’s thus far. The final 「灯かかげ」 sounds cool but Hikaru sounds very strained in that part as well. Also why do the strings sound midi? Can they not afford actual strings?

Ambient Border (6/10)

Are those midi strings again? Ugh. I love dramatic songs in musicals and this definitely gives me that vibe. The verses are boring but I like the chorus and especially the bridge (mostly the line ノイズと残響酸性雨の中で錆び付いた) it’s very dramatic and feels like it could be in the climax of a story. Similar to Rasen no Mayu, the instrumentation and arrangement is nothing to write home about and neither is the song really. I feel like I’ll enjoy it more if I hear it in the context of the musical.

YES NO (イエスノウ) (8/10)

This song is so 80′s it’s so great. The combination of electronic sounds and the guitar phrases are very funky and I love the sound. The chorus is great but the bridge is so sexy, definitely my favourite part. Hikaru’s low notes in time with the bass and cowbell in the background and then the guitar comes back in? Sounds great. The piano solo was also great. This is a great song to dance to and it’s one of the sexiest things Hikaru’s ever sung. I have this song’s rating as an 8 because while there are lots of things I like about this song, I don’t think there’s there’s anything I LOVE about it.

Kanashii Kedamono (カナシイケダモノ) (9/10)

My favourite song in the album. The guitar riff and chill vibe caught me immediately then Hikaru’s singing in the pre-chorus successfully got me in. It sounds similar to YES NO but I feel like it’s more dramatic. The bridge though??? The melody is so good, and the arrangement and instrumentation of the lines 「震えるまま　ありのままの」 is so dramatic I love it. The arrangement isn’t anything super interesting, but I like the guitar in the verses and the horns in the chorus, none of it sounds midi so I love it. The last chorus is especially great. Definitely my favourite.

Kawaisou da yo (かわいそうだよ) (7/10)

Hikaru’s singing in this song is mostly great, she conveys a lot of emotion in the lyrics, especially the line 「I hate youでも逢いたくて」sounds very raw. The breathy way she sings in most of the song makes the final chorus with its key change more impactful in my opinion. The arrangement is nothing to write home but I like the sound of the shirt it was very nice. The lyrics are nice as well, they’re more raw than anything else Hikaru’s sung and it’s a nice change. I really wanted to love this song but it just reminds me of too many other generic J-Pop ballads (in my opinion) that I can’t fall in love with it. It’s one of those songs that I only like because Hikaru’s singing it I guess.

disclose (8/10)

I remember I fell in love with this song the first time I heard this song, it was what I always wanted in a Hikaru solo song and it’s still really great. The arrangement is interesting and dramatic, I love how Gushimiyagi contrasts the arrangements between the verses. The instrumentation in this song is heavy and impactful and the addition of sound effects and occasional midi choir in the background really adds to the effect. Hikaru’s singing is very strained in the chorus but I think it adds to the desperate feeling the song is going for. Similar to other songs Gushimiyagi has composed, the chorus is my least favourite part. Repeating the same two notes over and over again isn’t really interesting to me. But overall, love this song.

clea-rly- (7.5/10)

I still love the heavy rock feeling of this song, it suits Hikaru very well. I love the arrangement of this song it’s so cool and the added electronic elements add rather than detract from the arrangement. Again though, the verses and pre-chorus are the best parts (except for the bridge cause the way Hikaru sings 「感覚を味わいたくない？」is soooo sexy) and the chorus is just boring because it’s just the same phrase over and over again like STOP. I like the idea of Altern-ate-’s single songs being from the perspectives of the main protagonist even though I hated the show. Anyway, This song is a lot of fun and I really like it, even if it can sound a bit basic.

JUST DO IT (4/10)

I actually like the chorus the best in this song, it sounds more dramatic and less cheesy than the rest of the song (even if it’s a bit repetitive). I guess I’m against the very premise of this song because I’ve heard what the anime’s about and it’s so stupid lmao. The rest of the song isn’t really my cup of tea, the technological electronic sounds fit the tone of the show but I don’t really like them. The english parts of the intro and outro are so cheesy I can’t handle them. Overall, IMPOSSIBLE LOVE is better go listen to that.

landscape (5.5/10)

I like the verses of the song, the guitar phrases are really calming and give a very atmosphere to the song, the strings in the second verse are also lovely. I don’t mind the electronic elements of the song but the chorus isn’t really my thing. I like how experimental and layered this song is, but it’s interesting but also boring at the same time. If they entire song was like the verses I would probably like the song them a lot more.

pulsation (English ver.) (5/10)

The only real thing to talk about with this version is the lyrics and some of the new arrangement choices I guess. I don’t mind the English lyrics, but the way Hikaru chose to space the syllables in the line of ‘The sky is so blue’ always bothers me, like why did you decide to speed ‘the sky’ together then extend ‘sky’ when you could just sing ‘the sky is’ evenly, like it fits... Also the way ‘anymore now’ is extended is so strange and kind of interrupts the flow of the song in my opinion. The arrangement changes are interesting if a little overwhelming and obnoxious (in the case of the bridge). This version is a nice alternative, but I prefer the original.

Favourite Songs: Kanashii Kedamono, YES NO, disclose

Least Favourite Songs: JUST DO IT, The Sacred Torch, landscape (not including pulsation (English ver.))

[celeste-fitzgerald]

On The Third Day - ELO (album review/fangirl session)

Hello, I am back with another review - and a new profile pic (Hugh my beloved). As always, these are just my own personal opinions! Also, since I didn't specify in my review of the last album, for most of these I'm just doing reviews of the original releases (since that's what's on spotify. Secret Messages will be an exception, but that's still quite a ways away haha).

Now, I'm going to (maybe?) be controversial and use the US cover image here because the UK cover makes me laugh so hard. I'm sorry, I just can't take it seriously lmao (and yes I know it's a fold-out thing, but that does NOT fix how fucking blurry that photo of Jeff is).

Ocean Breakup / King of the Universe: 6/10 Ooh. I will begin by saying that 90% of the time when I listen to ELO, I just stick the massive ELO playlist on shuffle. But as I do these reviews, I listen to the albums from start to finish. And god damn, this song makes so much more sense listening this way. As an album opener, it's pretty darn solid! Starts off with a very strong, dramatic instrumental, then flows right into the equally epic King of the Universe section. Not really a song I enjoy that much as a stand-alone piece, but it's very effective as an opener!

Bluebird Is Dead: 6/10 Wow, now that I'm sitting down and intentionally listening to this one instead of just having it in the background, I'm noticing so much more about it. Like, the whole instrumental section at 2:30 with that really cool keyboard sound - I genuinely do not recall hearing that until just now, it completely slipped my attention. But it's super cool! Overall, this one sounds quite Beatle-y to me. Shocking, right? :P

Oh No Not Susan: 5/10 There are parts of this song that I enjoy a lot, and parts that are just a bit "meh" to me. Near the start of the song and at the very end, the fast-paced rising line with the violin is superb, I love that sound. But compared to that, the rest of the song is mildly disappointing to me. But, I love how they managed to take that super intense section and transition it to the much calmer section and make it flow naturally. It works, and it's nice.

New World Rising / Ocean Breakup Reprise: 5/10 Damn, the instrumental bits in all of these songs are no joke. Honestly I kind of keep finding myself wishing for Jeff to shush so I can hear the instruments lmao. This one's also a pretty good showcase for Jeff's falsetto at some parts. But yeah, to be totally honest, if they had just made this one a full instrumental, I think I'd like it a lot more.

Showdown: 8/10 Apparently only on some versions of the album, but I can't leave out this one. oKAY right off the bat, I haven't paid much attention to the bassline in this song before, but I'm hearing it now and it is GREAT. Fabulous job, Mr. Albuquerque. Overall just a really solid song, I love it.

Daybreaker: 9/10 Hell yeah, give me that sweet sweet instrumental. Richard Tandy carrying the band and doing a damn fine job of it. This one's super fun to listen to, and the strings are marvelous in it, too.

Ma-Ma-Ma Belle: 7/10 This one keeps growing on me more every time I hear it. It rocks hard, man. The guitar is great, and Jeff making his voice all raspy fits really well. One of the stronger ones of the album, imo. oH SHIT wait I just paid attention to the outro of the song, it's kinda creepy and I love it omg.

Dreaming of 4000: 8/10 Another of my top songs from the album that I enjoy more and more each time. I love the syncopated vocal line in the verses, and I really love the chorus too. Though....I just looked up the lyrics for the first time and I cannot for the life of me tell what this is about. (But I'm generally pretty shit at understanding what lyrics mean unless they're super straight forward, so that might just be a Me problem lmao.)

In the Hall of the Mountain King: 3/10 Eh. I'm not really sure why ELO did a version of this song. It's not bad, but I'd rather hear ELO stuff. Though I do enjoy Bev's drumming here...but that's about it lmao.

---

Overall: 7/10 If I take any random individual song from this album to listen to on its own, with a few exceptions it would just be kind of average (in my opinion). BUT. As an album, this is super solid. The previous two albums had some good stuff on them, but they felt a bit scattered. This one, on the other hand, feels really cohesive to me, and it's definitely a better experience to listen to it straight through rather than just picking a few songs here and there. This is where ELO is starting to hit their stride, and things are about to get damn good.

[boop-le-snoot]

PARTY FAVOURS | CHAPTER 5

Rating: Explicit.

‼️TW: Reader is EIGHTEEN! Recreational drug use, smoking and alcohol consumption, deeply internalised self-loathing, very questionable moral standards. Daddy kink taken half-seriously. BDSM themes in later chapters - explicit content will come with it's own TWs. FIRST PERSON POV.

Summary: You're Peter's classmate, a child of rich and famous but uncaring parents. Getting paired up for a lengthy project with the boy was an interesting turn of events and you don't know whether to feel blessed or cursed when you develop, seemingly, a perfectly normal, harmless crush on Tony Stark. Fueled by feelings of inadequacy and boredom, your life spirals out of control - and you're lucky your newfound friends are there to pick up the pieces even if you cannot find it in yourself to believe these amazing human (and not so human) beings voluntarily give you more than a fleeting glance and an offhanded thought. And they brought cake!

A/N: Revenge is sweet but a well-timed dick joke is sweeter. xoxo gossip girl. Please supervise one Bucky Barnes on the internet. Questionable music taste. Detention is the price we pay for justice. Bruce Banner is too precious for this world, too pure.

THE TAG LIST IS NOW OPEN! @another-stark-sub ​ @mostly-marvel-musings @vozit​ @littlegasps​ @pilloclock​ @shereadsinquiet​ @downeyreads​ @hermione-grangers-wife​ @individualistfem​

Beta read by the lovely and patient @miscmarvelwritings ! 🎶🎵I love you biiitch ain't ever gonna stop loving you biiitch 🎵🎶

"Initiate phase one," I added a growly undertone to my whisper, holding my phone inconspicuously, as if I was making a simple phone call. There was no answer but I didn't expect one: I was testing the voice recorder app that I had downloaded for the sole purpose of documenting and relaying the inevitable fall of one Flash Thompson. 

Making my way through the crowd of students during the busiest time of the day, I made the most intrigued and outraged facial expression I possibly could. Spying my targets, I leaned against a nearby wall, putting a hand over my mouth in fake outrage, keeping my eyes wide and trained on the opposite wall. Just as I had predicted, the two sophomore girls started giving me side-eye by minute two of my staring and finally approached me as I contemplated the wall for whole five minutes.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" The brunette asked, her blonde friend hanging a step back.

"Yeah, totally," I mumbled. "I'm, like, shook beyond imagination, but nothing, like, bad."

The girls traded a curious look, seemingly coming to some sort of conclusion. The greedy gleam in their eyes had me internally cheering. "What happened?" The blonde one asked, coming closer.

"I'm not sure if I should tell that to anyone," I stammered, watching them bodily move forward. "Well, okay, I can't keep quiet. But you must never, ever speak of it or I'll get expelled or something," I said nervously. They both nodded so rapidly it reminded me of Funko Pop figurines. "You know the senior guy, Flash? Brown hair, kinda hot?" Again, they both nodded, conspicuously grinning. "I think I just saw him in the closed girls bathroom on the third floor with, like, some brunette from Ms. Johnson's History class," They both gasped. Predictable. "But that's not the worst! They were like, y'know," I made an obscene gesture with my hand and they instantly covered their own mouths with their palms in shock. "And the chick was like 'is it in yet?' and he was like 'yah' and I just closed the door and ran, oh my god I hope they didn't hear me," I squealed at the end, playing the part of a mortified teenager.

All three of us giggled uncomfortably for a moment. The blonde girl stared at me suspiciously. "And what were you doing there?"

I faked a nervous stammer, looking around briefly and showing them my lighter for a moment. They both gasped and nodded in recognition. "Don't tell anybody or my mom is going to have kittens," I pleaded. Both of them nodded solemnly, noticing their own group of friends approach. I used the brief moment to get lost in the river of pupils and by the time they turned around to introduce me, I was already at the opposite part of the hallway.

For the time being, everything seemed peaceful. There were a few giggles and side-eyes directed towards Flash Thompson but nothing out of the ordinary. He was disliked by most of the student population even if nobody dared to admit it outright. I took care to walk around without my earbuds for the day and pulled out my phone to record the most interesting conversations around me whenever I caught the tell tale signs of a gossip mill beginning to run its course around the school.

"Oh my god, I heard about this girl that was caught fucking Flash in the girls bathroom and she literally said 'is it in yet', can you imagine the shock, jeez!"

"Some chick literally just rejected Flash because his dick was too small."

"Rebecca from AP chemistry told me someone saw Flash's micropenis. Poor guy!"

"I wonder if his girlfriend dumped him because he can't do shit, I mean, he doesn't look like the type to eat the kitty."

Those were just the highlights of the Friday afternoon. Come the weekend and the news of Flash's unfortunate condition will make the rounds through every single group chat that the school has and by the time Monday rolls around, nobody will have a clue who started the rumour in the first place. I had to carefully select the girls who were to distribute the rumour and I was happy with the outcome: Marissa and Layla with their squad of chatty, bored rich girls were the perfect choice. I thought they would jump at any opportunity to cause drama and I was right.

It was sufficient to say I was bristling with pride as I cut and compiled the audio track from today's school day before sending it to the group chat.

Clint, Peter and Natasha appeared online as soon as the message delivered and I was delighted at their response. Romanoff's kind words, specifically, made me all warm and mushy inside. I didn't resist the feeling, basked in it even as I did a happy dance around my room. Peter's nonsensical string of emojis was another point of laughter for me. 

It wasn't exactly the smartest way to go about killing Thompson's reputation... Alas, simplicity is the way to success when it comes to large crowds of teenagers. That tiny little vindictive part of me was very much looking forward to the weekend and the results of the inevitable distortion of the rumour I had started. Who knew, maybe by Monday Flash Thompson would not only have a micropenis but horns and hooves as well.

Near bedtime, I had all the avengers send me their regards and thumbs up. I answered the flurry of texts as quickly as I could but there was no point in keeping up with ten or so people constantly streaming their questions, opinions and comments. 

I settled on a single easiest response: pulling my dad's old uni sweatshirt over my tiny lacy pajamas to preserve some modesty, I settled in front of my mirror, turning on my Bluetooth speaker to play "Boss Ass Bitch". In true gen-z fashion, I put on my best resting witch face and solemnly lip-synced to the song's eponymous chorus. My eyeliner was sharp enough to cut paper and my prismatic highlighter glittered enigmatically in the cold light of my blue lava lamp.

The response was, once again, delightful and I genuinely belly-laughed at the adults' attempts to meme after Peter. His blushy face emoji started a whole nother conversation that I didn't participate in but watched from the sidelines with glee, snorting every time his friends and mentors gently teased him about the very obvious crush he harboured on me. 

Seeing Peter starting to go absolutely nuts, I interjected with an offer (more like a dare) of a lip sync battle. He jumped on the bandwagon, immediately going offline to undoubtedly film an epic video of what I thought would be dorky-dancing to some hipster song. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be a pre-recorded tik tok video of him and Ned fighting with lightsabers while mouthing the words to Fergalicious that played over the Imperial March.

Weirdos. I still followed him on the app, though, it was pretty funny.

Bucky interjected with a very well executed rendition of "Bring Me to Life": he was wearing his full Winter Soldier get-up, complete with an AK-47, dramatically serenading Steve who looked seventeen shades of done with his partner's antics. Wanda's following twenty second voice message consisted of nothing but pure hysterical laughter, summing up everyone's reaction to the video. Bucky was going to go viral one of these days...

Obviously, I had good competition and nobody else seemed to want to participate so I rearranged my surroundings a little bit and stood up at my full height and swapped the old sweatshirt for a cute crop-top hoodie. My thigh-highs were on display and with my make-up, I looked like a proper internet e-girl. I leaned against the mirror as I mouthed along to the song with my best interpretation of the famous Lucifer smirk, seasoned with a tiny bit of angelic innocence: "Doctor, doctor, give me the news, I got a bad case of loving you..."

Needless to say, I won the competition. Eventually Wanda joined in, looking menacing and ominous with her dark clothes and Natasha's red hair flashing somewhere in the background; even Tony did a round (AC/DC as his soundtrack of course) with one of his Iron Man suits but nothing beat my stunt and the reaction that it caused.

I had accidentally called out Bruce with the choice of my song and his teammates gave both of us a lot of cheeky comments about it. We relented and flirted with each other a bit as the conversation flowed into more mundane discussion; I said my good nights somewhere between Tony's bitching about the hobbies of my generation and my nightly skincare routine. The little green heart that I'd become accustomed to over the past few weeks greeted me just as I was about to lock my phone.

Bruce was really too precious for this world. My crush on him was different than the one on Tony, it mellowed out in comparison. I wanted him to hold me, to stroke my hair, to call me his darling and wrap me up in one of those dorky button-ups that he insisted on wearing in spite of Tony's unwanted, however very valid, fashion advice.

For all that's worth, the scientist probably knew or at least suspected and had the good grace to play along just enough to satisfy my deep need for attention... Without crossing any actual lines. It was frustrating, it was disappointing but I had virtually nothing to complain about. Besides, I didn't want to lose the quirky friendship that we had. Banner was, probably, the least judgemental person I knew and I wasn't about to trade that for an awkwardly stolen kiss.

Monday and Tuesday passed in a flurry of giggling and snorting every time Flash walked by. His girlfriend broke up with him, very publicly, accusing him of cheating and he didn't even deny it - just insulted her and stormed off, leaving even his friends looking lost and clueless. I started dragging Peter and his two pet nerds along with me just about everywhere I went in case Thompson decided to do something stupid again. If judging only by the looks he was throwing our little company, he was on his way to figuring out who began nibbling at his reputation.

The week was coming to an end and the rumour began dying off, slowly. That just didn't sit with me, I wanted the fucker gone. Due to the obvious time constraints, I approached MJ regarding Peter - after a brief argument, we came to an agreement regarding Peter's safety should I need to leave him alone in the hallways or at lunch. 

I needed to do this alone so if I got caught, I won't drag them down with me. Granted, I would probably get something like a suspension and the school will attempt to call my mother (she never picks up) but that's about it. That's where her reputation comes in handy-people consciously avoid dealing with her, she can be that unbearable.

But first, I needed to get a teacher that's on my side. After carefully considering the candidates, I settled on my Social Studies professor - he taught the college-level classes and was overall a very chill, nice dude. And he disliked bullies with a flaming passion. So it didn't take me long to work him into a righteous fury - just a quick chat over a cup of tea in his homeroom and a few pictures of Peter's bruised face, complete with my own pleading puppy eyes. We agreed Mr Davies would "accidentally" leave the teacher's lounge unlocked during third period and I would sneak in. The plan wasn't foolproof but if it worked, not only Flash, but also his whole misogynistic, bigoted family would go down.

As I was leaving, Mr Davies looked up at me with a bright smile: "Give them Hell, alright?" And I suddenly noticed he was, in fact, very attractive. The smile brought out the fine wrinkles around his mouth, the crow's feet around his eyes - he smiled a lot. Silver strands mixed in with the wooden brown of his hair.

I let my eyes slide over him briefly before baring my teeth in return. "I owe you one," I don't know what possessed me to say that. My mouth really had a mind of its own sometimes. The room suddenly became hot.

"Sure," He replied, totally oblivious.

On Friday, I made myself a small nest in the empty classroom opposite the teacher's lounge and sat waiting for the signal from Mr Davies - he'd tap on the door once and I'd quietly go inside the teacher's lounge, retrieve Thompson's file and make my way back to the empty classroom to grab my backpack and carry the file to my locker for further examination. 

The first part went successfully and I managed to snag Thompson's file. It was heavy and hefty, all the evidence of his rowdiness compiled into one flimsy plastic folder. There were A LOT of pink slips and I rejoiced internally: at least there was a paper trail of his exploits. The principal didn't do anything about it which was... If not against the rules then at least frowned upon; the plan was to take copies and anonymously submit them to the school board prompting at least an investigation into the blatant disregard for Flash's immoral and illegal behaviour.

On my way back I stumbled upon the principal herself which got me not only a stern talking to, but a whole detention for skipping class. Whatever, I was too elated from potentially ruining the life of a dumb fuck who ruined my friend's face.

Surprise came in the face of Mr Davies, who, having heard the commotion in the hallway, stepped out of his class and saw me being lectured by the principal. 

"I'll take her for the detention," I heard the familiar voice behind me. The principal nodded solemnly and I had no choice but to sigh in resignation. "Three thirty, be here," He nodded to me, walking back, looking way too smug for his own good. So I wasn't the only one excited about the successful completion of stage two of my nefarious plan. Cue evil laughter.

[homohtunut]

How I, a person with zero experience but endless opinions would stage Eurovision 2021 pt 4/9

So here we go, time to finish semifinal 1

Romania

So I really really REALLY want them to keep concept of the music video, I HATE the color grey but it works very well for the dancers and the parts where the dancers are trying to "drown" Roxen looks so beautiful, all in all the choreography looks amazing

As I said, the clothes of the dancers, very good, I'd have Roxen either wearing something dramatic black clothes like in the video OR very torn-down dress to signify the theme of the song

I usually would try to avoid blue when it comes to Eurovision staging because there's always a chance your act will be more easily forgetable since so many people use it but this is one of the acts that could actually work with it, I wouldn't even try to add another color to keep the theme of the song

I also think that it would be very beautiful and meaningful to add either one or 20 mirrors on the stage, and it would also look very cool

Azerbaijan

So obviously because this is a dance song there has to be dancers, the choreography they have in the video is quite good, especially the part near the end where the dancers are dancing around Efendi, the only problem is, that for a professional video like this, the dancers seem to be out of sync with each other so either they have to ditch them or train hard to get to the Eurovision level

The opening shot with that orange/yellowish round light behind Efendi is very beautiful and I hope they keep that one, I also hope they keep the color scheme in the live performance because it fits well for the song, the video is very dark so I hope they use more light in the video so it's more enjoyable to watch

The outfits they have in the video are very pretty but I'm afraid black is not going to stand out well enough so I would add maybe some golden accessories here and there

When it comes to the outro of the song I think the video is very terrible from there on, I'd maybe so some very good dance breakdown there

All in all the video is already taking the song to a very good direction and I hope they keep that same direction in live

Ukraine

This is HARD because there's so many directions this could go in but I think a techno-rave kind of thing could work well with this one

On stage I wouldn't take anyone else than the band, I would locate the band very close to each other and leave the rest of the stage dark, maybe put them on some kind of a platform even

Light-wise I wouldn't mind some darkness, but I want a lot of lasers, and very colorful ones, usually I'm all about the colors matching well and not using too much but this song can use whatever lights they want as long as there are a lot of them and a lot of lasers used

As much as I, and many other eurovision fans, would like to forget Electro Velvet, one (and only one) thing they did fine was the glow in the dark -clothes and I would use the same type of effect here, all-black clothes but with those thin lines of lights in the clothes would be very cool

Malta

Again taking some inspo from the music video, the hand movements better stay because for once I would like an easy but memorable eurovision dance moves that normal human beings can dance along to (it's been over ten years and I still don't know how to do what Verka does, maybe I just suck at dancing)

For lights, red, definitely, this needs another color too ans for that I'd use either yellow or purple, this one needs dancers so I'd like a very well-lit stage

I love the clothes the two dancers are wearing in the video (corsets and stripes) and would put those on dancers, Destiny's clothes on the other hand are a total mystery because they'd have to be different compared to the dancers but would have to pop up enough so that hers doesn't get outshined by theirs, maybe something in gold?

I am terrible at identifying instruments so I have no idea what is doing the instrumental drop after the chorus but I would like that on stage, I want, or more like NEED epic brass-players in my Eurovision this year so Malta or UK better deliver that to me

[louadorable126]

Demons(you).me: Chapter 8 - The Cult of Fortuna’s charity event (Part 2)

Artwork Commissioned from Aya/Itouyas on twitter! Please check her out! <3

>>Click here to read on Ao3!<<

Summary:

In a city controlled by the generally altered race of Demons, Lady’s life as a mercenary on the lower floor was never easy. Especially when she ran into Dante. A demon on the hunt for his missing brother.

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Fandom: Devil May Cry

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Characters: Vergil, Lady, Dante, Trish

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Chapter 8:

“Who are you?!

The doppelgänger of Eva raised an eyebrow in confusion at his hysteria. “One of your kind?” She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I’m on your side, so calm yourself."

Wait, she sees herself as a demon? Great, that totally didn’t soothe Dante’s fears! In fact the complete opposite. Only bringing forth more questions than answers in his already overworked mind.

“S-Sorry. I, uh didn’t expect to see another…” He gulped for the words. "Another one of us down here.” He said shakily, lowering his sword, yet still not letting go of it completely. Playing along seemed like the best option right now in Dante’s mind. Freaking out, as reasonable as it was, wasn’t going to get him anywhere with this.“Why are you here then?"

“I would think the reason is pretty obvious, given that they are currently sitting around us.” The doppelgänger gestured to the limp bodies of the leaders.  “Dispatch sent me to deal with these lunatics, and so I have. Though, how very thoughtful of them to send me a backup just in case~ You’re a damn good fighter, and I like that in an assistant."

“Dispatch?” So the demonic military had been looking into taking out the Cult of Fortuna as well then? Eh, not too big of a surprise. It was always gonna be a matter of time. At least on the upside, they’d saved him a job by pulling their ‘disappearing’ act on them here and now. “Oh right, dispatch! Yeah, they didn’t tell me anything about you being here. So hence, uh… all that-”

“Its fine, all is forgiven.” She cut in briskly, waving him off. Clearly holding no resentment at least. “They were probably trying to protect my identity. It's hard to put up a decent front if you know who you can trust!”

“True” Dante responded, somewhat detached; weakly leaning back against the solid wall behind him. In truth, he barely processed her words, too unsettled by the tone of her voice, that gentle yet smug smile not too dissimilar to his own… it was all too uncanny.

Ugh, this is so weird! He whined to himself, rubbing the bridge of his nose tiredly. Why couldn’t she just be a clone of Lady? At least she’d have another pretty sister if that were the case! Maybe a little more murderous, but I could work with that-

A chorus of radio chatter spat its way out of the busted helmet. Easily startling the two of them, as they quickly turned their heads towards the sound. The thick static it emanated, made it far too hard to make out exactly what was being said. But if Dante had to guess just by how many voices were overlapping each other whenever it did get audible, the situation sounded quite hectic.

“Seems like security just found out about our little play session." Gloria commented, glancing over her shoulder towards the open door. The sound of a stampede of feet bashing against laminate sounding in the distance. She sighed, shaking her head. “And here I thought Agnus would be a slower runner.”

“Hang on, you didn’t kill all of them?!” Dante yelled in surprise. This wasn’t good at all. How the hell were they going to make good on their deal with Augustus if they hadn’t cut off all the hydra’s heads? (Maybe a bit too literally in the unfortunate case of the guy near to Dante.) God, Vergil was going to have his guts for this…

“I dealt with who I was ordered to deal with. We’ll leave it at that.” The woman in white said ominously, turning her back on him and heading towards the door.

“Right. Totally not the short and simple way of saying you fucked up!” Dante scoffed, unbelieving.

“Oh, I could’ve killed him if I wanted.” Gloria reassured him confidently. Throwing her gilded blade up into the air playfully and catching it again stylishly. “We need to get moving.”

She left the room. Leaving Dante to on hurry after her begrudgingly; his bold red half-cape billowing behind him.

Okay. Maybe we can still get away with this, even if the cult leaders aren’t all dead! Dante thought, trying to reassure himself. As long as the Cult of Fortuna doesn't reform under Agnus. Augustus will have no reason to think we screwed up. Yeah! All he wants is his family to be free. So like he need to know about the finer details of this mission anyway-

His stream of consciousness was abruptly cut off, when his foot came into contact with something solid and heavy, just as he passed through the doorway. The demon glanced down curiously, only to immediately regret the decision when he found the two guards who’d assailed him at the door, laying out cold on the floor. Looking distinctly very dead, if the large pools of blood around them was anything to go by.

That explains why you guys didn’t come charging in at the first sound of commotion. Damn. Dante mused, awkwardly stepping over the guard’s arm he’d come into contact with. Trying to avoid getting blood on his dark metallic feet, with picky, small steps.

“Are you coming?” Gloria’s impatient voice asked. Dante looked up, finding his mother’s doppelgänger standing there in the darkness with her arms crossed disapprovingly - still holding her sword in one hand. “The sight of a few dead bodies scaring you, recruit?”

“Hey, I’m not the summer intern lady! Show me some respect, alright?” Dante said, biting back with his usual wit. Confidently walking off ahead of her down the hall ahead of her. “What even gives you authority over me anyway?”

“Oh I’ve only spent the last six months infiltrating my way inside here. I’d think with that amount of effort, I should be in charge instead of the guy who rocks up at the last minute!”

“Hey, sometimes it’s only the last few minutes that count in the end anyway!” Dante responded cheekily, lifting his crimson sword up and resting it on his shoulders. An overly-dramatic, mournful sigh escaping him, as he pressed his hand on his forehead, like he was a tragic character on stage. “Though, not that my epic tea serving skills will ever be appreciated now."

“They were very nice, dear.” Gloria complimented calmly from his side. The blond woman had caught up with him once again. "Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Perhaps. Although your real name would be nice too.” Dante smirked.

He knew he was pushing it a bit here. If she was sent by the demonic military, it was likely she wasn’t allowed to reveal her true identity to anyone for the sake of keeping things nice and secure; names always meant loose ends, and that was never good for anything covert.

It was a rule that Dante knew better than most (He kinda broke it... pretty often. Had the higher-ups or his dad found out about his first meeting with Lady for example, he no doubt would’ve gotten one hell of a rocket up his ass for how many protocols he’d broken). So the chances that uptight ‘Gloria’ here was gonna spill the beans on…well anything about herself, let alone the similarities to his mother, was unlikely at best.  

It seemed he wasn’t wrong, as Trish’s face turned hard at the suggestion. Looking dead ahead with the stern procession, pretending as though he wasn’t there. Leaving an uncomfortable silence (Not that you couldn’t really call it that though, with all the panicked yelling and commands to ’search the area’ echoing down from a few corridors back) to fall upon them.

But that wasn’t to say there was a glimmer of hope. Every now and then, her lips would twitch almost like she was on the verge of saying something before shutting herself down once again. Until finally, she anxiously glanced over her shoulder and spoke.

“Trish.”

Hot damn! He actually got something out of her! “Trish? Oh like Beatrice-“

“Just Trish.” She insisted firmly. Her fixing her green eyes over to the young man beside her, with an fearsome intensity only Vergil could match. "And your’s?”

Oh. He hadn’t thought that far ahead with this.

Should I tell her? Crap, that was a tough question. Sure in the here and now it would be fine. Perfectly reasonable too since she’d given her own. But, what happened when this mission was over? Trish would most likely have to report back on how this operation went down. Write up some boring essay that Dante normally left Vergil to handle. She’d surely mention he was involved as her ‘back-up’ or something. And that would be fine if she left it vague. There were plenty of grunts like him out there so he’d be pretty anonymous.

But…if he was named. It wouldn’t take long for some clever-clogs back at dispatch to realise he was here unauthorised. Questions would be asked most certainly, and Dante wasn’t sure how well he or Vergil could defend themselves once that started happening. What, being involved in an unauthorised capacity on an operation months in the making, if he went off what Trish said. From there, it could only unravel more and more. The two week absence, Vergil’s little murder tour of the cities’ databanks, Lady, Eva-

What if they already know about Eva?  Stuck the sudden, horrifying thought. Trish thinks she’s a demon. What if they had- No! They can’t have done that!

“I’m risking a lot telling you that, you know?” Trish huffed angrily, brushing hair out of her face rather elegantly. “Going to return the favour or not?”

“Yeah yeah I am..” Dante brushed her off, his voice quivering slight. If.. if they had done what he thought they’d done. There was no point hiding anything anymore.

There was no point to anything.  

“Its.. its Dante”

“Good name.” Trish praised, a faint smile tracing her lips.

“Heard it before then?” He pried, returning with his usual confidant edge. Yet, that couldn’t be anywhere further from the truth in reality. His stomach was a torrent of nervous energy, swishing and swirling in anticipation for what would come as her reply. Honestly not sure if it would be a blessing or a curse if she did recognise him.

“No. It's just an instinct. Nothing grander than that I’m afraid.” Trish professed a little bashful. “Although, rolls off the tongue rather nicely I suppose."

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Dante said, smiling weakly. Perhaps there was something there after all…

All of a sudden, Trish reached an arm across Dante’s chest and pulled him so they were both pressed flat against the wall.

“Hey, what was that for-“

“Shut it.” Trish ordered sternly, voice low. Putting a finger to her lips, before gesturing with her eyes to the end of the corridor.

Dante followed their gaze. In the dull yellow light leaking from around the corner. Two shadows, large and twisted in a way that made their builds indistinguishable, traced their way across the floor. Thankfully it seemed they had already passed by, if Dante guessed from the direction the shadows were moving. Having missed the pair of demons completely by some stroke of luck.

“Think we’re safe. They’re leaving.” Dante whispered, moving to get up, only the flat edge of Trish’s golden blade to be pressed against his chest. Pinning down him in place, unmoving.

“Not so fast.” Trish advised sternly. Carefully observing the shadows’ movements as they danced across the floor. “They’re going to loop back round any minute now."

“Loop back round? Look, their probably just catering staff on the move. Unless they’ve dropped any napkins on the floor that I’ve missed here, they are going to be long gone any minute now-“

“And why exactly would catering staff move in groups of two?” Trish inquired. She had a point. Tonight had taught Dante enough to know he was barking up the wrong tree here. He’d been left to do stuff on his own, actively encouraged in fact. So yeah, for two people to be walking around together with no trolly did seem kinda strange to be honest. “They’re most likely guards on patrol no doubt. My men….the cults' guards have a protocol to move in groups of two. Means if one goes down the other can call for help. I know because I instituted it."

“Geez, thanks for making our lives harder I guess?” Dante joked.

“Oh I try my best~” Trish stated modestly. Removing her sword from his chest and lowering it back down to her side. “May as well make it up to you then, shouldn’t I Dante? I’ll only be a moment."

Sticking close to the wall, Trish swiftly began to make her way down the corridor. Disappearing around the corner moments later in one fluid, deadly movement.

Off she goes killing again. Dante sighed to himself, letting out air he didn’t even realise he was holding in. The relief that he was on his own again striking him in that moment. He was thankful for it. Any more stress, and his strained heart probably was gonna give out young. And let’s just say keeling over from a heart attack, wasn’t exactly on the demon's to-do list tonight.

The young man reclined his head back against the freezing wall. Maybe I should tell her to just keep to non-violent takedowns until we get out of here. Would’ve thought a trail of dead bodies is going to be pretty obvious to follow-

“What the-“ Cried a distinctly familiar, peppy voice. Followed by a surge of bright blue light streaking across the wall from around the corner. The crash of someone collapsing to the ground echoing down the corridor to Dante’s sensitive ears. Alerting him.

That can’t be good! Dante thought, imminently springing into action. Hurriedly sprinting down to check what was going on.

Only to be met at gunpoint by Lady when he rounded the corner.

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[bloodraven55]

V6 Soundtrack Review

Here it is... my more organised thoughts on the soundtrack. This is of course just my opinion, and music is very subjective, so feel free to disagree. I’ve covered each of the full songs including the acoustic and remixes individually, and then briefly mentioned some of my favourites from the instrumental pieces at the end since there are a lot of them and I’m not an expert on composition or anything.

Anyway... enjoy!

RISING

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: Love’s the choice we made

Thoughts: I love the shimmering synths at the start and just the general energy. Especially the way the groove picks up with the second verse. Speaking of that part, Casey's deeper vocals there sound amazing. And the rapid beat of the bridge is a surprise but a very welcome one. The lyrics are very uplifting and I like the use of nature imagery. Maybe my favourite opening song.

MIRACLE

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: Desire to preserve life/Is powering the light

Thoughts: I absolutely love the way the opening builds with the drums, piano and guitar combining. And Jeff and Casey's alternating vocals are brilliant. The brass touches are wonderful and very catchy. The creepy, almost discordant bridge is extremely chilling and I like the tonal shift a lot, especially with the way the upbeat section then takes over again almost like the song being taken back from pessimism. The lyrics perfectly embody the show's theme of hope in the face of adversity and they make me feel optimistic.

ONE THING

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: A single light, a single friend/But you’ve made that end

Thoughts: I feel incredibly sad for Neo after this song. I think it was an excellent choice to give her a song since she has no voice or way of expressing her feelings in the show. It really gives her depth and makes me feel a lot of empathy for her. It has a good rhythm and a very memorable melody. I love the way the instrumentation cuts out on “What a sweet release/When you rest in peace” to really add to the impact of the line and emphasise the harmony of the vocals. Also Casey's overlapping vocals on the final chorus are a great addition to enhance the ending of the song. Apart from that the other thing I'm taking away from it is that Cinder is so very dead 😄

LIONISE

Rating: 8/10

Favourite lyric: Watch them fall as I am glorified

Thoughts: I really appreciate how dark and twisted this song sounds. It's the perfect match for Adam himself. Jeff's vocals are almost unhinged and nearly screeching at times, and it fits Adam's mindset well. The lyrics paint a very accurate portrait of how arrogant, narcissistic and self-centred Adam was and how he only wanted power for himself and revenge on all of humanity rather than to truly help the Faunus or to gain equality for them. In particular the shift from “we” to “I” over the course of the song is very clever and a good representation of that. All in all it's not one of my absolute favourites sonically but it's an interesting look into Adam's backstory and a very good track.

BIG METAL SHOE

Rating: 8/10

Favourite lyric: You would be great and terrible but only if you had a brain

Thoughts: The music box intro is wild but it's unique and it makes sense with the nursery rhyme/fairytale lyrics. The guitar riff kicks so much ass and this song just has an amazing groove. Again Casey and Jeff taking turns on the mic creates this wonderful back and forth exchange that really adds to the track. I love all the nursery rhyme and fairytale references in the words and given I didn't expect to like it that much I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm a fan of this song.

NEVERMORE

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: Nevermore/You’ll torture my heart and my head

Thoughts: This song just contains so much relief and freedom and it makes me so emotional. Adam had haunted Blake and Yang for so long and they didn't want things to end the way they did but he left them no choice. This track just feels like a release of so much emotion for both of them and it's so intense. They've suffered a lot but now they can finally move forward together without that shadow hanging over them and it's a lot. The references to Lionise with the sole purpose of tearing it apart, plus the use of dialogue from the confrontation in the show, are all fantastic touches to make it even more meaningful too.

Musically, I love the mixture of Blake and Yang's individual styles/themes with the piano and the guitar and the sound of the song really lines up with the lyrics and creates this hugely cathartic anthem for them overcoming their personal demons. Especially the way the music softens and quiets as Blake looks back on her hopes for Adam and the WF that never came true before it kicks back in with a vengeance as she accepts what she has to do to end all the pain that he's caused.

INDOMITABLE

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: Though our body is weak and breakable/The spirit is indomitable

Thoughts: I cried. A lot. It sounds breathtaking. Casey's performance is spectacular. You can feel how much everyone involved in the show and the song love Monty in every second—every note—and it's probably my favourite on the album. I don't know if I can say any more without getting emotional but yes, it’s absolutely beautiful.

FOREVER FALL

Rating: 9/10

Favourite lyric: You’re my forever fall

Thoughts: I cried at this one too. I miss Pyrrha. She didn't deserve the ending she got, but also she died doing what she felt she had to do and she wouldn't have regretted it. She was a true Huntress through and through. I feel so bad for Jaune as well. It's just a whole mess of emotions but it’s a gorgeous song.

ARMED AND READY (ACOUSTIC VERSION)

Rating: 10/10

Favourite lyric: There’s nothing that I won’t do for her

Thoughts: BEEHAW! Okay but seriously it's just crazy and hilarious and brilliant. It's so out there but Casey sells it completely and I love it. Her and Jeff's dual vocals on the chorus remind me of a father/daughter country duo and I can't. It was the last thing I anticipated but I am not complaining at all.

THE TRIUMPH (KAIRI REMIX)

Rating: 7/10

Favourite lyric: We’ll be the ones to touch the sun/The triumph will be ours!

Thoughts: Not much to say here. Remixes are very hit and miss for me but I quite enjoyed this one.

THE PATH TO ISOLATION (HEAVENVIEW REMIX)

Rating: 6/10

Favourite lyric: Mirror, help me/Who am I?

Thoughts: This is one of my favourite RWBY songs of all time in its original form but this version didn't completely do it for me. It just felt a bit weird to me but I didn't mind it, it just wasn't really my thing.

FAVOURITE INSTRUMENTALS

Protecting Each Other - every part of this is so powerful, but the triumphant reprise of the Nevermore melody near the end is what always gets me thought the melodies from This Time, Lionise and Armed and Ready and the choral vocals are great too.

Silver Eyes - it's very calming but those Red Like Roses and This Will Be the Day motifs have me fucked up.

A Delicate Balance - the almost ethereal vocals are awesome and it has a really grand feel that I like.

Our Creation - it's very mellow and chill for the most part but the sudden reprise of Divide and the eerie strings near the end caught me off guard in a good way.

Down the Cannon - it's just straight up badass with the guitar and the choir and the use of Bad Luck Charm is noice.

Trouble Aboard Argus Limited - it's just very epic and bombastic and it gets me hyped.

Flight to Atlas - it's a really nice closer with several character themes included and a cool dramatic ending.

Jaune's Arc - I love the way it swells and the hint of Rising at the end.

OVERALL RATING: 9/10

[thesunlounge]

Reviews 237: Ai

I’ll never be able to resist the wild and freaky prog, psychedelia, and space music that came out of Germany during the 70s. It was this perfect convergence of psychoactive substances, futuristic electronics, spiritual mind expansion, and rock’n’roll shamanism that produced some of the music I cherish most and while there are many great examples of artists exploring this sound in the modern era, very few have overwhelmed me with krautrock and kosmische perfection like Ai. The collective of Matt Flores, Frank Bauer, Andreas von Hillebrandt, and Shunsuke Oshio first appeared on Slowboy Records’ Kingii comp in 2012 and followed that up three years later with “Anima Itako” on Theme for Great Cities’ third Mogul release. This track then appeared later in 2015 when Ai issued their debut self-titled full-length on Hauch, which was deep and far-out trip into motorik trance rhythms, space riff percolations, kaleidoscopic synthesis, and amorphous starscape bliss outs that could equally  soundtrack post-rave chill-out rooms and planetarium laser shows. For their second album II released at the end of 2018, Ai explore these same sonic spaces, but a slight change in personnel has augmented the sound in new and surprising ways. As opposed to their debut, Shunsuke Oshio only appears on four of II’s seven tracks and much of the guitar work has been transferred to new member Nima Moussavi, who brings a muscular 70s space rock riff energy as well as an even more pronounced level of interstellar prog majesty and funk and fusion fire. And in the shimmering “Amberica,” Amber Pine’s whispered vocals lead an etheric float down a river of dream-pop radiance.

Ai - II (Hauch, 2018) “Ai Theme” sets the stage with sweeping filters and sea blue hazes swirling above a balearic dreamscape. Downbeat electro-drums pound majestically through aquatic cloudrealms and vaporous pad washes smear together with romantic guitar atmospheres, with everything slowly phasing from one ear to the other. Chiming bubble melodies drift towards a sunburst sky while searing static waves swoon through romance motions and as we move towards the end, outerspace voice transmissions are surround by ever-evolving layers of oceanic mesmerism. At the other end of the A-side sits the gleaming pop of “Amberica,” which starts with a radiant soudbath of deep space filtering and chittering feedback. A dopamine drumbeat enters and cruises on light kick taps and air cracking snare smacks as dreamy vibraphone synthetics melt down from the sky. Heatwave brass layers swell around vibrato guitar weavings that at times evoke some sort of futuristic recollection of patriotic Americana, but this vibe is soon worked against by Amber Pine’s subversive and feminist beat poetry spells, which are delivered via sensual breaths and ambivalent whispers. She’s surrounded by immersive layers of shoegazing bassline funk, all subterranean sustain and riffing vibrations moving beneath wavering currents of guitar shimmer. I’m reminded of Amp, Bowery Electric, Jessamine, very early Spiritualized, and so much else from the golden age of pop-kissed 90s space rock, especially as Shunsuke Oshio radiates golden guitar magic that vibrates in tune with the universe while misty-eyed bassline lyricisms swim upwards through glowing reverb hazes.

In between “Ai Theme” and “Amberica” sits “Aruki Ikura,” where wind blown chimes and rustic guitars give way to riffing bass guitar heat and a mutant breakbeat riding on dazzling snare rolls and sizzling hat patterns. Frank Bauer’s ethereal prog organs descend and blistering noise waves swell while a spellbinding synth sequence works through the sky…starting subtle but slowly growing into a vocal strand of space acid magic that snakes continuously through the mix. After a rhythmic pause, the track erupts into pure motorik perfection with fat-bottomed basslines chugging beneath tight hypno-riffs and drums locking into an energetic krautrock stomp. The vibe sits somewhere between Neu! and Hawkwind, all pastoral psych magic intertwining with chugging space rock fire while phaser morphed organs fly through the sky. The Michael Rother airs are all the more pronounced when vaporous wah-wah licks enter, setting the stage for Nima Moussavi’s molten fuzz solo magic. Dreamy wailing guitar leads trail polychromatic tracers as the ultra-tight jam underneath threatens to explode, with massive drum fills and snare rolls surrounding liquid basslines as they slip and slide through LSD groove motions. Then the song fractures and fades into mist, before snapping back to life with a downbeat stoner funk jam out. Crystalline clean guitars underly moaning fuzz leads that play themes for majestic cloud kingdoms and eventually, Matt Flores works his rhythms back into a sunshine kosmisch glide while interstellar keyboard layers float the soul. And as we work towards the end, epic harmonizations and dueling leads locking together and climb towards a starscape horizon.

The first track on side B is split across three parts, with “Akai Indigo” seeing insectoid oscillations locking in with a fusion breakbeat jam-out. Snares skitter around tight kick and hat patterns while guitars drop deep blue shadow swells over exotic bass guitar walks. The panning oscillations grow ever more intense as they swim through distorted synth dream weavings and eventually the drums work into an upbeat gallop with off-beat snare flourishes and rhythmic clacks cutting through futuristic melody hazes and phaserwave oceans. Moving into  “Akai Indika,” chugging bass riffs, technoid kraut-disco rhythms, and percussive dial tones slam through a black haze nightscape and evoke Heldon soaring at hyperspeed. Shakers pulse ecstatically as alien oscillations chitter and laugh and there’s so much magic in Andreas von Hillebrandt’s basslines…like Jannick Top locked into a hypno-groove disco ritual. As clanging chimes lock into an Afro-folk starscape, layers of resonance grow in strength, causing the synths to sound like glowing balls of energy bouncing through a galactic tunnel. And after dramatic horror-prog chords flow down from dark skies, we transition into “Akai Indigo (Reprise).” It’s a return to a world of jamming psych basslines and splattery swinging drumbeats, though it’s all somehow more lo-fi than before…like far-out garage rock blasted onto the surface of the sun. Burning waves of guitar sorcery melt over the mix and eventually move through rippling wah-wah motions and reality tearing phase-shifts and near the end, galactic synth solos bring dark funeral enchantments before it all disappears into self-oscillating smoke.

Reso-filtered machine cymbals and paranoid percussion energies give way to dubwise basslines and phaser-blasted hi-hat chaos in “Aleister Instamatic,” while melodic electro-tom cascades circle overhead. Unintelligible voices beam in through shortwave radios as a sped up break beat enters, with switching and smacking snare magic intercutting deep bass drum thuds. Sequences flash overhead and recall the crazed lines dominating “Akuri Ikura”…as if playful electro-spiders are crawling across the mind…while skronked out guitar chords sit beneath cymbals splashes that are increasingly shrouded in galactic static. We then sweep upwards into a swooning robot romance chorus with Frank Bauer’s melancholic vocoder melodies melting the heart until the track cuts into a wild guitar passage filled with wah-wah trance vibrations, violent flanger and phaser oscillations, and bubble-form delay clouds. Everything eventually breaks down into crazed plastic crinkles and metallic liquid noise, with bass guitars chugging through a nightmare landscape. But as kick drums push dark clouds of reverb, the basslines are progressively reduced to abstract picking sounds and acoustic string vibrations before fading away almost entirely, leaving guitar mirages flashing side-to-side while incandescent hums emanate from deep space. Angry screams and cosmic wind gusts surround crazed guitar loopings and everything stretches and smears out, with heatwave noise blasts growing in strength as the skittering beats return. And after a sharp pause, we explode once more into the climactic vocoder chorus, now with sweeping string synth orchestrations raining down from the heavens and leading into a gemstone piano solo coda. 

“Anikulapo Immortal” starts in a world of smokey lounge jazz as basslines wander apart from tapped cymbals and midnight guitar chords. Anxious synth repetitions, floating aqueous hazes, and clattering rimshots move thorough air-sucking delay and reverb fx and Von Hillebrandt and Flores are in spiritual communion, with pulsating basslines supporting funked out tom-tom tribalisms. And as vocal breaths are spectrally morphed while deep space guitars shimmer like stars, I’m reminded of the ethnological forgery freak outs of Can and Amon Düül II and the side-long epics of Earthless. Galactic drone waves enter while the ecstatic groove motions flail ever forwards and there’s a growing sense of anticipation leading to a slow-burn explosion of dreamworld psychedelia and underwater jazz, wherein gemstone guitar strands are woven from liquid arpeggiations and spaghetti western slides. Then we transition sharply as low-down bass riffs stomp through a solar ascent, with palm-muted echo riffs, synth squiggles, and zany e-pianos floating on water waves. Flores revels in ride cymbal fire and revolving tom majesty while trancey pad smears and staccato riff bursts interlock with thunderous bass riffs….the whole thing evoking the hypno-prog and NWOFHM of Circle. Eventually the jam transitions from militant cosmic ritualism to post-rock majesty as Von Hillebrandt’s bass climbs through lyrical fantasias and leads us again into a passage of joyous pop-psychedelia and aquatic jazz, where haunted pad gases, e-piano vibrato weavings, chiming percolations, sliding guitars, and swinging cymbal and snare rhythms sit below distorted piano notes that seem to decay across the galaxy.

The track then shifts into a patient kick drum march with airy hi-hat taps fluttering and bewildering tom fill madness building in from the depths. Smoldering guitars riffs and shimmering cymbal taps cut through fogs of synth chaos, galactic reverb blasts, sci-fi chime cascades, and blistering filter weirdness and there’s so much ecstatic percussive energy as polyrhythms fly out in all directions. The bass guitar stomps and storms through the sky as the melodic layerings seem to devolve into clicks and scrapes. Then all of a sudden, a blazing guitar solo rips through the fabric of spacetime with bridge pick-up western twang and surf blues spiritualism smothered in slapback echo and white light vibrato fuzz. Breaky drum beats ride on golden cymbal taps and hypno-snare smacks while tambourines jangle joyously and wah-wah clicks flash across the spectrum. The rhythm guitars vibe out with bluesy hammer-ons and interstellar funk wiggles and Von Hillebrandt’s bass locks in and harmonizes with the sun-soaked psych soloing as the mix grows ever more anarchic and free, moving especially far-out once mind-melting organ drones blast in…their longform chordscapes drifting over the mix like muted rainbow light. And there’s a thrilling sense of transition, with the spirit being surrounded by aquamarine crystal hazes, searing feedback spirals, and crashing and thrashing cymbals as Ai work miraculously back towards that irrestible dreamwave psych and ocean jazz sway…a seamless transition from shamanic and shambolic psych bombast to instrumental pop enchantment. 

The album closes with “A Huge Structure Far Behind the Sun,” which earns the Orb-ian evocations of its title by foregounding a pulsating sequence that is continually worked through otherworldly filter and envelope modulations in a way recalling “A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain that Rules from the Centre of the Ultraworld.” All around swirl primordial drones, UFO whooshes, ethereal washes of static, and hovering angel atmospheres as twinkling synth-pianos radiate webs of crystal. Warm swells of distortion break free from the rhythmic swirl of planetarium phase-shifters and the soul glides eternally on soft feedback pulses, filter morphing wave fronts, and layered strands of electronic fire…all while the hallucinogenic lead sequence morphs through long flowing decay trails and sharp staccato percolations. At some point, the bubbling yet subtle currents of rhythm give way to amorphous mermaid dirfstscapes, whale song oscillations, and deep sea lullabies that bring to mind Michael Stearns, Tangerine Dream’s Zeit, Seahawks, and Anna Själv Tredje. It’s pure psychoactive ritualism submerged within an underwater dreamscape where infinite webs of shimmering jewels are constructed from e-piano fractals and electro-bubbles. Mind-melting cymbal swells move into the mix then fade into ether and the Orb-ian galaxy sequence continues weaving polychromatic strands while sometimes overtaking the mix with transcendent blasts of spectral sonic vapor. And beneath it all, heavily treated guitars are transmuted into temple bells.

As we go along, the track continue to spread out and submerge itself within a sea of LSD tracers…as if the mind is being wrapped around by vibratory threads of every possible color. Sparkling melodies, screaming fuzz arcs, and blinding synth solos intertwine while all throughout the mix float the sounds of electrified marbles rolling through echo-caverns. The dreamscape lead sequence swims through modulating waves of distortion and slow motion oscillators accelerate into hyperspace spirals while interstellar resonances create droning clouds of warmth. And as we move deeper into the otherworldly electronic miasma, I am increasingly reminded of Experimental Audio Research, especially Beyond the Pale and Mesmerised…just a joyous celebration of the possibilities of analog synthesis to evoke neon jungle environments on emerald planets or seas of intergalactic gas crashing upon diamond shores. Overt rhythms are abandoned, as are MIDI-sequencing and programming, with Ai instead reveling in human manipulations of crazed alien electronics.  Starlight keys add further layers of cosmic shimmer while swelling currents of cymbal metal push the spirit towards ecstasy and moving towards the end, delay trails and reverb tails start merging together…like lapping ripples of feedback spreading outwards on a surface made of glass.

(images from my personal copy)

[patricksilvrrozartistry]

Current Music Obsessions: June 16 - 30, 2018

Got another long list, but who really cares? As long as there's good music, everything is fine. So let's see them honorable mentions.

The Irrepressibles - Submission Rozencrantz - Her Walk Gets Slower Unicorn Death - Eaten by Trolls Elvellon - Fallen into a Dream Interitus Dei - Eclectic Heart Iiris - Wild Unknown Thing Black Arcade - Was Is Will Be Inner Core - Crucified Inner Core - Into Eternity Clandestine - Fearless The Autist - A King's End feat. Rehn Stillnight Tying Tiffany - Lost Way Trillium - Fighting Fate M83 - Midnight City Beyond the Black - Heart of the Hurricane Symfobia - From the Ashes Raving Season - Suspanded in a Spiral Evanescence - Hi-Lo feat. Lindsey Stirling KMFDM - Free Your Hate Conception - Roll the Fire Sagi Kariv - Last Kiss feat. Hayla Assulin Elina Laivera & Jovan Ducret - Haunted

And for the real obsessions we have...

1) Tristania - Evenfall

Randomly came across this video and instantly fell in love. I'm still not too familiar with their work from the 90's, but I'm loving everything I'm hearing from that point in time. This track is just absolutely gorgeous. I will say one thing though. Vibeke's dancing. Gurl.

2) Ruelle - Carry You feat. Fleurie

This song randomly popped up in my recommended videos and decided to check it out since I know a few songs from each of these ladies. This is such a pretty duet. So soft and easy to listen to. And the video is absolutely breathtaking. I really need to check out more from them.

3) Desiderium - Falling

Randomly found this song when going through a depressive moment and was craving gothic doom metal. I really want to check out more from them, because this is some wonderful stuff. From what I found, they only had one EP, which is a bummer, but at least there's some other stuff from me to find. This song is full of so much emotion and is riddled with melancholy, and their front woman conveys it so well.

4) Distorted Harmony - We are Free

These proggy guys are going to be releasing a new album soon, and this song makes me excited. It has a bit of an atmospheric vibe to it at times, but then switches to being a bit heavy. And don't get me started on the dubsteppy bits in the bridge. So. Fucking. Good.

5) Phosphenes - Boy in the Hood

Randomly found these guys one day. I really like how ambient and soft this is. It's so peaceful to listen to and the video further conveys that with how beautiful it is. Definitely am gonna check out more from them.

6) Purple Nail - Whenever

I've been wanting to listen to more of their work from Lady Crow's era with the band and came across this gorgeous track. It's so haunting and absolutely everything. If you're a fan of gothic metal, definitely give these guys a listen. They now have a new singer (the one who followed Lady Crow left the band shortly after the release of their new album) and I'm super excited to hear what she brings.

7) Elvellon - Until Dawn

The title track of their debut album and it's a gorgeous one. It's strong, beautiful, has powerful lyrics, is heavy at times and truly shows off everything that makes this band the amazing thing it is. I can't get enough of this band. They really blew this album out of the water and I can't wait to get my copy!

8) The Autist - Anima feat. Polina Psycheya (All I Could Bleed) and Alina Lesnik (Once)

They did that! Hands down my favorite song they've released so far. Such a powerful, dramatic and epic song. Everything about this song is perfect. The whole Anima EP is wonderful, but this song is a definite stand out and is a nonstop powerhouse from start to finish.

Bloodlust feat. Dragica Maletic (Demist) and Polina Psycheya

I love Dragica's voice so much and I need to listen to more from Demist and check out her cover channel on YouTube. This song has a bit of a doomy vibe to it, and her voice really fits well with it. It really adds a haunting dimension to the song, and Polina's growls push that vibe even further. Although Anima is my favorite off the EP, this song definitely stands out the most.

9) Svrcina - Who Are You?

Found this after listening to Carry You by Ruelle and Fleurie. I love cinematic pop tracks like this and I'm such a huge sucker for pitch-shift harmonies. It's such a great song to just chill to and has such a cool vibe.

10) Amaranthe - Maximize

Rekindled my love for this one day when I got in an Amaranthe mood. It's such a fun song and the chorus is ridiculously catchy. I find myself just randomly bursting out into song singing the chorus. Definitely my favorite off Maximalism. And I can't wait to hear their upcoming album with their new singer.

11) Adimiron - Zero Sum Game

Found these guys through their record label. The best way I can describe their sound is progressive death metal with a djent vibe to it. Definitely a cool track and the singer has a cool gritty voice when he does his cleans.

12) Piqaia - Artifact

Found these guys through Spaceuntravel and I'm really digging them. They're almost like a blend of Tesseract and Voyager. Atmospheric like Tesseract, but still has a technical feel to it like Voyager. I'm definitely am gonna check out more from these guys. The singer has such a gorgeous voice and goes so well with the vibe of the music.

13) Trillium - Nocturna

Tectonic is a really great album, but it's nowhere near as symphonic as Alloy and definitely leans more on the power metal side. With that being said, this song has the most symphonic vibes to it, given that Amanda sings operatically at times in this track. It's such a beautiful track and the last bit in the chorus is so gorgeous.

Eternal Spring

This song stood out the most on Tectonic. It's just Amanda's voice and some beautiful orchestrations. It's full of so much emotion and so much power. This is the song and vibe I was waiting for with this album, and the fact they left it for the very end of it to drop it makes this album even better. The perfect way to close the album.

14) Qveen Herby - Livin the Dream

EP 3 was really great and a bit more on the R&B side of things. It had some amazing tracks (Sade in the 90's being my favorite), but this song stood out a lot to me. It has this humbling feeling to the lyrics as Amy looks back on her life prior to how her life is now. Even though things were a bit rough, she still remembers it being some of the best times of her life. It has such a great message behind it and the instrumentals reflect it so well.

15) Raving Season - Silent Lake

I finally got around to listening to Amnio after knowing about these guys for a few years. They're a female fronted symphonic gothic doom metal band. They're the only doom band I've encountered with a female screamer and female clean/opera singer duo. Usually it's a male screamer/growler with a female singer, but not these guys, and it works so well. This song here is beautiful. It's so haunting and gets absolutely gorgeous around the 4 minute mark and through to the exit. So good.

16) Juno Reactor - Let's Turn On

A friend on Facebook shared this video and I decided to check it out because the thumbnail looked pretty. Holy tits is this video gorgeous. It's so pretty thanks to all the lights on the suits and the tools they hold. The song is so weird, but in the coolest way possible. Electronic music will always have a very special place in my heart. Definitely am gonna check out more from these guys.

17) Diary of Dreams - The Wedding

This song randomly popped into my head one morning and wound up rekindling my love for it. It's been YEARS since I last listened to it. It takes me back to the days when I listened to it on the regular when I was younger. Definitely a great darkwave track. The synths are probably my favorite part of the song, ESPECIALLY the ones in the third verse. I need to look into these guys again.

That's it for June! AND Current Music Obsessions will be returning to my YouTube channel in 2 weeks! It will be seasonal and I'll be talking about my MAIN obsessions from each month, so stay tuned for its return.

[dustedmagazine]

Jennifer Castle — Angels of Death (Paradise of Bachelors)

“Tonight the Evening,” on Canadian songwriter Jennifer Castle’s third solo full-length, is larger and longer and more dramatic than anything she’s ever released, a seven-and-a-half minute, full-band epic that meshes her beautifully breathy, tremulous voice to a widescreen cinematic soundscape. Her band here, largely drawn from the Canadian alt.country band One Hundred Dollars (guitarists Paul Mortimer and David Clarke, steel pedalist Stew Crookes and organist Jonathan Adjemian are all veterans of that group), envelops her in airy, enveloping propulsion. Multiple guitars cascade and twine around each other, a string quartet swells under her, and a wash of pillowy voices joins hers in intoxicating motion. It’s not that Castle has always worked alone — Owen Pallett arranged strings for her second album Pink City — but this song, and indeed the album it next-to-closes, feels shared and universal in a way that previous work, however lovely, never did.

Nearly half of the songs, including the title track, deal directly or indirectly with death. Castle recorded them in a church near Lake Erie, close to family, very likely in the aftermath of sad (though unspecified) events. Castle’s lyrics have always used natural imagery as a lens for viewing human experience, and, on this album, she again finds her most vivid metaphors outdoors. “Tomorrow’s Mourning” starts with the singer wrapped in indeterminant weather and mood, “not a fog/not a mist/not a cloud/but you get the gist/the water is all around me/passing through/the myriad of confusion.”  The song, which kicks off a cycle about the aftermath of grief, suspends her in pearly humidity, unable to see or sense a way forward. Yet by the end, she is sensing “the ever omnipresent song,” that will guide her through the rest, whatever it is.  

The idea of music, not as comfort or distraction, but as an essential element of life and moving forward turns up again in “Rose Waterfalls.” The disc’s most countrified track (lovely waltzing pedal steel by Stew Crookes here) is also its most empowered, as Castle sings about fending off the muse in the day-to-day verses, then surrendering to inspiration in the surreal, ecstatic chorus about rose waterfalls cascading down from heaven.  

Castle’s voice is, as always, lovely and fragile, trembling softly in the quieter parts and taking sudden thrilling flight in the crescendos. She puts a high country vibrato in at the end of phrases, sounding not far off from Dolly Parton, but in between these fluttery highs, her tone is clear, liquid, transparent. It’s a distinctive instrument, yet here, nestled into fuller, softer arrangements of rock instruments, strings and female backup singers, she sounds surer than ever. Half a decade ago, at the old Dusted, I wrote about Castlemusic,  as if that voice was the whole experience. Now two albums on, she’s found a way to transcend and expand upon it and open her solitary music to include us all.

Jennifer Kelly

[beevean]

I’ve always liked to describe music and rate it, so I thought to put here my top 30 Sonic Forces tracks, and maybe in the future I’ll do the same for other games.

Under the cut because it’s a top 30, so it’s pretty long :V I couldn’t do less, I’m sorry!

@bookvideogamemaniac @ramenbomber  @dizzydennis

30) Eggman Empire Fortress: Iron Fortress

This is what happens when you mix the intensity of Scrap Brain and the dissonance of Death Egg. It’s suitably dramatic, and the harsh Genesis-esque sounds help the sense of being surrounded by cold, deadly metal. It feels very heavy for some reason. *insert joke about Classic’s physics*

29) Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid - Interior

More Eggman bases should have a dance theme. This track manages to fit the sterile, technological environment, the context of a base infiltration and, while it does remind a bit of White Acropolis, manages also to be unique in the OST.

28) Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid

While I’m happy there are some guitars, here they were really needed as the main instrument, as the saw wave not only doesn’t fit with the general Green Hill environment, but makes the whole track sound really similar to Sunset Heights. What stands out, at least, is how serious it is, especially the climax. It wouldn’t be out of place in a final level.

I also really like the piano at the beginning. It’s a nice touch.

27) Mystic Jungle: Casino Forest

I had no idea this one was composed by Tomoya Ohtani! I was so sure it was Naofumi Hataya, it just screams “Genesis-era”! The whole track fits perfectly the setting of a deranged casino area - somewhat spooky, but still with that bouncy feeling of many casino themes. (wish the level itself complemented the pinball gimmick with the forest background...)

Also when it was first revealed the official Sonic account pointed out the amazing bass, so... listen to that amazing bass. Very reminiscent of Casino Night’s, but more energetic.

26) Mystic Jungle: Luminous Forest

Unfitting with the stage? Yes. Didn’t need the saw wave at all? Absolutely. Catchy? Also absolutely. It helps that here the wave is accompanied by some very nice guitars reminiscent of the Adventure series - this whole soundtrack needs more of them, so any track with rocking guitars gains instant points from me. The funky bass solo near the end of the loop is just the cherry on top. An energetic old-school tune all around, it could’ve been much higher on the list if it didn’t suffer from Sonic Adventure 2 syndrome and wasn’t so unfitting for the level.

I once compared it to a Bad Future version of Savannah Citadel Day, and it was nice to see I wasn’t the only one thinking that!

25) Metropolis: Metropolitan Highway

This song is so happy! I still call it “Skyscraper Scamper Day Good Future”, and with good reason. It wouldn’t be out of places in a Riders game!

I don’t know what else to say. It just puts a smile on my face every time I listen to it. It’s very Sonic-y, that’s the best way to put it.

24) Boss: Infinite (Showdown)

As I pointed out a while ago, this one was composed not by Ohtani, but by Yutaka Minobe, a far less famous composer and pianist who’s largely responsible for a good chunk of the first two Advance games’ OSTs and miscellaneous tracks like Black Doom. From the tracks I’ve linked it’s easy to recognize his style in this orchestral piece that barely resembles the original theme anymore, unless you pay attention to it.

I’m disappointed in how little dubstep there’s here, but while the track doesn’t have a clear melody (aside for those short sections that call back Infinite’s theme, and to be fair they are really good reprises), it compensates by being highly atmospheric and making the final showdown with Infinite feel far more epic than it actually was.

Maybe there’s not much dubstep to symbolize how Infinite is going to lose control of the Ruby? Just speculating.

23) Boss: Infinite (First Bout & Second Bout)

Infinite’s boss remix is a wonderful mess of metal, dubstep and... a genre that I’ve seen multiple times being compared to k-pop, for some reason. It may take a while to grow on you, but it’s catchy from the get-go. Who could’ve thought this style would fit our new favorite edgelord so well?

I put these together because there are mininal differences within each other. However I slightly prefer the second version, it’s more danceable and not as repetitive as the first one.

22) Mystic Jungle: Aqua Road (Moonlight Battlefield)

While I admit this one dropped down a lot since it was first revealed (my only problem is that it’s pretty repetitive), it’s still pretty good, and it continues the sweet tradition of having a piano for the aquatic stage (if you want to call the slides gimmick “aquatic”).

I like how the echoing piano feels very light and how at the same time it’s contrasted by the strong synth bass and the electronic drums. The singer’s voice just makes everything prettier. A lovely theme with melancholic lyrics.

21) Mystic Jungle: Eggman's Facility

I’m not a fan of Sonic Adventure 2′s soundtrack, but I can at least appreciate White Jungle for standing out among the endless buttrock and for fitting both the stage and Shadow’s emotional state at that point. DnB really suits him.

This remix emphasises pretty much everything that made the original good, making both the lyrics and the guitars clearer. It’s pretty much a modernized remastered version, and it seems it was composed precisely for Shadow infiltrating Eggman’s base in Mystic Jungle. They choose the right track.

20) City: Enemy Territory

I have a mixed relationship with ShTH, and the same goes for its soundtrack: I hate half of the OST and love the other one, no in-between. In the half I love there’s the Westopolis theme - I don’t care if you’re forced to hear it 10 times in one of the dullest level in the game, the track itself is pretty badass, and yes, nostalgic for me.

So you can imagine how much I squeed when I realized they remixed it for the Shadow DLC.

I especially like how they made the main melody clearer and not as drowned under the edgy noises, while still keeping the overly-badass mood of the original. It even fits the aesthetic of Sunset Heights! And it even includes a Radical Highway cameo for free, because why not.

The PC version (beta version?) is not so bad either! It’s just more subdued.

19) Chemical Plant: Space Port (Fighting Onward)

A perfect introduction to the Avatar music style. The cold synths couples with the steady rhythm makes me imagine the Avatar walking in the middle of a blizzard, and the bass gives that touch of determination.

18) City: Red Gate Bridge

Very tranquil and somber, with a “calm before the storm” vibe to it. The piano and the strings go very well with the saw wave and the synth bass. Not easily hummable but memorable nonetheless.

A shame the main stage wastes it, but at least this one plays during those mini acts... other tracks aren’t so lucky.

17) Metropolis: Capital City (Virtual Enemies)

We will defeat insanity~

There’s something about the chords and the overly distorted voice that really fit both the futuristic, shiny, and sterile look of the city and the unsettling context of being mindraped by Infinite. It’s also pretty fun to sing out loud! Another track that could’ve come out from a Riders game, albeit more downbeat than others.

16) City: Park Avenue (Justice)

How can a track from June 2017 feel already nostalgic? This was the first music theme officially revealed, and what an impression it made. Like many, many other tracks in this soundtrack, it took me a while to fully appreciate it, but now it’s pretty much a classic in my book. Here the synths used truly shine - the chords at the beginning immediately set the mood and both solos convey the Avatar’s strenght and determination. Energetic and catchy, with cheesy (in a good way!) lyrics, it might as well be the symbol of the Avatar music style.

15) City: Sunset Heights

Another track that by now feels familiar. I just never get tired of this one, I could listen to it in a loop for twenty minutes straight. It reminds at the same time of Sonic Runners and Sonic Heroes, if not ShTH, almost a much more lighthearted version of Westopolis - fitting, all things considered - or Final Haunt. While the saw wave here goes very well, it’s the clean guitar that makes it for me, it gives the composition a nostalgic feeling. This is pretty much the very first theme that comes to my mind when I think of Forces.

14) Metropolis: Null Space

Poor track. You deserved so much better than what you got.

Even without knowing the context, you can perfectly picture in your head a vast, empty, dark, otherwordly place, and the eerie reverberating piano, the ethereal choir, and the subtle glitching noises are sure to send shivers down your spine. It being a dark reprise of the piano bridge of Fist Bump doesn’t help.

(side note: this was co-composed by the aforementioned Yutaka Minobe. I’m sure he’s also the one who plays it)

13) Green Hill: Virtual Reality

Who doesn’t love Supporting Me? It’s a fan favorite for obvious reasons. It’s been remixed in Generations 3DS, and once again in Forces, and each version is better than the last. This version is much less somber, with the added guitars, the synths replacing the strings, and the more frantic drums, and the whole remix feels like it mixes both genres that represented Shadow in Adventure 2 - heavy rock and DnB.

This is also the only track in the Shadow DLC that features dubstep to represent Infinite’s influence, which I think is a nice touch. The only downside is that the chorus isn’t a dark reprise of Live and Learn anymore.

At first I found it very odd that this plays in the bright Green Hill, but the soundtrack dissonance helps the feeling of creepiness and uncanniness Infinite was aiming at in the story. The lyrics also talk about illusions, so...

The PC version lacks most of the guitars, but that means you can enjoy the synths more, especially in the chorus. I almost prefer this version for this reason.

12) Fist Bump - Piano Ver.

Hey, remember when Aaron trolled us all by implying Tails was gonna die? :D

But even if this melancholy rendition of the main theme plays just in the theater option, it’s still lovely, the kind of piece you’d listen to in a rainy day with a mug of hot chocolate in hand. You can almost hear the gentleness of the player’s fingers.

11) Fist Bump

Speaking of the main theme!

This song just screams “early-2000s”, and it’s food for all the Adventure children inside of us. It’s corny and proud of it. It will never ever leave you head. It’s pure adrenaline in musical form. It has a piano bridge and a sweet guitar solo. You can’t ask for more from a Sonic song.

Shout out also to the Invincibility theme, a catchy 16-bit rendition of the chorus! And of course, the very first piece of music revealed, the instrumental version that goes well with everything.

10) This Is Who You Are

They didn’t need to go so hard for something as simple as the character customization theme. But they did. And I’m so glad.

There’s a certain cleverness into mixing a boppy square wave to the simple orchestral background, as not only the Avatar is mainly associated with synths but it also somewhat alleviates the serious mood, which is perfect for our rookie. The fluttering piano is gorgeous, and I have to mention that swelling climax. You really feel like you’re building up a hero from scratch.

9) This Is Our World (Eggman, War, Resistance)

What a cool title for a world map.

I put them all together because they’re very similar to each other, but the three different versions are great at setting up different moods with little tweaks. The first version has steady, powerful drums that remind of Eggman’s machinery and factories, but the overall tone is of a great war incoming. The second one cranks up the intensity and the mechanical noises, fitting for the definitive showdown between the Eggman Empire and the Resistance. And the final one is pure triumph and peace.

8) Eggman Empire Fortress: Final Judgement

... or is it Last Judgement? The OST isn’t quite clear. But in any case, this track is both intense and energetic, fitting for the very last stage, and somewhat melancholic. Amy does feel sorry for Infinite for being allegedly created here, but without context it actually makes me think of an imminent heroic sacrifice necessary to save the world. It definitely spells out “last stand”.

7) Boss: Zavok (Battle with Death Queen)

I’ll never understand why they named the track after the robotic wasp. Anyway, Zavok’s theme in Sonic Lost World wasn’t anything special, a menacing orchestral remix of the Deadly Six leitmotif (although it barely sounds like it). But the Zavok replica gets a sick dubstep strings remix! Twice as fast, with the intense violins getting drowned by the arhythmic, glitchy dubstep noises, it does a perfect job to pump you blood. To fight... the Death Queen, apparently. (rip zavok nobody loves him)

(I also have to point out that this is one of the only two major tracks Kenichi Tokoi had an hand in, the other being the Metal Sonic boss theme. I wish he did much more because boy he was on fire!)

6) Death Egg: Egg Gate

I learned to play this on my keyboard purely because I love it so much! It’s so badass! It could fit with Flash In The Dark or other Wily themes! Too bad it’s so short, but I feel it’s more complex than others, so it compensates. Not gonna lie, this theme coupled with the gorgeous background of the base in space made my jaw drop like few things in the series yet.

While here the saw wave actually fits, I would’ve died of happiness if it was played on an electric guitar. Bring me all the rock covers <3

5) Eggman Empire Fortress: Mortar Canyon

I can already tell this will be the most underrated track in the OST. It’s a shame it plays in the shortest level in the game, because it ends just as the music gets to the truly awesome part - and I don’t mean “awesome” in its more common sense, I truly mean “awe-inspiring”.

It starts out with the saw wave (which here would’ve also fit nicely), but slowly it fades in the background, the lead being replaced by a piano, then a choir, then strings, to create something that feels bigger than Sonic and the player. There’s a sense of despair, with only the slightest twinge of quiet, detemined hope. You’re so close to save the world from total destruction.

Chilling. One of the best “final level” themes in the series. Take the time to listen to it with headphones to enjoy all the tiny details, you won’t regret it.

4) Infinite

And after the remixes we get to the original version. This is, by far, my favorite character theme of the series, if only because it fits Infinite so well.

It manages to be ironically edgy, both with the overuse of HEAVY METAL RUMBLING GUITARS and lyrics such as I AM THE SHARPEST OF BLADES I’LL CUT YOU DOWN IN A SECOND... and yet it’s also unironically cool, especially if you grew up with this kind of music. The lyrics were also incredibly fun to analyze, even though at the end of it the meaning was just “I’m the best and y’all suck”, which perfectly reflects Infinite trying to appear more powerful and menacing than he actually was. 

Also, like I already mentioned, metal and dubstep go so well together.

When everything you know has come and gone... only scars remain through it all...

3) Boss: Mega Death Egg Robot Phase 2

Pure despair. You really feel like you’re facing something much bigger and more powerful than you are. It only needs a choir, some strings and a flute to achieve all of this - its semplicity it’s what makes it so effective.

It also seems it takes some inspiration from Egg Nega Wisp Phase 1, which I can be only happy about.

2) Boss: Mega Death Egg Robot Phase 3

Let’s get that one flaw out of the way: the loop is too short. But everything in the loop is spectacular.

It’s in the same style as Dr. Eggman Showdown, and while it’s not quite at the same level, it is pretty close, and I do prefer this guitar solo.

What truly makes this track great, however, is the buildup. It starts with a light, high choir that feels hopeless... then the drums kick in... then the guitars... and finally it explodes in a wonderful, triumpant mix of orchestra and rock. Eggman is on his last rope, you’ve already won. And when you defeat the final boss, it ends abruptly with the same choir of the beginning, in a satisfying book end.

And don’t miss that Fist Bump riff! I know some people would’ve preferred a full remix of the main theme, but I actually like this approach.

1) The Light of Hope

All that I see now, it’s not the same...

All you remember, has gone away...

But you’re still standing here...

The first stanza alone made me tear up, and I didn’t stop until the end. What a gorgeous song.

This song alone made me feel proud and accomplished... after watching a stream and being severely disappointed in what I had seen in the last hour. This one song almost fixed everything. And the new title screen, with the instrumental version in the background and the flower in the shining Resistance quarters... touching. It reminds me so much of Wiosna from Katawa Shoujo, a track I hold dear.

Kudos to Amy Hannam and her lovely voice - this song is much harder than it sounds, and she nailes every single note.

[sound-tracker-flac]

Bloodborne Soundtrack Review

Bloodborne’s soundtrack is not for everyone. The eerie sensation that perpetuates it often produces uncomfortable sounds, and for that reason it may put you off, at least before you gain the necessary...insight. Like the game itself, things are seldom as they seem. Underneath the screeching, disjointed notes is a majestic, diverse soundtrack unlike any other. Bloodborne’s soundtrack is another shining example of classical composition in videogame music. For those seeing a completely unspoiled experience, look away, because some of the boss themes may give away certain things. Otherwise, plunge yourself into the darkness.

You know you’re not in for a good time when the track listing begins with a piece called “Omen.” The track begins with the boom of a concert bass drum, reminiscent of the beginning of the Demon’s Souls main theme. Unlike its predecessor, however, the piece follows with a slow, brooding cello, setting the overall dark background that permeates the soundtrack; in contrast to Motoi Sakuraba’s (桜庭 統) grandiose use of brass in Dark Souls, lead composer Ryan Amon only uses brass to accentuate certain notes and to reach low ranges of the audio spectrum where strings could not. 

That said, strings do take the forefront of Bloodborne, an appropriate choice considering the game’s pseudo-Victorian England setting. The bass strings advance to a steady march, and when the lone vocalist begins her somber note, you know you are once again subject to From Software’s twisted sense of beauty. “Omen” is very much a, ah...microcos, or some say microcosm of the entire soundtrack, demonstrating Ryan Amon’s emphasis on strings and vocals, with recurring disjointed escalating notes reminiscent of horror movies.

Amon also sets himself apart from Sakuraba and Shunsuke Kida (木田 俊介 ) of Demon’s Souls fame by introducing tempo shifts in several tracks. “The Night Unfurls” in particular is one of my favorite tracks. The vocalist starts slow and soft, but strings escalate the piece to a higher octave, leading the vocalist to a shrill note. “The Night Unfurls” has a clear intro, rise, apex, denouement, and end, unlike most looping tracks in the Souls series. Many of Bloodborne’s tracks are similar in this regard, making each piece a self-contained movement. The theme brightening at 1:10, the minor key at 1:27, and my favorite bit, the lead violinist’s chilling performance of the single F# con affetto (with emotion) at the 1:37 mark. That last one never fails to send chills down my spine.

Bloodborne is yet another FROM SOFTWARE game chock-full of action-packed sequences, and its composers have continued the lineage of epic classical compositions that began with Demon’s Souls. “The Hunter” is a prime example, making great use of tempo shifts that match the boss’ transformations. This piece really stands out from the rest of Amon’s compositions for its use of brass. The heavy-handed brass combines with the strings’ and bass drum’s relentless pacing, making the encounter truly intimidating. The effect is further amplified around 1:45 when the tempo speeds up affrettando (in a rushing manner) and strings take center stage. At 1:55, the song shifts into a higher key and introduces even more levels into the piece; almost overwhelming, but in truth a beautifully controlled chaos. At 2:19 the chorus’ 5-note motif brings the song to a terrifying crescendo. “The Hunter” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks in recent videogame history, as its composition wonderfully complements the boss. The theme is a prime example of the soundtrack being an integral part of game design, showcasing the incredible attention to detail from both FROM SOFTWARE and Ryan Amon.

Art by Yoshioka (Haco) http://haco11.tumblr.com/

The action tracks in Bloodborne weren’t simply filled with unending terror, thankfully, as it has its fair share of grandiosity as well. “Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos” from Souls veteran Yuka Kitamura (北村 友香) was perhaps the grandest of all. The slow tempo of the solemn Latin hymn and the steady pace of the drums feels very much like a procession march. As soon as it escalates at 0:32, however, the strings bring about a feeling of vastness, and the brass accompanies with a sensation of grandness. That strings, escalating ever higher, paint an image of a immense, galaxial place without bounds, whereas the brass depicts the awe of communing with something on a higher level. By 1:28, the tempo picks up again but contains a hint of sorrow; the minor key makes the theme sound like it came straight out of a tragic opera. The main chorus proceeds almost angelically near the beginning, but by 1:45 the theme grows increasingly desperate; the song becomes a holy song of praise and also a dirge at the same time. Tuplet notes at 2:23 and minor keys at 2:58 and 3:01 respectively deepen this sensation. At 3:12, the track reaches an apex on a major key, but soon falls and slows. The fermata (grand pause) for a full beat at 3:33 and half beat at 3:39 gives incredible strength to the emphatic final crescendo. “Ebrietas” is sublime because, despite being a boss theme, awe and tragedy have replaced terror. “Ebrietas” is awesome in the literal sense of the word.

The final track that really elevated the soundtrack for me was Tsukasa Saitoh’s (斎藤 司) “The First Hunter.” The slow strings performed a sad melody that reminds me of the classic “Adagio For Strings” by the late Samuel Barber. This piece was really strange to me because of its emotional depth; the boss itself has a whole backstory I completely missed (due to the dreaded chance-based encounters), so I initially did not understand the reason for the track’s dramatic performance. Upon seeing the encounter and one of the endings, however, I slowly saw why. “The First Hunter” is very much the “Gwyn, Lord of Cinder” of Bloodborne, depicting a similar idea of being reduced to a shadow of your former self while watching your world die slowly. I am ashamed that I don’t have more words for this beautiful piece, only to say that, if you can appreciate classical music in the very slightest, then you should listen to this theme.

By alcd on Pixiv https://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=2334059 

On the softer side of things, “Hunter’s Dream” and “Moonlit Melody” are more similar to Souls songs of old, and for good reason. FROM SOFTWARE has often put emphasis on a “home” location: The Nexus from Demon’s Souls, Firelink Shrine to a degree in Dark Souls, Majula in Dark Souls II, and now Hunter’s Dream in Bloodborne. Each of these locales is a rare, safe haven for the player character, a bulwark against the rest of the terrible worlds out to end you. Both “Hunter’s Dream” and “Moonlit Melody” only feature strings and a solo vocalist playing a simple, beautiful, memorable melody. These two tracks are very much in tune with the previous Souls home themes in that players will not tire of their soft, calming effects; they do not utilize the tempo shifts like other pieces in lieu of stability and familiarity, both essential traits of home themes. By including both stable and variable-tempo songs, Ryan Amon and co. introduce flexibility not only to the individual tracks, but also to the entire soundtrack itself.

This review only covered some of my favorite tracks, but some others deserve a listen as well. The timpani performance at last third of “Amygdala.” The Eerie strings opening of “Celestial Emissary.” And, of course, the titular “Bloodborne” in its full glory, completing the twisted journey that “Omen” began. I still stand by what I said in the beginning in that Bloodborne’s soundtrack is not for everyone, but if you have an interest in dark, grand orchestral compositions---something you’d listen to while reading Lovecraft---or simply that you have played Bloodborne, then I highly, highly recommend it.

The Old Hunters DLC Soundtrack Review will arrive soon.

[musicstormmedia]

ALBUM REVIEW / XANDRIA Theater of Dimensions (2017)

Dos años y medio tuvieron que pasar para que la banda alemana Xandria nos sorprendiera con un nuevo LP. «Theater of Dimensions» es como se titula este nuevo trabajo, y no podría estar más de acuerdo en la elección del nombre. Este disco es un conjunto de sensaciones; un vaivén de emociones, mucho más dramático y ambicioso que cualquiera de sus anteriores álbumes. Como es de esperar, incluye elementos típicos que podemos encontrar en algunos de sus trabajos previos, pero también incorpora sonidos nuevos, manteniendo la esencia de Xandria.

Two years had to pass for the German band Xandria to surprise us with a new LP. “Theatre of Dimensions” is the name of this new work, and I couldn’t agree more with the choice of the title. This album is a combination of sensations; a mixture of swaying emotions, much more dramatic and ambitious than any of their previous albums. As expected, it includes the typical elements found in some of their previous productions, but they’ve also incorporated new sounds, keeping the essence of Xandria.

TRACK BY TRACK

WHERE THE HEART IS HOME

Canción con la que decidieron abrir este nuevo trabajo. Tiene un comienzo épico, con una gran orquestación y coros pomposos, que dan lugar a una rápida batería, acompañada de veloces guitarras hasta el momento en que se hace presente la esplendorosa voz de Dianne. Cuando por fin el estribillo llega, nos damos cuenta de que esta canción fue uno de los tantos adelantos que la banda fue haciendo llegar a todos sus seguidores a través de las redes sociales, bastante pegadizo por cierto y de rápida aceptación. Es un track que, en mi opinión, va a gustar mucho porque además, incluye un solo de guitarra que es cortito pero eficaz. Uno de los mejores temas del disco, motivo suficiente para ser elegida como canción de apertura.

This is the song that opens the album. It has an epic beginning, with a great orchestration and pompous backing vocals, which make way for some fast drumming, accompanied by fast guitars, up to the moment when Dianne’s splendorous voice appears. When we hear the chorus, we realize that this song is one of the many previews the band had been sharing with their fans through the social networks. It’s certainly a very catchy song, with a really good public acceptance. I think people will like this track very much, since it also includes a short but yet effective guitar solo. It’s one of the best songs of the album, which make it worthy of being the opening song.

DEATH TO THE HOLY

Una potente batería da inicio a la canción que, de primeras, podríamos decir suena distinta a todas, aunque segundos más tarde nos recuerde en parte a “Temple of Hate”, de su anterior disco «Sacrificium» (2014). Es una canción que tiene un rítmica muy particular, pero que definitivamente tiene el peculiar sabor de Xandria, incluso algunos pueden llegar a encontrar reminiscencias al «Neverworld’s End» (2012). Se mantiene más o menos constante de principio a fin, solamente siendo interrumpido, cerca del final, por un coro con presencia e instrumentos de viento que lo engalanan.

A potent drum starts this song, which at first we could say sounds different to all the other songs, but seconds later it somewhat reminds us of “Temple of Hate”, from their previous album “Sacrificium” (2014). It’s a tune with a very particular rhythm, but still it has the peculiar Xandria flavor; some may even find “Neverworld’s End” reminiscences. The song is more or less constant from beginning to end, and this is only interrupted near the end by some backing vocals and wind instruments, which embellish it.  

FORSAKEN LOVE

La primera balada del disco, prima hermana de “Forevermore” (Neverworld’s End). Si algo le sale muy bien a Xandria, son las baladas. No decepciona para nada porque utiliza la fórmula que ya todos conocemos. Una canción bellísima, que me arriesgo a decir, formará parte del setlist de los shows en vivo para cuando quieran darle un descanso al público después de tantos temas potentes.

It’s the first ballad of the album, which is very similar to “Forevermore” (Neverworld’s End). Xandria never disappoints us with their ballads, since they use a formula we are all familiar with. This is a very beautiful song, which I daresay will be part of the setlist in live shows, when they wish to give a break to the public, after so many powerful songs.

CALL OF DESTINY

Llega para alborotar las aguas que el tema anterior había logrado calmar. Comienzo abrupto con batería, guitarras y coros rápidos. El doble bombo se luce por completo en este caso. El estribillo es pegadizo y nos tendrá a todos cantando de principio a fin. Las guitarras se roban la canción hacia el final. Un tema que permite acompañar con palmas en un vivo y que de seguro gustará a más de uno.

It arrives to stir the waters the previous song had managed to calm down. It has an abrupt beginning with drums, guitars and fast backing vocals. The double bass drum is absolutely remarkable. The chorus is catchy, and it will have us singing from beginning to end. The guitar becomes the center of the song by the end of it. It will surely have us clapping along in live concerts.

WE ARE MURDERERS (WE ALL)

Lo primero que se nos viene la cabeza al oírlo es que estamos escuchando a alguna otra banda de metal sinfónico, completamente distinta a Xandria. Dianne canta con su voz de pecho las estrofas y es acompañada en voces por Björn Strid (Soilwork), quien está a cargo de los growls a lo largo de todo el tema. La canción trata sobre el calentamiento global, la tala indiscriminada de árboles, la contaminación de los ríos y de la atmósfera, y sobre cómo el hombre ha maltratado el planeta Tierra durante las últimas décadas. El tema es interesante (y preocupante, por cierto) pero no es nada nuevo. Muchas otras bandas del género han tratado temáticas similares en sus respectivos trabajos y el factor sorpresa en este caso se pierde. La letra se torna bastante monótona llegando al final y es lo único que puedo criticarle a la canción porque, en general, ha tenido muy buena repercusión.

The first thing that comes to our mind when we listen to it is that we might be listening to some other symphonic metal band, completely different from Xandria. Dianne sings the stanzas with her chest voice, accompanied by Björn Strid (Soilwork)’ voice, who is in charge of the growls all throughout the song. The song is about global warming, the destruction of forests, water and air pollution, and mainly about how mankind has damaged the planet for decades. The song is interesting, and the topic is certainly something to worry about; yet, it is nothing that hasn’t been dealt with before. Many other bands from the genre have worked with similar issues, thus the wow factor is not achieved. The lyrics become quite repetitive towards the end, which is the only thing to be criticized, because, in general, there has been a great deal of acceptance. 

DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

Empieza como una balada donde sólo se escuchan el piano y la dulce voz de Dianne. Luego se suma la batería y en el estribillo irrumpen las guitarras. Hermosa canción que va creciendo con el pasar del tiempo. Un largo solo de guitarra se destaca alrededor de los 2 minutos y medio y encaja armoniosamente con todo lo demás. Este tipo de temas suelen ser de los que más me gustan de Xandria, los tranquilos pero instrumentalmente ricos. Sin dudas Dark Night of the Soul podría haber formado parte del EP «Fire & Ashes» (2015) porque sigue esa misma línea.

It begins as a ballad where only the piano and sweet Dianne’s voice can be heard. Then come the drums and in the chorus the guitars are incorporated. It’s a beautiful tune that grows as the song goes by. A long guitar solo stands out around 2’ 30’’, and it perfectly fits with everything else. This is the type of song I like from Xandria, the quiet ones, but instrumentally rich. It could have easily taken part of the EP “Fire and Ashes” (2015), because it follows the same direction.

WHEN THE WALLS CAME DOWN (HEARTACHE WAS BORN)

Cambia el clima drásticamente y se torna de repente mucho más oscuro, con coros que llegan a poner la piel de gallina. Este es otro de los adelantos que pudimos escuchar previamente y lo cierto es que resulta bastante agradable a la primera escucha, sobre todo hacia el final cuando la canción evoluciona y se vuelve más compleja. Dianne juega mucho con su voz y eso es un plus, a mi entender.

The atmosphere changes completely, and it becomes much darker, with backing vocals that give you goosebumps. This is another preview we could listen to, and it’s really nice since the first time you listen to it, especially towards the end, when the song evolves and becomes more complex. Dianne plays a lot with her voice, which in my view is a plus.

SHIP OF DOOM

Creo que es mi preferida de todo el álbum. De primeras me atrevo a decir que sí. Cuenta con la colaboración de Ross Thompson (Van Canto / The Display) y tiene un comienzo épico con coros alucinantes y memorables. Las guitarras suenan increíblemente bien y ya puedo imaginarme al público argentino corear al unísono esas líneas. “One, two, three, four…”, las gaitas se asoman. Simplemente hermoso, hasta que sólo quedan en escena las guitarras, dando la sensación de estar escuchando alguna otra canción del disco, una más heavy y potente. Más coros (como para no perder la costumbre), y la voz lírica de Dianne haciendo de las suyas. “Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh…”. Pegadiza a más no poder pero con guitarras súper pesadas.

I think this is the song I like the most from this album. It has Ross Thompson (Van Canto/ The Display) as a collaborator, and it has an epic beginning, with amazing and memorable backing vocals. The guitars sound incredibly well, and I can already picture the Argentinian public singing along those lines. “One, two, three, four...” and the bagpipes start playing. Just beautiful, until the moment only the guitars are playing, which gives us the feeling of being listening to some other song from this album, a heavier one. More backing vocals (as they got us used to), and Dianne’s lyrical singing at its best. “Ohhh, ohhhh, ohhhh, ohhhh…” As catchy as it gets, but with really heavy guitars.

CÉILÍ

El término “Céilí” proviene del idioma irlandés y hace referencia a un festejo con danza tradicional de los pueblos gaélicos (Irlanda y Escocia). Es la única canción instrumental de todo el álbum. Es entretenida, divertida y variada. Un mix interesante de elementos que se conjugan perfectamente. Ya puedo imaginármela en un show en vivo, enganchada detrás de alguna otra canción, con los músicos tocándola en el escenario, mientras Dianne efectúa algún cambio de vestuario. ¿Suma? Sí, mucho. No es una canción de relleno en lo absoluto.

The term “Céilí” comes from the Irish language and it makes reference to a celebration with a traditional dance of the Gaelic peoples (Ireland and Scotland). It’s the only instrumental song in the whole album. It’s entertaining and varied; an interesting mix of elements that match perfectly. I can picture it in a live show, right after another song, with the musicians playing it while Dianne is changing her costume. This is not just some filler, it is a plus.

SONG FOR SORROW AND WOE

Creo que a muchos les gustará esta canción. Con un comienzo muy cinematográfico y un gran despliegue vocal por parte de Dianne, cuyo canto lírico prevalece y embriaga. El resto de los instrumentos no se queda atrás, y también tiene un repertorio impecable, con guitarras distorsionadas que encajan a la perfección y dan pie a una interpretación algo teatral por parte de la vocalista, quien también utiliza su voz de pecho.  

I think many fans will like this song. It has a very cinematographic beginning, and a great vocal display on the part of Dianne, whose lyrical singing stands out and enchants us. The rest of the instruments are second to none, they are executed impeccably, with distorted guitars that fit perfectly and give way to a somewhat theatrical interpretation on the part of the vocalist, who also uses her chest voice.

BURN ME

BURN ME, TAKE ME TO THE FIRE!

Otra de las canciones que más me gustaron del disco; un tema raro y atípico, pero sin dudas aceptable, que cuenta con la colaboración de otro cantante invitado: Zaher Zorgati (Myrath). Hay una gran variedad de sonidos en este track, muy interesantes, que hasta incluyen un interludio con sonidos indios.

This is another song which is among the ones I liked the most. A very atypical and strange song, but undoubtedly acceptable, which features another guest singer: Zaher Zorgati (Myrath). There’s a great variety of sounds in this track, making the song very interesting; and it even includes an interlude with Indian sounds.

QUEEN OF HEARTS REBORN

Un tema que bien podría haberse desprendido de «Sacrificium» (2014), porque recuerda mucho ese estilo de composiciones. La voz de Dianne es el foco de atención, se destaca y todo lo demás gira en torno a ella. Hacia la mitad de la canción nos encontramos con una estrofa narrada, seguida del solo de guitarra inmediatamente por detrás. Es una muy buena canción en verdad.

It could have been part of “Sacrificium” (2014), because it reminds us of that style of composition. Dianne’s voice is in the spotlight, and it stands out, with everything else revolving around her. Towards the middle of the song there is a section of spoken word, immediately followed by a guitar solo. It’s a really good song, actually.

A THEATER OF DIMENSIONS

Es la canción que da cierre al disco. Empieza con un bello piano, violín y la limpia voz de Dianne, al mejor estilo balada. Alcanzados los 2 minutos, el sonido se torna mucho más cinematográfico y dramático, digno de una banda sonora de película y bastante más ambicioso. Interesante sí, en cuanto a Xandria concierne. Realmente una dimensión desconocida e inexplorada por los alemanes. Debo admitir que suena excelente. Este tema cuenta con la colaboración de Henning Basse (Firewind / MaYan) en la voz masculina, con interpretaciones claramente teatrales por parte de ambos vocalistas. En verdad sus voces se lucen juntas y se amalgaman perfectamente. Un puente instrumental nunca viene mal y ni hablemos del solo de guitarra. La canción atraviesa por diferentes estadios que nos hacen vivenciar una serie de eventos que componen esta gran película. Podría seguir extendiéndome aún más en la descripción pero lo cierto es que dura en total unos 14:22 minutos, así que sólo voy a resumir un poco diciendo que es una verdadera obra maestra y algo completamente nuevo para Xandria. No dejen de escucharla.

This is the last song of the album. It begins with a beautiful piano, a violin and Dianne’s clear voice, in the best ballad style. After 2 minutes, the sounds become much more cinematographic and dramatic, worthy of being part of a movie soundtrack, and much more ambitious. It’s really a dimension that the German band had never explored or known before. I must admit that it sounds amazing. It counts with the collaboration of Henning Basse (Firewind/ MaYan) as male backing vocalist, with clearly theatrical interpretations on the part of both singers. Their voices really go well together, and they are perfectly amalgamated. An instrumental bridge and a guitar solo are always well received. The song goes through a variety of events that compose this great film. I could go on describing it, but it lasts 14 minutes and 22 seconds, therefore I will sum it up by saying it’s really a masterpiece, something completely new for Xandria. You must listen to it.

En términos generales, me gustó mucho el disco y eso que solamente lo escuché dos veces antes de escribir esta reseña. Creo que esta vez se han arriesgado bastante, y a mi criterio, les ha salido bien. ¿Lo recomiendo? Sí, definitivamente. Hacía rato que un disco nuevo no me emocionaba tanto como este.

In general terms, I really liked the album, and I only listened to it twice before writing this review. I think this time they’ve taken a great risk, and personally I think they succeeded. Would I recommend it? Absolutely YES. It’s been a while since I last was so moved by an album.

Reseña / Review: Romina Ordazzo

Traducción / Translation: Traductora Pamela Katz

Puntaje / Score: 9/10

Sello discográfico / Record Label: Napalm Records Fecha de lanzamiento / Release Date: 27/01/2017 

[harriskm]

A Classic Take on Modern Music

“A few musical designs shaped most Classical music, no matter who the composer or where the concert…these forms have proved timeless, serving composers down to the present day.”

-Craig Wright, The Essential Listening to Music, pg. 116  

Applying Classical Forms to Modern Songs

Last week we learned about the different forms of music from the classical era, so this week we will be looking at modern day music and comparing it to the forms we learned about. This may include Sonata-Allegro, Theme and Variations, Ternary, or Rondo form. We will review the type of form analyzed with each song.

Analyzing Emerald Princess, by Two Steps From Hell:

Two Steps From Hell is a film/epic music group. Emerald Princess was written as a tribute to the Swedish artist, according to Thomas Bergersen, the composer for the piece. (via the pinned YouTube comment) Upon listening closely to it, I notated some melodic/rhythmic patterns I deemed as different themes. Above are the themes I came up with, and on the left are the respective timestamps within the YouTube video linked above that the theme first occurs in the song. I believe this song most closely resembles a “Sonata-Allegro With Variations” form.

Emerald Princess most resembles a mix between Theme and Variations, and Sonata-Allegro forms-- Sonata-Allegro With Variations-- because of the changes in and dispersion of themes. Here are two models of how the song might be following Sonata-Allegro form:

Model 1: A (Bridge), B, B1 (Exposition)

A, C, D and C, D and E, D1 and B1 (Development)

D2 and A1 (Recapitulation)

Model 2: A (Bridge), B, B1, A, C, D and C, D and E (Exposition)

D1 and B1 (Development)

D2 and A1 (Recapitulation)

The themes have been sorted as such in Model 1 because it seems like a more natural development of the song, with the bulk of the themes in the Development category. Model 2 is designed to follow the above template more by establishing all themes first in the Exposition and then further developing a couple, ending with the same Recapitulation as Model 1. 

A and D seem to be the two most main or recurring themes, which is why they come back near the end. The progression of the song resembles Sonata-Allegro form because of the way it comes back to the first and fourth theme. The song resembles Theme and Variations because even in the Sonata-Allegro models, it does not end back in the tonic key. In fact, the whole song has quite a lot of key changes. Interestingly enough, though, the piece does come relatively close to ending on a tonic, literally, because it starts in A minor and ends in F-sharp minor. F-sharp minor is the relative key to A major, which is parallel to A minor. So, only a few keys off.

Realistically, this particular piece shares qualities with many classical forms. It is similar to Rondo with the returning themes, however Emerald Princess changes the themes too much to be completely Rondo (ABACDCDEB… vs. ABACA). It is not completely Theme and Variations because it introduces several themes rather than just varying one. It shares similarities with the minuet-trio ternary form as well, but ends with different themes than it began with, as Theme D carries to the end. (ABA/CDC/DEB… vs. ABA/CDC/ABA)

This is why Emerald Princess is most like Sonata-Allegro With Variations; though not following all of the Sonata-Allegro template, it develops several themes but changes them almost every time they are re-introduced.

Analyzing the Famous Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen:

Before we start analyzing almost all of the song, we need to know, what is a “Rhapsody.” Well, a rhapsody as a musical form is a single-movement work that is episodic (i.e. has distinct groups of musical ideas), free-flowing in structure, and features a range of highly contrasting moods. Expect something that has an air of improvisation and virtuosity – something that's going to take you on a journey, just like a dramatically recited epic poem.

Bohemian Rhapsody most resembles Sonata-Allegro form. The song begins with an introduction, a four-part homophonic chorale, “Is this the real life?” The introduction develops with piano accompaniment and a solo voice emerging in the texture (0:00-0:48). This song changes chords progressions and keys many times throughout, giving it a unique sound and pattern.

The next episode features a piano ballad with solo voice over an arpeggiated accompaniment. The expansive, expressive mood here is very fitting of a rhapsody (0:49-2:37). This part of the song is repeated twice in a verse, however everything is the same except for the lyrics. The movement, I > VI > II > V can be characterized as a chain of fifths root-motion. The arrangement is quite bare in the first verse. The material of the ballad then moves into an extended guitar solo with the feeling of a free-flowing improvisation-- something you’ll hear in many 19th-century pieces of music-- by the amazing guitarist Brian May (2:37-3:03). The solo is in a mixolydian scale, because the scales from B Flat Major to B Flat Major have an A Flat Major alteration a flattened seventh that is necessary for the E Flat Major. The harmony in the last bar of the solo changes chromatically as it the key changes to A, which is a drastic difference.

Mixolydian Scale: A scale that begins on the V note of the key

  The famous pseudo-operatic midsection follows, with all those “Galileos”. This section is rich in chromaticism, with rapid rhythmic and harmonic changes. Special shout-out to Roger Taylor's high falsetto B flat on “for me”, which forms the structural climax of the Rhapsody (3:03-4:08). This is where a lot of chromatic and sporadic chord and key changes occur. The whole harmonic sequence is repeated once again to dramatize the struggle and negotiation, until it reaches another layered wall of vocals. And changing the pulsation to triplets until finally resolving to E Flat Major.

That high B flat (“for meeeeeee”) leads into the head-banging hard rock episode with blazing virtuosic guitars and drums (4:08-4:55). However, as it continues, there is a B Flat Major that is followed by an F Minor with a seventh this time. The sequence is repeated twice. An outro ballad concludes the song, releasing the tension of the operatic and hard rock episodes and reprising the material of the opening piano ballad (4:55-5:55), which has the same pace and form as the intro part.

Analyzing Morrisey’s Everyday is Like Sunday

In many pop songs, a re-imagined Sonata-Allegro form is often used. It follows the rough outline of an exposition that presents the prominent themes then follows with a contrasting development and ends with a recapitulation. In Morrisey’s Everyday is Like Sunday, it begins with the first verse:

Trudging slowly over wet sand,

Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen

This is the coastal town,

That they forgot to close down

Armageddon, come Armageddon

Come Armageddon, come

Then follows with the first repetition of the chorus:

Everyday is like Sunday

Everyday is silent and grey

 The presentation of this verse and chorus sets up the themes that are prevalent in the remainder of the song. A second verse succeeds the chorus that closely resembles the form of the very first verse:

Hide on the promenade, etch a postcard:

“How I dearly wish I was not here”

In this seaside town,

That they forgot to bomb

Come, come, come nuclear bomb

The exposition is then closed by another repetition of the chorus. And although the next part is not in a different key, the development differs melodically and only slightly texturally with the bridge:

Trudging back over pebbles and sand,

And a strange dust lands on your hands,

And on your face,

On your face, on your face, on your face…

Typically in the end of modern pop songs the chorus is repeated but it is usually the exact same as when it first appeared. Everyday is Like Sunday concludes with the chorus only it slightly varies from the original chorus. This slight difference makes it much more like the recapitulation found in the classical sonata-allegro form.

So What? Why Does This Matter?

Above we analyzed a few more recent songs and how their form compared with those of the classical era. There were many forms that came out of the classical era and many modern day songs still reflect the basics of some of those forms.  

 Who did what:

Kaila Harris: Introduction, Emerald Princess

Quinlan Shick: Title, Quote, and Bohemian Rhapsody

Tatiana Neufeld: Conclusion, Everyday is Like Sunday

Sources:

Sonata-Allegro Form Graphic:

https://sakai.plu.edu/access/lessonbuilder/item/1261696/group/Music_and_Culture_Fall_2019/Classical%20Style%20and%20Classical%20Forms:%20Haydn%20and%20Mozart/Sonata%20Allegro%20form.gif (taken from the Sakai page)

Bohemian Rhapsody Picture: https://skyethelimit.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/queen-y-la-huella-inolvidable-de-freddie-mercury/

Bohemian Rhapsody Analysis: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/music/analysis-of-bohemian-rhapsody-music-essay.php

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/music-theory/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-structure/

Mixolydian Scale definition:

https://gosk.com/scales/mixolydian-scale-for-guitar.php#targetText=The%20Mixolydian%20scale%20is%20the,same%20as%20a%20C%20major.

[ricardosousalemos]

The Flaming Lips: Oczy Mlody

Last year was a relatively quiet one for the Flaming Lips. Sure, the Oklahoma vets take an average of four years or so between proper albums, but they’re rarely out of sight, whether they’re upholding their reputation as a festival clean-up worker’s worst nightmare, launching side projects, or just generating headlines over something outrageous Wayne Coyne has said/done. But, ironically, their most scattershot extracurricular activity to date—backing up Miley Cyrus on her teen pop-repudiating, Soundcloud-clogging Dead Petz project—has, in hindsight, proven to be a guiding light for this ever-exploratory band. 

Over the past three years, Cyrus has gone from being Coyne’s instant Instagram BFF to becoming his go-to girl with kaleidoscope eyes to serving as the Lips’ muse—the potty-mouthed, pansexual Nico to their expanding plastic inflatable. It’s a friends-with-mutual-benefits relationship: Cyrus uses the Lips as a wrecking ball to her past, while the Lips use her a conduit to relive theirs.

Cyrus only appears on one song on the Lips’ new album, but the record wouldn’t sound the way it does without her presence in their lives. Oczy Mlody is a Polish phrase that translates to “eyes of the young,” and, here, the Lips strap them on like a VR headset. After spending much of 2013’s The Terror in a disorienting haze and ruminating on loss, lust, and impending apocalypse, on Oczy Mlody, Coyne reconnects with his childlike sense of wonder, populating its lyrical universe with unicorns, demon-eyed frogs, and wizards (not to mention enough f-bombs to challenge Cyrus in a swear-jar contest). And joining Cyrus’ squad shaped the album’s sonic direction as well: After sharing the console with Mike WiLL Made-It on Dead Petz and becoming party pals with A$AP Rocky, Coyne and co. have adapted their low-end theories to the Lips’ future-shocked psych-pop.

But if Oczy Mlody lacks The Terror’s weighty themes, it retains its claustrophobic, science-lab atmosphere, yielding songs as dense, tangled, and intricately structured as the gear set-up likely required to produce them. The Lips haven’t functioned as a straight-up rock band for two decades now, but never have they felt more like a pure studio entity—this is their first album to barely feature any (perceptible) drums, leaning instead on a wobbly rhythmic foundation of tinny programmed beats, bass-frequency throbs, and finger-snapping hooks. But while Oczy Mlody finds the Lips still eager to stretch the parameters of their aesthetic 30-plus years into the game, this time, it leaves them sounding a little distended and shapeless.

As harebrained as some of the Lips’ sideline experiments can seem, all those existentialist sci-fi-flick soundtracks, six-hour jams, and kooky karaoke exercises are important whiteboard workshop exercises for ideas that eventually get refined into holistic, conceptually focussed albums like The Terror and its predecessor, Embryonic. By comparison, Oczy Mlody feels more, well, embryonic. If the Lips’ 2009 opus introduced this current iteration of the band with a thundering Soft Bulletin-sized statement, and The Terror was its more subdued Yoshimi-scaled counterpoint, then Oczy Mlody is the At War With the Mystics moment, where the band sounds like it’s being pulled into too many directions at once, and struggling to reconcile their crowd-pleasing and contrarian tendencies.

Oczy Mlody’s fairy-tale fantasias are hardly unchartered terrain for a band that found its greatest success making a quasi-concept album about karate battles with robots; the difference here is that the whimsy is delivered in stern, serious tones, as if reciting a children’s storybook as docudrama. But just when you’re willing to overlook the goofy lyrics of a song like “There Should Be Unicorns” (“There should be day-glo strippers/Ones from the Amazon!”) and surrender to its tense, twitchy electro groove, the hypnotic spell is broken by a silly spoken-word intrusion from comedian Reggie Watts where he ruminates on horn-headed horses like Isaac Hayes doing pillow talk. The song finds a superior counterpart in “One Night While Hunting for Faeries and Witches and Wizards to Kill,” another tale of an epic quest for mythical creatures—set to an intensifying techno-powered thrust. But in lieu of a dramatic finale, it simply dissolves into the chintzy, chipmunked synth pop of “Do Glowy.” (Sample lyric: “Glowy, glowy, go/Let’s get together, yeah/Glow, glow, glow, glow.”)

These pendulum shifts—from frustrating to fascinating and back again—play out within the songs themselves. While the compelling near-instrumental “Nigdy Nie (Never No)” navigates a linear path from cosmic avant-R&B reverie to subwoofered robo-funk, dead-weight tracks like “Galaxy I Sink” and “Listening to the Frogs With Demon Eyes” force you to wade through meandering tracts of sputtering drum machines and free-floating guitar jangle to reach their brief, sky-clearing moments of radiance. Even a pretty reprieve like “Sunrise (Eyes of the Young)”—which repurposes a melody previously heard on Cyrus’ “The Floyd Song (Sunrise)”—isn’t immune to the album’s impulsive tendencies, with each plaintive verse answered by a momentum-stalling choral flourish that feels like a placeholder for a proper chorus. (The album boasts a better ballad in “The Castle,” a bittersweet, trip-hoppy serenade that would sound right at home on the back half of Yoshimi.)

Where The Terror appended its sullen song cycle with an ebullient bonus track (“The Sun Blows Up”), Oczy Mlody’s unlikely closer—the Coyne/Cyrus duet “We a Famly”—is presented as part of the official tracklist. But given the scatterbrained nature of all that precedes it, the song’s appearance is both moot and highly welcome. “We a Famly” reportedly dates back to the Dead Petz sessions, and it differs from the rest of Oczy Mlody in every possible way, from its traditional rock-anthem structure, to its real-world references to Wichita, to the presence of a joyous, arm-swaying chorus on a record that otherwise does its best to avoid them. Certainly, “We a Famly” will give amorous Lips fans something else to slow-dance to at their weddings besides “Do You Realize??” But in these divisive times, the song also functions as a more pointed statement of solidarity—for America at large, or, at the very least, among two generations of Oklahoma freaks who prove the president-elect doesn’t have a monopoly on watersports-related headlines in 2017.

[dixiechikdigger]

THE 7 SIGNS YOU'RE IN A CULT

😕THE 7 SIGNS YOU'RE IN A CULT🙁 The Seven Signs You're in a Cult A former member of a tight-knit college prayer group describes his community's disintegration—and how one of its members ended up dead. Bethany Deaton in 2008. Boze Herrington/The Atlantic BOZE HERRINGTON JUN 18, 2014 U.S. November 2, 2012, was a beautiful Friday in Kansas City—clear and cool and sunny. I had spent the afternoon reading in the library at an unaccredited college affiliated with the International House of Prayer, an evangelical Christian organization commonly referred to as IHOP (no relation to the restaurant). Around 6 pm, I got a call from my friend Hannah*. “I found out something that’s truly devastating. I didn’t want to tell you this way, but I want you to know,” she said. “Bethany Leidlein committed suicide on Tuesday.” I was shocked. For seven years, I had spent hours every day with Bethany, eating and talking and praying. We had been best friends. She was 27, newly married; she had just completed her nursing degree. I felt like she would always be part of my life. Now, she was gone. For three weeks, Hannah and I had been trying to contact leaders at IHOP about a prayer group that we, Bethany, and many of our friends had been part of—a small, independent community that drew on IHOP's teachings. In February, I had been formally excommunicated, and Hannah had left in June. Looking in from the outside, both of us saw the group differently than we had when we were part of it: We saw it as a cult. Several years ago, the founder of IHOP, Mike Bickle, created a list of seven ways to recognize the difference between a religious community and a cult. Written down, the signs seem clear: 1. Opposing critical thinking 2. Isolating members and penalizing them for leaving 3. Emphasizing special doctrines outside scripture 4. Seeking inappropriate loyalty to their leaders 5. Dishonoring the family unit 6. Crossing Biblical boundaries of behavior (versus sexual purity and personal ownership) 7. Separation from the Church But when it’s your friends, your faith, your community, it’s not so obvious. For several years, roughly two dozen people, all younger than thirty, had been living together in Kansas City, Missouri, and following the leadership of Tyler Deaton, one of our classmates from Southwestern University in Texas. In the summer of 2012, Tyler had married Bethany; by the fall, she was dead. What started as a dorm-room prayer group had devolved into something much darker. * * * I met Bethany and Tyler during the week of their freshman orientation in 2005. Small, with a heart-shaped face and bright blue eyes, Bethany’s effortless wit and warm presence quickly attracted a devoted group of friends. She often spoke about the “glories of the world” and its wonders over brunch in the dining hall. We bonded over our shared love of stories and would often stay up late discussing our dreams of becoming great novelists and joining the ranks of our literary heroes. One day during that first week, I found Tyler in the school’s chapel. He was seated at the piano, the late-afternoon sunlight illuminating his dark eyes and hair as he swayed back and forth, stomping the pedals and singing a popular evangelical chorus in a voice full of heartache and passion: Your love is extravagant Your friendship, it is intimate I feel like I’m moving to the rhythm of your grace Your fragrance is intoxicating In the secret place Because your love is extravagant At the end of the song, he came over and introduced himself. Something about the nasally pitch of his voice made me wonder if he was gay. A few months later I would work up the courage to ask him; the question offended him so much that I didn’t bring it up again until the end of that year, when he conceded that he had been “struggling with same-sex attraction” for years. That semester, we became close friends. Early on, I felt as though Tyler often tried to manipulate people into doing what he wanted, but he was also a committed Christian, zealous and humble. Inspired by his sensitivity toward others and bravery in confronting his personal demons, I learned to ignore my initial reservations and trust him. Our prayer group became an enchanted sphere where supernatural things seemed to happen all the time. Two years later, in the summer of 2007, Tyler returned from a trip to Pakistan and announced that God was going to launch a spiritual revolution on our campus. Those of us who knew him well were surprised by the changes in his personality. He had always been extraordinarily perceptive, but now this ability had reached uncanny levels. He could describe conversations he wasn’t involved in that were taking place on the other side of campus. He said God was always speaking. He claimed he could tell what we were thinking, when we were sinning; he said he could feel in his own body what God felt about us. When I found out he and Bethany were meeting every night for prayer with their two roommates, June and Justin*, I begged them to let me join. It was discouraging to see some of my best and only friends at Southwestern sharing an experience from which I was excluded; I wanted to belong to their group. I was lonely and bored, and I wanted to experience something extraordinary before I left school: a mystery to solve, a battle to fight, a romantic quest, like the heroes in the stories I had read. All my favorite songs and stories ended with some powerful and often tragic moment of catharsis. I wanted college to end like that. If it didn’t, my life would be boring, anti-climactic … normal. I had always imagined my life in terms of a story, and now Tyler was offering me the chance to be a part of one. He had developed a distinctly Charismatic vocabulary of “spiritual warfare” and claimed he was communicating directly with God. He said the five of us had been chosen for a dangerous but important mission: changing the nature and understanding of Christianity on our campus. Like the characters of Morpheus or Hagrid, he became our escort into a secret community where evil was battled at close quarters and darkness lurked around every corner. That first semester was exhilarating. Our prayer experiences were very emotional; sometimes, we wept. Though I still secretly had doubts about the authenticity of the group’s beliefs, I was profoundly moved by the courage and loyalty my friends were showing towards one another. It felt like being in an epic adventure, in which each of the main characters bravely faces his or her own weaknesses while bonding together in the heat of battle. Bethany continued to be my closest friend in the group. We confided in one another—including our mild doubts about the group. One night in early November, a few of the group members tried to “heal” a girl with cerebral palsy, even pulling her out of her wheelchair and dragging her around the chapel. Word quickly spread around campus that the girl had been miraculously healed, but I told Bethany I wasn’t convinced that anything really unusual had happened. Near the end of November, she admitted she had feelings for Tyler. She said God had told her they were going to be married, once he was fully healed of his struggle with homosexuality. During vacations, we would discuss this for hours. She cried regularly. RELATED STORY The Vigilante of Clallam County Around this time, Tyler attended an IHOP conference. At the four-day gathering in Kansas City, Missouri, where the movement is based, he joined 25,000 other young people to pray for spiritual revival on college campuses throughout America. He heard the evangelical leader Lou Engle share a dream he’d had, in which college students were cutting off the heads of their professors, suggesting the end of the “spirit of intellectualism” that gripped academia. He heard Bickle declare that God was raising up a prophetic generation that would perform “signs and wonders,” and numerous stories of angelic visitations. After Tyler returned from the conference, his experiences with the supernatural seemed to intensify dramatically. As we walked across campus, he would see an army of demons carrying banners in front of the library. At the end of January, God revealed to him that his calling in life was to be an apostle and train God’s “final people.” When Bethany and June insisted that we find mentors who could train us and brought us to visit a Christian couple who lived nearby, Tyler “discerned” that the husband was living in “graphic sexual sin.” Somehow, when he said this, the rest of us realized we had all been feeling the same thing. We never went back. I was profoundly affected by IHOP’s teachings. I began to seriously consider the possibility that we were living in the last generation. The teachers and staff all had a message for the students: Everything we thought we knew about the world was wrong. We had been poisoned by a liberal culture teaching seductive lies about “love” and “compassion” that the devil was using to prepare his end-times deception. Before joining the prayer group, I had been a fairly tolerant person. Now I was different. I was belligerent toward my gay and atheist friends. I picked fights and insulted them viciously. But I felt justified; I thought they were blind to God’s truth. As the prayer group expanded, it became an enchanted sphere where supernatural things seemed to be happening all the time. I began having ominous dreams in which the school was flooded and taken over by monsters. Once, we found a candy wrapper in the ceiling of one of our members, Micah Moore; we burned it, because God showed us that it had been used to practice witchcraft. In the everyday college world of exams and choir concerts and dining-hall meals, these episodes seemed outlandish—and to outsiders, maybe even disturbing. But within the Gnostic dream world of our small Charismatic enclave, they seemed perfectly normal. By the end of the next semester, several of us were already making plans to move to Kansas City. * * * I was kicked out of the prayer group for the first time a year and a half later. Roughly two dozen of us were now living together in group houses in Missouri, sharing our money and working part-time jobs while we attended classes at IHOP University. Three nights a week, we worshipped together. Tyler and other members of the group claimed I had a “wicked heart, prone to self-protection, anger, unforgiveness, and hate” and a “malicious, accusatory, group-rejecting, self-protective hatred towards most people.” After an intense night of confrontation in the fall of 2010, the group stopped speaking to me. I continued to live in the house, but I was completely isolated. Why did I stay? I was conflicted. All of my friends said I had a serious problem—so serious that I had been effectively quarantined. These were my closest friends in the world. I began to wonder if they might be right. Maybe I truly was hateful, malicious—wicked. I no longer trusted by own instincts. I was belligerent toward my gay and atheist friends. But I felt justified; they were blind to God’s truth. When my boss saw that I was depressed and had stopped eating, she contacted one of the senior leaders at IHOP University. We met, and I described my living situation. “Hold on,” he said, in a very serious voice. “Are you being shunned as a punishment?” With his guidance, I emailed Tyler and asked if I could return; under pressure from IHOP University’s leaders, he consented. The group threw a huge party in my honor, but within a few days, I began to wish I had never come back. Tyler now said he could sense when a person was sinning. “There’s nothing you’ve done for a long time that doesn’t have sin in it,” he explained to me. Under his mandatory system of “behavioral modifications,” as he called them, the entire group was being rapidly restructured. People were giving up their nicknames, distancing themselves from their romantic partners, and taking breaks from their music or families—anything to which they had developed “idolatrous attachments.” I was forbidden from reading and writing, prohibited from having serious conversations with the girls, and forced to wear new clothes, which Tyler picked out for me. The group was being run like a military boot camp, with chores and activities to keep us occupied virtually every hour of the day. The girls would wake up around seven to clean their house before the guys came over for lunch. During the afternoon, some of us would go to class at IHOP University while others worked or prayed. Around five, we would reconvene at one of the houses to prepare dinner. We would eat between 6:00 pm and 7:30 pm and then spend several hours praying or singing. Once every few weeks, there was even a surprise evacuation drill. We had prophecy time at least three nights a week. During these sessions, the group would sit in silence and listen for the whisper of God’s spirit. Everyone said similar things, although they often ended up being proven wrong later. Those who disagreed were called out for being arrogant and rebellious and were forced to repent. By the end of that summer, even the slightest gesture, no matter how innocent, could be misconstrued as evidence of demonic influence. One night in August, Tyler and June both had dreams in which God “revealed” that my individuality was endangering the community. As a precaution, I was isolated, and two of the boys kept constant watch over me. I could be reprimanded for scratching another man’s back, for sitting with a blanket over my legs, for looking at someone the wrong way. Once, Micah accused me of manipulating someone into coming over and hugging me. The group decided I should be forbidden from reading and writing. After a woman in the group had her bedroom door and Bible taken away from her, she complained to IHOP. The organization’s leaders met with Tyler and warned him that his group was becoming “cult-like.” Tyler began having regular meetings with them. He was ordered to quit punishing people and stop mandating that the students in our group come to his Saturday worship session rather than IHOP University’s mandatory meeting. And I was beginning to face my own doubts. My questions about the group had been accumulating for years, but one night, I heard the group praying against me in the next room. That moment helped me admit something to myself, something big: They weren’t actually hearing the voice of God. My friends and I were all being whipped into a frenzy by the delirious tonic of prophecy and persecution fantasies. The week after Bethany and Tyler’s engagement in February 2012, the men came to me and asked me to leave the community. At first I was distraught. If I moved out, I would be walking away from all my best friends. I had hoped I could push the group in a more positive direction. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew it was time for me to go. On the first day of April, I moved out. The rest of the group was forbidden from contacting me, and I wasn’t invited to the wedding. * * * Bethany Deaton and the author in 2008. (Boze Herrington/The Atlantic) The weeks after Bethany’s death were among the blackest of my life. One of my dearest and best friends was dead, and I couldn’t accept the explanation that she had killed herself two months into a marriage she had been looking forward to for years. Even the logistics of grieving were complicated; on the day of her visitation, Tyler tried to have me removed from the funeral home. Meanwhile, IHOP sent several leaders to investigate the prayer community. It took them only a couple of hours with the group on the night after Bethany’s death to conclude that Tyler was leading a cult. The boys who still lived with Tyler were asked to move out immediately, and current and former members were questioned. And then they interrogated Micah, the person who had been charged with guarding me during one of my periods of isolation from the group. During questioning, he broke down and confessed that he had suffocated Bethany. He later said Tyler had told him to commit the murder, saying he “had it in him to do it.” The next day—the day of Bethany’s funeral in Arlington, Texas—he drove to the police station and turned himself in. There, he told a lurid tale: He and other men in the group had sexual relationships with Tyler, and together, they had ritually assaulted Bethany. She had been killed, Micah said, because they were afraid she would tell her therapist about the assaults. This raised intense questions in the IHOP community, and Bickle and others held information sessions to address them. When one student asked how this kind of dangerous group could have existed with hardly anyone noticing, they explained that my friends and I were transplants from Texas who had developed an intense loyalty to one another and a spiritual leader who operated in secrecy. “There were people there who should have had careers," he said. “They had degrees, law degrees. But they had given up their goals for the vision of this one man.” He reminded the students that Judas had spent three years in the company of Jesus and his disciples without anyone suspecting the wickedness he was capable of. Tyler was the product of a phenomenally twisted system. Talking to members of the IHOP community, I get the impression that they want to forget what happened. If only they had read their Bibles more, I hear them saying. If only they had paid more attention to Bickle’s teachings. If only they hadn’t been led astray by their secular college environment. If only... I believe the movement's leaders have encouraged the perception that we were not “real, born-again Christians”—Tyler was not dangerous because of his grandiose delusions, they say, but because of his “evil homosexual agenda.” Though some of the group’s former members remained part of the prophetic movement, I mentally checked out after Bethany’s death. I joined a church in a liturgical tradition and formed a new circle of friends, many of whom had also left IHOP. I began to rethink my views on homosexuality and other marginalized groups. I also underwent counseling with IHOP leaders. During this process, I tried to renounce what I saw as harmful beliefs, including the conviction that our group had been messengers called to battle the forces of the anti-Christ. To my surprise and dismay, they told me, “No, Tyler was right about that. You need to pray out loud for God to show you your calling.” In other words, our group’s biggest crime wasn’t an excess of zeal—it was not being zealous enough. It seems to me that our community was not exceptional, given the high-intensity spiritual environment we were part of. Tyler was not an isolated individual, but the product of a phenomenally twisted system. It’s unclear who is responsible for Bethany's death. Micah's trial is set for this November. He has recanted his confession; his lawyer said his statements were made by “a distraught and confused young man under extreme psychological pressure.” Tyler has not been charged in the case. But it is clear that when Bethany died, she was part of a community shrouded in fear and hatred, a community where those who spoke out were treated as though they didn’t exist. Their loves, desires, opinions, feelings, and whole personalities were invalidated, all in the name of God.