OCR01233 - Shining Force 'Armageddon'

[djpretzel]

What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.

[sgx]

Sweet. This is awesome stuff :) :) SF 4 Evar!!

[Navi]

(Thanks to Gray for telling me it was finally up. I've been waiting for this for a while)

A drastic departure from Mr. Lightning's usual style of mixing, Armageddon perhaps the best mix he has created to date. I have listened in on his WIPS recently and noticed his style grow more towards film score orchestral, and if this mix is any indicator of whats to come, then...well, it's a hell of an indicator. Gray has taken this theme and turned it into a dark, evil barrage of terror that builds up to an almost orgasmic peak. His use of Voices of the Apocalypse, as well as his pounding precussion elevate this mix to a professional level; this is the good stuff. DJP was right; you could dub this over Howard Shore's score to LOTR, during the Orc scenes, and it would fit perfectly.

Gray's use of precussion has improved vastly over his previous mix. I really can't find ANYTHING wrong with this. Highly recommended. Excellent work!

Edit: embarrassing edit.

[CykoticZZ]

Upon first listen, i really didn't hear any obvious SF theme in it. But maybe I'll have to play the game again. Most of the mixes that show up on here i download if i've played the game, and most of the mixes i can hear the themes without the game BGMs. This one is a puzzle for me. Apart from that, it sounds incredable! I'm reminded of the boss sequence in Panzer Dragoon : Orta for some reason. Must be the chorus and the dark ominous drums near the end. Great transitions even tho they only last a few seconds. This song should come with a film.

EDIT: The reason i couldn't hear the theme is because you only hear it in SF a single time (assuming you play the last battle once). So I guess it just didn't stick with me as the song i will remember from this game. But yeah. still awesome.

[Nigel Simmons]

Impressive stuff! I never heard the original, but I like this. I love the percussion, brass, and choir samples.

50 or more tracks!? WOW, that's a LOT of tracks! I've never even come close to that! 8O

[Garde]

Once again, I'm late to review.

Sorry 'bout this Gray, but the review was put on the back seat for some site administration stuff... Had to get that out of the way...

Now, it's time for me to review this song. :)

It's been quite a while since this song was finished... You were pumping out remixes every few days (no joke) when this song came out, it's incredible that you were able to make this over 50 midi tracks in only a few days... Almost unbelievable, really. I might not believe it myself if I hadn't gotten to hear a few other versions of this song and how fast you were working. I guess an artist's drive can do some amazing things...

Anyways, I'm gonna search for the track from SF since someone said they could not hear the original in this. I remember listening to the original when you first sent me a WIP...

Okay, Dark Sol's battle song... Hehe, now that I listen to the original, it sounds rather pathetic compared to what Gray has done with this song. You can find a midi of the original here (http://www.vgmusic.com/music/console/sega/genesis/demonbreath.mid).

Back to the review...

The remix starts out great. It sounds very much like from out of a movie, and there's definitely a lot of tension building in the song. The choral sections are incredible, not just because of great samples, but because someone with experience (GrayLightning) is using them the right way.

Around 0:45, the song takes a break from the high amounts of tension for a bit. The chorus takes the lead for a bit, with some brass, woodwinds, and some strings coming in, not to mention some chromatic percussion. The complexity in this song is insane, making anything that uses 50 midi tracks is time consuming. Making something with 50 tracks that's nearly 4 minutes long, where every second of it sounds incredible is just amazing. I can't believe how short a time this was done in...

Strings pick up where the choral section leaves off, building once again. It then transitions directly into a much calmer and new agish section of the song. As the volume increases though, you know something is going to happen. The intensity picks back up, and and the deeper percussion comes back in with the short choral bits and those amazingly complex string sections...

The percussion to this piece is incredible, and really adds to the feel of the song. Listening to the song is sending chills down my spine. GrayLightning is a master of building, and ends it off perfectly.

There's not a thing that I can think of that I don't like about this song, and it's so far beyond what I ever dream of doing, that I can't find any flaws either. An amazing piece from GrayLightning, a MUST download. Even if you're not a fan or orchestral cinematic stuff, you should take a listen just to try and pick up every single track playing at the same time, it's amazing how everything goes together even with how complex the piece is. Definitely a benchmark in Gray's remixing career, I am excited just thinking of what GrayLightning has in store for all of us.

[McDuck]

Truely astonishing.

I don't find any other expression to describe the magnificence of this remix.

[[blunai]]

I have always loved the music in the Shining Force Series. Every tune I heard in the game I could hum to myself later that day or even several days later. GrayLightning has recreated this experience for me. I think I will be humming this rather than the original now :)

[SnappleMan]

What they all said.

Tis some good listening, Mr.Gray. I just wish you wouldn't be so damn liberal with your remixes :)

Overall, I can't really say anything that wasn't said before, so I'll just say that this is a GREAT remix. one of the best on this site.

[Synth]

This is probality one of the best orchestral mixes on the site. Its sounds like a battle song maybe. Anyways the choir ahhhs sound really good. But my favorite part is the miltary style percussion. Great work grey I will be looking out for your stuff in the future.

[Freemind]

I was very lucky to hear a small wip from Gray, for this remix...He didn't want to hear the whole remix anyone..He wanted to make a suprise..And, oh God, he made a great one!!!I can't find the words to say that this remix is his best..Gray..I am jealous..you are the best remixer in this site.... :roll:

[mrjag]

You recorded a live orchestra? :D
It's a only visual question to believe.
Those vocals are really amazing.

[nachokun]

Wow Gray! :o

This mix is really impressive and well done! Production-wise, it could use a bit more low-end, but other than that, and the abrupt ending, it's really nice. :nicework:

[Samurai Jin]

Wow, Grey Truly amazing shiznit... ^^ Good Stuff, expect nothing but top notch quality from you now on... Is it Just me or do I keep hearing the FFT Theme Song in the mix? Probably just me.

[Wolf Tooth]

What are we going to do with you Gray, you're just so freakishly good.

[RimFrost the Tourianist]

WoW just WOW ... GL's most ambitious enterprise undertaken sofar im sure :o
I loved the military drumming mixed with the choir chants , VERY PROFESSIONAL indeed.
Would be quite difficult to bypass this remix ,or top it oneself... GL is known for making magic here after all.

I havent played the game but as usual know a great remix when its heard , and this ROCKS 8)
And it makes me think about the Leoric theme from Diablo II ,because of the evolving military drums.

[GrayLightning]

I wanted to do something different from my other mixes, and lately I've been really getting interested in the cinematic/hollywood sound. This was a definite learning process as it was very complex to put together. I really am happy how this one turned out.

Thanks for the comments and encouragement everyone.

[vgmusiclover]

[left utterly speechless while listening to this remix]

[- sketch -]

[left utterly speechless while listening to this remix]
Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with what he (didn't) say.

[Homo Pocket]

Gotta say that this is by far my favorite Orchestrated theme from Graylightning. I love the flow of the entire piece, it starts off great and manages to maintain the momentum till the end, very very smooth. My favorite part of the piece is definitely how he used the choir sounds, WOW! The strings are really good to.

Too bad there weren't any phat tekno beats along with samples like: "You make me feel soo goood, feel sooo good."

[evaguy]

Any comments I make would not do justice to this mix. All I can do is have happy spasms on the ground due to the sheer awesomeness of this song.

[Sleepy Emp]

Excellent composition and orchestration. Once again a great mix from Graylightning. Good job, comrade.

[Genoism]

Wow this one is totally amazing! I love every last second! I only wish it would last just a bit longer :lol:

[Crono3of3time]

Wow... O.O It does sound like a full-scale assult but in general I have to agree with Genoism, and I guess Evaguy too... umm... minus the spasams... yeah definitely no spasams... those hurt...

[benevolensaurus]

As far as orchestrals go, and I'm a bit taken to orchestrals myself, this is one of the best mixes on the site. I love the chanting bit and the whole mood this piece sets.

What a first venture into the genre... Excellent, excellent stuff. Very nice.

Edit: needless redundancy issues...

[Fray]

Emotional intensity is the name of the game in this remix from what is in my opinion the greatest Tactical RPG series of all time.

To be honest I've been hesitant to review this piece, because it's a little over my head. I don't know a whole lot about hardcore orchestral arrangement (i.e. 20 tracks for the strings, that sort of thing) so I haven't really known what to say. I know from talking to him that Gray put a ton of work into this piece.

The effort certainly paid off. The instrumental arrangement sounds awesome, and you don't immediately realize how complicated it is. I take that as a good sign -- the complexity has been used effectively to create a whole instead of sounding like, well, a bunch of complex "stuff". If you feel like it though, listen closer and you'll see that the music is oozing with technical detail. I particularly love the chord voicings in the brass. Liten from 3:05-end to see what I'm talking about.

Orchestral arrangements are often lacking in percussion, but not this one :) It has tons of variety, action, and detail without ever being obtrusive or showy.

Now the obligatory minor gripes section:

- The intro is a bit weak/nonexistent. There's like, one brass note and some percussion swell. I've often found introductions to be a weakness in Gray's work, so it may just be an issue of artistic difference, but I'd really like it if he'd spend more time "setting the stage" for pieces. Some transitions, like the one at 2:00, seem a little rushed too.
- There are phrases here and there that get overrepeated. In particular, there's a BABC#DC#BA line, introducted at 0:46 and then double-tempo at 1:17 that gets beaten into the ground.

It's worth noting that sounds are very organic and realistic. I don't usually mention this because it's often a function of how much someone spent on their sound library, but in this case it's a combination of good sounds a skilled arrangement.

This is a great piece of work that's both technically impressive and an enjoyable listen. I know from talking to Gray that he feels it's his best work, and from a technical standpoint, I definately agree. For whatever reason, his Battle of Olympus remix with Freemind is my personal favorite, but this this one's close.

[GrayLightning]

Wow, Grey Truly amazing shiznit... ^^ Good Stuff, expect nothing but top notch quality from you now on... Is it Just me or do I keep hearing the FFT Theme Song in the mix? Probably just me.

I missed this one before. It's not just you. ^_~ Several people have mentioned this to me. There is no direct connection with FFT, but it does sound very much like it style-wise.

[Corporal Eschebone]

Awesome mix. I'm kind of a fan of both orchestral and driving military-esque music, so this is definately one of my favorites from Gray. Excellent quality and organization.

[Quinn X5]

Pretty damned impressive, Gray.... I'm not leaping too far, I think, by labeling this as your best remix. Not only does my affection for it include the bias of being a loyal SF veteran, but it reminds me very much of Holst, and his 'Planets' symphony. This, I garuntee you, is high praise.

Keep up the great work; moving fast.... how about a Panzer Zwei mix, eh? :)

Love the voices...

[mv]

graylightning once again proves that he's a valuable asset to the small community of quality video game remixers. this new mix takes us someplace more orchestral instead of the usual new age trips, and the result does not disappoint in any aspect.


being a huge fan of shining force and shining in the darkness (this track was first composed for and used in SITD) i was really enthusiastic to learn that gray was working on one. the final result is delicious and this is the best shining-related remix lying on the web as of today.


tension, mood and execution were ingeniously applied; the audio production is more than respectable, and the remix also benefits from clever ideas/buildups/transitions. excellent job breaking the original track apart and organising the melodies differently to obtain a more soundtrack-oriented feel.


the percussion job was also appreciated, with many different feels and some subtle elements as well. some drum rolls felt a bit mechanical, but for a sampled ensemble the overall drum work is most enjoyable. lovely instrumentation, nice choir hits and i also love the apparition of some more exotic oriented instruments in some parts.


some really evasive nitpicks would concern some of the staccato lines here and there that could have been embellished/harmonised more instead of using single notes; those were the only aspects that reminded me of the "new age" gray :)



to sum it up, a great great remix with a lot of contrast and nice concept, all that supported by good sound design and production. i really recommend everyone to check this one out. it's hands down the best shining force 1 remix i ever heard :)

[antacid03]

This is one of the best damn remixes I've heard yet!
Now if there were more Shining Force remixes produced.

I really didn't care for "Force of Light" as it
was heavy in Techno, that was too much for me.
It introduced the Shining series to OC Remix and
hopefully bring more in, that's what matters.

Shining Force CD's soundtrack was kickass.
Maybe someone will work with that or other
Shining games.

[Brim]

Whoa this mix is awesome...the chanting is cool.

[Putzy]

Another great piece by Graylightning to add to the playlist. When I think GrayLightning I don't think driving "military-esque" music but I love the percussion work especially. Love to see more Shining Force remixes. Especially by talented remixers like him.

[Royal Sovereign]

As member of the Shining Force Central community and a longtime SF fan, I can honestly say I'm truly disappointed in this song. It has forthrightly ruined one of the best tracks on the original SF soundtrack. I do not like it at all.

[Txai]

If to compare with the original version we will see that this remix is perpetual on to an incredible orchestra of the original version.

The work was incredible, arrived at an important conclusion, this remix could be introduced in a more recent game version.

I believe In This.

Good work, GrayLightning! :nicework:

[Jemnisimi]

I don't think I've played the original SF yet. That gives me a project today outside of downloading gobs of ubercool remixes! And this is definitly one of them. I've only heard the midi of the original tune but as a mix of it and even as a stand-alone piece, it's wonderful. Very FFTish which gives it kudos right there from me. :) Very professional. Clean. *melts* Must go play th'game now...

[Berserk_Moogle]

This is an amazing remix of an amazing game. Shining Force is an old favorite of mine, and I must commend Graylightning for the work he has done with the music. 'Tis a shame there aren't more Shining Force remixes out there...

[Listener]

I love this remix, its just so hot.
The vocals are well timed, I really get off on the fast moving violens while the background fades away. The drums come in perfectly. Its just an amazing piece of work.

[redchlorine]

This is one serious remix. The vocals are well done, which you don't see very often. Very dark and militaristic, something to play war games to. Definately an addition to my UT2004 playlist.

[Super Metal Mario]

Shining Force was great and i wish i could still play it. The song is great couldnt have been done better.

[HesTheMan]

WOW! This is amazing! I can't believe how well, and how seemlessly he took the theme and melded it into this remix! This is simply amazing! 9/10!

[Tifa7]

WOOW THIS IS STRIGHT TO MY IPOD. IT RAWKS LIKE LORD OF THE RINGS. PARFECT.

Graylightning you have anything new soon?

[Royal Sovereign]

...I've come to the conclusion I was bit wrong about my first review.

I'll say yes, it is a good song -- but as a remix I'm still a bit disappointed. The overall handling of the source material is less-than-superior -- the original melodies get drowned out in the massive arrangements.

That is not to say that is not good. It is, in fact, excellent, to the point of being a mini-masterpiece.

But ONLY as a stand-alone tune. It does not go well with the original song. Which, in this small case, is actually alright.

[GrayLightning]

...I've come to the conclusion I was bit wrong about my first review.

I'll say yes, it is a good song -- but as a remix I'm still a bit disappointed. The overall handling of the source material is less-than-superior -- the original melodies get drowned out in the massive arrangements.

That is not to say that is not good. It is, in fact, excellent, to the point of being a mini-masterpiece.

But ONLY as a stand-alone tune. It does not go well with the original song. Which, in this small case, is actually alright.

My arrangements tend to be liberal and can divide opinions. :) In this case, I wanted to explore some of the other elements. Cheers for giving it another chance though and reposting a follow up. It's cool and interesting to hear you found some enjoyment though for other reasons.

Thanks.

[evktalo]

When I first heard this a couple of years ago, I had a lot of trouble hearing Shining Force in it. I didn't enjoy the piece back then, and this style doesn't appeal to me that much, but right now I appreciate it better. There are some good intensity and feel changes. I also like the synth elements thrown in with the orchestra. Overall it stays a bit samey despite different parts and variations, I feel that the part that begins at 2:00 is too close to the beginning. Nevertheless, a good listen.

--Eino

[OA]

A little on the liberal side, but it still carries a lot of excitement. I loved the percussion and the strings. I think a few additional dynamic elements would have improved it, but overall it's a pretty good track. :-)

[MechaFone]

It works to be epic. The choral work was good. Not quite my cup of tea, but it's well done.

[Marmiduke]

Mixes like this used to be my thing back when I was a new to the site. I ate this stuff up and ignored pretty much everything else that wasn't orchestrated (and well-orchestrated, at that). And while I'm happy that my taste and appreciation has broadened a great deal, it's easy to see why I gravitated to mixes like this one.
It marries complexity with an almost visceral satisfaction, and even at a naive age I could understand that. You've really got to love the layered approach to the production and the great use of vocals, strings and brass. Fantastically cinematic, and restrained at the same time. The nice break from the escalating violins in the bridge is really cool and one of my favourite moments. This is full of remarkable little touches and comes out incredibly refined because of it.
It's mixes like this one that made me such a mega-fanboy for this site and the music on it. Truly impeccable work. Now where the eff is GrayLightning? I feel like I'm praising to a brick wall here.