ReMix: Mega Man X 'BrainsickMetal'

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Mega Man X

Protricity flexes some genre-muscles and tries out a little synth rock. Mega Man X is the name of the game, and this high-energy rapid-fire ReMix stays true to the original score but expands upon it both sonically and with a more layered arrangement. Extremely fast slap-bass and the drums to back it up form the foundation, with guitar chords setting a bed for the screaming, well-sequenced guitar lead with just that litte extra touch of more reverb and delay to give it breathing room over top. Through its many segments, these basic elements remain the same. The depth and quality of the sequencing and number of simultaneous elements interacting is very impressive (love the crazy bass at 4'07" for example). Mix seemed a little treble-heavy, perhaps because the slap is retriggered so quickly that it never gains a deep footing down in the sub range, but there are numerous qualities to make up for this, like the great guitar duet bits during the first part of the fifth minute. The precision of the sequencing and virtual impossibility of some of the parts to be played by real humans does give the piece a more mechanical than organic feel, but it's Mega Man, and that's one way that it stays true to the original as well. All in all, an epic and impressive mix, one that clearly required a lot of programming and good usage of controllers (pitch bend, mod wheel, etc.) to bring life to its constituent elements, with an emphasis on the solo electric leads. Rockin' stuff, and a successful foray into a new genre for Protricity.

― djpretzel

Discussion: Latest 15 comments/reviews; view the complete thread or post your own.
Brainsick Metal seizes your mood and doesn't let go. Drums are super attentive as they fill in as 4ths, 8ths, 16ths, 32nds, and maybe even 64ths in sugar-pumped spurts. The guitar and square wave leads match their raw power with definitive grinds and wails of their own. Guided by a constant tempo, they tear up the sound field and thrash through the Maverick-infested levels.
I imagine X not only running, but jumping and wall-jumping to the beat while the background changes to the level being remixed. Sources are loud and clear, with a few piecemeal embellishments to repeating portions using layered synths (i.e. the beginning of Storm Eagle's stage [2:28-2:48] and the prelude to Spark Mandrill's [4:16-4:36]). 1:47 and 2:07 both sound pensive and anticipating, the former by way of a hesitant, reverbed synth and the latter using what sounds like gated reverb and light strings. At 3:55 the lead mellows down into a siren-like herald to the final source, and the bells are brighter and more polished. And at the end, the waves from the guitar thrashes leave us out of breath but completely satisfied after a round of hard rockin'.
Packed, pumpin', and powerful.

- Polo on July 5, 2009
Very nice song! I was half way through and heard sfx that related to the megaman series very well!

- Little_Bill on May 21, 2009
10/10!!!!!
Just plain awesome!
It doesn't start that great to me... But it ends incredibly!
Exactly at 3:00 is when it really starts to sounds awesome...
One of the best Mega man Remixes I've ever heard...
Up there in my top remixes of all time...
I is in awe!

- bamblakopz on January 12, 2009
I agree with axem that the beginning of your song belongs in the game more than the one that is actually in there. You totally nailed the synth sounds used in the game's music, while adding some great guitar sounds that exude energy. Love the fast paced bass as well, and the drum rolls interspersed throughout add a nice change of pace. If they ever do a remake of Mega Man X, Capcom should contact you for some music. You nailed everything that Mega Man X's Music is about. Simple, clean energenic fun. I wish you'd do another piece from Mega Man X just to see what you could do with something like Chill Penguin's stage, Boomer Kwanger's stage or Zero's theme.
GREAT JOB!

- Powerslave on November 25, 2008
Starting out with the fact that the Opening Stage arrangement alone belongs in the actual game track instead of the original, thats just what I thought at the beginning. But then I listened on and all of the arrangements capture both the action and the mood so much better than the actual game. Not only did you go where the songs brought you, but I feel like you pretty much expressed the heart of the songs better than the orginal artists did themselves. This piece is worthy of being three different pieces separately rather than the whole of just because each arrangement is done so well. Well done Protricity, I also loved the Forest Birdcussion piece for DKC2. To sum my opinion up more simply, I made an ocremix forums account just to comment on this piece ;)

- AxemBlack on August 6, 2008
This remix gave me goosebumps. Take it from a guy who has both Storm Eagle and Spark Mandrill tattooed on his body when I say this remix does the original justice. I loved the transitions and the lead. Thanks for the track!

- sleipnir on April 10, 2008
"Move along folks, no Spark Mandrill to see here..."

... except for the last third of this tune!

- Appiraiton on December 29, 2007
ALRIGHT! I'm glad to see this remix getting more reviews. This has been one of my old favorites for a very long time. I agree with what Kidd Jredd said about the current standards. I don't know if it could make it now, but either way, it's just so damn fun and it's got a lot of style and character and that goes a long way with me. It's fast too. I love the three themes that were chosen. I would have LOVED to hear some Spark Mandrill integrated into this. Oh yeah! Someday I hope to be able to make something like this with real guitars and played even faster. ^_^
Edit: Wait a minute! That IS Spark Mandrill. Thanks Appiraition. What the heck did I think it was...? Hahaha.

- CHIPP Damage on December 29, 2007
I love how absurdly synthy these guitars are. It's like 16-bit amped. I seriously wonder if someone submitted something arranged this well but with samples like this for today's OCRemix standards if it would actually pass. I would go out on a limb and say probably not. But hey, now we've got remix tha sauce as well as this site so it's all good.
This song totally makes me want to tackle some mega man music but with the sounds that I have :)! I have a strange love for synthesized metal stuff when it's done well. :)

- Kidd Jredd on December 29, 2007
It's definitely a faux pas to ask an arranger to heavily redo a track, especially an older piece, like zircon mentioned. I wouldn't expect anything to come of the request, to be honest. The best you could hope for is someone else deciding to do it, which is doubtful, though more unlikely things have happened.

- Liontamer on June 5, 2007
Well I think that an electronic version not does justice to the track...and I was not meaning an acoustic version but a instrumental version with a real guitar (and bass maybe)...

- Dunther on June 5, 2007
A few things...
(1) It already is instrumental. Maybe you meant "acoustic" instead.
(2) It is highly unlikely that Protricity still has the file for this and could actually change it, since it is years old.
(3) Even if he did, it is usually frowned upon around here when you ask a mixer to redo an older mix - especially if it's in a big way like changing the instrumentation in its entirety.

- zircon on June 5, 2007
I really love this remix: http://www.ocremix.org/remix/OCR00569/
I'm a big fan of Protricity but...this remix is too electronic...
An instrumental version of this would be awesome, don't you think?

- Dunther on June 5, 2007
This here is definitely one of my favourite remixes on the entire website.
Mega Man X has always been a game I like to play every now and then, and it has always had the same great soundtrack. Brainsick Metal takes some of the better songs from this soundtrack, merges them together, and greatly improves them!
There's been days where this song just looped and looped and looped and I didn't want to change it because it fits my preferences for music so incredibly well!
For me, the song really comes on strong halfway through the Storm Eagle section of the song where the rest of the instuments come in, from then on out it's just so intense that it has my foot tapping constantly.
An excellent remix here and by me, at least, it's highly recommended! For those of you who don't like rock songs though, or the Mega Man X soundtrack in general... you won't like it. :P

- Pink on September 27, 2006
This song brings justice to Megaman X. Good song imo.

- eppy on March 26, 2006

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