As always, Hemophiliac, your feedback is much appreciated. You are a generous scholar.
Noted about the compression, I feel like mixing and mastering are what separates the novices from the advanced and I am still very much in the former category with lots to learn. The drums are actually sample and were the closest to what I had in my mind's ear after trialing so many different loops. Problem is the sample comes with that strange compression fade out on a few of the kicks and snares so I'm kind of up a creek there. I have no doubt I'm making it worse, but I think I may have to revisit what I want out of the drums in general.
You are also correct that the Chrono Trigger song is the back seat to Shinra here, which was sort of a natural evolution as I laid things out. You are not wrong.
Time to get back to work, and thanks again!