Bahamut

I love the sense of progression that this track has, appearing front and center in the song. It is unique in that way with its structure in Serious Monkey Business, and is probably the biggest draw of the song for me. Chris did a great job with this song I feel, and captures some suspense with his approach to it.

This track surprised me when Justin showed it to me since I always had him pegged as more of an orchestral guy. He has developed some diversity along the way and this track was one such step. It's a solid take on Wrinkly's theme that doesn't shoot for the stars, but keeps things light and down low. It doesn't overstay its welcome and is a good effort all around.

Easily one of the top few tracks from Serious Monkey Business for me. Patrick did a gorgeous job in giving a piratesque sound to Jib Jig that is lush and uplifting. It's pretty hard not to love what has been done here!

For all the work poured into the track, I feel like this is well done - the vocals & lyrics help push it over the top. The lyrics in particular are amusing and even better, have clarity, a bit of a rarity for death metal growls. Justin and Brandon combined for a good team here, bringing some good music to the table to help round out Serious Monkey Business.

I remember hearing the DoD version of this track a while ago - this track could use more instrumentation to help fill out the sound more I feel, but otherwise is a solid rock take on the source that evokes a bit of punk influence to me. I definitely enjoy listening to this track every now and then.

Now here's a different take on Stickerbrush! As has been mentioned already, some humanization on the orchestral elements would help this song a lot. Otherwise, this is a novel take on what is otherwise a more upbeat song. The execution is mostly there, although I feel it is a little on the short side & would have liked to hear more. Not a bad take though!

I love this track a lot - personally, I feel like it was Josh's better effort on Serious Monkey Business, but they're both excellent tracks. This take showcases a bit of an ethnic flair combined with Joshua's trademark funk later on. The mesh of styles works to great effect here - the execution is strong. For me, this was a highlight of SMB and still enthralls to this day.

This track brings in a creepy yet curious aspect to the original source - it leaves you wanting to know what is yet to come in the larger journey, which fits this track perfectly. Ross did a great job applying his electronic skills with some orchestral elements to give us a hybrid that demands to know more that has yet to be unraveled. The title is an apt choice in light of this brooding aspect, and really makes clear to the listener as to what to expect.

Jake struck hot with this mix, bringing a trance assault to Flight of the Zinger. There are layers of attention present in the song, with a nice filled out soundscape and little aspects that add like the background synths. Jake has evolved somehow since the making of this song, but that this song is just a small part of his excellent repertoire just speaks volumes as to how prolific he has been as a composer/songwriter - here's to hoping that there is many more better songs!

Cain showed off some of what he can do with this song - for the most part I like it a lot, but I'm not as much of a fan of the section that transitions from the main part of the song to the finale. That's more of a personal gripe though and not a dealbreaker by any means. Criticism notwithstanding, this track is a great listen, with the beginning reminding me a little of Cirque du Soleil as I mentioned in the writeup. I love what Cain did here in crafting a nice solitary walk through something forbidden and would take it any day of the week.

The Plaid Muffins blew this one out of the water - the amount of effort poured into this track really shows through with how massive the song feels. The track ran into mixing issues, but it's hard not to when there's so much going on. The ska style fits this source like a glove here, and the vocals are a treat on top of it. This is some great stuff!

Love the end product of the mix here - the sad & reflective lyrics are reflective of the ending scene of Mega Man X, where X reflects upon his victory over Sigma and the toll it has taken on the world. Connor did a great job in arranging the song and bringing together the parts for execution.

I absolutely love this mix - the arrangement remains fresh throughout and varies greatly while focusing on the Magna Centipede source. I think Washudoll knocks this one out of the park with the arrangement and it remains as a favorite from Maverick Rising for me due to the strength of arrangement. My main gripe is that I feel it ends too quickly . Love Washudoll's work on the album and it really showcases his skill.

X6 had a lot going for it IMO, especially with its high level of difficulty, which is becoming increasingly uncommon in games these days. I personally loved it, frustrations and all. This song does a great job with the attractive Commander Yammark source - the source caught the ears of several mixers, but halc came through with this lush & exotic take, preserving a lot of the feel of the original. The song even takes a bit of a spy-like feel at the beginning, which aligns nicely before progressing and then returning to that feel later on. The interplay works nicely. I love this track, it definitely highlights some of the variety found on Maverick Rising and shows off halc's versatility at combining his chip sounds in different ways.

Sixto did a stellar job on this overlooked source. As tough as the game can be, X8 had some solid music and this source is a definite bright spot. Sixto took it and imbued a sense of ascension worthy of the final boss fight of the game. There is some overcompression present in this version - I personally liked the more crisp versions I heard earlier, but that was Sixto's decision ultimately and I try to respect artist choice. The big guitars and the driving pace does a great job setting the tone for mayhem, and the drawn out notes help cement the otherworldly battle image. Easily one of Sixto's best in my eyes, and an appropriate way to climax Maverick Rising with.

For those who dislike fadeout endings - it is meant as a parallel to the Final Countdown's ending. You can blame me since I suggested it as an ending after Will asked me how he should end the song . The song does a great job adapting the style of TFC to Infinity Mijinion. It's a fun song that came out of the GMRB contest and had both Will and Devastus salivating at the chance to mix their sources with Infinity Mijinion. Will executed with this mix and it is a clear highlight of Maverick Rising. Also a little bit of trivia - Chuck Dietz's take on Infinity Mijinion, A Flea and His Giant, was going to be named Countdown to Infinity before I told him that Willrock beat him to the name. His take on the theme is also pretty awesome too and worth checking out on Maverick Rising if you haven't already.

The production sounds a bit weird to me at the start, but it moves on after. The song sounds a little on the quiet side volume-wise for the style the song is built in - it needs to sound big IMO. I like the overall build of the song though - aggressive and energetic. It's a bit on the darker side, but not completely so. Overall it's conceived and executed pretty well. Pump out some more!

It didn't bother me at all!

Dark and ominous, this song oozes suspense of a disaster about to come and when it hits, it is slow and methodical - this is the hallmark of CotMM these days, making music that eats at your soul slowly but surely. The song is well-crafted and all of the elements help execute this creeping attack on the psyche. Great job by CotMM and Jay here!

I remember hearing this a while ago - Matt did a good job here providing a minimal electronic hybrid that doesn't overstay its welcome. Alas, I'm not as familiar with the Panzer Dragoon games or NiGHTS so I miss the nuances there, but what's there is enjoyable as a nice interlude or introduction of sorts.

I remember this song from DoD - it was a nice kickoff to the DoD MAGFest 8 listening party. This version is a much polished version of that entry, which I'm glad Skummel went back and retooled some. It flows pretty well, with my main complaint being that towards the end the song sounds a little on the weaker side. I think a buildup with something bigger would have been more appropriate to go out with a bang, but what's there isn't bad. Perhaps it's more of a personal gripe. Great job!

ambient sure likes covering Chrono Trigger . The song name is appropriate - the song goes all over the place in the middle before returning to some sort of higher normalcy. For a electronic piece, this song keeps the listener engaged with a unique take on Corridor of Time. It is easy to zone out while listening to this song. I don't have much to say but good job here providing something different!

This mix oozes industrial, and yet that lead synth is a curious choice for a primarily industrial take. The song is built pretty solid. The guitar playing is for the most part solid (although I noticed a hitch somewhere around the 2 minute mark, maybe a little after, and at 2:51). The song seems to do what it was intended to do in a solid manner, giving off a gritty feel with its mechanical beats and atmospheric use of the guitars. Mak has improved quite a bit since I last heard a WIP from him - keep up the good work!

This track is a curious one from the Wild ARMS album - it has a desolate soundscape for the beginning and end of the song, and yet goes into a more upbeat trek in the middle. The middle section feels a bit strange to me when combined with the beginning & end, but it does have its place with helping enhance the mysterious atmosphere evoked. Interesting usage of the source, and I can dig it.

9 sources in 6:18 of music? Impressive to have been done so well without being on the cookiecutter side. I do wish the lead guitars had a more dominant sound to them. Otherwise, the song delivers a pretty enjoyable trek through the songs and flows well for a mega medley - I think it's the first such song I've heard like that. Great job!