Blarnay

I came here by strange means. I'd never played Final Doom's "TNT: Evilution" episode but I have been listening to some of Ashley's Final Doom remixes for a long time. I was playing a fan made Doom .wad recently that used the track "Legion of the Lost" and it instantly sounded familiar. I couldn't place it - my mind went to Golden Sun and then Xenogears, but I couldn't find the match. Eventually I pulled apart the .wad file and found it was sourced from Final Doom and then the connection was made - I had first heard the track as an OC Remix. That remix was "Memoriam". The comments section there led me to Ashley's website, where the most recent post from 2020 talked of his passing. Incredibly sad to hear this as I really enjoyed his work. I know this post is old but thanks for sharing your visit.

Dug this ancient account out of its grave because this whole album is awesome and I had to comment. Was visiting the site on a whim and was blown away to see this announcement on the front page! Loving it so far and will update this post with some more thoughts once I finish giving it a good listening. Edit: Wow, been through the album several times now and I love it! I think this album does a fine job of sticking to the source while also spilling out in a lot of different genres. I've been listening to this as I WFH and every time the full album plays out for the two and a half hours, no skipping tracks. Going in order, some of my favorites: Within the Stars - I can't lie, nostalgia and track preference is going to play heavily into this review and my love of "The Elemental Stars" goes all the way back to @EgM's "Sol Sanctum Guitar" released back in 2005 which I still listen to on repeat on occasion. I really like Sam Dillard's take on it, with the orchestra sound alternating between intensity and the more quiet moments with the occasional vocal bits to give it that extra "sacred and ancient" feel. Angarian Vigil - Listening to the original soundtrack version of "Hopelessness" it was one of those tracks that really stuck with me as it comes up in some dramatic points in the game, but listening to it years later it always sounded rough on the GBA's hardware. This is such a great transformation of it and I love the way the guitar and trumpet? harmonize. Winter Winds - When I first heard this, given the smooth intro with a slight electronic tinge I was almost certain it was going to go into "electronic Icy Schala house mix" but was pleasantly surprised by the flute? (not that I have anything against frosty Schala techno remixes). Love the mood of this track, the flute overlaid on a droney ambient background conjures up the perfect image of the snowy village of Imil. Some night this Winter when we've got a full moon and freshly falling snow, this track is going on repeat while I sip some tea by the window. I'm Golden, Son! - Love the daring and upbeat sound of this. At times I feel I'm headed towards some kind of spy/James Bond intro or something kind of funky, and then you hit 1:05 and it starts getting wistful like our heros are down... but not for long! before it pumps you back up! Streets of Tolbi - Bold and cheery, I feel like I'm listening to a brass band heading down Main street. Has brought a smile to my face each time it comes on, and is usually my cue to get up from the desk and strut around the apartment. Dance of the Anemos - Grooving retro-synthy take on the Jupiter Lighthouse track, I didn't know I needed this. Heart of Stone - The mood in this one is so good, or maybe I'm just a sucker for airy vocal tracks. I get a major Shadow of the Colossus vibe from this. What I Want to Say - K-Pop isn't something I listen to very often, but I do have a few select tracks that I've always had as a guilty pleasure. This definitely gets added right in there with them, great way to end the album! I'd be really interested to see what someone could do with the Crossbone Isle track, was always one of my favorites, or maybe I just spent a lot of time in there.

I love it, the piano in this is amazing. Short, but I don't mind listening to it over and over.