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The Coop

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Posts posted by The Coop

  1. I would have posted stuff sooner, but I haven't been by the site for a bit.

    As for Powerwolf, I enjoy them. Monsters, demons, catchy choruses, and a slice of cheese to round it out. I found out about them a few years back and have been listening to them ever since. You're already aware of Orden Ogan, who are also a good listen. You should also look into Battle Beast, Helloween and Sabaton for more in the genre. In the meantime, here are a few more Powerwolf songs from different albums...

    As a quick note, their first two albums (Return in Blood Red and Lupus Die) sound rather different from what I've posted. They were closer to straight up Metal instead of Power Metal back then, as it wasn't until their third album (Bible of the Beast) that they got the Power Metal sound they've been running with for years now.

  2. Finished up Leon's first run early this morning and enjoyed it quite a bit. The new visuals, the aural upgrade, the gameplay tweaks, the plot touch ups and such made it a fun experience and a great update to an already very good game. Running and hiding in spots to avoid Mr. X as he goes stomping by, and then quietly walking away so as not to alert him, broke up to zombie fighting in nice ways. It really adds a lot of tension to the game, especially when he's not that close and you're unsure of whether what you're hearing are your footsteps, or his.

    Definitely glad I picked this up and hope that Capcom gives RE3 this kind of attention in the future. Now, I'm off to start Claire's first run.

  3. 37 minutes ago, Lampje4life said:

    Good job, everyone!

    Do we have a list of sources/originals? 

    My track was from FFXV. 

    Nope. I stopped collecting that since maybe half mention what their source is each year. I figure if someone's really curious, they can ask in this thread.

    But, since you mentioned yours, I'll throw mine out there too. I used three songs from the PC game, The Immortal.

  4. Yep. It's that time of year and you know what that means... CHRISTMAS MUSIC!

    This year, we've got 14 songs that cover quite the spectrum of genres. Taking traditional carols and songs from various games, 13 artists have given them a Christmasy makeover. You can grab them all right here (the songs, not the artists), along with the previous 11 albums...

    http://www.williammichael.info/aocc/index.htm

    As always, a big thanks to everyone who took part this year and to Dyne for once again hosting this album.

    Merry Christmas, folks :-D

  5. 29 minutes ago, TheChargingRhino said:

    Awesome as always, Coop! 
    And what do you mean this isn't as long as the others???? 

    Thanks :smile:

    This one was 15 pages of stanzas. I wrote a number of them that were about 24-27 pages. They should still be around on the site if you do a "twas" search.

  6. What's that? It's December 18? Well, then that must mean it's time for the next 'Twas poem, right? Right. This one's not as long as past entries, but it's still not short either. So grab a drink, get comfy and here we go!

     

    'Twas XVII: Moments Passed and Yet To Come

    by
    The Coop


    'Twas the night before Christmas
    and up in the sky,
    Santa's sleigh could be seen
    as it went flying by.

    Over each rooftop,
    he'd pause for just a moment,
    then down and back up each
    chimney was where he went.

    All Christmas Eve night,
    Santa had gone through his list,
    making sure not one of the
    good children were missed.

    But now his long night was
    growing close to its end.
    He had one neighborhood left
    before he could mend

    his weary old bones with
    a nice soothing hot bath
    and leave the world to enjoy
    his work's aftermath.

    Down below, in a home
    Santa had yet to reach,
    sat a man by the name of
    Billy Collenpreech.

    In his chair, with a beer
    held securely in-hand,
    he watched as his daughter Fay
    tried again to stand.

    Behind the little girl,
    stood Billy's wife, Danielle,
    ready to catch the girl
    if she stumbled and fell.

    Both Billy and Danielle
    had smiles on their faces
    as they watched their child
    from their respective places.

    “C'mon, honey,” Billy said
    in his Texas drawl.
    “Try it once more b'fore
    it's bedtime fer us all.”

    Little Fay made one more
    wobbly attempt to stand,
    but onto her diapered rear
    was where she did land.

    “OK, that's enough,”
    Danielle chuckled and picked up
    her daughter and added,
    “It's bedtime, buttercup.”

    With young Fay safely
    cradled in her arms, Danielle
    gave Billy a kiss with,
    “I'm turning in as well.”

    “Alright, babe,” Billy smiled.
    “I'll be up in a bit.”
    She nodded, went upstairs,
    and left Billy to sit

    alone in the living room
    before a warm fire.
    But a minute later,
    his eyes were filled with ire.

    They soon drifted up to
    the mantle where he saw
    a picture of his father
    sitting on some straw.

    Though it didn't leave,
    Billy's ire faded a bit
    as he stared at the photo
    and focused on it.

    “Merry Christmas, old man,”
    Billy said with a smile
    before he fell quiet
    again for a short while.

    Slowly, the ire returned
    to his sleep-laden stare
    as he finished his beer
    and remained seated there.

    He looked to the lit tree
    and the gifts at its feet,
    while he relaxed in the
    comfort from the fire's heat.

    As his eyelids grew heavy,
    his stare moved over
    the tags on the gifts that
    Fay had coming to her.

    Each had “from Mom” or
    “from Dad” written on its face.
    “From Santa” wasn't written
    on them, anyplace.

    Despite the weariness
    on Billy's face, a frown
    grew in just as his eyelids
    finally came down.

    Some two hours went by
    and Santa came to the last
    house on his list, with,
    “I had best do this one fast.”

    His sleigh landed quietly
    upon the home's roof,
    with not a sound made
    by either a boot or hoof.

    He slipped down the chimney
    and quickly found the tree,
    all set to put down a
    couple gifts and then flee.

    But as Santa tried to,
    he then heard someone say,
    “Well, if it ain't ol' Saint Nick
    droppin' by t'day.”

    Santa froze in his tracks
    and let out a soft sigh.
    “Hello, Billy,” he said
    and turned to face the guy.

    Billy stood at the base
    of the steps with a glare
    that was fixed on the jolly
    one that stood near there.

    Billy straightened his bathrobe
    and said with a sneer,
    “I'm kinda su'prised t' see
    that you'd come 'round here.”

    “It's what I do, Billy,”
    Santa said quite plainly.
    “Every good girl and boy
    gets a visit from me.”

    “Uh huh,” Billy said snidely.
    “I'd always heard that.
    But somehow, I never
    got shit from yer ol' fat-”

    “Look, this isn't the time,”
    Santa quickly cut in.
    “My time, mood and patience
    have been worn very thin.”

    “Don't care,” Billy said bluntly.
    “I got things t' say
    an' yer gonna listen
    t' them this Christmas day.”

    “Look-” Santa said, his voice raised
    as he shook his head.
    Then, in a forceful whisper,
    “Shut it!” Billy said.

    “Keep yer damn voice down!
    My wife and kid's still sleepin'.
    Now, ya sewed these seeds, son.
    Time ya started reapin'.”

    “Fine,” Santa huffed and
    with a snap of his fingers,
    in Billy's warm home,
    they did no longer linger.

    Instead, they stood outside
    and were surrounded by
    miles of cold falling snow,
    which made Billy decry,

    “What th' hell?!” as he wrapped
    his arms around his chest.
    “Ya can't drag me out here
    with th' way that I'm dressed!

    “At least make it warmer
    'fore I freeze m' nuts off
    an' lose what th' doc grabs
    'fore he tells me t' cough!”

    “Fine,” Santa said bluntly
    and gave a second snap,
    which put some warm clothes
    on the crabby and cold chap.

    “Better?” asked Santa.
    “Yeah,” Billy said. “I s'ppose.
    What's with bringin' me here?
    I can't feel m' damn toes.”

    “You said not to wake up
    anyone,” Santa said.
    “So I brought you out here
    to yell at me instead.”

    With a stern and harsh stare,
    Billy stiffened his back.
    “Damn right I wanna yell,”
    he grumbled. “Yer a sack

    a' shit fer givin' me squat
    when I was a kid.
    I should punch ya in th' face
    fer th' shit ya did!”

    “And what did I do?”
    Santa asked with hints of ire.
    “Ya know damn well what!”
    Billy yelled with anger's fire.

    “Year after year, I sent
    letters t' yer fat ass!
    I asked ya fer some toys,
    but all ya did was pass

    “by my house every time an'
    not leave a damn thing!
    A big bag a' nothin'.
    That's the shit ya would bring!

    “My Pop would tell me,
    'Maybe next year he'll come by,'
    like that would help me much
    while I tried not t' cry.

    “But nope, th' next year
    would be just th' same damn crap.
    Nothin' t' play with an'
    not one thing t' unwrap.

    “My Pop couldn't get nothin',
    cuz we was too broke.
    An' when I turned 18,
    he died from a bad stroke.

    “It's cuz a' yer ass
    that I never got th' joy
    a' openin' up presents
    when I was a boy.

    “But now I got me a kid.
    She'll turn one next year.
    An' she don't want nothin'
    from yer damn ass, ya hear?!

    “I'm givin' her th' Christmas
    that I didn't get.
    An' on that, ya fat bastard,
    ya can damn sure bet.

    “So whatever ya brought,
    jus' take that shit away
    back up t' the north pole,
    or wherever ya stay.

    “Ya ignored me, Santa,
    when I counted on you.
    Ya gave me th' finger,
    now yer getting' one too!”

    Billy held up his
    middle finger to St. Nick.
    “How d' ya like it,” he yelled,
    “ya fat fuckin' prick?!”

    Taking a deep breath,
    Santa held onto his cool.
    “Listen Billy,“ he said,
    “You broke rule after rule.

    “You didn't behave,
    were mean to many a kid,
    and you're wondering just why
    I did what I did?”

    Billy yelled, “Ya did it cuz
    ya get off on it!
    Ya got kicks from leavin'
    kids like me with jack shit.”

    “Nonsense,” Santa stated,
    with an insulted look.
    “Do you honestly think
    pleasure was what I took

    “from leaving you nothing
    on each Christmas morning?
    That it made me smile
    to deliver such a sting

    “to a child on the day
    that no kid should feel sad?
    But I can't reward both
    the good kids and the bad.

    “And let me say, Billy,
    you were in no way good.
    You were a rather bad seed
    from where I had stood.”

    Billy let out a laugh with,
    "Don' gimme that crap.”
    Santa sighed, “Want to know what
    gave you your bad rap?”

    "I was a good kid!"
    Billy said in a riled huff.
    "Not really," Santa said.
    "Let's revisit some stuff.

    "You used your brother's
    diapers as a supply for
    leaving fiery turd traps
    at each neighbor's front door.”

    "That was jus' some good
    harmless fun!" Billy then yelped.
    "If they didn't laugh, well,
    that jus' couldn't be helped."

    "Uh huh," Santa said and stared
    from under his brow.
    "That excuses the
    hundred times you did it... how?"

    Billy stayed silent.
    "That's what I thought," Santa said
    before he continued,
    "What else is in my head?

    "We can not forget how
    many times you went and
    took toys and candy
    from many a young child's hand.

    "Or the pleasure you took
    when you told kids that I
    didn't exist and laughed
    when you made each child cry.

    “The children you beat up,
    who were weaker than you.
    The adults you harassed,
    while insulting them too.

    “The money that you stole,
    the belongings you broke,
    the handicaps you mocked
    as if they were a joke.

    “You caused so many people
    a lot of dismay,
    and did so with such glee
    practically every day.

    “And how you turned out like that
    just doesn't make sense,
    since I know you weren't raised
    that way by your parents.”

    Billy scowled at Santa
    and then looked all around
    at the cold, barren landscape
    of snow-covered ground.

    “All kids d' shit like that,”
    he frustratedly sighed.
    “No they don't, Billy,”
    Santa quietly replied.

    “All the things you did gave you
    a warped sense of pride.
    And you wouldn't let up
    until each child had cried.”

    “I'm done with this,” Billy said
    with an angry sneer.
    “Now knock this horseshit off
    an' get me outta here.”

    Santa let out a sigh.
    “If you want me to, fine.
    But but before I do,
    listen to these words of mine.

    “Lots of kids cried and were hurt
    all because of you.
    But I know they weren't alone.
    That you were hurt too.

    “I didn't want to ignore
    you on Christmas day
    or cause you the hurt that
    you still feel to this day.”

    “I ain't hurt,” Billy mumbled
    as he looked away.
    “Now jus' take me home.
    I said all I have t' say.”

    “So you didn't cry
    as a child?” Santa asked him.
    “And this meeting tonight
    was just done on a whim?

    “You didn't have some things
    to get off of your chest
    with the swearing, memories,
    and things you addressed?”

    Billy stood silent and still.
    He made no comment.
    In time, Santa came up
    and said, “You got to vent.

    “You got to say what you felt.
    To yell and to shout.
    Now just take one minute
    and hear this old man out.

    “I know you're mad at me
    but think this whole thing through.
    Don't make your daughter endure
    the things you had to.

    “I can't give back those moments
    where you were let down.
    I can't undo what you felt
    or erase each frown.

    “But your young daughter Fay
    is just starting her life.
    Don't make her endure the same
    kind of pain and strife

    “that you brought upon yourself
    by acting so wild.
    Don't let your beef with me
    also affect your child.”

    Silence hung in the air.
    Neither uttered a word
    as Billy mulled over all that
    he had just heard.

    When Santa got no reply,
    he said, “But, if you
    want me to not visit,
    then that's what I will do.”

    Billy looked at Santa
    and didn't say a thing.
    A couple moments later,
    a bright flash did spring

    into being that filled
    the air with blinding light.
    But it quickly faded
    and returned Billy's sight.

    From endless barren snow fields
    and frigid cold air,
    Billy found himself back in
    his living room, where

    everything had started
    just a short time ago.
    He was back in his bathrobe
    and sat in the glow

    of the Christmas lights that
    shown from within the tree.
    That was when he heard his wife
    call to him, “Billy?”

    “I'm here, babe,” he said
    as he looked back at the stairs
    from where he was sitting
    in his old comfy chair.

    “Did you sleep down there last night?”
    his wife then asked him.
    “I guess so,” he replied
    in a tone somewhat grim.

    He turned his gaze to the
    VCR's glowing clock
    and saw it read 6 A.M.,
    which came as a shock.

    “Was that all real or a dream?”
    he asked quietly.
    His body then shivered.
    “Seemed pretty real t' me.”

    Danielle walked down the steps
    to the living room, where
    she could see Billy as
    he got up from his chair.

    “Merry Christmas,” she chimed
    with a smile as she came
    over to her husband,
    who then wished her the same.

    She gave him a kiss, with,
    “You look pretty tired, hun.”
    “Jus' had a weird dream, “ he said,
    “which wasn't much fun.”

    “About what?” she asked,
    her voice holding some concern.
    “Jus' old times,” he said,
    feeling his memories churn.

    “Let me guess,” she said
    as she took her husband's hand.
    “How your Christmas' as a kid
    weren't all that grand?”

    He nodded his head
    before she gave him a kiss
    and said, “Those times were bad,
    but I promise you this.

    “They're done and gone, honey.
    They won't ever come back.
    Joy on this holiday's
    something you'll never lack

    “as long as you've got me
    beside you in your life.”
    It was with a warm smile
    that he then kissed his wife.

    They sat for a time
    on the sofa and just spoke
    of unimportant things
    till their daughter awoke.

    It wasn't long before
    Danielle, Billy and Fay
    were opening the presents
    they'd gotten that day.

    While Billy and Danielle
    exchanged gifts for a while,
    Fay was playing with the
    large wrapping paper pile.

    Though the child got some toys
    and things of that nature,
    the paper was more fun.
    Of that, she seemed quite sure.

    When the giving was done
    and nothing was left wrapped,
    Danielle and Billy relaxed
    while Fay simply napped.

    Danielle looked around
    from where she and Billy sat,
    when something caught her eye
    and she asked, “Now, what's that?”

    “What's what?” Billy asked
    from where he sat at her side.
    “Right there,” she said and pointed
    at what she had spied.

    Billy looked to the spot
    where his wife was pointing
    and saw a gold envelope
    that was glittering

    from where it sat nestled
    under the Christmas tree.
    Billy stood and picked it up
    with, “Huh. It's fer me.”

    He looked over at his wife
    and as he stood there,
    his eyes became wide and
    filled with a panicked stare.

    His wife wasn't moving.
    She looked frozen in place.
    He looked down at Fay
    with great concern on his face.

    The babe too looked motionless,
    as if stuck in time.
    He glanced about as
    his fear continued to climb.

    “What th' hell's goin' on?”
    Billy asked quietly,
    with the envelope still held
    in his hand firmly.

    He was about to yell out
    when his expression
    changed and quickly became
    one of great suspicion.

    “Santa?” he called out.
    “Is this yer doin' in here?”
    When he got no response,
    “Knock it off now, ya hear?”

    Everything stayed still
    as Billy shook his head and
    tore open the envelope
    he held in his hand.

    He took out the letter
    and unfolded it so,
    over what was written there,
    he could quickly go.

    “'Billy,'” the letter started.
    “'I just want to say
    a few final things to you
    on this Christmas day.

    “'I know you're not fond
    of the things I said to you,
    but taking them to heart
    is what I hope you'll do.

    “'You're past is over and
    it's something you can't change.
    But know that I hope what
    you took from our exchange

    “'is that I never meant
    to make you hurt or cry.
    It pained me to do it
    as each Christmas went by.

    “'I'm sorry I helped cause
    your painful memories,
    but what I would like
    to ask is if you could please

    “'not let our past affect Fay
    as she gets older.
    I don't feel it's something
    she should have to shoulder.

    “'While I know those pains are ones
    you don't like to feel,
    use them to show Fay how
    not to be so that she'll

    “'get to have the Christmas'
    that you missed out on.
    Let her enjoy these warm times
    before they've all gone.

    “'Teach her to be kind
    to others throughout her life,
    and let your scars mend with
    help from her and your wife.

    “'Christmas day should be happy,
    not spite-filled or sad.
    So let her have the moments
    that you never had.

    “'Teach her all the lessons
    that you learned the hard way
    so that she'll never reach
    the point you did today.

    “'But the call's yours to make
    and I will say no more.
    I hope you find happiness
    with those you care for.

    “'And if you see fit
    to let me give gifts to Fay,
    you'll have my humble thanks
    on each new Christmas day.'”

    The letter then vanished,
    like a shadow in light,
    which left Billy surprised
    and confused at the sight.

    “Where'd it go?” Danielle said,
    which pulled Billy's stare to
    his wife, who now moved
    and looked rather confused too.

    With a sigh of relief,
    he then looked down at Fay;
    at how peacefully she was
    napping where she lay

    on the wrapping paper
    that she'd played with so much.
    As he did so, he began
    to smile just a touch.

    “Hun?” Danielle called, which
    brought him to look over at
    the way his wife looked
    so bewildered where she sat.

    “Where's the envelope I saw?”
    she asked him again.
    Billy looked thoughtful for
    a few moments, and then

    he came over to her and
    sat right at her side.
    “Trick a' th' light?” he shrugged
    with a smile that grew wide.

    Though she still was sure that
    she had seen something there,
    it wasn't long before they
    continued to share

    the enjoyment of having their
    first Christmas day
    as a new family with their
    young daughter, Fay.

    That night, right after
    Danielle and Fay went to bed,
    Billy stared at the tree,
    thinking of what he'd read

    that morning when all had
    suddenly become still.
    He was quiet at first,
    but soon uttered, “I will.”

    A smile then came to him as
    he turned his eyes to
    the fireplace and the
    dancing flames within, too.

    “Guess I should say thanks,” he said,
    “both fer givin' me
    a bit a' advice, Santa,
    an' some clarity.”

    He nodded a touch and
    went through his quiet house.
    He turned off all the lights.
    And the fire, he did douse.

    And once he'd turned off
    the very last Christmas light,
    “Merry Christmas,” he said.
    “An' t' all, a good night.”

  7. 34 minutes ago, Furorezu said:

    I haven't received it @The Coop

    That's because you jumped in at the proverbial last minute with an already finished song the afternoon before I sent the PMs out. The PM was just a reminder for those still working that the deadline's coming up, so there wasn't anything of importance for you to be concerned about. Plus, I hadn't added your name to the remixer list yet (it's where I grab the names for my PM list), so there was an "out of sight, out of mind" factor in there as well.

  8. 6 hours ago, Geoffrey Taucer said:

    Not familiar with this story. Could you enlighten me?

    @kaijin@Ailsean

    On VGMix quite a few years ago, a remixer named Void was posting what he passed off as remixes that he'd done. Some where longer and better than others, but there were a number that were based on songs from games that very few people had heard of (he posted a couple that were from Golden Axe or Panzer Dragoon Saga as well, I believe). He even got a fair bit of praise for what many thought was his work. However, after a couple of years, someone found one of "his" remixes and pointed out that it was actually done by someone else (I want to say it was on a Japanese MIDI album or something like that, but I'm not sure... it's been a while to say the least). It didn't take long before more of "his" songs were discovered to be plagiarized and he was pretty much shown the door on the website.

    So the TL;RD is that he was posting the published remixes from obscure Japanese game OSTs as his own and got caught.

  9. Void.

    Now now, I know what people think when Void comes to mind. Yes, he was a liar, a music thief and he basically fucked himself right out of the remixing community back in the early 2000s. However, what his dishonest actions caused indirectly was something of a good thing in the end for me; something that I've basically run with for a long time. He shed light on games that few had heard of and ran with the facade that he was making remixes for those games. However, I chose to actually make the remixes I posted, and not plagiarize like Void did when he claimed other peoples' work as his own.

    Everyone and their grandmother knows Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, Sonic, Mario, Mega Man, Zelda, Castlevania and their brethren; games with soundtracks that many artists have remixed in dozens of genres. But what about games like Master of Monsters, Raiden Trad, Hellfire or Thunder Force IV? They didn't get much attention back then, which seemed like a real shame considering how great their music was. In fact, when I first came OCR, those four Genesis games had nothing on the site... and three of them still don't. So, I kept my attention on less-often remixed games for the most part. Yeah, I've dipped my toes into well-known franchises like Castlevania, Chrono Cross and Mario, but I've come to really like digging father down into the world of game music and pulling out games like Darius, Arcus Odyssey and Moon Patrol to focus on.

    So while Void's actions were nothing to praise, it had the inadvertent affect of steering my remixing "career" in a direction that I've enjoyed.

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