OCR01623 - Final Fantasy VII "Black Wing Metamorphosis"

[ProjectSpam]

Ya know, I liked this the first time I heard it, but I was disappointed at its length, because I felt that it could have been longer. Upon successive listens, it gets better and better each time. This is a song that really grows on me. And I really love that chiptune beginning, such a good entry for the awesomeness to follow.

[DarkMessenger]

Absolute FAVOURIT!!!!!!

What a superb colab. You people have really done a great job. SUPER!!

[Gman]

Wow.. This has got to be the best remix I've heard in a long time! It caught me off guard.. Guess it helps that I love this song!

Right from the start, chiptunes is not what you expect but DAMN it fits in so well.. and the transition is so sexy! The sequenced choir is excellent! As well as the beautiful and well placed real voices made by pixiez. Everything fit so well and the quality was insane.

Thanks for this guys..

Gman

[The Author]

Too short.

I mean, we cannot get a chance to truly see all the awesome that is packed in there.

I loved it, its probably the best OWA remix ever because it did not try to be OWA, it tried to be better, and succeeded.

[sabrigami]

oh wow, i just love it (had the intro bit stuck in my head all day lol) i love the nes bits in the intro (make an exellent ringtone ) and its intense orchestral bits in a lighter tone, than what is usually presented with this piece. i found this part to be waaaay too short. but the ending more procussional bits were good but i liked the intro to mid way better (just me) great work to all who did this, it's great to see such an innovative take on it, great job!

[anosou]

Suzu, Make that chiptune a ringtune. Now. Distribute worldwide and earn loads upon loads of cash!

[Duo]

I didn't think I would ever hear a good or effective remix of One-Winged Angel, especially since the Advent Version is among the top three most epic songs of all time. The problem I foresaw was not a lack of material to work with - but such an abundance of it that bringing it all together effectively would be nigh impossible.

And yet...this remix is jaw-dropping; utterly awesome! You guys took the right approach from the beginning in opening up creatively and taking it very far away from the original. The intro sets up for the buildup so well I get chills every time I listen to it. There is such a drive and power to the music that it makes me feel like I'm fighting Sephiroth for the the first time all over again, praying Bahamut Zero can last a couple more turns. Heck, the song is just long enough to make it through one usage of Knights of the Round (jk).

It's just great, and a very original take on the piece. It succeeds at what it was trying to be to the highest level. And while it is short, the piece itself is so engaging that it feels longer.

[suzumebachi]

Suzu, Make that chiptune a ringtune. Now. Distribute worldwide and earn loads upon loads of cash!

coming soon to a cellphone near you

[zircon]

The ringtone is now available!

Note: Your phone must be compatible with real/true tones and have internet capability.

Step 1. Download this file to your computer (owa.mp3)

Step 2. Go to www.myxertones.com and select the owa.mp3 file to upload, then type in your phone number.

Step 3. You will receive an SMS message to your phone with the download link. Use your phone's internet to download the ringtone, and then set the file as your ringtone.

--

Alternatively, you can just download the MP3 and use Bluetooth/USB to upload to your phone and set it that way.

[Lotd2242]

I have to have listened to this mix about 50 times trying to figure out what I thought of it.

I know everyone loved that chiptune bit, but it was a complete turn-off for me. I felt like it stole all the energy from the intro. I really enjoyed the spooky build in the background, but it's completely overshadowed by the chiptune.

OWA's intro has that "Pyscho" shower-scene feel, which is extremely appropriate for Sephiroth, and this just makes that all into a comedic throwback to a time before FFVII. As a ringtone? Ok, cool. In a remix? All I can say is: "..."

After the chiptune goes away, this mix turns into something I can really get into. Then around 2:07 the heavy marching beat felt over-emphasized, generating an image of either a slow-witted giant stomping along or a really fat guy waddling to a snack bar, neither of which scream "Sephiroth" at me. It evens back out around 2:45, which is good.

Then you hit that great guitar solo section, which seems like it's going to build into the big finale...and then the mix ends! What happened? Where's the last 45 seconds or so?

I suppose in some ways the comical parts and the abrupt ending of this mix are appropriate, given how ridiculously easy Sephiroth is to beat compared to other bosses in the game and how fast he goes down, but I thought they took away more than they added.

Ultimately, I think the chiptune is really what did it in for me. I honestly thought I had some Legend of Zelda sound effects playing instead when I first heard this, and that really doesn't convey anything about a final battle with a psychotic half-"angel" hell bent on the destruction of the planet and who spent most of the game mind-fucking your lead character and slaughtering everything in sight with his giant sword.

I will say this, it does take a lot of cajones to try and remix One Winged Angel. Not only is it an extremely recognized tune, not only has it been converted into that fabulous Advent version, but the damned song is so odd in its own right. I think if there's every a non-chiptune version of this track, I would really enjoy it, and that speaks to the skill of the remixers.

[Iggy Enigma]

This was indeed, as you said, "a fun, high-energy" mix. It's not Advent:OWA and it doesn't pretend to be. (No one can ever make a remix comparable to the Advent Children version.) It's not definitive; it's a fun take on the song. To my own interpreting brain, I almost saw it as slightly tongue-in-cheek. Yes, Sephiroth is rather awesome, but at the same time, he's also an overhyped, disturbingly girly, emo, easy-to-beat, etc etc bash bash. This song expresses that dichotomy of feelings gamers like myself have about him. And it's just fun to listen to.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with some people on one point. It was getting truly awesome near the end with the guitar solo, and then it cuts off! How disappointing.

[CoyoteQuixotic]

Now If only I could grow a third arm in order to pull that off...

Hey all, first post here...figured I should start with something near and dear to my heart:

This has to be one of the best One Winged Angel remixes I've heard to date. Although it's a bit short, I feel that this version captures the essence of the original without simply reinventing the wheel ('Sides, I think the compactness is part of what gave it such intensity).

Just my two cents...I know, nothing massively insightful, but hey, I'm no musician, just longtime a fan:razz:

[skcoder]

Overall, I found this a great remix. I enjoyed the chiptune, it enhanced the "dark sounds" in the beginning of the song with the high contrast. Definately getting a spot on my frequent playlist.

But for my constructive criticism..

If there is one thing this song suffered from it was that it didn't seem coherent enough. Like reading a book with multiple authors, you can tell where the individual remixers chipped in their specific part. Like at 45 into the track and 1.36 the voices seem a little rushed. Then at 2.10 its a little overboard on the amount of instrumentation. At 3.10 the guitar doesn't seem loud enough too.

Overall I can see how that would happen with so many artists involved, but perhaps the song should have just been made longer?

In either case great job everyone, I still enjoy the song

[Motari Riseth]

Well, I have to confess that I'm not really very eloquent when it comes to writing reviews for musical pieces, I'm not really sure what constitutes a well written critique.

So I'll have to sum up my feelings for "Black Wing Metamorphosis" with this comment:

OMG! I LOVE THIS SOOOO MUCH!

I suspect it will become one of my favourite OCRemixes (there are a lot that I consider my favourite, but still...)

[Millman]

First off, I just have to say, thank you all for your contributions to this project and OCR, proving even after six years of remixes, you can still be epic and bring something new and different to the table. This project has revived my faith in OCR's life, which I thought had once passed its golden years, and now I am (pleasantly) surprised to find that it is only NOW entering in its prime. You guys deserve some serious applause, more than I could give you if that's all I did every day for an entire year.

Secondly, this remix is amazing. As many others have said, too short for its awesomeness, but I also understand dragging it on would have made it more drawn out, and less exciting, so that's not much of a big deal. The sound quality is amazing. I can (and have already) put this back-to-back with VNV Nation, A23, Voltaire, and even DJ Sammy and have it sound just as good, if not better, than their mastering and mixing, and that is a big deal. It's very hard making game mixes sound mastered enough to be taken seriously, and this mix (nay, whole album) pulls it off. The chip-tune intro is amazing. When I first heard it I was completely awed, and imagined fighting Sephiroth in 16-bit, with this playing in the background. Had VII been made on the SNES instead of the PS, that is what the music would have sounded like, and it still would have been awesome. The transitional idea from chip-tune to full orchestration to rock-operatic is genius, definitely adding some new flavor to an all-to-often remixed song. But just as importantly as the song's construction, is how well this song fits on Order, or the entire album as a whole. You guys did your part in making this mix brilliant, but what I like most is that it fits on the album in its entirety without sounding too far out there, or too epic. That coherence is very important, and again, you guys did not falter.

Overall, this is a great mix. The brevity is the biggest flaw, but again, I wouldn't want it to be drawn out and lose its energy. If I want a nonstop mix of grand proportions, I can look to Advent's mix. Great job on this track, and on the album as a whole. You guys have worked miracles.

[ChloroPhil]

The song is the ultimate. Or something close to it.

At first I was like huh? when the chiptune came on. But when it got to the part where everything cut out again and it was just the chiptune and pixietricks voice, I thought that part was really cool. It was an interesting thing to go with and I like it.

Its such a rush when those drums first come in.

Its also a rush when the guitar comes in. Too bad it ends right away...I wouldn't need a big 7 minute song but a little longer guitar section to close it out woulda been cool.

I love how so many people came together on one mix. I love how so many people came together on one tribute album. Gives it all a real community feel.

[ZeroBass.Exe]

I agree completely. When I first started this this song, and I heard the chiptune, I smiled. I like chiptunes, I'm funny like that, and also not many people do chiptunes very well. Then the actual meat of the song kicked in, and i will admit I was thoroughly impressed. If they ever do a remake of FF7, (and I'm sure they will when they need money), and they don't use the Advent Children version of OWA as the final theme, then this should be the one.

[Crescent Shadow]

Then the actual meat of the song kicked in, and i will admit I was thoroughly impressed. If they ever do a remake of FF7, (and I'm sure they will when they need money), and they don't use the Advent Children version of OWA as the final theme, then this should be the one.

I've heard -alot- of attempted remixs of OWA... and frankly they all fell short. I've heard alot of ochestral versions of OWA and they all fell short. The only versions I've ever heard that I liked were the ones off the original OST and the Advent Children vers.

So here I am downloading the album and at the end i see an OWA mix...and then the pessimism kicks in... I slap my forehead and go 'Oh man...'

Then I start listening to it... the chiptune (which is now my ringtone w00t!) kinda threw me off... but it grew on me. When the mainstay of the song kicks in... i realized how wrong i was about this song...

This is... hands down... the only remix of OWA that was not only decent... but absolutely rocked! Leave it to OCR to pull together to make the impossible possible by making a good OWA remix!

[StandingInMotion]

I've been lurking the site for years, and this is my first public review of a piece, so bear with me. I've read maybe the last two "critiques" so if I'm repeating something someone's already said, sorry!

SIDENOTE: I gotta admit, when I first started listening to this piece, I thought... "This sounds strangely like the second movement of Dancing Mad from FF6!" then it began to build more and it was obvious that it was OWA.

As amazing as this piece is, I do have some complaints... and I realize that this can be difficult with so many people working on the same piece, but there seemed to be a big lack of flow. Instead of being one, big, cohesive piece, it sounded more like a showcase of different ideas. The ideas were great, and I love this arrangement, I just wish that all of the ideas flowed together as a single piece… I hope that makes sense…

Other than that, the arrangement was awesome. I especially like the percussive parts around :59 and starting at 2:05. Don’t know why… I just do

Awesome work, guys and gals!

[Steffan Andrews]

Instead of being one, big, cohesive piece, it sounded more like a showcase of different ideas.

Kind of struck me that the original track was, too

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Instead of being one, big, cohesive piece, it sounded more like a showcase of different ideas.

Lol, interesting that you got that from listening to it; that's almost exactly how it came together.

I thought it worked pretty well, though. Wierd? Yes. Jarring? Yes. Awesome? Hell yes.

[zircon]

One thing that I find amusing is the people who say it sounds like too many people worked on this, that it sounds too jumbled, that it's more of a showcase of ideas. It is funny because it's PURE psychology. Steffan did 99% of the arrangement and instrumentation. Most of what the contributing mixers did was replace his MIDI sounds with live performances or add slight accents.

If you heard the track before anyone else added to it, you would know what I mean

[StandingInMotion]

Kind of struck me that the original track was, too

Ehh... maybe... Maybe it's because I've listened to the original so much more than this piece, so it just all flows more naturally because I'm used to it.

Especially at 1:34 and 2:05 where it either stops, and then restarts or just hops to another selection. Those were mainly the parts I was talking about.

[usmc2hard4u]

This work is outstanding!

I especially love the very beginning!

[Nohbody]

Sixto's guitar solo at the end... if it had lasted for about 2 minutes instead of 14 seconds that would have been awesome. Actually it was already awesome, im just saying i would have had a better orgasm had the guitar solo been longer.