ReMix:Terranigma "Skaði, Fjallið Veiði Gyðja" 4:46

Yet another gem from Paths Less Travelled: Terranigma, this Icelandically-titled epic, cinematic symphonic metal arrangement from Jorito also works in live rhythm & lead guitars & soaring, operatic vocalizing:

• Jorito - arrangement, production
• Manji, Tuberz McGee - lead guitars
• Tuberz McGee - rhythm guitars
• Lauren the Flute - vocals
• Chimpazilla - mastering

Jorito (Jorrith Schaap) writes:

"I'm a big fan of JRPGs, but sadly hadn't played Terranigma until very recently. As such, I was totally unfamiliar with this great soundtrack. When Odai started recruiting for the album, I went over a few of the tracks to see if anything struck my fancy. "Mountains" instantly resonated with me because I thought it'd do well with some chugga chugga guitars combined with orchestral, a style that I love. As usual, I started the arrangement with MIDI and samples. The rhythm guitars already sounded good with samples, but, with a bit of help from my pal Callum (Tuberz McGee), they really came to life and gave the track the energy it needed. Had lots of fun writing the guitar solo at the end, and I dig Callum's performance there too. The other guitar leads were played by Manji, who gratefully replied to my request for real guitars after my initial MIDI WIP. Lastly, I reached out to Lauren, who I worked with on another track. Turns out she's not only a great vocalist, but also a die-hard fan of Terranigma, so getting her on board to record the soaring operatic vocals to give the track that extra bit of epicness wasn't all that hard.

All in all, I'm pretty proud of this track and happy how it turned out. Extra kudos to my collaborators for joining me on the ride, it's always amazing to see how much of a difference great live performances make! And if you're wondering about the title... "Skaði, Fjallið Veiði Gyðja" is Icelandic (not Old Norse, unfortunately) for "Skadi, Hunter-goddess of the Mountains." Odai painted a vivid picture about Vikings, icy mountain peaks, and firepits when he listened to my track, and I thought it'd be nice if the title reflected that."

Tuberz McGee (Callum Kennedy) chimes in:

"Jorito is very quickly becoming my favourite collaborator because he hits me up with crazy arrangements that always sound stellar. This mix is no exception as I had to sit down and make sense of the arrangement before I could even fathom how to play the guitar part. This track was a lot of fun!"

Manji (Christopher Mole) adds:

"When Jorito shared his idea for this track -- Vikings, opera, heavy metal -- I was (as a fan of all three of those things!) immediately on board. The lead parts were a lot of fun to record once I'd managed to work out the timing, with lots of room for flourish. I did a couple of takes to get the basic structure, then zeroed in on the trickier parts and did a few more passes to make sure they were as good as possible. Jorito then worked his magic to fit the parts seamlessly into the song and make the end result sound super epic!"

And last but not least, Lauren the Flute (Lauren Liebowitz):

"I was so glad to be asked to contribute to another one of Jorrith's tracks; it's always nice when you find an arranger whose style just clicks with you. Plus, I'm a huge fan of Quintet, and Terranigma is, in my opinion, their crowning achievement in all ways, especially the soundtrack. I appreciate how every track Jorrith produces is different from the others and yet they're all fantastic. The moment the electric guitars kicked in with this one, I was in love. The recording took place during a really difficult time in my personal life, so it was a struggle sometimes, but it's nice to be able to look back and say I overcame that and created something to be proud of. Thanks for being patient with me, Jorrith, and I'm so honored you asked me to be part of this."

Judges *did* vote on this, but it was (unsurprisingly, I think!) unanimous - a quick quotable from Sir_NutS:

"Beefy, epic drums add tons of energy and a larger-than-life feel to an already epic arrangement. Guitars are chunky and solos are simple, but in a track like this you don't need to go Yngwie on them."

Indeed you do not. Finally, making my job much easier by summarizing things with a flair for the dramatic, album co-director Trism writes:

"This was, I believe, the first track that Jorito put together for this album, way back before the hiatus. An electronic/metal/orchestral hybrid! I've listened to enough metal bands to know a well-crafted track when I hear one. Jorito has made an awesome arrangement with this one and chose some excellent collaborators to bring his vision to life. It feels like the soundtrack to Thor standing atop a mountain, hurling Mjölnir into the clouds, and bringing the metal thunder down onto the world."

Hell yeah. Superlative work from Jorrith, Lauren, Calum, & Christopher - highly recommended!