Epic... Powerful... Absolutely MOVING Songs!
 

There are songs out there that carry in them a power and beauty that will take you in, move every bit of spirit in you, or rip your heart out in despair. Being a player of DnD, I like to find tracks for various situations, and I can never get enough songs that can take the players in and make them really feel despair or something so big and amazing that they feel the awe of the moment.

Right now, "The Tale of Icewind Dale" is playing, and it carries in it a great mystery and subtle beauty... I love songs like this. What pieces do you listen to that give you this kind of feeling or similar effects mentioned above. Try to avoid extremely heavy thematic pieces: with no disrespect meant to great themes, the theme itself often supplements some of the magic of the song, and it doesn't require as much other beauty to make the piece really sing out. There certainly are exceptions, and you can put them down if you feel they are appropriate.

Although I like Koichi Sugiyama better on average because his pieces of music are brilliant, the person who has most made emotional songs that go with the moment so, so well is Nobuo Uematsu.

It seemed to begin with FF4 and got even better with FF6. So much moving music. So many situations have a theme. FF7 got even better with emotion! (perhaps not as epic as ff6, but better with emotion).

"Reprisal" from Ace Combat 5.

The horn solo at the 3 minute mark is the work of legends.

Since I've been listening to a lot of Ace Combat music recently, I'm going to go ahead and brag about Keiki Kobayashi. Tracks like "The Unsung War", "Blockade"/"First Flight", and "Zero" are top notch.

Epic tracks, huh? Here are some I feel fit the mold:

<> Megalith -Agnus Dei- from Ace Combat 04 Shattered Skies Original Sound Tracks
<> Morrowind Title from Elder Scrolls III Morrowind Original Soundtrack
<> THE OUTDATED HEROES from ZOIDS INFINITY -ARCADE SOUND TRACKS- THE BOY
<> ''Metal Gear Solid'' Main Theme from Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty Original Soundtrack
<> Zero Stage 1 from Rockman X1~6
<> Trigger Situation from DIRGE OF CERBERUS -FINAL FANTASY VII- Original Soundtrack
<> HOUR OF DESTINY from Soul Calibur III Original Soundtrack -LEGEND OF SOUNDS-
<> Speaking with the Stars from BATEN KAITOS Neverending Wings and the Lost Sea Original Soundtrack

Those are a few that popped into my head. I'll post more later on.

The orchestrated songs in both Kingdom Hearts games are well placed and represent the emotions very well. They capture the moment if you will, after seeing both the scene and song pared together, they became inseparable in my mind.

Two songs come to mind for me, and they're basically exact opposites.

Joy: Truth (Vagrant Story)

In this song, all the pains of your past are washed away, all of your worries, doubts, and insecurites seem, in an instant, ridiculous. This is the basic feeling I got from the second half of the song, long before I ever played the game.

Despair: Trübsal (Saga Frontier II)

I've never heard this in game, but obviously someone is dead or dying. This is the kind of pain you feel when someone you love very much is dying in your arms, and you fall to your knees, screaming, "Why God, why!?". Horrible, acute emotional agony.

Both of these songs make me want to cry, but for very different reasons.

Simply one of the greatest soundtracks for one of the greatest games ever made.
http://www.outcast-thegame.com/gallery/audio.htm
I find this a very stirring and emotive soundtrack that when playing the game perfectly enhances the atmosphere and portrays the sense of the environment you're in.

I actually knew Piccolo was going to answer "Truth" the instant I saw his name in the most recent reply for this thread...Scary :juggler:

As far as songs that provide feelings of "epic" and "awe", I'm generally a believer that the stronger the melody, the stronger the mood. Reason being: In an epic moment, a lot of things are usually going on and it makes sense to have equally active, yet still attractive, music.

Some songs that stick out as being "epic" in my mind, both for their prowess inside the game and outside:

"The Moon"-Ducktales (NES)
"Zone J"-Rescue Rangers (NES)
Level 7 BGM-Ninja Warriors (SNES)
Dr. Wily Area 3 (Megaman 7)
The Strongest Foe-Ys 3 Turbo Duo/Ys Felghana
Believe in My Heart-Ys Felghana
Holy Orders/Awe of She/Feel a Fear/Bloodstained Lineage/Meet Again-Guilty Gear X
The Day of Judgement/The Midnight Carnival-Guilty Gear XX Korean.
The First Unison/Hard Chain Reaction-Valkyrie Profile
Esaka?-King of Fighters 98 (especially for the sweet synth bells).
Struggle for Existence-Dynasty Warriors 4
flying-Castle Shikigami 2
Maybe I'm a Lion-Final Fantasy 8
Deceitful Wings/Duke of Stratosphere-Atelier Iris
The Battle with Lord Blazer-Wild Arms 2
Track 9-Skull Fang

So yeah...the word "Epic" normally translates as big battles or high-impact dungeons to me, as far as video games go.

Just as I knew that as soon as you saw that I had posted here you would say something about me liking Truth. ;)

Broken Memory - Soukaigi
Betrayal - Silent Hill 2
Fight Tune "The Immaculate" - Dirge of Cerberus

One song that I find particularly epic is Tales of Legendia - Seeking Victory. I really love the whole orchestral thing, especially the violin. It plays during some of the boss battles in the game.

Communication Breakdown" By Yuki Kajiura or something. From Cenosaga Episode: II

Anybody who mentioned Ace Combat 5 knows what they're talking about. Keiki Kobayashi..... you god.

As for me, Yasunori Mitsuda composes poetry. His music isn't just music. Just listen to Black Shadow from Tsugunai and you'll understand.

Other than that, "A sign" from Tales of Symphonia. 60 seconds of EPIC.

Oh, and "Supreme Ruler of the Nine Havens" from Baten Kaitos.

WHOA.

Thanks for all the replies. I had never listened to Ace Combat music before, but when I did... wow. Great stuff!

Ace Combat Zero - Zero. [ =O ]

When I lay in my bed at night and listed to this track, my eyes got wet. That's just too epic, powerful and awesome for a wimp like me. Nothing to add, simply listen to it and I advise you not to be contrary.

Gasp.

It's so good it's actually the reason I played the game. It started off as a random download too. Then I said "I have to see what this is all about." And the game is okay. But the music is far better than okay.

Resident Evil Outbreak File # 2:End credits.

I know, most of you had not listened it,but its just plain AWESOME.

Hmm, the songs I acknowledge for being powerful are:
-Destati by Yoko Shimomura (KHII)
-Minuet by Koichi Sugiyama (DQIV)
-Theme of Love by Nobuo Uematsu
-Overture, Rondo in C, Soaring Mix (Unlimited Saga), Thema, Variation (SFII), Wodan (Coi Vanni Gialli) by Masashi Hamauzu
-Maya's Death (Persona II, I forget who composed it. The most powerful sad piano IMO)

well, most of them could be found in Galbadia Hotel if the threadstarter is looking for the tracks.

The orchestral tracks ("Title" and "Flight" in particular) from Panzer Dragoon are quite breathtaking.

Mega Man 2 opening/Wily stage 1 theme (if you were tired and saying to yourself, "Man I'm getting the password and heading to bed," after finishing the last boss before this stage, your mind changed quickly when this song started.)

The Brinstar Red song from Super Metroid. Just gives a whole different feeling to the game.

Valley Of Heroes song in Stormwind in World of Warcraft.

Sewer Shark's tunnel music.

Silent Hill 2's "Running the through the forest endlessly" Ambience.

Fei Long's Music.

Little Mac's Uppercut sound effect (not really a song but it makes the entire situation feel Epic. Even if its hitting Glass Joe)

Streets of Rage 2 Boss music. Especially the first one, in the rain.

Donkey Kong Country first stage music.

Y's Book I&II epic dungeon music.

Bloody Tears from castlevania IV specifically.

Sephiroth's theme.


Thats all I can think of.


P.S. Sewer Shark thing was a joke.

P.P.S. Hi I'm new. But old. Its hard to explain.

I love the brooding music that plays in Zelda:Majora's Mask on the last day when the moon's just about to fall.

Definitely some works by Jeremy Soules including the Icewind Dale Theme & Mysterious Attacker from.. can't remember the soundtrack; and some music by Danny Elfman including the ending section of Spidey Suite. When the horns and strings just roares, its one powerful movement to another.

Which track number is that?