Mar 7, 2006, 11:44 PM
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#1 of 20
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Hey, GFX! Good to see you survived the cataclysmic end of GFF as we knew it.
Despite my avowed dislike of most really hard rock, I find this first Black Mages album to be quite enjoyable. Perhaps it's because most of the tunes were rockish to begin with, and the arrangement amounts in some cases to essentially a sound upgrade, which is really what I'm after with any arranged album. I also appriciate the fact that there aren't many wailing, atonal guitar solos; in these tracks, as in the originals, the guitar is strictly melody line with little showboating.
"Battle on the Big Bridge" is the definite standout, and its high-powered treatment is enough to kick anyone's pulse up a notch. I also have something of a soft spot for J-E-N-O-V-A as well; it's a lot more new agey and very close to the off-kilter spirit of the original. Uematsu must have been fond of it as well, since it's repeated almost note for note on Advent Children.
The only real duds, in my opinion, are "Seymour Battle" and "Dancing Mad." "Seymour" was a rather weak composition to begin with, and at times the BM version seems poorer than the synth one on the OST. "Dancing Mad" was never a rock or even rockish track to begin with, so its arrangement here feels forced and artificial. That's one that an orchestra needs to tackle.
Still, all things considered, the album is a keeper, and a nice break from the endless, often uninspired and dull, piano collections.
4/5
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