Song of the Week - WEEK 50 Voting/WEEK 51 Nominations

It's great to see SotW back where it originated. Branching out is just as excellent but its roots are here and I'll be posting here whenever able.

And even better, we've got 4 submissions from new participants! Plus, the submitted tracks are good!

Drag-on Dragoon 2 Original Soundtrack - Fate - After "Vein of Grief", I was a bit hesitant toward this track. I didn't much care for the earlier DoD selection. However, this is a definite improvement with satisfying piano, violin and oboe. Some intermittent harp makes it flow between segments and there's a lot of fluctuating emotion behind the notes as well. "Fate" is a very pleasurable track and shows that the Drag-on Dragoon OST may have potential after all.

Gate of Thunder (Red Book Audio) - Crown - This is a fair track but I'm not digging the distortion guitars 100%. Sounds a little canned. But the staccato chimes and forceful rhythm recover a lot of ground. It's not my favorite of the week but I'll agree that this one does stand upon its own merits.

Jert Gaiden 3-2 - Illegal Burger Deals (Game Rip) - I'll Take You Underwater - What is UP with the sound quality here? It sounds like it was actually recorded underwater. After running the track through a couple noise filters on my own, it's serviceable if somewhat unimpressive. Sparseness can work well but this feels like some kid's amateur garage tape. Combined with the poor audio quality, I just can't get behind this one. And what the hell is a JERT Gaiden, anyhow?

Johnny Bazookatone - Deadbolt - I haven't heard of this game in years. Such an awesome name for a character. The track though, it definitely blew me away with its ambience and cool funk slickness. It's smooth as rich, chocolate mousse and practically flows from the speakers in mellow, syncopated waves of bliss. I LOVE the synthesized trance beat and resonant guitar. The sax wails with grace and charm. I can't get over how eclectic and really, really stylish "Deadbolt" is.
Also, this track was submitted by a newcomer, making it an even more pleasant surprise. Thanks!

Small Soldiers (Red Book Audio) - Track 12 - A militaristic marching tune, eh? I've never been a die-hard fan of war-themed music, honestly. In "Track 12"'s favor, it's got a triumphant and optimistic feel instead of the more common "oppressive dirge" feel that many wargame tracks feature. It's not knocking me out of my chair or anything, but the french horn is quite nice and I actually enjoyed the brief vocal portions. I don't foresee this track earning a medal this week, but it's one of better war themes I've heard in a while.

Spyro the Dragon (Game Rip) - Dry Canyon - Not too shabby, not at all. It does come off just a notch above being average but there are points that elevate it from being predictable to being kinda energetic and intriguing. What did catch my ear was the thick, meaty bassline. Props for good foundation work in a track. If "Dry Canyon" earned a medal, I wouldn't be upset.

the Adventure of Puppet Princess Original Soundtrack - Dream Travelerthe Adventure of Puppet Princess Original Soundtrack - Dream Traveler - Poor Tenpei. His work is almost always of excellent quality but whenever one of his tracks is submitted to SotW, it's overshadowed by something more vibrant and unexpectedly interesting. I suppose this is because Sato's work tends to fall into a "tranquil" mode more often than not and although it's very pleasing it's easily lost amidst a sea of more frenetic saxophones and guitarwork. This is a shame because "Dream Traveler" is such a sweet, endearing track. Tragically, even I might have to skip it over in favor of this week's bigger surprises. Ah, Tenpei, always a joy to listen to but also so predictable. Fear not, though, your moment will arrive.

TimeSplitters - Future Perfect (Game Rip) - Scotland the Brave - Yes, here is the dark, oppressive dirge I was referring to earlier. I will offer credit where this track is certainly due - it delivers a steady, building tension and captures the feeling of a bloody battle well. No scorn there. But it's just not the kind of thing I find myself listening to while I work or relax. I know many people like it and hey, cool. Just let me go on record as saying that this track is excellent for what it is but beyond a few listens, I'd get pretty bored of it quickly.


So let's round us up some doggies.

3 Points: Johnny Bazookatone - Deadbolt
1 Point: Drag-on Dragoon 2 Original Soundtrack - Fate
1 Point: the Adventure of Puppet Princess Original Soundtrack - Dream Traveler
1 Point: Spyro the Dragon (Game Rip) - Dry Canyon


So overall, this was a solid week. Jert Gaiden was a little off due to sound issues but nothing was wretchedly unlistenable. And a big thanks to all the newcomers who might read over this thread. Good stuff, guys. Do us all a favor and continue to participate, even if your nomination doesn't win anything.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

It's not worth creating another thread, but are we going to go ahead with the "Song of the Year" meta-contest that was being discussed right before the crash?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

So do we actually get to KNOW who won Week 50 before moving onto Area 51?

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.