[SotW] Song of the Week - WEEK 180 Voting/WEEK 181 Nominating

Another decent week.

(2 points) Gain Ground SX (Red Book Audio) - Stage 1: About what I expect from SNES-era action synth. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but it hits a lot of the right notes (and that's two cliches for the price of one for you).

(2 points) Samsara Naga 2 - Swimming: Nice energy, and the piano really carries it through.

(1 point) Sword of the New World: Granado Espada: Manifest Destiny (Game Rip) - Para Variar: Ironically enough, this has an Iwadare-esque vibe with the way it introduces and deploys its guitar. A fun, mid-tempo tune.

(1 point) Clive Barker's Undying (Game Rip) - Immortal Soul: Slightly empty calories here, but I love its ethereal sound.

As for the rest:

Anthem of the Tyrant is actually my nomination, from a decent enough soundtrack, but admittedly it falls on the standard side, and the middle part is clearly its best segment; against weaker competition, I would have given it a point. Ghaleon's Theme -- you know, the actual Iwadare track this week -- is pretty standard for him, featuring some of his heavy-handed elements but never approaches truly gothic or epic. Be Your Age has some funk, but also doesn't feel mixed properly, leaving a sound that lacks teeth. choir of curse is all grandiosity but no payout.

How ya doing, buddy?