35. Reverie (title track)
And as usual the poor title track sits dead last. At least it sounds serene, like a reverie should.
34. Through Suffering (text music)
Once again, to really get the different ways to figure out what Reverie all about, something serene is quite the thing to use. Those chimes and synth blend well together.
33. Onward (intermission)
And how else can we show moving onward better than a marching drum beat! I always loved this intermission, even if many tracks afterward are a lot better than it, it just shows that Bobby Prince Doom/Wolfenstein militaristic feel quite wonderfully.
32. Lost In Our Dreams (MAP31)
I feel like this track is too short. It's got great chimes that drive the main melody along with the drums. The synth coming in also helps matters well to give the level its on a sense of purpose. Then the smaller guitar parts drive it home. I feel it doesn't loop correctly though. Maybe this was intended, who knows? Felt like I was playing the Searching! from Eternal Doom with the way it loops, and for such a big level, it's quite weird.
I feel like this track is too short. It's got great chimes that drive the main melody along with the drums. The synth coming in also helps matters well to give the level its on a sense of purpose. Then the smaller guitar parts drive it home. I feel it doesn't loop correctly though. Maybe this was intended, who knows? Felt like I was playing the Searching! from Eternal Doom with the way it loops, and for such a big level, it's quite weird.
31. Death Waltz in B Minor (MAP09)
This is much better than Ballad of the Demons in being a Waltz of the Demons homage. Probably due to all that variation in the overall melody, making it sound much different. B Minor or not, this was a cute track to listen to, as short as it is.
30. Guns-ablaze (MAP11)
Weird funk. I can kinda dig it, but I'm unsure if a techbase level like this was the best level to use it on. The bass is great, the guitars have a weird Caribbean vibe to it, but the horns drive the song. Interesting, but not really a personal favorite of mine. Easy to dig though.
29. DOOM Funk (MAP05)
Again, weird funk. But this is a little better. Perhaps because it's more bass-driven than the other instruments, where the bass is far grungier in sound, plus a few interesting guitars and even kazoos thrown in. You also wonder if this is supposed to be a homage to DOOM, the Doom II track of course.
28. Hell's Last Stand (MAP29)
Interesting that it's called that in a relatively short penultimate level. PRIMEVAL certainly goes for the neatness in the orchestration with a somewhat simple melody that indicates end times in some fashion. Gotta keep the sinister look, but the stuff from Unholy Realms can easily beat this one.
27. Sludgeville (MAP20)
Here I was expecting stewboy to do something quite sludgey with sludge metal or something. But instead we get some of stewboy's more interesting instrumentation. Listen closely, between all the fun and brooding atmosphere as well as the percussion we get to hear what nearly sounds like water droplets, followed by fun synth. It's a weirdly fun track.
Here I was expecting stewboy to do something quite sludgey with sludge metal or something. But instead we get some of stewboy's more interesting instrumentation. Listen closely, between all the fun and brooding atmosphere as well as the percussion we get to hear what nearly sounds like water droplets, followed by fun synth. It's a weirdly fun track.
26. Knee Deep in DOOM (MAP08)
PRIMEVAL really wants to lean you into the original At Doom's Gate, with the music being almost exactly like it but with far more rock to it! It's certainly enough to get the blood pumping, and then you have the slight variation in the familiar melody, the rest of the guitar licks, and the synth joining in. Just a fun track to go about a rather long level.
25. Arachnobus Mayhem (MAP07)
Oh and speaking of At Doom's Gate, well, this one sort of has that feel too. You know how the original is often said to be like Master of Puppets? Well, you could probably hear that kind of deal with this song's main guitar parts. Always a fun one to listen to, but it does start things off by throwing listeners with lots of metal drumming.
24. Crimson Sky (MAP28)
Really leaning into the organ here for this incredibly brooding track. It's definitely got the Aubrey Hodges-style atmosphere going for it as you flummox through a moderately-large level, with the organ notes giving that brooding feel. This is followed by synth-sounding bass throughout the map that provides the eerie backdrop you want to hear.
23. Dispersion (MAP16)
Jimmy's got plenty of kickass tracks and this one certainly fits, but it is slightly forgettable when put up to the rest. It's audibly busy almost throughout the whole thing, feeling like there's a lot of energy going around this hubspoke-style levelset with the guitars trying to drive everything around. Still, Jimmy's got more memorable tracks later on.
22. Killing Spree (MAP25)
One of the heavier-sounding tracks overall from PRIMEVAL, going for that classic metal feel with the fantastic opening riff and the speedy melody which honestly you can imagine a vocalist coming in to do that guitar lick that comes in. Some of the guitar parts feel like surfing waves up and down and the whole thing is just made for fun it seems.
21. Burning Times (MAP12)
And now for something Doom metal. Honestly I suck at metal genres, but I'm making the guess that doom/black metal are the ones with brooding and nasty-sounding guitars, and that's what I feel with Burning Times. It's definitely gritty and quite interesting to start off after a death exit.
20. Shut Up And Bleed (MAP02)
Shut Up And Bleed always felt like a continuation of Let's Rock! Like you got used to the mission statement of that track rocking you into Reverie and then this occurs and now you start to wonder what to expect next. Here we got the guitar parts starting to lean the listener further in, trying to create more interesting riffage. It works out well.
Shut Up And Bleed always felt like a continuation of Let's Rock! Like you got used to the mission statement of that track rocking you into Reverie and then this occurs and now you start to wonder what to expect next. Here we got the guitar parts starting to lean the listener further in, trying to create more interesting riffage. It works out well.
19. Ashes (MAP06)
Ashes is pure DOOM funk, moreso than other tracks that actually have that name. Like it's got the sinister approach into the melody, then it gets driven by both the bass and those sinister strings. Very nasty sound overall, but nasty is good in this case. That said, that's more or less all to the track.
18. Let's Rock! (MAP01)
And here we are, the track that brings you right into the game. An absolutely fun metal-blasting track that feels like you're ready to kick some ass. Of course, the fact that it's the MAP01 track may be the weakest part, because MAP01 is one of the shortest levels in the entire game and other tracks will prove far more memorable.
17. MDK (MAP19)
Here's a track with a ton of potential, but like the MAP01 track, gets used in a very small map, so its usefulness dwindles a lot. That being said, it's a Jimmy MIDI and a wonderfully-atomspheric one. Excellent bass to build up the tension, plus the symphonic background sound going into fun xylophone notes. It's about five minutes long, so it's probably a good idea to milk it for what it's worth!
Here's a track with a ton of potential, but like the MAP01 track, gets used in a very small map, so its usefulness dwindles a lot. That being said, it's a Jimmy MIDI and a wonderfully-atomspheric one. Excellent bass to build up the tension, plus the symphonic background sound going into fun xylophone notes. It's about five minutes long, so it's probably a good idea to milk it for what it's worth!
16. Fortress of Misery (MAP17)
A track that is all spooky, yay! It's fully orchestrated and gives the perfect sound of impending doom at every turn. Plenty of other instruments eventually join in to further the impending doom feel. It especially hits its stride with the organ bridge, before returning to the same melody with even more spookiness.
15. Relics (MAP23)
Relics is interesting. This is yet another Jimmy techno-atmospherno (I made that up) track that makes it sound like you gotta be fluid with your movements throughout the level. And that's not wrong, the whole level is one that requires lots of fluidity. The synth that comes in accompanying the atmospheric sound is blissful, and just works so well.
14. Have A Frag on Me (MAP03)
The first three levels in Reverie have all rocking and metal tracks, real nice. Though out of those three, this one just feels the best. The riff is very cute, and I wonder if PRIMEVAL took some inspiration from AC/DC given the title. Though I haven't listened to that band in some time. In any case, PRIMEVAL sticks to this cute riff and it truly is a good one throughout the whole track.
13. Becoming (MAP18)
Ah, there's my favorite MIDI instrument! I love the low-sounding guitar sound, and PRIMEVAL will give you fancy arpeggios with them for much of the song. That said, he's gotta go further than that, and he does by ramping up the volume and giving a much better Doom sound. Preferable in my ears, that's for sure. It even stays that way for some time before returning to the low sound later on.
12. Haunted Corridors (MAP04)
Pains my heart not to put this in the top 10 Reverie tracks. It shows up at MAP04, a level which definitely has a lot of wandering in it compared to the others, and boy does the atmosphere feel much more welcoming with its full-on brooding atmosphere. Couldn't really get enough of it, but that sinking, sewer-like feeling prevails in a level that does have a lot of slime too.
11. Stigmatism (MAP32)
This is more or less a culmination of what PRIMEVAL's sound is about. A rocking melody, though it doesn't go heavy on rocking guitars or bass this time, but rather heavy orchestration. When the synth comes in, PRIMEVAL appropriates it with a perfect Doom feel before the drums continue to help drive it. The piano part is just some icing too. But man, this is a great culmination.
10. Darkness Calls (MAP21)
In my opinion, an underrated Jimmy track. Used in a level which feels more like a few arena battles, giving tons of opportunities for fun combat, but the track fits exceptionally well despite the level size. Bass is slow at the start, but the synth picks things up before the guitar parts give it that rockin' feel. A lovely track that honestly should be used more often.
9. Aztec Gods (MAP22)
A track entitled Aztec Gods in an Egyptian-themed level. Um, okay? Unlike Darkness Falls this gets used a lot more, perhaps due to Jimmy nailing the aesthetic of the title. Yep, if you want tribal drums and synth that feels like you are in the Aztec, with a slight jungle feel, you got it right here. Guitars go in and out as the synth drives the whole thing through.
8. The Calling (MAP13)
I've listened to every track in the Reverie soundtrack numerous times before this and I tend to forget about The Calling. It's on a rather long level, but feels just like simple Doom 64-type atmosphere music. That is, until I really leaned in and listened to it more. The shrilling orchestra is epic, but the bass driven the rest of the track makes the mood absolutely perfect. I really should've paid more attention to this one.
7. City Streets (MAP15)
No, it's not a Duke Nukem track remix, it's actually its own thing. And there it is! The low-tuned guitar sound! Makes me wonder if this main riff really belongs on a Metallica MIDI, and lord I enjoy this riff so freakin' much. It even arpeggios further when the drums really start kicking in. This would be a top 5 track, but I find the trumpets that come in kinda goofy. Not necessarily detracting though, because it gives a slight ROTT feel.
6. Fallen Sun (MAP24)
Obviously, this would be in the top 10, but also falls just shy of the top 5 because I like more songs than this. Still, this takes the Fight the Logic If You Can melody and makes it more serene. There's a ton of perfect instrumentation but the best focus ought to be on the piano, which comes and goes but each time you hear it it feels truly amazing. Piano and Doom mix well together if you can make it.
5. Locked & Loaded (MAP10)
With PRIMEVAL's many rock tracks, some have to eclipse others, and it depends on the riffage and how well the variations go. Locked & Loaded is a true frontrunner for a favorite in my opinion. Low-hanging bass riff will transition perfectly to guitar and keep the pace throughout, while the spooky synth backs it well. To think that this track is used in a relatively large level may seem as a detractor, but it sets the mood exceptionally for a level that can be done in multiple styles.
4. After the Storm (MAP30)
The second of stewboy's Reverie contributions is absolutely serene and while you may think that it won't fit well in Doom it really does fit well for a last level. A last level that is an amalgamation of styles but takes place in a relatively serene environment. A perfect beachside area in other words is where you start, and though you go further underground, the serene feel stays. Lovely.
3. The Crypt (MAP26)
The Crypt is probably the biggest Top 5 surprise. While we've got exceptional and slow atmospheric tracks like The Calling, Becoming, Haunted Corridors, etc. The Crypt is perhaps the best of it. And all you need are just two spooky synth notes! Drive this simple melody with creepy-sounding drums, then back it up with a few guitar interludes. The track speeds up quite well with a different guitar interlude afterwards that goes between the last one and the end, but it all creates a smashingly atmospheric experience.
2. Legions of the Night (MAP14)
Yet another case of PRIMEVAL giving you the bass riff to see what to expect, but it sticks for a little bit longer as we get some strings and an interesting synth melody. This melody, combined with the bass melody becoming a guitar melody, makes for possibly my favorite PRIMEVAL song overall. I enjoy how the melody "ends" although it repeats one more time for more of that good riffage. You gotta have a great riff!
1. Bound for Glory (MAP27)
And our winner for my favorite Reverie song is the combination of our three MIDI artists for this whole wad. That riff at the beginning's gotta be PRIMEVAL's work, making another one of his better riffs. The synth that comes in does a great job of settling the mood a bit, but helps out the guitar riff to be grungy as possible. There's many ups and downs throughout the whole song, as rocking as it is, when it slows down, it's great. And when it gets techno, it really gets techno. Man I love Reverie's combo here.
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