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HomeAlbumsBadAss: Boss Themes Album: BadAss: Boss Themes

A free arrange album, published by OverClocked ReMix on 2011-12-06


Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance, Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, Donkey Kong, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII and 12 more on 2016-03-05 20:40:34

To hype myself for BadAss Volume 3, I revisited the first two volumes and thought I'd give them both a "small" review First, BadAss Volume 1: The BadAss Menace.

Some of the best boss theme arrangements can be found in this album. I'm not surprised by the heavy amount of hard rock represented in this album. But some of the tracks in this album do an excellent job in their performances, creating performances that scream "THIS ENEMY WILL KILL YOU" rather than just creating a hard rock remaster with the loudest and fastest riffs. But not all of it is rock, there are orchestrated arrangements as well. Hell, there's even rock AND orchestrated arrangements. This album is more than just artists making their interpretations of random boss battle themes (and stage themes). These artists really thought outside the box with these arrangements.

Personal Favorites:

Track 1: Gilgamesh (Final Fantasy V) - Master of the Blades [pu_freak]

This is such a misleading track. And I mean that in a good way of course. It tempts you into thinking this will be a peaceful, serene sounding experience, before blasting you with all the BadAss themes that await listeners of this album. But what I actually love about this album is how an originally fast paced battle theme like Gilgamesh’s can sound so haunting and so soothing.

Track 3: Laughing Octopus (Metal Gear Solid 4) - Routine of War [The Dual Dragons]

Man I wish the battle themes in Guns of the Patriots sounded half as good as this track. I don’t know if this was intentional, but I love how the artists used the guitars to create an experience as if Laughing Octopus was actually inside your ears taunting you.

Track 8: Dr. Wily (Mega Man 3) - A Daring Escape [Jago]

I've heard orchestrated arrangements of this particular stage theme before, but this one knocked it out of the park for me. It adds a sense of urgency to make an otherwise exciting track more dramatic.

Track 10: Astaroth (Shadow Hearts - Covenant) - Astaroth's Awakening [The Dual Dragons]

I have to confess, I added this track to the custom soundtrack of my copy of Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Specifically the stage where you fight True Ogre. But besides that, Astaroth's battle theme is one of my all time favorite Yasunori Mitsuda tracks. I love that the Dual Dragons didn't try to be Yasunori Mitsuda, and crafted their own mood based on the original melody of the Astaroth battle theme.

Track 11: Cobra (G.I. Joe) - Real American Hero [Nutritious]

I mostly love how this track combines the drama of an 80s action flick to a modern day battle track. It’s not really intense, but it’s more of an encouraging battle theme. And sometimes, encouraging battle themes are the best.

Track 15: Shredder (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV) - The Shredder [Sixto Sounds]

The beginning made me think that this would be more of an oriental style remix with slower, more ominous tones. But then the track just surges out right in your face, and belts you with the fastest, exciting, most intense riffs you’ll ever hear in an arrangement of a boss battle theme. on 2013-06-26 01:23:21

I have been listening to OC remix for a decade now, and this album is probably THE best collection you've put out. Track one really sold me on the whole thing. Thank you all for this amazing beast! on 2013-03-28 15:37:37

You guys did really awesome in that album I love the second track and the 12th track there my favorite one's can't wait for volume 2! The Joker
on 2013-03-07 14:44:03

Glad you dug it! Volume 2 is almost done, keep on the lookout for it.

Loving track #7, All existence denied

The piano part is killing me, the bests part of the original track are magnified extremely well, the voice effects are really nice.

I love your work folks, it's obvious you have a deep culture of VG and put a lot of virtuosity in all of this. on 2013-03-07 10:23:29
 The Speed Buster
on 2012-04-15 22:38:00

Don't worry guys, you made a great and awesome work in the album, and I'm anxiously waiting for Volume 2. on 2012-03-20 12:30:39

Nice one, dude! Thanks for the kind comments. on 2012-03-19 08:27:11

Thanks for the review man, awesome! on 2012-03-18 20:54:25

Now this one was actually good. Nice work. for being my first music review I did my best. on 2012-03-18 20:47:55

I made a review too If anyone wants to read it, here it is:

 on 2012-03-18 20:02:32
 on 2012-02-23 19:33:06

Very awesome! I'm new to this. I liked the whole track by track review thing as a little preview for what I was getting myself into. Cool work! on 2012-02-01 14:11:57

Hey guys. I did a pretty awesome review on my blog. Check it out: Tell Me What You Cherish Most. Give Me The Pleasure of Taking it Away. on 2012-02-01 07:50:34

Thanks for the track-by-track review man... too bad you had a power outage, hopefully you didn't lose much progress on your songs on 2012-01-31 21:28:14

I'm sorry it took so long. Was busy over christmas and stuff. Been having to remind myself to do this since I wrote a review for each song then had a powercut, not fair, so I apologize for the lack of detail in some reviews.

pu_freak - Master of the Blades

A soft beginning to the album. It somberly hums BadAss but the haunting and operatic qualities are nice. I never really played any off the FF's pre VI so sadly I'm unfamiliar with Gilgamesh . The beginning was great I thought it would become something really energetic but as the music box came in I knew it would stay moody. I enjoyed the mix and I really liked the section at 1:56 and the arpeggiations there was some good build there. I didn't expect this to open the album, but the mood is solid.

The Dual Dragons - Routine of War

Crazy choice of material! This boss battle was tense, one of my favourite bits of the game. I love the mix of orchestra and guitar, sections like 1:31 get me right into the song. The very end was a bit of a let down but the whole thing was a consistent headbang and the second half was a great listen. Nice production values.

BGC - Dual of the Apes

Lol DK, enough of the where is bowser, this guy was the original badass! I didn't expect this to be your mix when I heard guitar, it has a great tone about it and parts like 0:40 make it really memorable. For a BadAss song I thought it was a bit too jolly and swingish and the choir feels out of place. It's a good mix, the first half of the song is really good but I wasn't keen on it.

Arcana - To Slay a Butcher

I love this. Great choice to remix. It has a real subtle epicness about it and it made me go look up Suikoden II again. It might stick close to the source at times but I think it does a great job at celebrating it. Personally I would have ended the song around 4:20. Good job on this, I found myself looping this for some time. Wish I had more to say because this is really cool.

Lashmush - Lights Out

I think this is a great example of taking an old boss tune and BadAssifying it. A real stick out moment. It's not my cup of tea genre wise but thinking about it being Zelda and how pounding it is, can't help but think how this suits this album so well. I love how crazy it gets at the end as well, if I were drunk I'd be moshing to it in a club!

Skummel Maske, LuIzA, pu_freak - All Existence Denied

Another moody mix but as I'm a lot more familiar with this song I find it wholly appropriate. Infact my favourite moments of this song are the piano moments which have a eery feel of imminent devastation. There's some good guitar playing and Luiza adds good creepyness but for me this song is all about the tension. The last minute has great energy about it.

Jago - A Daring Escape

An optimistic and heroic sounding mix. The orchestration is good and I particularly like the brass staccato that gives this a good drive. For this album I expected more, something heavier, something more of a beat. It sounds like it would fit right square into a Smash Bros game which is great. I thought the change of time signature towards the end was a good idea but the transition in and out of it for me is a bit odd. It's a good mix but I just didn't think it really fit on the album.

Chernabogue, NintenJoe 64 - The Belmont Revolution

The Castlevania feeling in this is awesome. Sometimes it seems quiet or the orchestra isn't brought out enough, which made it a hard listen for a while. But when I really listen closely there's loads of awesome detail here, if I think about playing castlevania I get really pumped about it. It took me a few listens to properly appreciate it and think it's pretty awesome. But the end was awkward and weird I'm afraid.

The Dual Dragons - Astaroth's Awakening

Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 are a couple of my favourite RPG's ever with awesome soundtracks. Can't say I really remember this song though. There's some great texture throughout this mix between the instruments and the lead guitar like 1:09 really sells this mix. I wish you guys did Evil Gate Opener (2) that is a really badass song.

Nutritious - Real American Hero

Love the orchestrated intro, really dynamic and edgy. It's pretty consistenly energetic and packs a punch. The balance of orchestra with guitar and drums is also really nice. I can't think of much else to say but it's a good mix, just doesn't stand out much for some reason.

Dragonfood - Rozovian

There's some great sounds in this, in the big sections I keep thinking it's Ridley's voice and he's just singing in a way I've never heard haha. I wasn't so keen on the first half of the song it felt like it took some time to get into the best parts, I really like the moody parts like at around 2:00 I think it would have been great if the intro was longer like this then built into the sections like at 2:45. This whole mix really sticks out though, great stuff.

Mazedude - Saren's Prayer

I love Mass Effect. I can't recall Saren having a theme...the game has a good soundtrack, the only song I really cared for was the Normandy's theme. I'm two sides about this as on the one hand it feels pretty moody and dark but on the other hand I just want to skip it after a minute, sadly it's a pretty boring mix.

Dreams of Death - Brandon Strader

I have a love hate thing going on with this mix. One, I love that you did it, why the fuck not, it actually makes me laugh because I just wouldn't expect it. Then I hate that it isn't something else, when I first heard this song when the trailers for FFX came out I thought it was the most awesome song...so I was expecting something really epic. But this is good death metal and a great interpretation in that respect so I'm sorry I couldn't like it more.

The Shredder - Sixto

Great intro, awesome into the first minute, the last minute is also particularly awesome. Hard to fault anything it's a great rocking mix (blame the power outage).

BadAzz - Prototype Raptor

This is probably most people's favourite track on the album. After hearing the clip in the trailer I thought I'd love it but I think I just set my expectations too high. It has really good production values. I love what goes on just after the first minute and at around 2:40 those are my favourite parts but besides that I wasn't really digging this mix. I think I would've enjoyed something shorter more.

The Sound of a Thousand Voices Screaming in Unison - Kidd Cabbage

I'm furious at my power outage because I actually wrote you a great review. There were some really good moments in this song...bar the piano part, that was just so out of place I thought I was being hypnotised. The whole tone of the song does feel flat and a little lifeless, it sounds like it wants a lead but if the production were nicer I know it would already feel like a complete song. I really liked 1:42 and 2:28, mosh mosh mosh.

The Last Dance - The Joker

King Dedededelicious, Dededelerious, Dedededelightful! I could go on with the puns! At first I didn't really get the mix for some reason. After hearing it alot now...I think it's brilliant. What you've done with the melody and style is really creative. I dont like to do the "this one's better" thing, but im gonna and I think this is way better than Mazedude's mix. My only gripe is there's this big contrast between the high pitched sounds and the low end, it feels like it could have been filled just a little. I totally can imagine Dede with a sort of Saints Row trailer now.

From now on, Ctrl S every minute, must get that into my muscle memory. I already lost a bunch of song tonight from a crash, if there is a God he is telling me to save much more often. So this is a really good album but I hope with volume 2 there is more quality control because there were a few mixes here I thought could have been absolute standouts but were let down by production values.

Thanks to those that commented on my mix. It was already over a year old or so before the album came out and I've been on a big break, lots of changes, and will do even better for volume 2.