Miracle of Sound: Reclaimer (Halo 4)
- Thread starter MiracleOfSound
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Oh my God. Cortana, baby D:
Gavin, you are flawless for this one. Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it!
Gavin, you are flawless for this one. Amazing doesn't even begin to cover it!
Hey. Wait a minute! Who gave you the right two release 2 kick ass songs, one next to another when you already gave us one earlier than normal?!?!
I like how the song never loses speed and strength; it makes it feel very halo-ey. Also, the chorus captures almost perfectly the new theme that they tried to take in this new instalment. Whether one thinks that they managed to pull it off is up for debate, but it reflects the intention behind it. Even though they feel like written for Cortana's perspective, I do admire how they can also be applied to the Chief. And I may only attribute them to her because she has more personality than the Chef. I really like the instrumentation too, it maintains a sense of speed and scale very (don't kill me for this) fitting to the halo series. Plus, it gives it a much more pop-like sound. My only big complaint would be the fact that the chorus takes up most of the song.
On a little side note: I never realised how good material for a music video halo was. Even though I played it, If I saw this on TV I'd just take it for a music video a la Break the Ice or something like that.
I like how the song never loses speed and strength; it makes it feel very halo-ey. Also, the chorus captures almost perfectly the new theme that they tried to take in this new instalment. Whether one thinks that they managed to pull it off is up for debate, but it reflects the intention behind it. Even though they feel like written for Cortana's perspective, I do admire how they can also be applied to the Chief. And I may only attribute them to her because she has more personality than the Chef. I really like the instrumentation too, it maintains a sense of speed and scale very (don't kill me for this) fitting to the halo series. Plus, it gives it a much more pop-like sound. My only big complaint would be the fact that the chorus takes up most of the song.
On a little side note: I never realised how good material for a music video halo was. Even though I played it, If I saw this on TV I'd just take it for a music video a la Break the Ice or something like that.
Yeah, that was kinda the aim alright. The song is about their friendship so I tried to use phrases and metaphors that could apply to both of themTheBestPieEver said:
haha that's ok, it was very deliberately made to 'fit the game' this timeTheBestPieEver said:
Hey, Gav finally got to do a Halo song! I seem to recall him saying once that he's always wanted to do one, but never been inspired, or something along those lines.
This is EXACTLY what I wanted from a Halo song from ya Gav. Nice and rockin'. Totally appropriate to the colorful action of the games.
I also found the Lyrics pretty poignant and heartwarming. MC and Cortana are one hell of a team.
I also found the Lyrics pretty poignant and heartwarming. MC and Cortana are one hell of a team.
I heard my brother playing this upstairs and thought "whatever that song is, it'd make a great soundtrack for a Halo match."
Should'a guessed it was one of yours!
I was still busy being blown away by Distant Honour when Survived came out... 3 songs in 2 weeks?! Christmas come early, thank you, sir!
Should'a guessed it was one of yours!
I was still busy being blown away by Distant Honour when Survived came out... 3 songs in 2 weeks?! Christmas come early, thank you, sir!
I really enjoy the song, especially the transitions between time signatures. Excellent work!
One thing I noticed, only because I'm a drummer with a pair of studio headphones... The crash cymbal sound you mainly use in the chorus sounds strange. The only thing I can think of is that each time the sound gets played, it's muting the previous one, which sounds unrealistic. It also sounds like you're using eighth notes there; I think the problem could be alleviated with quarter notes instead.
I love your work, just that one small nitpick!
One thing I noticed, only because I'm a drummer with a pair of studio headphones...
The crash cymbal sound you mainly use in the chorus sounds strange. The only thing I can think of is that each time the sound gets played, it's muting the previous one, which sounds unrealistic. It also sounds like you're using eighth notes there; I think the problem could be alleviated with quarter notes instead.I love your work, just that one small nitpick!
You're going crazy! Not only three songs in... How long? But a Halo song to boot! I thought you didn't want to write one?
OT: I like this one a lot, not what I imagined for the Halo song I was hoping you'd do some day, but presumably it fits the OST of 4 like you said above (I haven't played it yet)? I always pictured it being big, sweeping and impersonal/sublime, kind of like the feeling you get from the scope of the structures, particularly the forerunner ones.
I really like how you focused one the relationship between Cortana and Master Chief though. Her absence for most of Halo 3 was one of the things that made 3 feel... emptier I guess. This song captures that relationship remarkably well
Is 1:47 a reference to a particular song from the OST or are my ears just crap? It sounds familiar. The main theme? I don't know, I've played that series so much the music runs together...
Off topic though, is Halo 4 worth it? The series really seemed like it should have stopped after 3. There were no loose ends, the covenant was defeated, the mystery of the forerunners adequately solved, and the flood destroyed. Honestly The Chief and Cortana either should have died at the end of three or made it back to earth. It felt like keeping them alive was just a way to keep Halo going to make more money. The story resolved itself. What gives? :/
TL;DR
I'm approaching this one with reservations.
Does it live up to the other games?
OT: I like this one a lot, not what I imagined for the Halo song I was hoping you'd do some day, but presumably it fits the OST of 4 like you said above (I haven't played it yet)? I always pictured it being big, sweeping and impersonal/sublime, kind of like the feeling you get from the scope of the structures, particularly the forerunner ones.
I really like how you focused one the relationship between Cortana and Master Chief though. Her absence for most of Halo 3 was one of the things that made 3 feel... emptier I guess. This song captures that relationship remarkably well
Is 1:47 a reference to a particular song from the OST or are my ears just crap? It sounds familiar. The main theme? I don't know, I've played that series so much the music runs together...
Off topic though, is Halo 4 worth it? The series really seemed like it should have stopped after 3. There were no loose ends, the covenant was defeated, the mystery of the forerunners adequately solved, and the flood destroyed. Honestly The Chief and Cortana either should have died at the end of three or made it back to earth. It felt like keeping them alive was just a way to keep Halo going to make more money. The story resolved itself. What gives? :/
TL;DR
I'm approaching this one with reservations.
Does it live up to the other games?
Awesome! Now all you have to do is release one tomorrow so my chance of finishing my homework REALLY shinks. Just Kidding. Enjoyed the song!
A standing Ovation for Gav here. Two excellent songs in a single week. How much sleep have you been getting?
Anyways. I do like the song, but I must admit that the instrumental part (Supposed to be reminiscent of the Halo theme/Style a bit? It felt that way.) did feel a little out of place. It just didn't seem to me to fit with the rest of the song. Listening again, it just feels like it moves from the first part to the instrumental to fast. Mainly just a personal niggle; still loved it. Congrats once again Gav.
Anyways. I do like the song, but I must admit that the instrumental part (Supposed to be reminiscent of the Halo theme/Style a bit? It felt that way.) did feel a little out of place. It just didn't seem to me to fit with the rest of the song. Listening again, it just feels like it moves from the first part to the instrumental to fast. Mainly just a personal niggle; still loved it. Congrats once again Gav.
Making my way through it slowly. At its base it feels like Halo (stating the obvious, perhaps, but more so than Reach). MP is just as good, with a dash (just a dash, mind) of CoD-style XP and in-match ordnance drops.T0ad 0f Truth said:
Story wise, they're drawing a lot more from the expanded fiction, whereas before it was "nice to know but completely unessential". They still do the old Halo trick of "minimal exposition, just drop you in and get out of the way," but they're also giving the characters a lot more oomph - Chief suddenly talks more, and outside of cutscenes.
As to the end of 3 - I thought it was perfect. Not in the sense of "setting it up for a sequel," but in the sense of keeping the Chief whomever the player thought he was. Killing the Chief off would rile up the players who'd built him up to be a Warrior God who Never Dies - and in a way, returning him to Earth would have done the same, because then, when the war is over, the Chief has to stop being a warrior, thus turning him in the eyes of those same players into a (forgive me) pussy.
Putting him into cryosleep lets his myth carry on, potentially forever.
Everyone else gets the bittersweet ending of a hero trapped in his own fate, the being whose only job is to fight, stowed away until called on again.
What stories are they drawing from? The forerunner saga, or Ghosts of Onyx stuff. The latter would be vastly preferred IMO. The forerunner saga went around trying to explain so much about the "Gods" that they took away a lot of the atmospheric mystery behind them (and retconned their Humanity!)IMAGinES said:
Don't even get me started on what happened to the flood
Ghosts of Onyx and all the other stuff (Contact Harvest, Fall of Reach, etc.) was incredible. Really gave life to the Halo universe while keeping it from being all Mass Effect mundane detailed (which was awesome, I loved reading about all that stuff in the codex. It was just awesome in a different way).
I didn't dislike the ending, I just thought it wasn't the best thing to do. I mean you have Achilles and Odysseus, The epitome of Warrior Gods (one actually was a warrior half-god), and their endings are, respectively, death or a quiet retirement. It didn't diminish their badassery, and it provided an immensely satisfying ending. Idk I just think it was less closure than I'd have liked.
TL;DR As long as it still has that Halo spark to it, I'll still love it
EDIT: Ahhh I forgot what thread this was! Sorry for Nerding over Halo in your thread Gav
Two awesome songs in a week? You're spoiling us again! This one is definitely going into that list of Miracle of Sound songs that plays in my car. You make awesome driving music no matter what style you go for!
Holy, Two Miracle of Sound songs in a week, this is the best Christmas present ever! What do you mean it's still November, damnit, then why are all the malls playing Christmas Carols already?!
Ahem, back on subject, I'm so happy you focused on Chief and Cortana's relationship, which shouldn't come as a surprise given it's probably the biggest theme of Halo 4, but it came as a surprise to me, none of the reviews I've seen made more than a passing mention of just how big it is. And that ending, oh god, I swear, I just... had something in my eye, that's all.
Ahem, back on subject, I'm so happy you focused on Chief and Cortana's relationship, which shouldn't come as a surprise given it's probably the biggest theme of Halo 4, but it came as a surprise to me, none of the reviews I've seen made more than a passing mention of just how big it is. And that ending, oh god, I swear, I just... had something in my eye, that's all.
What, another song so soon after Distant Honor? Gavin, slow down - you'll strain something .
Edit: Well, they did take one thing from the The Fall of Reach - Glasslands stuff. But, no spoilers from me!
.I'm pretty sure it's mostly from the Forerunner Saga, because they certainly weren't drawing from the The Fall of Reach - Glasslands stuff. A little disappointing, but there you go.T0ad 0f Truth said:
Edit: Well, they did take one thing from the The Fall of Reach - Glasslands stuff. But, no spoilers from me!
It's quarter notes, it's just heavily compressed against the kick drum to give a percussive 'pumping' effect. It is the kick and snare drum that mutes the cymbal, not the next cymbal hit. It's a trick to make the kick and snare feel louder and more punchy to the ear. Here's another example of this technique at 2.09:UNHchabo said:One thing I noticed, only because I'm a drummer with a pair of studio headphones...
And another at 1.27 here
If you listen carefully you can hear the crash get sucked drastically down in volume on each kick drum hit. It's too extreme a compression for many tastes, personally I like it. It's hard to emulate a real drumkit with programmed drums, this effect to me somewhat helps fool the ear a little.