Darren Korb - "Setting Sail, Coming Home"

Rating: 9/10 Continuing from yesterday, more of my favorite VGM, there is nobody better in the world at composing VGM than Darren Korb. Darren Korb composed the soundtracks for Bastion and Transistor, in my opinion the two best video game soundtracks of all time. This song is the ending/credits song for the main ending of Bastion, and it is absolutely amazing. Although most of the soundtrack is instrumental, this song is one of the four songs which features vocals, and both the lyrical and musical composition of this song are exceptional, both in and out of the context of the game. The lyrics don't particularly make sense out of context from the game, but even so I think anyone can appreciate how beatiful this song is at the end of a beautiful video game. If anyone reading this has not played Bastion before, even if you don't play very many video games, you should seriously consider playing it. It is my favorite game of all time and is very much worth your time.

Tsukasa Tawada - "Semifinal Battle"

Rating: 8/10 Time for a short run of some songs from my favorite video game soundtracks. Starting off with some serious nostalgia, the first, and to this date still my favorite, Pokemon game, Pokemon Colosseum. The entire soundtrack is excellent, as everything I have found by Tsukasa Tawada. In general the soundtrack has this interesting rock/jazz fusion stuff going on, although it is less evident in this song than in others. Definitely this one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite soundtracks and favorite games of all time.

Captain Dan and the Scruvey Crew - "Sea Monsters"

Rating: 7/10 What we gonna do with sea monsters? We're gonna kill em an grill em, we be the nautical mobsters! Quick warning, this video contains large amounts of cartoon blood and violence, if you don't want that, find a different video or listen to the song elsewhere, anyways, on with the review. Arr, I posted my favorite Captain Dan and the Scruvey Crew song, Blackbeard's Treasure, a while ago and I think it's time to return to my favorite authentic pirate hiphop with another one of my favorites. Sea Monsters tells the exploits of Captain Dan as sails the oceans defeating the world's sea monsters and similarly to the other song by them I posted, I find it absolutely hilarious.

The Coopers - "Summer's Child" (Free Download)

Rating: 7/10 Humble ears learn their lesson... from birds that sang all along Summer's Child just aches of dancing on the beach and driving along the sunset with lilting fingers strumming on chords. Sharp drums offset this track from the usual lullaby, and give it a near-ska vibe. This choral tune by The Coopers is best sung with friends.

Sabaton - "Primo Victoria"

Rating: 8/10 On the 6th of June, on the shores of western Europe, 1944, D-day upon us. Back to my specialty, time for one of my favorite power metal bands SABATON! Sabaton is what you get when a group of Swedish military history lovers make a power metal band, a really, really good power metal band. Their songs are all about battles, people, and events from various wars throughout history. They tend to focus on more modern wars, particularly World Wars 1 and 2. This particular song if you can't figure out from the lyrics, is based on D-day, the allied invasion of France on June 6, 1944. This is one of their better songs, but definitely not one of the absolute best and it still is amazing. Expect more Sabaton coming from me in the future because they are amazing.

WEKEED - "R A R E" (Free Download)

Rating: 5/10 Finding our way... running through a new night WEKEED is the epitome of smooth electro, with deep trance vibes and a head bobbing beat to boot. Need to relax to some wavy synths and vocal samples? Pick it up here.

Meg & Dia - "Monster (DotEXE Remix)"

Rating: 6/10 Monster, how should I feel? Creatures lie here, looking through the window I'm not really the biggest fan of dubstep, but I found this song while playing the rhythm game osu! and thought it was alright, I haven't heard the original but I think this remix is pretty solid.

Cœur de Pirate - "Hôtel Amour"

Rating: 6/10 But sleep, at least this night...And dream of the infinite Working recently to build the soundtracks to the game Child of Light and Canadian TV show Trauma, Cœur de Pirate echoes soulfully in her older work, Blonde. Check it out.

ONE OK ROCK - "Re:make"

Rating: 7/10 I can't believe in you, I see you 'nother day, ‘nother way This song doesn't really stand out to me as being amazing in any particular way, but I quite like it. It's a really solid J-Rock track that I discovered a while ago. The chorus is really catchy and the vocalist for these guys is quite good, overall, a song worth hearing, but not anything too insane.

Klaypex - "1941" (feat. Virian)

Rating: 6/10 I'll bring the cadillac if you bring the rum... I wanna party like it's 1941 Released this past week, Klaypex's Anything Goes boasts quite a variety of styles, from big room house to electro swing, as exemplified in this track. This duo has gained a large following from their first major release's feature on several viral videos, but this new collection should ensure they retain their audience. Happy listening!

ArchonofFail's Top 10 Touhou Original Songs #1!

Rating: 8/10 Solar Sect of Mystic Wisdom ~ Nuclear Fusion. Holy shit this song, a final boss theme to end all final boss themes. The intro just building up and building up until the amazing chorus, I cannot get enough of this song it's so great! Well, that concludes my top 10 Touhou original songs, I might return to Touhou and do an honorable mentions post, but for now, on to other amazing music! Link to #2 Link to #3 Link to #4 Link to #5 Link to #6 Link to #7 Link to #8 Link to #9 Link to #10

ArchonofFail's Top 10 Touhou Original Songs #2

Rating: 8/10 Whooooops, looks like I missed a bit more than a day this time, anyways, nearly done with the list! I am such a huge fan of this song, I don't really have much to say besides that. !!Warning!! tomorrow's post, will be epic, make sure to come back for it! Link to #3 Link to #4 Link to #5 Link to #6 Link to #7 Link to #8 Link to #9 Link to #10

Arty - "Up All Night" (Nev Cover)

Rating: 5/10 There's an angel beside saying things just ain't right, but I'm no good at listening There's a really special feeling when you see someone take a great tune, skillfully cover it, and have a brilliant time doing so. This entire anthem bursts out as fun, especially when watching the dexterity of that hand-over-hand motion. You can see the original here.

Stromae - "Papaoutai"

Rating: 7/10 Sans même devoir lui parler....Il sait ce qui ne va pas. A son calls out to his absentee father, begging for understanding and interaction. Stromae captures this call beautifully in this electronic/piano studded piece with a driving beat and choral backing, not too mention the physical manifestation of an empty husk present in the accompanying video.

Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

Warning: this is a long track-by-track review. Rating: 9/10

A little less than a week ago on June 17, Linkin Park dropped their sixth studio album, probably their heaviest to date. After their booming debut Hybrid Theory, similar sophomore release Meteora, alternative rock Minutes to Midnight, stylistically different concept record A Thousand Suns, and last album Living Things that combined everything they had ever done, the band returned to their roots from even before 1999 with influences like Helmet, the Refused, and At the Drive-In. Going into the studio about a year earlier, emcee Mike Shinoda said he brought in some demos with a more alternative style that would satisfy pop radio, but came to a point where he hated it and trashed those, diving into the aggressive sound he felt is missing from current rock music. We wanted to write music that gets that 17-year-old who was never thinking about guitars to go, "I want play guitar because of that song!" -Chester Bennington (vocalist)

The record bangs off with an opener that shocks anyone who has heard LP’s last three albums. No more short instrumental intros; “Keys to the Kingdom” begins with Bennington’s distorted screams wailing about “fighting in futility” and sails smoothly into hard, and fast-paced drums that continue throughout the record. Following loud guitars, Shinoda graces the track with his low, melodic voice between choruses before ripping out a verse to remind everyone of his rapping skills. The second song is no disappointment either with its heavy intro Shinoda’s unforgiving rap that leads into Page Hamilton of Helmet on the chorus. “All For Nothing” even brings in their electronica influence with small drops in the second verse, and ends on a quiter note before their heavy first single “Guilty All the Same”. Before any vocals appear, it holds about a minute and a half of guitar, drums, piano, and bass that show everyone Linkin Park is back, and then Bennington yells out the verses and choruses with heated accusations. Enter legendary artist Rakim to spit a rap relevant to the whole idea of the album on the bridge. After the final chorus, Delson and Rob Bourdon finish the song as hard as it started. “The Summoning” is the short and strange instrumental that gives the listener’s ear a break before slamming it with “War”, a track with so much anger not only can you hear it in Bennington’s screams, but the instruments as well. Leading off with “Lies Greed Misery"-like drums, “Wastelands” is the third single of the album. Shinoda blasts you with a fearless rap on the verses, while Bennington yells the chorus in a similar manner as “Guilty All the Same”. Taking a break from the heaviness (sort of) with the second single “Until It’s Gone”, Bennington displays his incredible voice with singing reminiscent of “Burn It Down". The Hunting Party then hits you with an almost heavy metal track that is the fourth single. “Rebellion” is layed out with Shinoda’s deep voice singing the verse and Bennington on the pre-chorus and a blending of vocals for the chorus and screams on the bridge, all the while backed with Daron Malakian of System of a Down on guitar. “Mark the Graves” begins soft, but enters some more loud guitar by Delson that cuts out when Bennington’s smooth vocals come in with Shinoda on the harmonies. Breaking from the loudness, there is the absolutely beautiful instrumental “Drawbar” that features Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine before going into the other softest song on the record and fifth single “Final Masquerade” that is another glowing example of Bennington’s incredible singing voice. The final track is a little like the first in that it has many different ideas used in the band. “A Line in the Sand” starts simply with quiet vocals sung by Shinoda before hitting off like the rest of the tracks with the guitars, drums, and screams of Bennington. Lasting approximately six and a half minutes, it is the epitome of The Hunting Party and Linkin Park, combining nearly everything they have ever done.
Overall, it is one of the best records this “nu-metal”, alternative rock band of six has put out (not just my opinion either). Brad Delson has finally come out of his shell to show the world that he is truly a guitarist worth remembering and Rob Bourdon developed his drumming skills well over what we have seen in the past. Even the quieter songs of the album hold heavy riffs that make them fit perfectly with such a hard collection. Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington demonstrate their ability to not only seamlessly flow between each other’s vocals, but also to blend their voices into one. It is an amazing piece of work by the band and all you that ran off at their last three releases, I suggest you at least check out this record; Linkin Park wanted loud and aggressive, and that is what they made.