[E] First Round #9 (Ambush in the Passage vs. SYMPHONY OF SWORDS)

Listen to both songs and select the one you prefer.

Download Links:

Total Annihilation - Ambush in the Passage
Soul Calibur III - SYMPHONY OF SWORDS

Streaming:

Ambush in the Passage: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:
SYMPHONY OF SWORDS: Get the Flash Player to play this audio file:

Total Annihilation - Ambush in the Passage
TA was the game that helped put Jeremy Soule back on the map after Secret of Evermore faded away, and it's an impressive effort. Great melody, complex development, and a deeply layered sound make this a keeper.

Soul Calibur III - SYMPHONY OF SWORDS
The Soul Whatever series has mustered some impressive tunes over the years. This is the first I've heard of the SCIII OST, and while the depth of sound has been retained from the previous entries, I have to say I'm disappointed. There isn't a whole lot of melody going on, all things considered, and the bombast doesn't support the music so much as obfuscate it.

These two share a similar sound, but TA is much more cohesive.

Total Annihilation - Ambush in the Passage : Ouch, this is a pretty good song . . It's too well balanced, there is nothing I can seriously criticize, when it comes to musical aspect. Again, I must say this is closer to a movie score than to anything else. Anyways...


Soul Calibur III - SYMPHONY OF SWORDS : .. I will obviously support my nom, and I believe it's superior, regardless. I somehow knew it would potentially fail at pleasing some ears, but melodic criticism was really unexpected. SoS has very rich melodic lines, and has got too much character despite having such orchestral backup. Simply marvelous.

Symphony of Swords it is. Gladly, I wouldn't be disappointed if "Ambush in the Passage" prevails, it does deserve victory as well.

SOMEONE NOMINATED TA! ! !
YES! ahaha

Jeremy Soule did a remarkable job with this classic soundtrack. I love it very much, my vote goes to it, thanks to whoever nominated! High Five!

..I like the Soul Calibur guy too. This song is very well done as well... but, nostalgia and superior orchestration lead me to TA.

these 2 are very similar in terms of soundscape, and both are excellent choices, but I think the SC3 pick edges it out in terms of tension/release and rhythmic passages. It attracts my interest a lot more.

I had this TA track in my support list for a while until I realized that it was going in no matter what, but yeah, this is my favorite track from the soundtrack that I think is fantastic anyway. I love the way it develops and I love the melody in the second half of the track. I think that Jeremy Soule is a grossly underrated composer among game music afficionados (he's white, he can't be good, right?), and the TA soundtrack is a major reasons why I rate him among my favorites.

The Soul Calibur track is quite similar but I feel it's not quite on the same level, but perhaps I'm just not familiar enough with the track. I will admit that my feelings towards TA are deeply entrenched, and it would take some impressive opposition to beat that.

Ambush in the Passage was orchestral that I didn't fall asleep to. Nice crescendo and buildup of energy all throughout and I think that the whole length of the track developed well. The Soul Calibur III OST only yielded about three songs that I liked and the rest just sounded pleasant. I have to say that I enjoy the constant energy of Symphony of Swords more than the well used length of Ambush in the Passage. No grudge either way.

Mmmmm Soule. This soars. Fantastic, I'll say. Really good throughout.

The Soul Calibur track is much better than the other SC songs I've heard in any of these contests. Much better. Really similar to the Soule song . . . just not quite as good.

Both of these orchestral tunes are really good. SWORDS had some decent melodic content, and the segments at 1:03 and 2:04 rule. Ambush does that tense exciting atmosphere thing really well and the melody in the last minute also rules. Whichever song I'm currently listening to is the one I want to vote for, so I abstain.

Ugh, they're both the same song. Why is voting even an option, just present one and say "In voting for this, you have also voted for the other track; it makes no difference which proceeds as they're essentially the same experience."

I voted for the Total Annihilation track because its title came first alphabetically. This is as fair a criteria as any in this situation.

: Total Annihilation - Ambush in the Passage
: Soul Calibur III - SYMPHONY OF SWORDS

SYMPHONY OF SWORDS is actually pretty good. The beginning is solid but without anything to really comment on, but wow, when 2:04 hits, it's magnificent.

Ambush in the Passage is fairly impressive as well. Its climax is almost as good, but it's more focused in going that direction from the start, so it's a bit more solid overall. That tips my vote in its favor, but both of these are excellent.

"Ambush in the Passage" is some pretty nice soul-age I admit. It's usually pretty difficult for me to get into his compositions, but this one had me intrigued from the very start. Great build-up in pace and dynamics, and the climax is fantastic.

"SYMPHONY OF SWORDS" is pretty run-of-the-mill in all honesty. It's got some pretty tasteful albeit bland orchestrations working for it, but the progressions are predictable at best. 2:04 was the saving grace though, that was wonderful.

"Ambush in the Passage" - 8/10
"SYMPHONY OF SWORDS" - 7/10

'Ambush in the Passage' - This is a nice fanfare that seems to come right out a dramatically-building movie sequence. The problem I have is that the music just pounds away at you and then it's over. And when it's over...I don't remember anything whatsoever about the piece.

'Symphony of Swords' - This song drives as much as the first one, but puts a bit more stock in melodic development in the beginning. It fucks about a lot after that part is over and seems to lose focus for a while. When it gets it together again with the strings, it gets better and better before ending and I wish it would go on or go back to the first melody again. It's not the most creative thing I've heard by a longshot, but I like it best out of these two.