ReMix: Final Fantasy VII 'Yet Even More Fighting'

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An FF7 mix... NOT from Final Fantasy VII: Voices of the Lifestream?! Not that we won't see more from said uber-project, and not that I don't enjoy posting each submission we received off of it, but it's a little refreshing to see coverage of the game from other corners of the intarwebs. In this case, it's all the better, since this is the first submission from Jonathan Peros, alias Kidd Cabbage. That pseudonym is always going to make me think of the cabbage head sketch from The Kids in the Hall, but there's no doubt that Mr. Peros can rock in his own right. He writes:

"I started a game of FF7 pretty recently, and for some of the songs, just thought, "I could make some of these songs pretty rocking." It's a pretty hectic mix done heavy metal, that medlies a handful of my favorite songs from FF7, and I think they transitioned stylistically pretty well. The mix was actually done in a pretty short amount of time compared to some of my older mixes, especially the mixing process - switched to a new drumkit that I'm very happy with. The song is titled "Yet Even More Fighting", and if you're familiar with the soundtrack names, you'll get the joke. I hope you guys enjoy the song, and any comments are very gladly accepted."

It's hectic, but it's tight, and there's generous helpings of soloing to balance the headbanging bits in between. Honestly, every time I listen to this mix, it's amazing to me that it's less than three and a half minutes long, because it feels like six - in a good way. Perhaps because of the aggressive tempo, formidable amount of breaks, fills, and other embellishments, or perhaps because of the sheer number of notes, this mix feels like it's kicking your ass for almost twice as long as it actually is. There's creative use of synths, especially with almost vinyl-sounding scratching effects (0'49"), some of the guitar articulations are borderline surf-rock in terms of rapidity (1'07"), and there's appropriate use and variation of FX on all the guitars. Plus there's bits like 2'50" where even straight-edged, mild-mannered CPAs would be hard-pressed not to headbang... or at least gently rock their noggins back and forth in a way that vaguely resembles as such. Aversa writes:

"Despite having run an entire FF7 project, I can still appreciate the arrangement ideas here. Very nice integration of all the different themes, excellent performances, original additions, and so forth and so on. Much like norg and SnappleMan's "Full Frontal Assault" from the VotL project, this remix is an excellent example of how you can do a high-octane rock/metal track while not being coverish at all."

Vinnie adds:

"Nice energy here! It's a pretty in-your-face mix, and the adaptations of the songs are all different. Restless is a good word for this mix, because it barely stays on any one part for more than ten seconds. I don't mean that in a negative sense though - one still gets the feeling of direction."

This is an awesome rock/metal mix that - even in a very restless, hectic, and aggressive way - manages to get the details right, especially with regards to quick breaks, fills, and transitions. The production is over-the-top, but the intricacies of the rather impressive playing still come through. Hopefully KC will be able to make some more shorter mixes like these (some of his others are prohibitively lengthy) and submit them here, as if this debut mix is any indication, they probably kick serious ass. Great stuff.

― djpretzel