Modern soundtrack review (under construction)

Barricades

An enjoyable but generic rock song. There’s potential here, but it’s not amazing. It’s a decent rock song. 3.5/5

Beast Titan (ApeTitan)

Sawayo shows his muscle immediately. Using the well-known mix of electric guitars, traditional orchestra, choir, and just pure noise, he breaks out the magic almost immediately. “BeastTitan” ramps up almost immediately, with just electric noises flowing in an eclectic pattern, dropping, and bringing in a chorus that just gets your hairs raising. It’s a brilliant song. Then, halfway through, he resets the song again and makes it a completely different piece until he brings it back into familiar territory, ending it with a chaotic call for hope and dread. 6/5

YouSeeBIGGIRL/T:T (Ymir Titan)

The worst thing about this song is the naming convention, just because you don’t know what the song will be about. The best thing about the song is everything else. This may be one of my favorite tracks of all time. It’s two separate battle pieces. The first half starts with a resounding choir that harkens death. Drums accent and fill the air while Sawano uses a combination of xylophones, synths, and strings to tie to a battle piece. He expertly gives you reprieve before jumping back into the fight. Alone, this piece is incredible, but it’s Ymir’s theme that wins us out.

As the 2nd part of the track begins its start, a lone female vocalist sings in what I assume is German, given the lyrics. Almost rock-like in its construction, combined with a gothic opera wailing, it’s a fantastical spin that harkens both beauty and mortality. Drums accent her voice as she serenades in German. Sawano uses electronic sirens to great effect, but lightly. An electric guitar flows with her, and the best way to describe the piece is that it is constant rising and falling action. But the highlight that ties everything together occurs at the end, when she lets loose the full power of her lungs and wails, almost like Evanescence, in pure magical chaotic energy.

This track is my most listened-to piece and a pure work of magic. It can inspire you to make love or war. 8/5

Song 2nd Season Version (Son2seaVer)

A slower opening with almost static quickly gives way to a sound that sounds like it’s from a Jesper Kyd album. A gothic choir then pipes in with what sounds like a banjo-style string or guitar. Sawano is an expert at mixing the modern and the classic. You have traditional rock band songs that flow into a James Bond-style theme. If you heard this in “Skyfall,” you’d think that it was made for Adele. If I had to describe the sound, it would just be “cool.” 4/5

Call of Silence

A softer piece with a more angelic choir opening. Sawano then calls on another female vocalist to sing what is really a pseudo-rock piece.  Still, it’s a decent song. 4/5

Eren Zahyou

Organs! An organ with a military-style drumbeat opens this one up. After a brief intro, a gothic choir comes in with the brass and the strings, and they start chanting. Then, Sawano brings out the electric instruments, the static, but always retains the grandeur of the strings, the brass, and the woodwinds. The choir comes in and out. The song represents another tenet of what Sawano does so well. He’s simultaneously predictable and unpredictable. You can anticipate the drops to some extent, but then he constantly surprises you.

Around halfway into the song he lets a little respite in. The organ has a solo and takes back over, and then strings come in to complement his organ play. It sounds much more traditional orchestra vibes. It’s a really, really good finish. It’s a piece of hope. Honestly, it’s kind of an amazing piece, and I’m flirting with giving it a hall-of-fame rating. What pushes it over the edge is when the drop finally hits; it feels like a pure dopamine rush, but the first half isn’t enough to lift it that high. 5/5

Attack on D

In a different context, the title is a little suspect, but we’re okay; we can talk about the music. Soft, sweeping plays the main theme, but in a much slower tempo. It’s actually a variation of YouSeeBigGirl. Using what sounds like a xylophone or harp and the strings, it’s a gorgeous, lush interpretation of YouSeeBigGirl. The rising action is phenomenal. Then he does what he does best; he surprises you with a little bit of a lull with a piano solo. I love this piece. He’s continuously moving in and out of the tempo.

The second half of this piece uses a light female, likely young female choirist, to “la-la-la” us home. Again, it’s a really lovely piece. 5/5

Endless Rain

A generic rock song with both a male and female vocalist. 3/5

2Volt

Holy crap. Another epic piece; you don’t know where this one is going. Starting off with a soft piano solo, he brings in a pulsating strings backing. Drums come next. There’s a hint of a rising action to be had; again, the anticipation is strong. Our composer friend expertly allows you to assume the next section and tricks a little bit, but then gives you a solid when it meets your anticipated next sound. Just when you think you know the next drop is coming, Sawano mixes it up but then lassos you back in. A combination of the orchestra with the electronic sounds is just pure pleasure.

And then it ramps. It just ramps and ramps and ramps. Tempo increases. Choir increases in volume. And they stop. And they come back. Heartbeat increases. It’s the song of fear and death. You listen to this song when you are driving down the highway at 115 miles per hour because you need that rush. 7/5

Programming note: Sawano uses a similar track naming to Italian instrument abbreviation. Below are some conventions from the Wiki site: https://attackontitan.fandom.com/wiki/%22Attack_on_Titan%22_Season_2_Original_Soundtrack

• st – String Instruments
• hrn – Horns
• pf – Piano/Pianoforte (Italian)
• gt – Guitar
• egt – Electric Guitar
• vn – Violin
• vc – Cello/Violoncello (Italian)
• vc (2nd Meaning) – Vocal Score: A arrangement using the notes of a vocal on a instrument (vocal parts of an opera, cantata, or similar)
• f – Pianissimo: to perform on a piano very softly and gently. Written like (p or f) [p or f being soft] [ppp or fff being the softest.]
• medley – A piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping.
• adlib – Improvised or unrehearsed (Written ad lib)
• st (2nd meaning) – Stringendo: Gradually getting faster (literally, tightening, narrowing) (i.e. with a pressing forward or acceleration of the tempo, that is, becoming stretto)

Shingeki st-hrn-egt20130629 Kyojin (Strings-Horn-Electric Guitar)

Intense, diverse action piece. It’s really good, but hard to describe. Think paranoid noise but in an orchestral context. The heroes are going out on horses to fight the unknown beasts, and you can feel the action. When the drop hits again, the gothic choir belts out warnings from the background. Goosebump-inducing with the right speakers. I mean, c’mon man, Sawano, you need to teach other composers how to do action pieces. 5/5

So it is always

It’s a folksy take on the themes that we are hearing consistently. I mean, it’s fine. Nothing too exciting. 2.5/5

Shingeki st-hrn-gt-pf20130629 Kyojin (Strings-Horn-Guitar-Piano/PianoForte)

At first, I wasn’t sure how this one would turn out. It was random electric noises. But the strings and the brass quickly came in to complement the sounds, and a strong drumbeat leads you to realize that this is a different rendition of some of the themes we already heard. But this piece is CHAOTIC. It feels like a boss fight. 3.5/5

Endless Rain (orchestra)

Take a generic rock song, and remove the singers, and you actually improve the art. This is a rendition of Endless Rain that I was not at all a fan of, but stripping it down to its instrumentation actually improves the experience. Sweeping, detailed, and diverse, there are effectively no flaws with this song. Strong use of traditional orchestration techniques combined with vocalists makes for a very, very good listen. 5/5

The Reluctant Heroes

Another generic rock song, but a pretty okay one. 3.5/5

Shingeki st-hrn-gt20130629 Kyojin (Strings-Horn-Guitar)

How does he have this level of consistency in creating action pieces that just envelop you? Pulsating strings, a strong choir, and a detailed but diverse instrumentation set make for an epic experience. It’s something that we’ve heard all day, but you don’t get sick of it because even if you’re familiar with the way it goes, there are surprises on a regular basis. After the sweeping intro, the track keeps teasing you with that intro that gives you the epic feeling, but he doesn’t deliver on it again, which keeps it from being in the hall of fame. 4.5/5

The Dogs

Take the introduction to 2Volt and turn it into a rock song. But I’ve got a special place in my heart for 2Volt. This song is not bad, just kind of above average. 3/5

Shingeki pf-medley20130629 Kyojin (Piano/PianoForte)

A soft, pleasant piano piece that reimagines the heroic theme of our Titan-hunters. It can best be described as simple, pleasant, and of perfect depth. The tempo is greatly reduced, and there is plenty of breathing room. As it fills the air, you feel a sense of calm that was missing from the action-packed pieces earlier. 5/5

EMAymniam

Is the title supposed to be a pun off of pandemonium? Almost certainly. A good action piece, it doesn’t quite meet the standard of the better action pieces on the album but is still very good. Again, the key to its quality is not only the sound but also the diversity of its bridges and hooks. Sawano is constantly flowing instruments in and out. The middle is a bit of noise, but he brings it back together for the end for a brilliant send-off. A strong rising action takes over, and he edges you into a sweeping expectation. Right as it closes off, everything is redeemed. We wait for payoffs, and damn, we got one. 5/5

Shingeki pf20130218 Kyojin (Piano/PianoForte)

How does a track sound conspiratorial? That’s a great question. Disjointed sounds are the key, along with a smattering of instruments that pop in as soon as they land. Drums in the background need to set the tone. This song is pure conspiracy. It’s interesting to listen to, but not a great listen. 3/5

Shingeki gt20130218 Kyojin (Guitar)

This track, despite the naming convention, is much calmer than the previous one. A guitar supports an almost atmospheric sound. It’s quite pleasant but not earth shattering in its sound. 3.5/5

TWO-Lives

We’ve heard this same theme in 2Volt and Weight of Lives, and it comes back. Strings, immediately, start the tone off by reminding you of the danger. There’s the oh-so-lightest drums in the background; weaker headphones would miss it. But 45 seconds in, a choir amps everything up to 11. It’s incredibly intense and well made. Very few action songs make you feel the death around you; this one does exactly that before changing the pace up about 90 seconds in. Sawano distracts you for about a minute before he rounds it up again. This piano motif is simply brilliant. It just is.

You get a mix of horns, singers, strings, drums, brass, and the full orchestra. I listen to this one on repeat because of just how well done the diversity of the sound is. 5/5

Shingeki st20130629 Kyojin (Strings)

Shrill, escalating strings start this one off before the brass takes over about a minute in. It sounds almost like a mystery piece. About 90 seconds in, a more emotional core to the song takes place via the strings. Sawano switches between emotions effortlessly, and the emotional core fades before the 2nd part of the song takes place. The 2nd part is more electric, less smooth, and not exactly an enjoyable listen before it dives into a horror-like finish, complete with organ. 3/5

Shingeki vn-pf20130524 Kyojin (Violin-Piano/Pianoforte)

An effortless piece. A disjointed beginning lends its way to a more strings-based middle, where then the song ripples away. If you close your eyes, it feels like waves hitting a shoreline but with more intensity with each crest. Then the song just opens up, and it’s a wistful reminder of pain and suffering. An electric guitar just hums in the backdrop, but you’ll miss it. This one is pure brilliance, again. 5/5

Shingeki pf-adlib-c20130218 Kyojin (Piano/Pianoforte-Adlib)

As far as vocal tracks with lead singers go, this one is good. A solid orchestra start lends itself to a banger of a rock song. 4.5/5

Shingeki pf-adlib-c20130218 Kyojin (Piano/Pianoforte-Adlib)

A soft, slow piano starts this one off. It has a resemblance to the theme in 2Volt, but the reference is very, very veiled. The piano increases in tempo as the song reaches the halfway point. It’s another pleasant piece, but not particularly impressive until we get about 2 minutes and 30 seconds in, where the piano takes a more complicated turn. 3.5/5

Shingeki pf-adlib-b20130218 Kyojin (Piano/Pianoforte-Adlib)

2.5/5

Shingeki vc-pf20130218 Kyojin (Vocal score-Piano/Pianoforte)

Starting with piano again, but we have strings backing up the soft melody. This is a sad, yearning piece that has influences of metal electrical sounds. Static permeates the piece, but not in an uncomfortable way. It’s cleverly integrated. The strings really take the highlight here. It sounds like John Williams’s “Schindler’s List” in its soulfulness. The tempo is soft, and the violin does the singing, knowing when to fade out and when to come back in. Part two of the track starts around the halfway point. Like the first half, it’s a steady piece, but this time the piano takes center stage. It plays a wistful melody of what the main themes are, as if the heroes are done or dead. 5/5
 

The Weight of Lives

Take 2Volt and give it a faster vibe. This track is just utterly sublime and phenomenal. It’s so well made, it’s so diverse in its sound, and the intensity that it provides is unparalleled. Sawano demonstrates why he’s among the best, if not the best, at creating action pieces.

After allowing it to build for a few minutes, a choir pierces the fray with frantic drums in the backdrop. It’s hard to tell what other instruments play an outside role since most instruments are well balanced. I can hear the strings frantically moving the air while brass meshes with the drums to create an almost “Gladiator”-like vibe. The tempo is intense but not overwhelmingly so. 7/5

Endless Rain

A rock song. 3/5

AOTs2M#1

3/5

AOTs2M#2

3.5/5

AOTs2M#3

A lovely piano piece that harks back to the main theme. 5/5

AOTs2M#4

The final track on the 2-disc soundtrack. It’s a piano piece. 3/5