Brass Effect Review
For years, The Game Brass has graced the world of video game music with high-quality cover albums, usually based around a theme (Snowtopia, Brassino Isles, etc.) or a game series (Horns of Hyrule, A Link to the Brass, etc.). This time, The Game Brass takes us where no gamer has gone before–space!
Brass Effect pays tribute to literally dozens of video game titles, some big and some small, and chances are that you’re probably familiar with at least some of these songs. Album opener “Gusty Garden Galaxy” is a triumphant start with several key melodies from other songs in Super Mario Galaxy. VGM classics “The Moon” and “Star Light Zone” receive The Game Brass treatment next, but it’s “Battle! Deoxys” from Pokémon Emerald where things start to shift gears. In fact, if you take a closer look at the album credits on Bandcamp, you’ll notice something very interesting–this album employs several arrangers (19, to be exact).
Despite the variety of arrangers, Brass Effect never loses focus, which is impressive for an album that’s almost 2 hours long. What’s more, The Game Brass is joined by several other key members of the VGM community, including DiscoCactus, Tony Dickinson, Ro Panuganti, and many, many more. Thanks to keen mixing by Thomas Kresge and mastering by Robby Duguay, Brass Effect is the best-sounding and most sonically diverse Game Brass release. In addition to brass instruments, you can expect traditional accompaniments like electric guitar, violin, and piano, as well as more intriguing choices like the theremin (which is used in several tracks). Truth be told, this isn’t just an album that you need to hear–you need to feel it.
The range of emotions you will experience on this album are too vast to be fully described, but I’ll highlight a few standout moments for me. Anxiety stirred during “Battle! Deoxys,” excitement swelled during “Blast Away (Gummi Ship),” awe and wonder captured me during “Suite from the Mass Effect Trilogy,” and nostalgia flooded my senses (and eyes) during “Rainbow Road.” Of course, my experience will probably differ vastly from yours, but the point remains the same–The Game Brass has crafted an album that excels in both the quiet and loud moments by forcing us to ponder our very existence, just like the best science fiction shows, movies, and video games.
To say that this is the best Game Brass release ever is an understatement. It is the one VGM cover album that can give Mania Mode a run for its money as the best VGM cover album of the year.
RATING: MUST-HAVE
(All VGM Fans Should Enjoy)