The Flow of Time Volume 1 Review
Buy the Flow of Time Vol. 1
I wasn’t familiar with Celestial Fury (aka Alasdair Cooper) before this review, but I’m glad I took a chance on him because The Flow of Time Volume 1 has become one of my favorite VGM cover albums of the year.
A quick look at Alasdair’s Spotify artist profile reveals that this isn’t his first album, and he’s produced plenty of solo video game covers as well as collab covers with Matthew Guerra, Mr. Goatee, and Lizz Robinett. If you’re unfamiliar with Alasdair or his work, the easiest comparison I could draw would be Ro Panuganti. The Flow of Time Volume 1 is chock full of prog metal riffs, expansive ambient soundscape, and emotive lead guitars.
With this album, Alasdair pays tribute to one of the highest-regarded (and widely covered) VGM soundtracks in existence—The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. All of these tracks should be familiar to you, but these arrangements bring new life to old tunes. Each track follows a fairly similar formula—introduce the main melody, add some progressive metal riffs with variations of the melody, and throw in an interlude or two. In the wrong hands, this formula could easily wear out, but Alasdair works like a master chef, adding just enough new ingredients to entice the listener and whet their appetite. Sure, the album could benefit from a little more overall structure, but that’s a minor quibble, and this album is easy to recommend as you can jump straight into practically any track.
I would be remiss to not mention the incredible mastering by Lowlander of Burnt Toast Records (who also recommended the album) and Lizz Robinett who did the artwork. As it so happens, I’ve saved the best for last, because I’ve learned that there will be a Volume 2 coming sometime in January. For now, I can only recommend that you go with the flow and enjoy this exquisite cover album.
RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(Most VGM Fans Should Enjoy)