From the monthly archives: "October 2004"

The new recording of Ninja Gaiden 2 is posted in its entirety here. The Bouncing Souls show was fantasically sold out before it even started, yet we still managed to sneak people in. Good times all around. This saturday we are stoked to be performing with EVOLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE at CMJ Fest in NYC at the Knitting Factory. Also, be sure to catch our special performances of the NINJA GAIDEN 2 set in Philly this week. Check out the shows section for more info.

Originally published on good-evil.net. Written by Andrew Raub.

It’s not often that a non-videogame cover band will cover some videogame tunes, let alone a full album. The Dark Sword of Chaos is the result of a band full of Ninja Gaiden II fans getting some free recording time. While the covers contained on this album are not typical Ninja Gaiden II covers, they are some of the best around.

The Dark Sword of Chaos is heavier, more epic, and packed with loads more of everything that made In the Year 20XX awesome. These guys do a great job at blending their own style in with synths that closely resemble the NES soundtrack. The entire album is cohesive and never breaks the style.

If you are a fan of videogame covers then this is a must-have. There are samples on their website, please check them out. For those of you who aren’t into the VG cover scene, it’s still enjoyable.

Rating: Classic

-Andrew

Originally published on good-evil.net. Written by Andrew Raub.

Without even listening to the album, a seasoned gamer should be able to tell that Chromelodeon has some degree of videogame influence. This is very much true, and it helps make a solid and quirky rock album.

Chromelodeon, in my best description, is prog-rock to the nerdth power. Eight members fill the band, using instruments such as guitars, bass, keyboards and synth, drums, and most importantly: accordian. Each instrument by itself is quite simple, but when combined they create a sonic mastery of textures that titilates the ear.

Starting off with “Wily’s Castle”, we are treated to an epic, yet solemn, cover of the Wily’s Castle music from MegaMan 3. Woah. Talk about influence. Moving in quietly, “Mysteriousness in Outer Space” quickly bursts like a supernova and continues on a rollercoaster of energy. Next is “Voder”, featuring repeating guitar riffs with weaving keyboards and lots of effects. The chorus effects add ambiance and the result is quite spooky. Finally we reach “Eloquence is Dead”, which in all of it’s 13 minute glory is by far the pinnacle of the album. Taking the best elements from each previous song, “Eloquence is Dead” fuses them all together creating a perfect ending.

With only four songs it still clocks in at almost 30 minutes. No point in the duration does the album falter or get boring. Ultimately In the Year 20XX gives me great hope for future releases.

Rating: Great

-Andrew

Originally published in Montreal Mirror, Volume 20 Number 18, October 21-27 2004.  Written by Rupert Bottenberg

Chromelodeon: Hailing from Philadelphia, this crazed collective fuses together metallic guitar action, howling synths, grinding accordion and circular motifs to fashion a bold, catchy, proggy instrumental mélange that I think can best be described as “spaceship rock.” Genuinely impressive – they had my attention from “hello” to “goodnight.”