The More Menacing Shmup Music

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XoPachi
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The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by XoPachi »

I love this genre's music and the more upbeat bangers, but I really love the more intense, evil ass themes. I don't really quite get why because it's not relaxing music by any means but I can listen to it in a playlist while I draw.
Got any favorites? Do they give you specific mental images beyond recalling the corresponding events of the game?

Some of my picks

Hecatoncheir
Kujaku
A Grueling Conflict
Chaos 2
Zatsuza
Red Eye

(Feel like I'm always talking about music here)
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by PerishedFraud ឵឵ »

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MathU
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by MathU »

Nightmarish cacophonies full of weird sounds and distortions were sort of a running theme in IREM boss music. All three of the original R-Type games have some great boss themes that fill you with dread, but I especially like Hiyamuta's remix of Return of the Creature in Super R-Type. The perfect theme to accompany frantically trying to avoid crashing into walls during the high-speed boss!

It has a little too much edge for casual listening for me (unlike pretty much everything else on my KHDN playlist), but I've always loved Chaos Field's unnerving drum and bass boss theme too.
Of course, that's just an opinion.
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BulletMagnet
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by BulletMagnet »

I always liked the boss theme from Gradius V - it starts off relatively low-key, but distinctly threatening; then, as the battle heats up and the boss gets more serious about killing you, it ramps up into overpowering, aggressive "ohhhh crap" territory, before again backing off into a somewhat more "abstract" section, as if to convey the player being dazed or left reeling by the attack, desperate to regain his footing. Kind of a neat progression, and especially satisfying to hear it suddenly, mercifully cut off for good (well, until the end of the next level) once the big bad finally makes his exit via an all-encompassing fiery explosion.
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kid aphex
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by kid aphex »

I’d say Gradius V’s TETO RAN
https://youtu.be/FVhRD--xyeY

Or R-Type Final’s BYDO IS...
https://youtu.be/Jpzb6t0p81Q

BYDO IS... is a bit more traditionally sinister, but TETO RAN is power evil.
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by Mortificator »

We've all got different Gradius V choices then, 'cause mine would be Elephant Gear.

And it's not as good as Final's, but another R-Type pick is III's Imitator.
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XoPachi
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by XoPachi »

Glad I'm not alone in liking this sort of specific thing. I always love the different kinds of emotional responses and mental images these sorts of themes jump between.
I always find myself imagining an abstract entity encroaching slowly on your psyche or something BIG that really wants to beat you up.

And...I should also finish Zero Ranger. It's been sitting in my library. I've played up to when you get the drill. I just never fully finished it.
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OmegaFlareX
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by OmegaFlareX »

Poison of Snake from Salamander immediately comes to mind as an early example.

I really like the Gradius III rendition.
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pablumatic
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by pablumatic »

Area 88/U.N. Squadron's final stage music invokes some big final boss tones to me. Not sure I find it the most melodious, but its menacing enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2vUgyLK3j4

I also thought ZANAC's standard boss music to be pretty intimidating even if the bosses themselves were just stationary cannons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doC5N1obs9E
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davyK
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by davyK »

I love Futari's boss music for levels 1 - 4.
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DMC
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by DMC »

Final boss in Battle Garegga https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVL8-OmUoZk

Or playing Raiden fighters series in mame and loading a save state just to let the soundtrack run free. Don't remember which one, though, Jet maybe.
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by PerishedFraud ឵឵ »

Most of the Cambria Sword Soundtrack is particularly gritty metal. It's genuinely easier to pick out songs that aren't menacing from it as a result.
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BPzeBanshee
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by BPzeBanshee »

DMC wrote:Or playing Raiden fighters series in mame and loading a save state just to let the soundtrack run free. Don't remember which one, though, Jet maybe.
By chance, this one? If memory serves me right, they fixed the savestate bug a few years back, but fortunately this guy had no idea the MAME driver was marked MACHINE_IMPERFECT_SOUND for a reason.

Speaking of Raiden Fighters though, this followed by this on the high altitude stage is a very fitting entry for it.

Also worthy entries: Terra Diver's Kokubetsu, the first midboss track from Muchi Muchi Pork (can't find a YouTube link for it, sorry), and the other half of Thunder Force IV's eighth stage.
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by Regdren C. »

Stage 5 boss theme from Danmaku Unlimited 3 is not bad. Final Battle
RuySan
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by RuySan »

No nods to Apidya glorious soundtrack?
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Sly Cherry Chunks
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by Sly Cherry Chunks »

RuySan wrote:No nods to Apidya glorious soundtrack?
Most of the Apdiya OST was pretty upbeat until Boss Panic.

If you're looking for a real menacing soundtrack then why not just go for Menace?
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DMC
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by DMC »

BPzeBanshee wrote:
DMC wrote:Or playing Raiden fighters series in mame and loading a save state just to let the soundtrack run free. Don't remember which one, though, Jet maybe.
By chance, this one? If memory serves me right, they fixed the savestate bug a few years back, but fortunately this guy had no idea the MAME driver was marked MACHINE_IMPERFECT_SOUND for a reason.
Haha, yes, something like that.

Good choice, about the Phantom track of TFIV. Menacing indeed.
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Re: The More Menacing Shmup Music

Post by RuySan »

Sly Cherry Chunks wrote:
RuySan wrote:No nods to Apidya glorious soundtrack?
Most of the Apdiya OST was pretty upbeat until Boss Panic.

If you're looking for a real menacing soundtrack then why not just go for Menace?
That's typical Hueslbeck. Most of his work is upbeat, until some really dark menacing tune for a particular boss. Turrican 2 is brilliant in that regard.

As for Menace, the Amiga is filled with brilliant soundtracks. Even Amiga shovelware usually has better music than console AAA productions.
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