Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack :: Review by Dave

	Album Title:	Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia OST
	Record Label:	Square Enix
	Catalog Number:	SQEX-10041
	Release Date:	November 17, 2004
	Content:	1 CD - 24 Tracks
	Purchase:	Buy at AnimeNation / Buy at Game Music Online

Overview

The Final Fantasy XI Chains of Promathia Original Soundtrack is the second extension soundtrack of the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack. Mizuta composes every track on this album, and he is renowned for his diverse use of instruments, and his thorough development of melodies. The album sees Mizuta using some electronic instrumentation for the first time since Parasite Eve II, however many tracks are needlessly drawn-out to the extent that they become boring, which has always been a flaw in his style of composition. Furthermore, there is lack of diversity on this album, and this is definitely shown in his battle themes, which pretty much share the same characteristics. Also, his setting themes can be very indistinctive, and as superb as they are individually, the album doesn't stand up as well as a collective whole. Indeed, the absence of Nobuo Uematsu and Kumi Tanioka, who added to the diversity of styles in the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack, is very prominent here.

Track-by-Track Reviews

1) Unity

This track is a grandiose march with some rather pronounced brass usage. Though the brass section takes the main role, the string section of the orchestra plays an accompaniment, and an airy flute takes the melody quite frequently. The different sections of the track are linked by careful changes in timbre, and with contrapuntal lines being played throughout the track, the feelings of unity and hope are well expressed. (9/10)

2) Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolis

Tuned percussion play a rather amusing melody here, and this is accompanied by synth bass' and percussion, which play a funky and rhythmical riff throughout the track. It develops fairly well, but the bass line stays far too consistent throughout, and eventually bores. Though a pleasant example of electro-acousticism, this track just doesn't cut it in terms of variation, and it lacks the sophistication of most of Mizuta's other setting themes. (7/10)

3) Depths of the Soul

This is the first action track on the album. The sporadically placed violin run-ups on upbeats add agitation and a sense of unpredictability to the score. The syncopated rhythms of the bass line are also very effective, and give the track its buoyancy. This, along with the orchestration, makes this track musically enjoyable. This must definitely work well in battle. (9/10)

4) Faded Memories - Promyvion

This track is an ambient gem. A dim piano and celesta play a slow melody that is echoed beautifully by synth vocals, which really add a mystical nature to the track. The accompaniment throughout remains subtle and subdued, providing a warm emphasis upon the melodic line. The track is instrumentally well-ordered, and it gives off a sense of dying memories perfectly. The track is slightly too long though, but is otherwise great. (8.5/10)

5) Currents of Time

A recorder plays a wistful melody here, and whilst accompanied by an acoustic guitar melody, we get a peaceful feel straight away. An accordion begins to play in the place of the recorder to give the track a much more authentic feel. Unfortunately, the transition back to the first melody is weak, and a bridge passage would have been an improvement. Otherwise, however, this track proves to be a lovely theme, holding close parallels to "Mhaura" from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack. (9/10)

6) First Ode: Nocturne of the Gods

This is the first of Mizuta's five odes on this album. Here, a piano plays a rather saddening rendition of Nobuo Uematsu's "Recollection" from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack, which reflects the pain of the Gods. The track is rather short, and the arrangement is pretty linear, but it remains an effective and beautiful rendition of a much-loved theme nonetheless. (8/10)

7) A New Horizon - Tavnazian Archipelago

This track starts off slowly with a sad recorder melody, yet, following a bridge section, it breaks out into a wonderful melody on the recorder. Some superb xylophone chords and an acoustic guitar riff provide an effective accompaniment and a sense of ethnicity to the track. A steady increase of instruments above the xylophone accompaniment give us an impression of unity. In terms of instrumental contrast, this is one of the richest pieces Naoshi Mizuta has ever created, as its wind use is particularly profound. This is an enchanting track which reflects the idea of the archipelago well. (10/10)

8) Onslaught

"Onslaught" is another battle track, which is certainly darker than "Depths of the Soul." Flutes play chilling trills, which lead into the entrance of a militaristic war melody churned out by the trumpet section. The secondary melodies, heard around the 1 minute mark, are even better, and are well supported by some minor and diminished chord sequences. Everything about this track, from its orchestration to its development, is fantastic and it is definitely one of the best battle themes Mizuta has created. (10/10)

9) The Forgotten City - Tavnazian Safehold

A guitar introduces this track, and its thin-textured riff adds a feel of emptiness to the track. An oboe then takes the main role, but shares its melody with other wind instruments, with alto saxophone perhaps being the most prominent. The timbres and textures thicken, but since the guitar riff doesn't develop at all through this track, and there are no secondary melodies, one cannot help but feel this track is quite monotonous overall. This is particularly exacerbated by the fact that the guitar riff is needlessly repeated eight times on its own, prior to the track looping. (7/10)

10) Second Ode: Distant Promises

This is the second ode. Like "First Ode: Nocturne of the Gods," this track is rather saddening and is based upon Nobuo Uematsu's "Recollection." A harmonious 'cello plays the theme while a piano plays a simple accompaniment under it. As more and more instruments are added the parts seem to echo each other and really compliment each other well by creating a distant feeling. (9/10)

11) The Ruler of the Skies

This theme is a grand track, which appears to represent the villain. The combination of a glockenspiel descant and a hellish melody passed through 'cellos and trumpets really gives this theme a sense of eeriness and importance. The length of this track lets it down a bit, but it is very effective and provides a strong introduction to a run of much darker themes. (7.5/10)

12) Turmoil

In this battle track, Mizuta widely uses the bass to give a feel of suspense and then he adds violin run-ups to create a feeling of agitation, much like in "Depths of the Soul." In this track, a wide range of instruments are used, and each of them adds to the evil atmosphere of the track. This track is pretty good for ambient reasons, but is a little too similar to certain other tracks, and it has a very thoughtless melody. (7/10)

13) Third Ode: Memoria de la S^tona

Mizuta's third ode begins as an arrangement of the Uematsu's "Memoro de la S^tono" from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack. This track is rather saddening, and it reflects upon the disaster that has happened. The ending of the track seems somewhat dark, as it is a dark memory after all, yet at the same time there are hints of pride throughout it as if to represent the need for vengeance. (9.5/10)

14) Happily Ever After

This is another of Naoshi Mizuta's true classically-oriented themes (the last two we heard from him were "Ending Theme" in Final Fantasy XI Vision of Zilart and "The Grand Duchy of Jeuno" in Final Fantasy XI). A string quartet play a stately accompaniment, which is joined by a sweet melody on the flute and later the acoustic guitar. Eventually, all the parts come together, and a marvellous countermelody enters on the brass instruments. Though the accompaniment is a little too static for my liking, every other aspect of this track makes it a winner. (9/10)

15) Conflict: You Want to Live Forever?

This next action track gradually builds up around an electric bass and a 'cello riff. An alto saxophone originally plays the melody, but this is brief, since the violins are then added to take over. Though effective at first, the bass line repeats itself too much in this track for it to be really profound, and the eventual addition of a drum kit to join it sounds inappropriate. The track begins to really develop after the 2:00 mark, but this is far too late. (7/10)

16) Conflict: March of the Hero

"Conflict: March of the Hero" sounds very much like an upbeat version of "Conflict: You Want to Live Forever?" at first, but it grows to stand out much more on its own. It really is something incredibly different from the rest of its album, what with its jazzy saxophone melodies, its "Costa Del Sol"-esque rhythms, and its unusual tuned percussion cross rhythms. As a fusion of jazz, new age, and symphonic styles, this track really is an enigmatic classic. Who would have thought it would constitute an action theme? (10/10)

17) Fourth Ode: Clouded Dawn

Mizuta's fourth ode starts with some rather ambient tuned percussion. Wind sound effects play every time a note is hit. This adds an echoing effect, which is used a lot in the album, and is an appropriate reflection on its name. This ambient track definitely represents the outdoor world by giving a feeling of emptiness and openness throughout. Unlike the previous odes, this is actually an original melody, which isn't based on any of Uematsu's themes. (8/10)

18) Words Unspoken - Pso'Xja

This track is rather intelligibly mastered. Tuned percussion begin the track with a riff quite similar to the one heard in "Moblin Menagerie - Movalpolis." After this, a xylophone plays, which is distorted to provide "doo" sounds which imitate the human voice. There is a section from the 2:20 minute mark were the track begins to develop; unfortunately, however, this is merely a link to the original melody. The track proves to be a little repetitive overall. (7.5/10)

19) Fifth Ode: A Time of Prayer

A guitar plays a wistful arpeggio pattern at the start of this track, and this later becomes the accompaniment to a gorgeous flute solo. Its wavering and airy notes reflect upon the idea of holiness, and I would expect this represents a prayer dedicated to perished loved ones within the game. The instrumental solo is probably the most heartening melody Naoshi Mizuta has ever created. (9.5/10)

20) The Celestial Capital - Al'Taieu

This track is a sad, yet rather evil, ambient track. A rather enchanting melody that adds some life to the track comes in around the 1:10 mark. As you reach the 2:30 mark, you begin to wonder what this track can do within the 7:25 minutes it plays, and the truth is not a lot happens. At the 2:45 make the melody gets passed onto a guitar, and this is pretty much the only bit of development this track sees. Mizuta doesn't achieve his full capabilities with this track and it seems to be another "Heaven's Tower" from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack: it has potential, but becomes very boring due to its needless elongation. (6.5/10)

21) Gates of Paradise - The Garden of Ru'Hmet

The first section of this track seems to be a cluster of synth and airy melodies. The track develops at the 3:50 mark where it seems to pick itself up. However unfortunately, you learn that this is just a linking section back to the start. The good thing about this track is its inventiveness. Mizuta brings something new into the soundtrack through this, but all melodic inspiration seems to have been lost. (7/10)

22) Dusk and Dawn

This is one of the better dark tracks on the album. It has several good features, notably its militaristic nature, effective use of crescendos, good development, and wide use of timbre. The whole idea of passing a dull melody through every instrument on Mizuta's palette definitely has lost its touch by now, however, and the track doesn't have much to distinguish it from the other battle themes. Mizuta's style for battle themes has worn very thin by this point. (7.5/10)

23) A New Morning

A guitar and flute, two very well-suited instruments, represent the light of day in this track. The string section arrives at the 1:05 mark to give the track a more magical and flowing feeling. The whole track then builds up over the 4 minutes and a half that it lasts. It is just a beautiful way to end an album (bar the bonus track). It's a true bit of inspiration in just the right place! (9.5/10)

24) Gustaberg (Bonus Track)

This bonus track is a recording of Kumi Tanioka's and Hidenori Iwasaki's "Gustaberg" from the Final Fantasy XI Original Soundtrack, performed live at the Star Onions concert during the Final Fantasy Chains of Promathia Special Night on 11 September, 2004. Hidenori Iwasaki and Kumi Tanioka manipulate the synthesisers skilfully, creating the strong string and flute synth throughout. Tsuyoshi Sekito's acoustic guitar also enters at the 0:28 mark, with a strummed riff that is carried through most of the track. This change gives the track a more rustic edge, and while it is a little interruptive at first, it ends up being a strong addition overall. Beyond this, the arrangement adheres closely to the original, with a couple of new sections added in for good measure, and progresses well, despite an abrupt ending. Overall, though an unusual addition, it adds some much needed variety at the end of a rather linear soundtrack and shows once more what Hidenori Iwasaki and Kumi Tanioka are made of. It's a pity we didn't hear more from them in this album's creation. (9/10)

Summary

Mizuta is evidently a talented composer in terms of instrument use and theme development, but when you listen to the tracks collectively they seem very bland and uncreative. Though there are plenty of good tracks on the album, notably "Onslaught," "A New Morning," "A New Horizon - Tavnazian Archipelago," and "Conflict: March of a Hero," most of the other tracks lack originality. Mizuta's tracks in the Final Fantasy XI soundtracks were much more creative and the loss of Kumi Tanioka and Nobuo Uematsu certainly has a much more sour effect here than it did in Final Fantasy XI Rise of the Zilart. If a third extension soundtrack is going to come, I really do hope that more than one composer is involved. Nonetheless, I suggest you buy this soundtrack, as the live version of "Gustaberg" and the aforementioned excellent tracks make it worth it.