He doesn't hate the dark, he's scared of the Dark Soul aka humanity usurping his power, ending his age of fire. Which is why he branded humanity(race) with the dark sign to seep people of their sanity after death and reawakening over and over again to keep them in check in the long run....but didn't think that he himself would ever go Hollow......which i still don't get. Did he unintentionally brand himself too? Did splitting his Lord Soul give him the darksign? If he wasn't Hollow, why does he attack the one person who can link the First Flame on sight, as that is exactly what he wants. Why not just grab the PC and toss them into the fire seeing he's a damn GOD😂
@@Leotheleprachaun I think ( although it's not very possible), that He created The Ringed City "at the world's end" not geographically, but at the end of time. In the "Ahslands" (Gael's Arena), you can see the Pygmies between the bridge with archers and the standalone tower - in the normal Ringed City, in the place of the thrones, there is a void. Gwyn made this "insurance", because He knew his Age would finally end, so He secured the Dark Soul at the end of everything, when there is no hope left, so someone can claim the Dark Soul and begin the new world - like the Painter from AoA.
@@Leotheleprachaun It didn't gave him the Darksign. The first flame started to fade and the gods at the time tried to recreate the first flame. The Witch of Izalith used her own Lord's Soul for that and failed, transforming her into the Bed of Chaos and giving birth to the Demons. Gwyn over the time gave part of his Lord Soul to others, like the Four Kings or Seath, then traveled to the first flame to link it and prolong the Age of Fire, using up the rest of his soul, thus making him hollow.
@@LuLu-uz3lg The Witch of Izalith didn't want to help Gwyn relight or recreate the fire of the beginning , She had an ambition, to create a fire of beginning of her own, to create life just like the fire of the beginning did. And in a twisted, corrupted way she did.
Sounds like a symbiotic relationship to me, so much goodness for Atlas to explore, and so many opportunities for Soulsborne fans to see their relics be properly appreciated.
@@AtlasBenighted Basically the entire Demon's souls remake ost is great, but some of my favorites are Maiden Astrea, Flamelurker, One Who Craves Souls, Storm King, and Penetrator. I know that's a lot of suggestions but there was a lot to choose from lol.
@@AtlasBenighted idk if it's been mentioned but in this series there is a distinct absence of music except for boss battles and they're typically very intense pieces. This is the finale of the game.
Honestly one of the greatest things about this song that gives so much impact when you hear it in the game is Gwyn is the final boss. He's the lord of cinder, the supposedly most powerful being to have begun the age of fire, and yet when you fight him this track plays and Gwyn himself is just...a husk of what he once was, burned out letting his soul fuel the age of fire. If you ask me the song perfectly communicates that this isn't a bombastic battle, it's the final, tragic flailing of a being who sacrificed near the entirety of what he was and you're more or less putting him out of his misery as a mercy killing. It's in that sense one of the most impactful songs in the game on top of being rather beautifully composed.
Absolutely. The world of Dark Souls is like a charred husk of the classic high fantasy setting. It's a world so tired of existing that continues to be pushed and stretched and abused. As a result, the chosen undead isn't some villain slaying badass, but just someone trying to help the course of nature take hold.
@Grym I wasn't, but that is a decent shorthand for what I'm talking about. I do think though that DS focuses on futility and aimlessness, whereas dark fantasy more often incorporates some elements of horror. So I think the term is close, but not exactly what I was going for.
I agree completely when I first entered all my expectations were immediately shattered. I had a bit of it spoiled my self so I even knew he'd be a husk of a man, but I think it sings all the more praise. It's just a fight against a shred of a man who'd lost everything and in his misery he brought a whole other race down with him. It's pitiful really. Sorry if this went on a bit too long!
What made this so special in context was that almost every boss fight in DS was so grand. Epic orchestras and choirs. Then you arrive to the final boss battle and you hear this simple, melancholic and elegant song. It builds up so much story and meaning to it.
Listen to Gherman the first hunter (bloodborne), Lady Maria(bloodborne) , Soul of Cinder (Dark Souls 3), Abyss Watchers (Dark Souls 3), Slave knight Gael (Dark Souls 3)
@@AtlasBenighted pls pls. You NEED to react to "Slave Knight Gael". The best ost from a game ever heard. I think you won't regret it and if you'll listen to it, I hope you'll like it :)
Another fun fact. The song is actually played by two people. One that is playing very static representing Gwyn and his fear of dark and other that moves more representing your character.
@@alexisgonzalez622 Midirs theme is my favorite. It’s grand and calls for your attention. The soundtrack itself sounds sinister at points and is begging for 100% focus. It’s such a sharp beautiful song.
When you get the chance "Soul of Cinder" from Dark Souls 3 is an excellent followup from this. Good context is Dark Souls 1 (This OST) and Dark souls 3 is 5 years apart between releases.
Oh yes. For some reason, Sealed Vessel appears underrated, despite being the most emotionally charged of the themes (once you gather all of the lore). Last time I checked, Grimm's themes were top favorites amongst the community. I can't blame them, though, Grimm is so f*cking cool.
@@wattur1018 I'm usually pissed off at unoriginality of DS3 base game, but I must admit that this is one thing I apreciated. There was just too much fanservice for DS3 to be original, and that's why I like DS2 more. DS3 Ringed City is still the best soulslike I've played tho.
Darksouls 3, slave knight Gael Darksouls 2, Aldia scholar of the first sin Darksouls 1, Artorius of the Abyss Demons' souls, Maiden astria Bloodborne, Gherman the first hunter I know I'm new but these are suggestions
Maiden astraea is amazing, I also liked fool's idol a lot, tho the boss wasnt very amazing. Also the tower knight, but we all know about him. Maiden astraea is the best one of demons souls imo, I really support that one
Besides these I would also recommend : Dark Soul 3: Twin Princes, Pontiff Sulyvahn,maybe Abyss Watchers, Sister Friede (although Friede lacks a fitting transition) Dark Souls 2: Sir Alonne Dark Souls: Great Grey Wolf Sif.
2:55 - 3:18 could this section be interpreted as two sides arguing? The side of keep the flame vs extinguish it, or Gwyn’s corpse versus the chosen undead?
YOU CATUALLY GOT IT RIGHT!. In order to properly play this theme, two pianists are needed. One keeps repeating the cycle (Gwyn, afraid of moving on to the Age of Dark, repeating the same notes), while the other player makes the tune go forward (The chosen undead, a character that represents what could come next for the age of man).
A bit of an unorthodox request, but will you consider reacting to Vaal Hazak's theme from the Monster Hunter World soundtrack? Love your reactions, keep em coming!
Definitely a stand out of the game. The concert version from 2018 may be a good iteration to check out as it includes the chase segment with transitions. Rotten Vale is also a stand out.
Thank you for the breakdown. Gwyn lord of cinder is a great song. It's not my favourite of the Franchise though. But it fits the fight and the boss What I want to mention is the whole song is played solely on white notes, because in the lore of the game Gwyn the God and lord of the land in the game was afraid of the Flame fading and the world being engulfed in Dark and thereby losing his Lordship. So even when he was nothing more then a shadow of his former self because of all the 1000 of years keeping the flame on isolated without someone to speak he still guarded the flame. This why the song has such a depressing tone
I'd like to just add to that, when you take the lore and first fight him. You see a husk instead of a god. So the music has a more somber tone and the high points I would say is like his dying fire small bursts to try and hold on. I think thats the dynamic of video game music. The interaction can lead you to more strong feelings of the final boss theme.
Here's a good one: Hollow Knight's "Sisters of Battle" composed by Christopher Larkin. Intense, dynamic, attacking, beautiful. Would love to see you react to it! It is listed on Larkin's youtube as "12 Sisters of Battle" I think because it is the 12th track on the OST.
If you're going to try dark souls 3 i recommend the ost of Darkeater Midir. It's the soundtrack of the best and last dragon fight in dark souls series. The violins in the first part are so goooood.
I was looking for this comment... Midir's OST is so, so deep for me. I'd love to see an analysis of it too. There are too many emotions at the same time in that song that it's crazy for me.
Welp, it's 3 AM and I just found your channel. Sub from me and I hope Dark Souls community won't bully you into reacting to more DS songs than you want. Cheers
It is curious how he expected the song to evolve into something epic, but in fact it remains melancholy and calm, which reflects this struggle, since Gwyn is nothing more than he once was, and we can only end with his misery
I think analyzing this track without having the context of the game is a bit hard. It's not the best track in a souls game but it might be the most memorable. It was intentionally crafted to be almost an anti climax, it wasn't epic or bombastic but it was perfectly fitting for Gwyn and his declining age of fire. Sombre and lonesome, it really just hammers home how you've come all this way only to find a husk of a legend who is desperately clinging to something that will inevitably fade. My personal favorite track from the Souls Series is the theme of Maiden Astraea and I would absolutely love to hear it analyzed.
Thanks for the breakdown! This is one of my favorite track of the Souls saga lol This is a particularly great song if you know the context and the lore of the battle, as it is it's a great track, but as a finl boss theme i'd say it's almost a masterpiece.
A very important thing to note of how powerful this composition is, and how sometimes less can be more. Thus far, all the music had been grand and epic, with multiple layers of choirs and instruments. This the theme for the last boss in the game, and the whole game has build you up for that point, and suddenly you face the last boss, and you might be expecting the most epic theme of them all, and it is the complete opposite. This song has hit me like no other because of that, suddenly you begin thinking about what you are doing and before you is the once legendary Gwyn, a God who defeated the dragons, is now just the shell of his former self who descended into madness trying to stop the dark. You are not there to defeat a God but to end his misery, and the music expresses that perfectly. The boss is also one of the easiest in the whole game, in a game infamous for being extremely hard, the last boss is one of the easiest. Even the name, once Gwyn the Lord of the Flames, is now nothing but the Lord of Cinder.
For a change, I will be quite interested in your thoughts on the Demon's Souls soundtrack. It is both similar and very different from the rest of the Soulsborne series. My lead suggestions are: "Demon's Souls" "Nexus" "Maiden in Black" "Tales of Old" "The Beginning" "Vanguard" "Tower Knight" "Old king Allant" "Flamelurker" "Armored spider" "Fool's Idol" "Maneaters" "Old Monk" "Adjudicator" "Old Hero" "Dirty Colossus" "Maiden Astraea" "The Old One" "One Who Craves Souls" "Back to Slumber" It's essentially almost an entire soundtrack 😅 But the tracks are pretty short, so you can do them in packs. But, anyway, this is just a suggestion) I recommend listening to ot on AsK_0's channel. I recommend it solely because the tracks there are without fadeouts.
Hi Atlas! I've gotten a task for my music lesson assignment to analyze a form of music. I've watched this video a long time ago and this video (and the rest of your videos as well) will definitely help me to understand more about analyzing music. Thank you for making such great contents!
I feel like a lot of the beauty of this song is in the context of the game, all the bosses up to this point have grand pieces that are tense and loud, but you get to Gwyn, a god and a legendary figure. You expect some grand climax and a epic showdown, but instead you find a mindless, shallow shell of a man who has reduced himself to such to stave off the end of his era because of his own fear. You journey through Lordran expecting to end your journey with a clash against a god and all you find little more than a corpse and a hopless ending, and the song makes that somber reality hit so much harder.
This is such a good song because of the contrast with the rest of the themes in ds1. It’s not an over the top fight its a sad end to your journey, accompanied by a somber theme that really sticks with you.
This song is really quite sad if you play through the game, Gwyn is a very tragic and complex character in the lore of the game. If you listen to Soul of Cinder, you'll hear links to this song but the impact might not be the same for you as it would be if you had played the game. For a lot of us its a pretty emotional call back.
I know this is an old video that you probably won't read, but it's important to note here that this is the final boss of the game. So the soft delicate notes with those low minor key notes (I'm fairly noobish to mysic), creates a bitter sweet moment for the player. The joy of finishing the game but the sadness of the game being over.
When you fight Lord Gwyn, this song plays. When you listen to it while fighting him, and you pay attention to it's rhythm, you feel may feel like you're immersed in this sad unending world of insanity. The song feels like a cry for help; help ending their suffering.
The reason that the song builds tension and then quickly resolves multiple times throughout is because it's boss fight music and it is meant to be looped multiple times while fighting Gwyn, so there isn't really any sort of grand climax at any specific point. This is also the reason that the song really has no beginning or end, it just sort of fades in and out.
This song is very representing of the series as well. It keeps repeating, like the Age of Fire, and how the game goes into the next cycle. Everything repeats. And the song uses the same measures. Symbolic stuff.
This is probably one of my favorite tracks from the game. By the end of the game, with all the skills, knowledge, and power you have gained, it felt more like putting down an old dog than a final boss fight. Especially if you learned to parry.
The beginning of Gwyns theme sounds like the section of twilight princess where midna gets her shit rocked by zany and you have to go through hyrule to get to the castle
You may have read it in comments but comparing this with Soul of Cinder from Dark Souls 3 wil be interesting because it's basically a remix of this track. I don't know how else I can explain it.
1st time i heard this masterpiece and defeated the boss, i was so overwhelmed, i dropped the controller and just wanted to cry... So good. It's so emotional in the game's context, just engulfs you in sadness after the end of a journey.
I wish he could see it in full context with Gwyn the boss fight himself and with the experience of the journey to get there. Omg is it so deep with full context. It makes me emotional just hearing it. This game saved me from drug addiction so I guess I have a deeper connection with it because of that.
I adore this track because it is showing you the great Lord, the king of the Gods, reduced to a desperate, soulless state, trying to keep the world alive in a dying age. He refuses to let go, and has fallen so far from grace he's just a shadow of what he was. Its so damn poignant and poetic.
Since you've dipped your toes into Bloodborne and Dark Souls, I gotta recommend some tracks! From Dark Souls 3: Lorian, Elder Prince & Lothric, Younger Prince Darkeater Midir Dancer of the Boreal Valley Abyss Watchers The Nameless King From Bloodborne: Cleric Beast Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos Gerhman, the First Hunter (there's a few live versions of this that are amazing) Some tracks from other games I have to recommend would be To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X (especially the live version from Distant Worlds), Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII, A Place to Call Home and The Darkness of Eternity from Final Fantasy IX, The Other Promise and Fantasia alla marcia for piano, chorus, and orchestra from Kingdom Hearts II, The Sacrifice and The Light of Nibel from Ori and the Blind Forest.
This piece gives me goosebumps. I love it so much. It’s probably the most emotional track from any media for me just because the visuals accompanying it and the journey you had to reach it. The track is the final boss of a game that often has epic orchestral pieces with bosses that match in prowess yet at what awaits at the end is the once king of the world, defeated, becoming the thing that awaits you if you give up, accompanied by this somber melody. It feels like the lone piano is telling you a story that doesn’t even need any words. Fun fact that is pretty well known by the community : The piece only uses white keys for a couple reasons 1. The name “Gwyn” means white in welsh 2. In the lore gwyn is the lord of light who heralded the age of fire and then sacrificed himself to preserve it. Doing so to hold back the age of dark (age of humanity).
Loved the reaction. One of my personal favorites from the first Darksouls has to be Knight Artorias. The music was just epic, just as epic as the person it was named after. Hopefully you get around to it someday.
Geherman the first hunter is my favorite song from across the soulsborne series, I don’t know why. Pretty sure the ending part where it fades out represents the fading of the fire or of Gwyn’s life.
Highly recommend doing Soul of Cinder from Dark Souls 3 at some point when this one is fresh in your mind. The second half of that boss fight, both in gameplay and music, is a massive callback to this fight and track.
I really would love if you reacted to the fatalis theme. The second phase especially is some of the best music in all of gaming, in my personal opinion.
The lore of the souls series makes this song feel with much more weight. the Plin Plin Plon at the start when you first enter the boss arena. it always gets me.
That game has a lot of full orchestra tracks, but it ends on a piece thats fully just one piano. Super powerful. Very intimate encounter with gwyn. All the bs is stripped away, just you and him, just a piano.
Fun facts: "Gwyn" means white in welsh and he was the Lord of Sunlight so he was like "White lord" he sacrificed himself so the Age of Fire could continue and Age of Dark would not begin, he feared and hated Dark and his theme does not contain any black key
Honestly, the tracks from the Dark Souls Franchise are great. They tell their stories so will and make the fights that much more exhilarating. The Abyss Watchers for instance, is a sorrowful track that focuses heavily on choir and strings, with a glimmer of hope at the beginning of the second phase. Yhorm the Giant has bombastic brass and choir befitting of a battle against a giant fallen from grace with nothing left to lose. Oceiros the Consumed King starts out mysterious and eerie before descending into chaos and insanity. The twin princes are sorrowful and tell the tale of two who fought for their lives and to end a curse. Each song tells a story in a beautiful way and I appreciate how well it suits each character and their setting
A great reaction and breakdown as always, it's really nice to have someone that really knows about music talking about it, one learns a lot. If posible, I'd love you yo react to Cantata Mortis & God in Fire, from Dissidia Final Fantasy.
I'm so glad you learned something! I don't really know if I make this breakdown for teaching purposes, but certainly if it brings value into your life, that's more than I can ask for
this song is like the dark souls world. it goes through cycles that are similar but just slightly different before cycling back around to the beginning. and by the end it just feels tired, likes is gone on too many times and just wants to stop, very much like gwyn himself. this boss fight is one of the more challenging but its also really sad. if feels like your taking over so this guy can finally rest. very good reaction. o/
Funt fact: Gwyn is the Lord of Light, and He hates everything that is related with dark, so His OST is played only on white piano keys.
Fun Fact is fun indeed!
He doesn't hate the dark, he's scared of the Dark Soul aka humanity usurping his power, ending his age of fire. Which is why he branded humanity(race) with the dark sign to seep people of their sanity after death and reawakening over and over again to keep them in check in the long run....but didn't think that he himself would ever go Hollow......which i still don't get.
Did he unintentionally brand himself too?
Did splitting his Lord Soul give him the darksign?
If he wasn't Hollow, why does he attack the one person who can link the First Flame on sight, as that is exactly what he wants. Why not just grab the PC and toss them into the fire seeing he's a damn GOD😂
@@Leotheleprachaun I think ( although it's not very possible), that He created The Ringed City "at the world's end" not geographically, but at the end of time. In the "Ahslands" (Gael's Arena), you can see the Pygmies between the bridge with archers and the standalone tower - in the normal Ringed City, in the place of the thrones, there is a void. Gwyn made this "insurance", because He knew his Age would finally end, so He secured the Dark Soul at the end of everything, when there is no hope left, so someone can claim the Dark Soul and begin the new world - like the Painter from AoA.
@@Leotheleprachaun It didn't gave him the Darksign. The first flame started to fade and the gods at the time tried to recreate the first flame. The Witch of Izalith used her own Lord's Soul for that and failed, transforming her into the Bed of Chaos and giving birth to the Demons. Gwyn over the time gave part of his Lord Soul to others, like the Four Kings or Seath, then traveled to the first flame to link it and prolong the Age of Fire, using up the rest of his soul, thus making him hollow.
@@LuLu-uz3lg The Witch of Izalith didn't want to help Gwyn relight or recreate the fire of the beginning
, She had an ambition, to create a fire of beginning of her own, to create life just like the fire of the beginning did. And in a twisted, corrupted way she did.
Better title: Composer reacts to Plin Plin Plon
Came for Plin Plin Plon, wasn't disappointed
Lol plin plin plon has become the new qq in my group of friends
PLIN PLIN PLON
you have poked the soulsborne community and will be receiving just a few requests
Looking forward to it 😃
@@AtlasBenighted please do a reaction to lady maria
Sounds like a symbiotic relationship to me, so much goodness for Atlas to explore, and so many opportunities for Soulsborne fans to see their relics be properly appreciated.
@@AtlasBenighted Basically the entire Demon's souls remake ost is great, but some of my favorites are Maiden Astrea, Flamelurker, One Who Craves Souls, Storm King, and Penetrator. I know that's a lot of suggestions but there was a lot to choose from lol.
@@AtlasBenighted idk if it's been mentioned but in this series there is a distinct absence of music except for boss battles and they're typically very intense pieces. This is the finale of the game.
Honestly one of the greatest things about this song that gives so much impact when you hear it in the game is Gwyn is the final boss. He's the lord of cinder, the supposedly most powerful being to have begun the age of fire, and yet when you fight him this track plays and Gwyn himself is just...a husk of what he once was, burned out letting his soul fuel the age of fire. If you ask me the song perfectly communicates that this isn't a bombastic battle, it's the final, tragic flailing of a being who sacrificed near the entirety of what he was and you're more or less putting him out of his misery as a mercy killing. It's in that sense one of the most impactful songs in the game on top of being rather beautifully composed.
Ok, just by that description, I know the lore of the game is awesome!
Absolutely. The world of Dark Souls is like a charred husk of the classic high fantasy setting. It's a world so tired of existing that continues to be pushed and stretched and abused. As a result, the chosen undead isn't some villain slaying badass, but just someone trying to help the course of nature take hold.
@Grym I wasn't, but that is a decent shorthand for what I'm talking about. I do think though that DS focuses on futility and aimlessness, whereas dark fantasy more often incorporates some elements of horror. So I think the term is close, but not exactly what I was going for.
@Grym Fair point
I agree completely when I first entered all my expectations were immediately shattered. I had a bit of it spoiled my self so I even knew he'd be a husk of a man, but I think it sings all the more praise. It's just a fight against a shred of a man who'd lost everything and in his misery he brought a whole other race down with him. It's pitiful really. Sorry if this went on a bit too long!
What made this so special in context was that almost every boss fight in DS was so grand. Epic orchestras and choirs. Then you arrive to the final boss battle and you hear this simple, melancholic and elegant song. It builds up so much story and meaning to it.
Yeah, contrast is another great resource when used right!
Listen to Gherman the first hunter (bloodborne), Lady Maria(bloodborne) , Soul of Cinder (Dark Souls 3), Abyss Watchers (Dark Souls 3), Slave knight Gael (Dark Souls 3)
Yeeeesss! All of these! Great choices!
Give 2D Stranger a like!
Great choices.
these are top tier choices!!!!
Great list but I'd add Sir Alonne's theme from DS2 too
I think if you were to react to “Soul of Cinder” from Dark Souls 3, you will appreciate this piece more and “Soul of Cinder” more.
Soul of CInder getting traction!
@@AtlasBenighted pls pls. You NEED to react to "Slave Knight Gael". The best ost from a game ever heard. I think you won't regret it and if you'll listen to it, I hope you'll like it :)
Slave knight Gael from Dark Souls 3 is one of the best in my opinion and is one of my favorite. I highly recommend you listen.
@@AtlasBenighted slave knight gaels please, id like to see your reaction.
Yes, Soul of Cinder is something of a follow up to Lord of Cinder. Definitely one that needs looking at.
Another fun fact. The song is actually played by two people. One that is playing very static representing Gwyn and his fear of dark and other that moves more representing your character.
Dark souls 3 - Lothric Younger Prince / Lorian Older Prince is the best song in the dark souls franchise. Please give it a listen!
Give Nedtalks a like!
@@alexisgonzalez622 hard agree
@@alexisgonzalez622 Absolutely
@@alexisgonzalez622 Midirs theme is my favorite. It’s grand and calls for your attention. The soundtrack itself sounds sinister at points and is begging for 100% focus. It’s such a sharp beautiful song.
When he heard plin plin plon... he felt that ✊😔
When you get the chance "Soul of Cinder" from Dark Souls 3 is an excellent followup from this. Good context is Dark Souls 1 (This OST) and Dark souls 3 is 5 years apart between releases.
Soul of Cinder getting traction
React to Sealed Vessel - Hollow Knight
Frist time request for Hollow Knight, give Ivan a like!
yes
Oh yes. For some reason, Sealed Vessel appears underrated, despite being the most emotionally charged of the themes (once you gather all of the lore). Last time I checked, Grimm's themes were top favorites amongst the community. I can't blame them, though, Grimm is so f*cking cool.
@@bluethunderbolt9631 high energy versus emotional weight. Sealed Vessel is good, my favorites have to be Broken Vessel and the Mantis Lords.
City of Tears anyone?
Laurance the first vicar-bloodborne
The best bloodborne track in my opinion,the violin is so god tier just mhmhm
This is getting traction
Definitely an amazing song
@@AtlasBenighted you should definitely react to it
orphan of kos
Gehrman’s theme is my favorite from Bloodborne.
I'm noticing that people are always requesting final boss tracks LMAO
🧐
@@AtlasBenighted Talking about last boss tracks, Soul of cinder's track would be a good one when you still have Gwyn's track in mind.
@@wattur1018 I'm usually pissed off at unoriginality of DS3 base game, but I must admit that this is one thing I apreciated. There was just too much fanservice for DS3 to be original, and that's why I like DS2 more. DS3 Ringed City is still the best soulslike I've played tho.
@@starhalv2427 ds2 sucks ass man
@@Nico-ld2ky your opinion sucks ass man
Darksouls 3, slave knight Gael
Darksouls 2, Aldia scholar of the first sin
Darksouls 1, Artorius of the Abyss
Demons' souls, Maiden astria
Bloodborne, Gherman the first hunter
I know I'm new but these are suggestions
Thanks for the suggestions Luke
I would recommend from Dark Souls 2 Sir Alonne or Burnt Ivory King Soundtrack, both are amazing
Maiden astraea is amazing, I also liked fool's idol a lot, tho the boss wasnt very amazing. Also the tower knight, but we all know about him.
Maiden astraea is the best one of demons souls imo, I really support that one
Besides these I would also recommend :
Dark Soul 3: Twin Princes, Pontiff Sulyvahn,maybe Abyss Watchers, Sister Friede (although Friede lacks a fitting transition)
Dark Souls 2: Sir Alonne
Dark Souls: Great Grey Wolf Sif.
@@AtlasBenighted +1 for Slave Knight Gael and Sister Friede
2:55 - 3:18 could this section be interpreted as two sides arguing? The side of keep the flame vs extinguish it, or Gwyn’s corpse versus the chosen undead?
I will leave that answer to people who have played the game 👍🏻
YOU CATUALLY GOT IT RIGHT!. In order to properly play this theme, two pianists are needed. One keeps repeating the cycle (Gwyn, afraid of moving on to the Age of Dark, repeating the same notes), while the other player makes the tune go forward (The chosen undead, a character that represents what could come next for the age of man).
And now he’s fought and defeated Gwyn, what a journey
A bit of an unorthodox request, but will you consider reacting to Vaal Hazak's theme from the Monster Hunter World soundtrack? Love your reactions, keep em coming!
Give Victor a like for Monster Hunter World!
Definitely a stand out of the game. The concert version from 2018 may be a good iteration to check out as it includes the chase segment with transitions. Rotten Vale is also a stand out.
Proof of a hero duh
Heh heh, nice request
Thank you for the breakdown.
Gwyn lord of cinder is a great song. It's not my favourite of the Franchise though. But it fits the fight and the boss
What I want to mention is the whole song is played solely on white notes, because in the lore of the game Gwyn the God and lord of the land in the game was afraid of the Flame fading and the world being engulfed in Dark and thereby losing his Lordship. So even when he was nothing more then a shadow of his former self because of all the 1000 of years keeping the flame on isolated without someone to speak he still guarded the flame.
This why the song has such a depressing tone
I'd like to just add to that, when you take the lore and first fight him. You see a husk instead of a god. So the music has a more somber tone and the high points I would say is like his dying fire small bursts to try and hold on.
I think thats the dynamic of video game music. The interaction can lead you to more strong feelings of the final boss theme.
Well isn't that an uplifting story 😄
Sad very sad
@@AtlasBenighted Cant parry the feels man
@@Lopez341989 I just learned the word Gwyn in Welsh means "White"
It fits it even more with the white note stuff of the theme
Ah yes, the saddest sound in the known universe.
Plin plin plon😭
More Dark Souls please, especially Slave Knight Gael theme from Dark Souls 3. We would be hyped to the death.
More DS will happen
@@AtlasBenighted slave knight gael is one of the best in the souls series. Since you liked ludwigs theme I bet you’ll love gaels
Facts bruh
@@Plantbish the drop in it gives me goosebumps LITERALLY every single time. I listened to it for hours when I first found it
My brother you need to hear the ost of the nameless king, especially when he enters phase 2, but look for the full version
More DS will happen!
Here's a good one: Hollow Knight's "Sisters of Battle" composed by Christopher Larkin. Intense, dynamic, attacking, beautiful. Would love to see you react to it!
It is listed on Larkin's youtube as "12 Sisters of Battle" I think because it is the 12th track on the OST.
Hollow Knight building up!
The original Mantis Lords is also great, for different reasons.
My favourite remixed track for the Godmaster dlc is probably Daughter of Hallownest (Hornet remix)
If you're going to try dark souls 3 i recommend the ost of Darkeater Midir. It's the soundtrack of the best and last dragon fight in dark souls series. The violins in the first part are so goooood.
DS 3 breakdowns will happen
Probably the best dragon fight in any video games ! No dragon looks as "dragon" as Midir.
I was looking for this comment... Midir's OST is so, so deep for me. I'd love to see an analysis of it too. There are too many emotions at the same time in that song that it's crazy for me.
Midir isn't the final boss so nobody recommends it. Same with Laurence. Gael, Gehman, and Soul of Cinder will drown out everything.
@@luoxis Monster Hunter World has some really good dragon fights, but yeah Midir is just excelent.
Welp, it's 3 AM and I just found your channel. Sub from me and I hope Dark Souls community won't bully you into reacting to more DS songs than you want. Cheers
Thanks! Well, no bullies so far, all people requesting DS have been very respectful 😄
Ah man, I highly reccommend Sealed Vessel or any track from Hollow Knight. I think you may enjoy it!
Hollow Knight getting traction
@@AtlasBenighted please listen to any from hollow knight, it’s really good
The Plin Plin Plon has intensified
It is curious how he expected the song to evolve into something epic, but in fact it remains melancholy and calm, which reflects this struggle, since Gwyn is nothing more than he once was, and we can only end with his misery
I think analyzing this track without having the context of the game is a bit hard. It's not the best track in a souls game but it might be the most memorable. It was intentionally crafted to be almost an anti climax, it wasn't epic or bombastic but it was perfectly fitting for Gwyn and his declining age of fire. Sombre and lonesome, it really just hammers home how you've come all this way only to find a husk of a legend who is desperately clinging to something that will inevitably fade. My personal favorite track from the Souls Series is the theme of Maiden Astraea and I would absolutely love to hear it analyzed.
Gwyn's theme is just so amazing, because you expect something enormous, but then it's this calm piece that just hits you in the feels
Thanks for the breakdown! This is one of my favorite track of the Souls saga lol
This is a particularly great song if you know the context and the lore of the battle, as it is it's a great track, but as a finl boss theme i'd say it's almost a masterpiece.
Looking forward in doing more DS!
thank you 👏
i hope you do one for the "The First hunter" from Bloodborne
More Dark Souls will probably happen
I think your channel needs more attention. Let's do AWAKEN from JOJO.
Thanks mate! Like Anakin said 'I'm trying' 😀 give Don Immortal a like for JOJO!
I kinda getting to your videos lately and omg. You litterally reacted to every game and anime OST that I liked lmao.
A very important thing to note of how powerful this composition is, and how sometimes less can be more. Thus far, all the music had been grand and epic, with multiple layers of choirs and instruments. This the theme for the last boss in the game, and the whole game has build you up for that point, and suddenly you face the last boss, and you might be expecting the most epic theme of them all, and it is the complete opposite. This song has hit me like no other because of that, suddenly you begin thinking about what you are doing and before you is the once legendary Gwyn, a God who defeated the dragons, is now just the shell of his former self who descended into madness trying to stop the dark. You are not there to defeat a God but to end his misery, and the music expresses that perfectly. The boss is also one of the easiest in the whole game, in a game infamous for being extremely hard, the last boss is one of the easiest. Even the name, once Gwyn the Lord of the Flames, is now nothing but the Lord of Cinder.
starting right off the bat with a piano
Me : it "is" the piano
For a change, I will be quite interested in your thoughts on the Demon's Souls soundtrack. It is both similar and very different from the rest of the Soulsborne series.
My lead suggestions are:
"Demon's Souls"
"Nexus"
"Maiden in Black"
"Tales of Old"
"The Beginning"
"Vanguard"
"Tower Knight"
"Old king Allant"
"Flamelurker"
"Armored spider"
"Fool's Idol"
"Maneaters"
"Old Monk"
"Adjudicator"
"Old Hero"
"Dirty Colossus"
"Maiden Astraea"
"The Old One"
"One Who Craves Souls"
"Back to Slumber"
It's essentially almost an entire soundtrack 😅
But the tracks are pretty short, so you can do them in packs.
But, anyway, this is just a suggestion)
I recommend listening to ot on AsK_0's channel. I recommend it solely because the tracks there are without fadeouts.
I saw the trailer for the new one. Looks promising!
@@AtlasBenighted It's actually the remake of the original one that came out before Dark Souls and was only on the PS3.
Aaah Umbasa!
Hi Atlas! I've gotten a task for my music lesson assignment to analyze a form of music. I've watched this video a long time ago and this video (and the rest of your videos as well) will definitely help me to understand more about analyzing music. Thank you for making such great contents!
Wow that's great! Best wishes with your assignments!
I swear I always get goosebumps to this song. So much EMOTION!!! Now you HAVE to do soul of cinder from Dark souls 3.
I feel like a lot of the beauty of this song is in the context of the game, all the bosses up to this point have grand pieces that are tense and loud, but you get to Gwyn, a god and a legendary figure. You expect some grand climax and a epic showdown, but instead you find a mindless, shallow shell of a man who has reduced himself to such to stave off the end of his era because of his own fear. You journey through Lordran expecting to end your journey with a clash against a god and all you find little more than a corpse and a hopless ending, and the song makes that somber reality hit so much harder.
This is such a good song because of the contrast with the rest of the themes in ds1. It’s not an over the top fight its a sad end to your journey, accompanied by a somber theme that really sticks with you.
This song is really quite sad if you play through the game, Gwyn is a very tragic and complex character in the lore of the game. If you listen to Soul of Cinder, you'll hear links to this song but the impact might not be the same for you as it would be if you had played the game. For a lot of us its a pretty emotional call back.
Yes, I get that. Only gamers know the feels 😄
I know this is an old video that you probably won't read, but it's important to note here that this is the final boss of the game. So the soft delicate notes with those low minor key notes (I'm fairly noobish to mysic), creates a bitter sweet moment for the player. The joy of finishing the game but the sadness of the game being over.
When you fight Lord Gwyn, this song plays. When you listen to it while fighting him, and you pay attention to it's rhythm, you feel may feel like you're immersed in this sad unending world of insanity. The song feels like a cry for help; help ending their suffering.
The reason that the song builds tension and then quickly resolves multiple times throughout is because it's boss fight music and it is meant to be looped multiple times while fighting Gwyn, so there isn't really any sort of grand climax at any specific point. This is also the reason that the song really has no beginning or end, it just sort of fades in and out.
Yes, loops play a big part in video game music. I talked about this in the first Final Fantasy video I did.
This song is very representing of the series as well. It keeps repeating, like the Age of Fire, and how the game goes into the next cycle. Everything repeats. And the song uses the same measures. Symbolic stuff.
He can hide the feels, and my man GOT THEM FEELS!
The guitar arpeggio from the channel intro reminds me of "Angels fall first" (Nightwish song). 🙂
This is probably one of my favorite tracks from the game. By the end of the game, with all the skills, knowledge, and power you have gained, it felt more like putting down an old dog than a final boss fight. Especially if you learned to parry.
underrated channel !!! More people had to know its content
😃
The beginning of Gwyns theme sounds like the section of twilight princess where midna gets her shit rocked by zany and you have to go through hyrule to get to the castle
You may have read it in comments but comparing this with Soul of Cinder from Dark Souls 3 wil be interesting because it's basically a remix of this track. I don't know how else I can explain it.
Explain you did
1st time i heard this masterpiece and defeated the boss, i was so overwhelmed, i dropped the controller and just wanted to cry... So good.
It's so emotional in the game's context, just engulfs you in sadness after the end of a journey.
I wish he could see it in full context with Gwyn the boss fight himself and with the experience of the journey to get there. Omg is it so deep with full context. It makes me emotional just hearing it. This game saved me from drug addiction so I guess I have a deeper connection with it because of that.
The dark souls series has a PLETHERA of songs each boss has its unique soundtrack .
You should react to "The Greatest Jubilee" track from the Bayonetta OST!! "Fortitudo", "Temperantia", "Iustitia" and "Sapientia" are also great!
First time Bayonetta is requested, give Piscium a like please!
beautiful piece of music
One thing i love about this song is how much of it is just the piano. It's something i can play myself
The song plus the lore in the game is what makes this song a favorite
What if you almost beat the Soul of Cinder, but it said "PLIN PLIN PLONG"
Lmao
I adore this track because it is showing you the great Lord, the king of the Gods, reduced to a desperate, soulless state, trying to keep the world alive in a dying age. He refuses to let go, and has fallen so far from grace he's just a shadow of what he was. Its so damn poignant and poetic.
Since you've dipped your toes into Bloodborne and Dark Souls, I gotta recommend some tracks!
From Dark Souls 3:
Lorian, Elder Prince & Lothric, Younger Prince
Darkeater Midir
Dancer of the Boreal Valley
Abyss Watchers
The Nameless King
From Bloodborne:
Cleric Beast
Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos
Gerhman, the First Hunter (there's a few live versions of this that are amazing)
Some tracks from other games I have to recommend would be To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X (especially the live version from Distant Worlds), Liberi Fatali from Final Fantasy VIII, A Place to Call Home and The Darkness of Eternity from Final Fantasy IX, The Other Promise and Fantasia alla marcia for piano, chorus, and orchestra from Kingdom Hearts II, The Sacrifice and The Light of Nibel from Ori and the Blind Forest.
might i suggest “shriek and ori” from ori and the will of the wisps 👀 that is if you haven’t already played the game
I haven't played the newest one but I played the blind forest and it was fan-tas-tic!
This piece gives me goosebumps. I love it so much. It’s probably the most emotional track from any media for me just because the visuals accompanying it and the journey you had to reach it. The track is the final boss of a game that often has epic orchestral pieces with bosses that match in prowess yet at what awaits at the end is the once king of the world, defeated, becoming the thing that awaits you if you give up, accompanied by this somber melody. It feels like the lone piano is telling you a story that doesn’t even need any words.
Fun fact that is pretty well known by the community : The piece only uses white keys for a couple reasons
1. The name “Gwyn” means white in welsh
2. In the lore gwyn is the lord of light who heralded the age of fire and then sacrificed himself to preserve it. Doing so to hold back the age of dark (age of humanity).
Yeah, I get the idea of the contrast and also that the gameplay and the lore takes it to supreme levels
really great, love your game music breakdowns
Thanks mate!
Fun fact: This song uses no black keys for Gwin Lord of Sunlight was fearful of the darkness
Fun fact indeed!
One thing I’ve noticed bout this song is that just like Gwyn, the song always returns to the beginning
As it begins, so it ends
Loved the reaction. One of my personal favorites from the first Darksouls has to be Knight Artorias. The music was just epic, just as epic as the person it was named after. Hopefully you get around to it someday.
Thanks mate, more DS will come!
Geherman the first hunter is my favorite song from across the soulsborne series, I don’t know why. Pretty sure the ending part where it fades out represents the fading of the fire or of Gwyn’s life.
Highly recommend doing Soul of Cinder from Dark Souls 3 at some point when this one is fresh in your mind. The second half of that boss fight, both in gameplay and music, is a massive callback to this fight and track.
More Dark Souls will happen!
This song is played on only white notes, which is meant to symbolize Gwyn as being the lord of sunlight
I really would love if you reacted to the fatalis theme. The second phase especially is some of the best music in all of gaming, in my personal opinion.
More DS will probably happen!
@@AtlasBenighted I think this will come to you as a surprise, but this theme is from Monster hunter world iceborne.
I would love to hear you react to Serpent Eating The Horizon, from Bravely Default.
Give Sven a like!
His reaction I think reflected that of most players when they finally met Gwyn. They kept expecting more. T_T
Gwyn: you can parry me, but you can't parry the feels
My classical guitar teacher loves the E minor chord as well. It's a chord that transcends genre.
It's a very satisfying chord for me 😄
The lore of the souls series makes this song feel with much more weight. the Plin Plin Plon at the start when you first enter the boss arena. it always gets me.
That game has a lot of full orchestra tracks, but it ends on a piece thats fully just one piano. Super powerful. Very intimate encounter with gwyn. All the bs is stripped away, just you and him, just a piano.
The Sun has set, rest in peace Lord Gwyn.
Fun facts: "Gwyn" means white in welsh and he was the Lord of Sunlight so he was like "White lord" he sacrificed himself so the Age of Fire could continue and Age of Dark would not begin, he feared and hated Dark and his theme does not contain any black key
Etymology insights!
Composer - that sustained note right there accomplishes a lot of things
Us - PLIN PLIN PLON
A piece I always enjoyed is the Wrath of the Lich King theme from World of Warcraft. Amazing track
Dark Souls III Soundtrack - OST - Main Menu Theme. That's all I can ask for. Keep doing what you're doing. Much love.
I cry every time
the plin plin plon gets me every time
Now that i'm listening to it again, some part of Gwyn's theme sounds similar to the iconic 'Hedgehog's Dilemma' from Evangelion.
I feel like the power of this song is multiplied by the context of fighting Gwyn in Dark Souls, but is not completely lost just by listening to it.
I think a good one to analyze might be the Dark Souls 3 OST - Dancer of the Boreal Valley.
More DS will happen!
Honestly, the tracks from the Dark Souls Franchise are great. They tell their stories so will and make the fights that much more exhilarating.
The Abyss Watchers for instance, is a sorrowful track that focuses heavily on choir and strings, with a glimmer of hope at the beginning of the second phase.
Yhorm the Giant has bombastic brass and choir befitting of a battle against a giant fallen from grace with nothing left to lose.
Oceiros the Consumed King starts out mysterious and eerie before descending into chaos and insanity.
The twin princes are sorrowful and tell the tale of two who fought for their lives and to end a curse.
Each song tells a story in a beautiful way and I appreciate how well it suits each character and their setting
A slap of nostalgia
You should react to silent hill 2's theme.
First time for silent hill, give Brandon a like!
Theme of Laura? Such an amazing song.
Came back to say that I remember now how I heard before that the piece is only played on the white keys, doubling as an in-game reference.
A great reaction and breakdown as always, it's really nice to have someone that really knows about music talking about it, one learns a lot.
If posible, I'd love you yo react to Cantata Mortis & God in Fire, from Dissidia Final Fantasy.
I'm so glad you learned something! I don't really know if I make this breakdown for teaching purposes, but certainly if it brings value into your life, that's more than I can ask for
this song is like the dark souls world. it goes through cycles that are similar but just slightly different before cycling back around to the beginning. and by the end it just feels tired, likes is gone on too many times and just wants to stop, very much like gwyn himself. this boss fight is one of the more challenging but its also really sad. if feels like your taking over so this guy can finally rest. very good reaction. o/
Firelink shrine theme from the game
More Dark Souls will come
would love to hear your thoughts on Gehrman the first hunter (bloodborne). liked and subscribed!
Thanks Neko, Gehrman will happen!
Ohhh, a new sub you got there. Excellent commentary and breakdown, Midir next please!
More DS will come!
A lot of people mentioned slave knight Gael’s track from dark souls 3 and I super agree you should listen to that one. Will blow you away
They will happen!
song had him speechless
You might like "Seath the Scaleless". It might be a bit much, but considering the character its associated with, its really interesting.