By Zach BowmanAugust 25, 2017
Metal Music and Zelda
First things first, I am not a big fan of metal covers for Zelda songs. These versions of the popular gaming series’ songs are everywhere. Too often, cover music for the Legend of Zelda is riddled with some of the most uncreative guitar shreds and lead guitar wailing ever produced. Another common trait among metal covers for games in general is the overbearing guitar lead parts that dominate the song, leaving little to no room for the other instrumental voices that also make a great song. The metal genre is something I am fairly familiar with, and I appreciate a good amount of this heavier music style. A majority of metal covers done for the Legend of Zelda have been disappointing and lack innovation, not to mention the parts in the songs tend to over-utilize the metal thrashing for lack of creativity with the other instruments. This is not a metal cover I can just brush aside as “Just another metal cover” for The Legend of Zelda, though.
Symphony and Metal Combination
This metal cover by Youtuber FalKKonE stands out from the usual forms of metal covers. The key to this cover is in the name. Symphonic. Symphony music and metal music are two styles that go well together, much like Zelda and Link. One is filled with grace and beauty, while the other shows great strength and tenacity. Both genres of music are opposites of one another in sound, but sound fantastic when played together. Some artists make a point to combine the two, creating an interesting mixture that satisfies both the classical savant and the electric guitar enthusiast. This cover happens to be a great example of this mixture.
Consistency is key for these song covers, and this song is no exception. Upon starting, a light symphonic tune is played- the Lost Woods song that almost all of us will recognize. After the initial calm theme, the metal section of the song is counted in and the distorted guitar and heavy drums charge in. Typically at this point I suspect the song to convert into a primarily metal song and abandon the lighter notes that began the piece, but this is not the case. Instead, the lighter sounds of the piano, wind instruments, and horns act as the backbone for the whole song.
The heavy sounds act as accompanying instruments, not replacing the original sounds. The guitar and drum add to the song in the best way possible, not too subtle and not too overpowering. While the guitar breaks into a heavy rhythm style that follows the beat of the drums (which have a wicked double bass kick), the theme of the song still carries on with the piano, winds, and horns. The song then cycles, repeating the calmer parts only again and then counting back into the heavier notes of the metal string and percussion instruments. The flow is nice, and this breaks up the calm with the chaotic, creating a lovely cover for an already catchy tune.
All in all, this song is worth a good listen or maybe even a few. It is simple, but sometimes the simplicity of these metal covers is what makes them great. Check out more of the covers by this artist on Youtube, there are plenty more to also admire!
