Ryota Kozuka was in charge for pretty much all of Vengeance's soundtrack. He also stated in an interview that Battle - Quadistu was his favorite one to compose!
So, quick SMT setup. Yes, everything in SMT has some roots in world's mythology, psychology, folklore, fairy tales, urban legends, and so on. They also have a lot of fun reinterpreting those myths and legends in favour of the plot, without being too inconsistent or too shy with nearly anything (at some point even the abrahamic God is on the hook). As a fast example, the Qadištu are heavily related to babylonian lore.
To answer your question at the end of the video, when I first heard “battle -qadištu-“ in the game, it was instantly a banger. Though that may be in part because I’m used to the series’s style of music so I wasn’t as confused as someone with no experience.
Smt music just pulls me RIGHT IN. Especially with Vengeance, the new songs added hooked me instantly. They hit me with great surprise and made my playthrough experience very memorable. Really diverse ost this series has....
24:00 Interestingly, in most SMT games, the barrier between "enemy" and "party member" is usually a boss fight, some demon fusion, or a conversation. It's like Pokemon for people way into post-apocalyptic sci-fi and comparative religion.
smt 3 is another great pick for a soundtrack that starts amazing and stays amazing, honestly. large map real universe has stuck with me forever despite being in 1% of the game lmaooo
@@bluemori2822 I think the track that plays when you’re picking your name in the classroom is the first beautiful track, although I agree the shop theme is peak
One fun thing about the SMT 5 battle music is that the battle theme doesn't actually start when you first enter battle, it only does so once you make your first attack. The music also stops and shifts to a different theme if you then try to negotiate with a demon mid-battle (this is usually how you recruit demons to your team, you have to either negotiate with them in battle and persuade them to join you, usually by giving them things that they request, or you have to create them via demon fusion, and some demons are _only_ available via fusion as well, and there are an additional few that are only available via fusion _accidents_ where they're not even the demon you're trying to create....though IIRC there are only three such accident-exclusive demons). The SMT games are always fun, and if you're a fan of Persona (Persona was originally a spin-off of SMT before becoming it's own thing), you'll likely enjoy SMT as well, just don't neglect to prepare before a boss fight (you will be warned the first time you try to go into an area that will trigger a boss fight and be given a chance to back off in order to better prepare), and make sure to make good use of buffs, debuffs, and support skills (for instance, in the early game, Angel has a really useful unique [meaning only Angel can use said skill, it can't be passed on via fusion] AOE healing skill). While Persona can be rough at times, SMT is even more so and doesn't pull any punches. Going into it expecting a fairly straightforward adventure is likely going to end in you staring at the game over screen more than once. SMT also is _not_ afraid of tackling very dark and grim subject matter (most SMT games take place in a post-apocalyptic world where it's usually a case of "kill or be killed" where the weak die and the strong survive, though there are exceptions where things can be settled peacefully, such instances tend to be rare). Also, if you do try SMT 5, I'd strongly advise grabbing the Vengeance version of the game as it contains both the original SMT 5 story (complete with 4 different endings) as well as the new "Vegeance" story (with two more endings of it's own). And yes, the game leans heavily into New Game Plus if you want to unlock _everything_ the game has to offer, as each different ending actually unlocks a special bonus for successive playthroughs, and you can jump between the original story (the "Canon of Creation") and the new story (the "Canon of Vengeance") after a NG+. Also, while it's not required to play the Canon of Creation first to better understand the Canon of Vengeance, doing so would IMO be better as you would be able to tell what is and is not different between the stories (they take place in a sort of "parallel timeline", where Canon of Vengeance isn't a sequel to Canon of Creation, it's a parallel story where things play out differently and characters have different interactions, as well as there being at least one new character in Canon of Vengeance).
I was immediately drawn to it. As someone who listens to a lot of prog metal, including bands like Vildhjarta, AAL, and even artists like Tigran, nothing about this sounded too bizarre to me. If anything, I discovered a VGM composer I truly enjoy. Anything Ryota-san creates is right up my alley. Listening to these tracks in the context of the game makes it even better. Since it’s turn-based, I could actually enjoy the full-length tracks without interruption XD As others have mentioned, I’d recommend choosing the Vengeance route (taking the girl’s hand at the beginning). You can always explore the Creation route later. While there are plenty of heavy, intense battle themes, there are also some experimental ones that stand out, like Battle Destruction and Eon. The Vengeance tracks are especially synth-heavy, and in addition to the ones you’ve already heard, Battle Hypocrisy, M’s Revelation, Vengeance for Reclamation, and the bee dude's theme are definite highlights. The over-world themes are also captivating. They really pull you into the world of the game and add so much to the immersion. One of my personal favourites is Infernal Tokyo from Shin Megami Tensei IV. It brings such a melancholic feeling, and it honestly made me tear up, the first time I heard it in-game. I have such vivid memories of the game's atmosphere, due to the soundtrack.
INFECTED MUSHROOM MENTIONED. I used to love them so much, and you finally connected the missing link in my brain why this did sound vaguely familiar. Saeed is one of my favorite tracks ever.
Yo yo Jesse! Watched the whole livestream first impression/ lets' play of SMTV:Vengeance! Its possibly one of my top 5 RPG games and I'm thrilled to see you enjoy the aesthetic and music of The Netherworld!
How did I feel when I first heard these themes? Fiend theme - "Haha, I'm in danger." Qadištu theme "Haha, I'm scaroused." I vibed hard with both immediately. The Da'at battle theme is more forgettable to me, but that's only because SMT5V has so many good songs. It's not bad, but there's probably 10-15 other songs I like more. One piece of advice, at the start of the game when asked to make a choice, make sure to pick Vengeance, not Creation. Creation is original SMT5, and while it's good in its own way, Vengeance is the superior story in most ways that matter. Vengeance is also a lot more interesting right out the gate imo. And lastly, the words aren't actually made up! The first known use of the word Qadištu is from nameless liturgical texts from ~2100 BCE, the Third Dynasty of Ur of ancient Sumeria. Da'at is from Kabala. Both SMT and Persona are real big on Gnosticism and Kabala for their influences. It's where Square got the name Sephiroth from. The Sefirot is the Tree of Life, which is a very complex multilayered idea about how to conceptualize God and reality.
After playing both endings for like 5 times I prefer CoC a lot more it makes sense until the final map then it derrails at the end while CoV is mostly the Quaditsu being a Team Rocket with Plot Armor to have insteresting end if you do the law end But the Quaditsu battles are indeed better than the normal boss battles you would get
Shoji Meguro, Kenichi Tsuchiya and others worked on SMT 3. SMT 4 and onward is 90 percent Kozuka, with some help from Konishi who composed other atlus titles like P5 Tactica
another recommendation from shin megami tensei v: vengeance’s soundtrack would be “battle for reclamation” which i think is the best track in the game in my honest opinion
I'm going to refrain from saying too much, seeing as you're about to play the demo, but to sum up my first reactions to listening to an SMT track (in Nocturne): "It's like my ears are on one epic acid trip, and I want more of whatever the composers are smoking."
I remember I had a unique experience when discovering SMT music. A VGM recommendation channel I used to follow posted the song "Reason Boss Battle" from SMT3: Nocturne, but I was listening off shitty laptop speakers at the time, so I actually missed a major element of the song; the song begins with a simple repeated bass note pattern, but it was so low in the sound (and this was 2006 TH-cam so you can only imagine the poor compression) that I didn't notice it at all until many listens later with headphones. So to me, hearing only the drums in the intro, I thought the song had a very distinct 'tribal' sound that I had never heard in a game at the time that attracted a lot of interest, until the rest of the song happens and truly ensnared my heart. That song still remains my favorite SMT song both because of its quality and that unique experience with it!
the only other song I feel like I can compare to reason boss battle for the ps2 era is like, gatekeeper from jade cocoon 2 or some obscure junk like that. smt has a way of consistently being unique that I've always adored
26:40 the context completely enhances the type of characters this is played with, like it entrances into the characters themselves and makes them innately feel 'wrong'
The Fiend theme is pretty much a SMT staple and shows up in a lot of the games in one form or another. Nocturne's version is probably the most well known. Has a unique variant in a few games tied to one character, but iirc that's only two games in the series.
@trevorBbracket More so mean the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alice version for two games. I know if and Imagine have it, but not sure if others do.
"The musical direction is so bizarre in this game" DUDE FOR REAL. Ngl, this game's ost was more of an acquired taste for me, but once I started vibing with it, I kept vibing all the way to the end. Battle Qadistu has a very... Seducting and bewitching energy to it, and that's by design
Also make sure when you play SMTV to play the vengeance route when it asks at the start of the game. It’s a remade version of the story which is unanimously better than the base game
@@HayatoEvoker you don’t “have to play anything first” but if you want to get sold on SMT playing through the worst story atlus has ever produced would be an interesting choice
also hearing smt music for the first time was kinda a Eck!, because its really challenging to hear? idk how to explain it, but the more you hear a track the more you can discern the idea behind it and follow it better, wich is why some tracks at first hearing arent as good as others.
Hi jesse. The voices in the songs are part of the atmosphere of the game. In most SMTs you are in a hostile enviorement surrounded by demons that speak either with an unholy voice or a holy one. Thats why you can hear deep voices that makes no sense or chorus of angelical tones. In-game when you approach demonds they usually make sounds similar to the ones you hear on the songs. I love SMTs soundtrack because it adds so much to the sensation of opening your path through a sea of demons that are constantly surrounding you or watching you. And as a side note. Listen to Shiva and Beelzebub theme in SMT V. Both are amazing.
Oh man if you do end up playing SMT I hope you enjoy it! The gameplay is a lot more methodical, rewarding planning and strategy a ton especially as it's a turn based rpg so you have all the time in the world to decide your actions. SMT also has a bit of a reputation in the community for being pretty unfair to newer players as the learning curve can be pretty steep but it's very rewarding to learn and defeat those difficult bosses and even just normal encounters. As for the music oh man there are so many tracks in the game that play once for a specific boss the whole OST ends up being incredibly varied and unique it's honestly so good. So many myths/legends/gods to create music for you end up with so many memorable flavors the first time you get a new boss theme it sticks forever
Why yes, "Qadistu" is a real word, not sure I wish to post what it means though since spoilers, but yes it is real. SMT actually uses a lot of real terms and meanings that most people do not even know about their own religions these days, the heavy importance of mythology in the series tends to inspire people to learn about the various cultures, myths and religions the games use.
My feelings when first hearing these themes were "man they are nailing the themes and settings of where we are" and I think you'll feel the same when you see where they play in-game
You know now that I'm listening to all of the music from this series I'm surprised that no one suggested any no more heroes 3 songs cuz those are some bangers as well
A vibe in modern SMT games, especially V, is for the music to use very modern instruments with heavy distortion, alongside more tradional cultural sounds. I would recommend "Dancing Crazy Murder", but I kind of hope he just gets surprised by it in his playthrough, lol
also, while im here, shoutouts to the person(s) behind Megaten Music. theyre ungodly dedicated. some of the early 90s music from the franchise is amazing and its all there for the most part! the megaten fusion disc is a fav if anyone is interested in that older generation sound, its super fun
Reason (Kotowari) Battle Theme off of SMT: Noctune is just straight-up classic progressive metal, and something you might be into. I'd say SMT IV has the most groundbreaking soundtrack though, featuring a lot of Lo-Fi beats before the internet really popularized the style.
The vocals being so weird in SMT are often theorized to be intentional for the themes. Nocturne's vocals are believed to be Demi-Fiend hearing voices in his head after his transformation into a Demon. "We sacrifice the son of Heaven!" The Qadistu theme is more playing with the fact that these are the most ancient beings in SMT lore from an era with a language impossible to understand to us. Not years, not centuries or millennia. Countless universes have passed in time. Even the christian god is merely sitting on the throne of the multiverse as the most recent supreme ruler. There are millions of multiverses that passed in time and several supreme gods have claimed the throne like Ra, Marduk or Baal. The Qadistu are from the first point where time existed. The language in their theme song being impossible to comprehend is adding into all that. Beings so ancient that even the likes of Lucifer and the Christian Gods are basically infants in comparison. Just how we humans cannot possibly understand some of the most ancient languages, so we cannot comprehend what that language is.
I can see how SMTV's music can sound utterly bizarre before even touching the game. For me, when I played both SMT V and Vengeance (which has a more superior story line called Canon of Vengeance), I was entirely immersed with the atmosphere, so hearing the music felt very natural. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for weird ass music, lmao, dunno.
Quick heads-up when you start the game, you have the option to play the original story first, and I recommend it since the new story assumes you played the original and skips over certain story beats (it is lighter on story, but it's existent enough that the new story comes off a bit awkwardly without original story context). The demo lets you try out both if you're curious enough, though the differences aren't huge at the start of the game. The music put me off the first time I played, and it didn't help that I wasn't liking the game on Switch. Now when I got the game on PC, and could use a mod to get the camera outta my behind, I was much more into the game, and eventually got really into the soundtrack. It got to the point where Metaphor's smaller soundtrack had me disappointed during certain late game bosses.
Persona: Saving the world from apocalypse. SMT: Surviving a world after apocalypse happened. The music fits IMO. BTW... I, too, play games based on how good the music is beforehand except for some franchises I'm already a fan of.
@@bluemori2822 Kirby has some really insane metal tracks on occasion, so I get the comparison if they're talking about things like the Galacta Knight track, or some remixes of old songs in the series. But with Kirby as a whole? Nah. I'd say The Last Remnant would be closer.
Ah, The Fiends(TM) aka the skeleton crew. Ignore Alice, not a skeleton + no menorah, she wasn't invited. Also ignore David, no menorah, is skeleton, wasn't invited. Matador the matador, Daisoujou the monk, Hell-Biker the biker, Black, Red, White, and Pale Riders the 4 horsemen, Mother Harlot the ???, and Trumpeter the trumpeter.
My first Megaten game was SMTIII on the PS2, and the music, setting, gameplay, and story telling were a bit jarring. I don't think the modern HD remaster really catches how unsettling the game felt back then, cos oddly NOT having voice acting made it all-the-more eerie. It got me into Atlus games pretty fast though, and we were eating good back then with Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, and Persona 3 all giving unique tastes... the palette feels way more limited these days...
Da'at and Qadistu are not made up words reminder SMT pulls from dozens of Religions and Mythologies to make up its world in SMT all religions and myth exist in some form. Da'at comes from a branch of Jewish mysticism known as the Kabbalah and it means Knowledge. As for Qadistu its a ancient Mesopotamian word and refers to a class of women from that society, in SMT 5 it basically used as a title/organization for the 4 women antagonists of the game.
If you don’t totally vibe with V Vengeance I would try Nocturne instead because V has a little more of that high school vibe where Nocturne is a little more classic smt
Yeah every boss fight will feel like your fighting for your life and are extremely ruthless. Be smart and find exploits quickly or your will have your ass kicked.
26:46 ryota kozuka's music (smt 4 and especially 5) is such a hit and miss for me. i had to mute the game once or twice during my SMT 5 playthrough. i still like the OST and most of the songs are good but the worst ones are just awful, ear grating noise. shoji meguro is a much safer choice (smt 3 and persona 3,4,5) if you aren't digging ryota's experimental style.
@@masstrash4609 watch?v=XvAifAnai6s the start of the song was fine until 2:26. the bells are WAY too loud and they drown out almost everything else. i can't say i like the notes being played either. to me it sounds like someone's just hitting the bells randomly hoping to create a melody of some sort. i don't remember other one(s) off the top of my head which is probably a good thing. maybe i'll listen to the OST again one of these days and let you know about the ones i don't like.
@@TTHHJJ123 Lmao that's like my favourite track in the entire game. I personally don't see an issue with the bells and I quite like how they add an old folklore type of vibe to the song, especially the end bit where it gets insanely trippy. At least it's not as annoying as Kozuka's GROOVY in P5D, where 'Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There' straight up ruined the song.
@@masstrash4609 hah! quite the track selection there. but to each their own. no point arguing about music tastes. i listened to groovy and that "wake up" part. to me it wasn't the singing and the effect used there but the drumming in my opinion went a bit too crazy for a persona song. overall it's not too bad. might listen to the OST some day.
I bought last month and beaten V, V times on Hard. And yep most boss fights are out for your blood. The first you play smt is mostly brutal The story is ignorable as almost every smt but we come for the fight And you miss a lot of context if you pick Canon of Vengeance over Canon of Creation in your first run.
Doing a wrong decision there with SMT V, ngl Jesse. As a first Atlus game, Metaphor or Persona would be way better choices. I DO hope you enjoy SMT V tho
Ryota Kozuka was in charge for pretty much all of Vengeance's soundtrack. He also stated in an interview that Battle - Quadistu was his favorite one to compose!
Qadistu is such a perfect balance between bewitching and threatening, I love it
WE SHIN MEGAMI FANS ARE EATING GOOD HOLY
Tensei. Don't be Journalist please.
@@sals6 persona without the heart
We just say SMT, three frauds above smh 🧐
@@darkpyro786
nah, that's obviously sheen megoomi tansei
@@darkpyro786 I thought it was just "Megaten" colloquially
Best part about Battle - Da’at is that the song doesn’t start until you make the first action in battle.
Anyone else find Jesse's voice and general aura extremely relaxing and comforting? Almost like unintentional ASMR!
2:05 SMT III Nocturne - Fiend
7:50 SMTV - Battle Fiends
14:02 SMTV: Battle - Da'at
21:41 SMTV:V - Battle - Qadistu
So, quick SMT setup.
Yes, everything in SMT has some roots in world's mythology, psychology, folklore, fairy tales, urban legends, and so on. They also have a lot of fun reinterpreting those myths and legends in favour of the plot, without being too inconsistent or too shy with nearly anything (at some point even the abrahamic God is on the hook). As a fast example, the Qadištu are heavily related to babylonian lore.
At some point? YHVH is one of the most famous reoccurring villains. Except maybe in SMTV, where he's already dead, lol
"I have no idea who's an enemy or who's a party member." Yes.
To answer your question at the end of the video, when I first heard “battle -qadištu-“ in the game, it was instantly a banger. Though that may be in part because I’m used to the series’s style of music so I wasn’t as confused as someone with no experience.
Smt music just pulls me RIGHT IN. Especially with Vengeance, the new songs added hooked me instantly. They hit me with great surprise and made my playthrough experience very memorable. Really diverse ost this series has....
24:00 Interestingly, in most SMT games, the barrier between "enemy" and "party member" is usually a boss fight, some demon fusion, or a conversation. It's like Pokemon for people way into post-apocalyptic sci-fi and comparative religion.
Yeah I wanted to answer him yesn't XD
the first “beautiful” SMT song you’ll hear is the shop theme about 20 mins into vengeance. it’s fantastic
smt 3 is another great pick for a soundtrack that starts amazing and stays amazing, honestly. large map real universe has stuck with me forever despite being in 1% of the game lmaooo
@@bluemori2822 I think the track that plays when you’re picking your name in the classroom is the first beautiful track, although I agree the shop theme is peak
"confused headbanging"
Yeah this sums up SMT music quite well
Battle Da’at sounds so cool. Never played the game but definitely willing to try it out eventually. So mysterious.
One fun thing about the SMT 5 battle music is that the battle theme doesn't actually start when you first enter battle, it only does so once you make your first attack. The music also stops and shifts to a different theme if you then try to negotiate with a demon mid-battle (this is usually how you recruit demons to your team, you have to either negotiate with them in battle and persuade them to join you, usually by giving them things that they request, or you have to create them via demon fusion, and some demons are _only_ available via fusion as well, and there are an additional few that are only available via fusion _accidents_ where they're not even the demon you're trying to create....though IIRC there are only three such accident-exclusive demons).
The SMT games are always fun, and if you're a fan of Persona (Persona was originally a spin-off of SMT before becoming it's own thing), you'll likely enjoy SMT as well, just don't neglect to prepare before a boss fight (you will be warned the first time you try to go into an area that will trigger a boss fight and be given a chance to back off in order to better prepare), and make sure to make good use of buffs, debuffs, and support skills (for instance, in the early game, Angel has a really useful unique [meaning only Angel can use said skill, it can't be passed on via fusion] AOE healing skill). While Persona can be rough at times, SMT is even more so and doesn't pull any punches. Going into it expecting a fairly straightforward adventure is likely going to end in you staring at the game over screen more than once. SMT also is _not_ afraid of tackling very dark and grim subject matter (most SMT games take place in a post-apocalyptic world where it's usually a case of "kill or be killed" where the weak die and the strong survive, though there are exceptions where things can be settled peacefully, such instances tend to be rare).
Also, if you do try SMT 5, I'd strongly advise grabbing the Vengeance version of the game as it contains both the original SMT 5 story (complete with 4 different endings) as well as the new "Vegeance" story (with two more endings of it's own). And yes, the game leans heavily into New Game Plus if you want to unlock _everything_ the game has to offer, as each different ending actually unlocks a special bonus for successive playthroughs, and you can jump between the original story (the "Canon of Creation") and the new story (the "Canon of Vengeance") after a NG+. Also, while it's not required to play the Canon of Creation first to better understand the Canon of Vengeance, doing so would IMO be better as you would be able to tell what is and is not different between the stories (they take place in a sort of "parallel timeline", where Canon of Vengeance isn't a sequel to Canon of Creation, it's a parallel story where things play out differently and characters have different interactions, as well as there being at least one new character in Canon of Vengeance).
@@ninjafox1344 steam has a free demo of smt 5
I was immediately drawn to it. As someone who listens to a lot of prog metal, including bands like Vildhjarta, AAL, and even artists like Tigran, nothing about this sounded too bizarre to me. If anything, I discovered a VGM composer I truly enjoy. Anything Ryota-san creates is right up my alley. Listening to these tracks in the context of the game makes it even better. Since it’s turn-based, I could actually enjoy the full-length tracks without interruption XD
As others have mentioned, I’d recommend choosing the Vengeance route (taking the girl’s hand at the beginning). You can always explore the Creation route later.
While there are plenty of heavy, intense battle themes, there are also some experimental ones that stand out, like Battle Destruction and Eon. The Vengeance tracks are especially synth-heavy, and in addition to the ones you’ve already heard, Battle Hypocrisy, M’s Revelation, Vengeance for Reclamation, and the bee dude's theme are definite highlights. The over-world themes are also captivating. They really pull you into the world of the game and add so much to the immersion. One of my personal favourites is Infernal Tokyo from Shin Megami Tensei IV. It brings such a melancholic feeling, and it honestly made me tear up, the first time I heard it in-game. I have such vivid memories of the game's atmosphere, due to the soundtrack.
Oh my gosh you're going through the SMT series music!!1 yaay
Thanks for checking all of these out, I hope you like SMT V
You gotta listen to the Demi-fiend theme from Shin Megami Tensei V or V Vengeance.
INFECTED MUSHROOM MENTIONED. I used to love them so much, and you finally connected the missing link in my brain why this did sound vaguely familiar. Saeed is one of my favorite tracks ever.
So hype you are exploring SMTVV!! My favorite track from it is daat kabukicho, hope you get to hear it soon
12:10 SO RIGHT ON THE RANDOM THEME. i fucking LOVE the random battle theme for SMT Vengeance i literally still listen to it seperately from the game
Yo yo Jesse! Watched the whole livestream first impression/ lets' play of SMTV:Vengeance! Its possibly one of my top 5 RPG games and I'm thrilled to see you enjoy the aesthetic and music of The Netherworld!
How did I feel when I first heard these themes?
Fiend theme - "Haha, I'm in danger."
Qadištu theme "Haha, I'm scaroused."
I vibed hard with both immediately. The Da'at battle theme is more forgettable to me, but that's only because SMT5V has so many good songs. It's not bad, but there's probably 10-15 other songs I like more.
One piece of advice, at the start of the game when asked to make a choice, make sure to pick Vengeance, not Creation. Creation is original SMT5, and while it's good in its own way, Vengeance is the superior story in most ways that matter. Vengeance is also a lot more interesting right out the gate imo.
And lastly, the words aren't actually made up! The first known use of the word Qadištu is from nameless liturgical texts from ~2100 BCE, the Third Dynasty of Ur of ancient Sumeria. Da'at is from Kabala. Both SMT and Persona are real big on Gnosticism and Kabala for their influences. It's where Square got the name Sephiroth from. The Sefirot is the Tree of Life, which is a very complex multilayered idea about how to conceptualize God and reality.
After playing both endings for like 5 times
I prefer CoC a lot more it makes sense until the final map then it derrails at the end while CoV is mostly the Quaditsu being a Team Rocket with Plot Armor to have insteresting end if you do the law end
But the Quaditsu battles are indeed better than the normal boss battles you would get
Let's not forgot what happens at the end of the Vengeance arc, and the two amazing soundtracks.
Shoji Meguro, Kenichi Tsuchiya and others worked on SMT 3. SMT 4 and onward is 90 percent Kozuka, with some help from Konishi who composed other atlus titles like P5 Tactica
Toshiko Tasaki (SMT Devil Summoner, SMT Devil Summoner Soul Hackers, Persona 2 Duology) also worked on SMT III Nocturne OST (she composed Recovery Spring, Checkmate & Show Time/ Raidou Theme, Dante Theme, Apocalypse). Trully dream team.
@@nr2676 Yeah I knew I was forgetting someone. Tasaki was a huge part of early 2000s atlus music
another recommendation from shin megami tensei v: vengeance’s soundtrack would be “battle for reclamation” which i think is the best track in the game in my honest opinion
I'm going to refrain from saying too much, seeing as you're about to play the demo, but to sum up my first reactions to listening to an SMT track (in Nocturne): "It's like my ears are on one epic acid trip, and I want more of whatever the composers are smoking."
I remember I had a unique experience when discovering SMT music. A VGM recommendation channel I used to follow posted the song "Reason Boss Battle" from SMT3: Nocturne, but I was listening off shitty laptop speakers at the time, so I actually missed a major element of the song; the song begins with a simple repeated bass note pattern, but it was so low in the sound (and this was 2006 TH-cam so you can only imagine the poor compression) that I didn't notice it at all until many listens later with headphones. So to me, hearing only the drums in the intro, I thought the song had a very distinct 'tribal' sound that I had never heard in a game at the time that attracted a lot of interest, until the rest of the song happens and truly ensnared my heart. That song still remains my favorite SMT song both because of its quality and that unique experience with it!
the only other song I feel like I can compare to reason boss battle for the ps2 era is like, gatekeeper from jade cocoon 2 or some obscure junk like that. smt has a way of consistently being unique that I've always adored
26:40 the context completely enhances the type of characters this is played with, like it entrances into the characters themselves and makes them innately feel 'wrong'
Battle - Da'at is one of those battle themes I never get tired of
The Fiend theme is pretty much a SMT staple and shows up in a lot of the games in one form or another. Nocturne's version is probably the most well known. Has a unique variant in a few games tied to one character, but iirc that's only two games in the series.
I can count 9 games off the top of my head that use the fiend theme directly? they're a popular crew, some more than others of course.
@trevorBbracket More so mean the
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Alice version for two games. I know if and Imagine have it, but not sure if others do.
Both fiend tracks were done by Kenichi Tsuchiya
Ryota Kozuka composed battle Daat and battle Qaditsu
"The musical direction is so bizarre in this game" DUDE FOR REAL.
Ngl, this game's ost was more of an acquired taste for me, but once I started vibing with it, I kept vibing all the way to the end.
Battle Qadistu has a very... Seducting and bewitching energy to it, and that's by design
Also make sure when you play SMTV to play the vengeance route when it asks at the start of the game. It’s a remade version of the story which is unanimously better than the base game
While I do think canon of vengeance is the better overlall story, you do miss a lot of context if you don't play canon of creation
@@lyzder7298 definitely agree as I played SMTV at launch, but is context worth a 60+ hour play through to get to the good stuff if you haven’t yet
nope, you gotta play Creation first, it's not the same without that as prior context
@@HayatoEvoker you don’t “have to play anything first” but if you want to get sold on SMT playing through the worst story atlus has ever produced would be an interesting choice
@@kl0764 i wasn't aware we were telling him to play tokyo mirage sessions
I'm glad you like the battle themes! They slap.
i believe the other track that that type of electric guitar in smt that you reacted was battle-Nuwa from SMT V
also hearing smt music for the first time was kinda a Eck!, because its really challenging to hear? idk how to explain it, but the more you hear a track the more you can discern the idea behind it and follow it better, wich is why some tracks at first hearing arent as good as others.
Hi jesse. The voices in the songs are part of the atmosphere of the game. In most SMTs you are in a hostile enviorement surrounded by demons that speak either with an unholy voice or a holy one. Thats why you can hear deep voices that makes no sense or chorus of angelical tones.
In-game when you approach demonds they usually make sounds similar to the ones you hear on the songs.
I love SMTs soundtrack because it adds so much to the sensation of opening your path through a sea of demons that are constantly surrounding you or watching you.
And as a side note. Listen to Shiva and Beelzebub theme in SMT V. Both are amazing.
Oh man if you do end up playing SMT I hope you enjoy it! The gameplay is a lot more methodical, rewarding planning and strategy a ton especially as it's a turn based rpg so you have all the time in the world to decide your actions. SMT also has a bit of a reputation in the community for being pretty unfair to newer players as the learning curve can be pretty steep but it's very rewarding to learn and defeat those difficult bosses and even just normal encounters.
As for the music oh man there are so many tracks in the game that play once for a specific boss the whole OST ends up being incredibly varied and unique it's honestly so good. So many myths/legends/gods to create music for you end up with so many memorable flavors the first time you get a new boss theme it sticks forever
Why yes, "Qadistu" is a real word, not sure I wish to post what it means though since spoilers, but yes it is real.
SMT actually uses a lot of real terms and meanings that most people do not even know about their own religions these days, the heavy importance of mythology in the series tends to inspire people to learn about the various cultures, myths and religions the games use.
SMTV is my first entry to the series and holy shit what a game, music is fire too.
Christmas came early lets goooooo
The Dragoon soundtrack in the background is a great touch dude!
My feelings when first hearing these themes were "man they are nailing the themes and settings of where we are" and I think you'll feel the same when you see where they play in-game
You know now that I'm listening to all of the music from this series I'm surprised that no one suggested any no more heroes 3 songs cuz those are some bangers as well
I think he'll like the SMTV Demifiend battle theme
One thing i love about the battle themes is they don't get all the instrumentals until you make a move in battle then it ramps up
someone chose an absolute banger selection order wow
thanks for the legend of dragoon song in the back XD
Qadištu is pronounced “ka-dish-too” btw.
If you haven't already, I recommend listening to the Ikebukuro track from Nocturne as well
It's a vibe
Quadistu theme is epic.
When I first heard it I just said there till it looped once before I started fighting.
A vibe in modern SMT games, especially V, is for the music to use very modern instruments with heavy distortion, alongside more tradional cultural sounds.
I would recommend "Dancing Crazy Murder", but I kind of hope he just gets surprised by it in his playthrough, lol
also, while im here, shoutouts to the person(s) behind Megaten Music. theyre ungodly dedicated. some of the early 90s music from the franchise is amazing and its all there for the most part! the megaten fusion disc is a fav if anyone is interested in that older generation sound, its super fun
its the same person as PSC no? its basically the best archive for Persona music too
shin megami tensei is my favorite game franchise, i really hope you love it and end up playing the full game
Reason (Kotowari) Battle Theme off of SMT: Noctune is just straight-up classic progressive metal, and something you might be into. I'd say SMT IV has the most groundbreaking soundtrack though, featuring a lot of Lo-Fi beats before the internet really popularized the style.
A third of the music i listen to on the regular is just the smt 3, 4/4a, and 5/5v soundtracks. great working and driving music
The vocals being so weird in SMT are often theorized to be intentional for the themes.
Nocturne's vocals are believed to be Demi-Fiend hearing voices in his head after his transformation into a Demon.
"We sacrifice the son of Heaven!"
The Qadistu theme is more playing with the fact that these are the most ancient beings in SMT lore from an era with a language impossible to understand to us.
Not years, not centuries or millennia. Countless universes have passed in time. Even the christian god is merely sitting on the throne of the multiverse as the most recent supreme ruler. There are millions of multiverses that passed in time and several supreme gods have claimed the throne like Ra, Marduk or Baal.
The Qadistu are from the first point where time existed.
The language in their theme song being impossible to comprehend is adding into all that.
Beings so ancient that even the likes of Lucifer and the Christian Gods are basically infants in comparison.
Just how we humans cannot possibly understand some of the most ancient languages, so we cannot comprehend what that language is.
I can see how SMTV's music can sound utterly bizarre before even touching the game. For me, when I played both SMT V and Vengeance (which has a more superior story line called Canon of Vengeance), I was entirely immersed with the atmosphere, so hearing the music felt very natural. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for weird ass music, lmao, dunno.
i have ptsd every time i hear smt3 music lol, the vanilla version of that game was so hard but so good and original
Holy shit, I didn't expect to hear my own name in here this morning
The theme when you fight abscess mini bosses in smt 5 is the best.
What a Christmas present oh my
i’m so proud of bro
When I first heard smt music I immediately was like oh fuck yeah lmao I liked how weird and different it was
I fucking love the Demi-Fiend's tattoo's so much I got the tattoo's myself.
Quick heads-up when you start the game, you have the option to play the original story first, and I recommend it since the new story assumes you played the original and skips over certain story beats (it is lighter on story, but it's existent enough that the new story comes off a bit awkwardly without original story context). The demo lets you try out both if you're curious enough, though the differences aren't huge at the start of the game.
The music put me off the first time I played, and it didn't help that I wasn't liking the game on Switch. Now when I got the game on PC, and could use a mod to get the camera outta my behind, I was much more into the game, and eventually got really into the soundtrack. It got to the point where Metaphor's smaller soundtrack had me disappointed during certain late game bosses.
Funny, earlier today i was looking if he already had reacted to battle da'at
Persona: Saving the world from apocalypse.
SMT: Surviving a world after apocalypse happened.
The music fits IMO. BTW... I, too, play games based on how good the music is beforehand except for some franchises I'm already a fan of.
To me SMTV music sounds like a cross between Kirby and Xenoblade
Xenoblade I can see for sure. Not so sure about Kirby lmfao
@@bluemori2822 Kirby has some really insane metal tracks on occasion, so I get the comparison if they're talking about things like the Galacta Knight track, or some remixes of old songs in the series.
But with Kirby as a whole? Nah. I'd say The Last Remnant would be closer.
@@bluemori2822 opposite for me i can see where they got Kirby vibes, but Xenoblade i cant hear at all
sivagunner destroyed me for the first song I cannot listen to it anymore without imagining the lyrics they mix in 😂 it's crazy 😂
Gameplay is King!
Ah, The Fiends(TM) aka the skeleton crew. Ignore Alice, not a skeleton + no menorah, she wasn't invited. Also ignore David, no menorah, is skeleton, wasn't invited. Matador the matador, Daisoujou the monk, Hell-Biker the biker, Black, Red, White, and Pale Riders the 4 horsemen, Mother Harlot the ???, and Trumpeter the trumpeter.
Ah yes, SMT - "Fiend"
Aka: "Use debuffs/buffs idiot!"
Wait isn't that the game with the crazy hard matador boss?
I'll be looking forward to the stream 😖. The game is quite difficult, but I hope you'll still like it
My first Megaten game was SMTIII on the PS2, and the music, setting, gameplay, and story telling were a bit jarring. I don't think the modern HD remaster really catches how unsettling the game felt back then, cos oddly NOT having voice acting made it all-the-more eerie. It got me into Atlus games pretty fast though, and we were eating good back then with Devil Summoner, Digital Devil Saga, and Persona 3 all giving unique tastes... the palette feels way more limited these days...
Oh hell yeah
You need to listen to Daat kabukicho and Belzeebub batlte theme from smt5
If you want you could look up shin megami tensei 3 boss theme lyrics video on TH-cam, the lyrics are awesome in the boss theme.
let's goooooooooooo
sheeeeesh
Please take the vengeance route
Da'at and Qadistu are not made up words reminder SMT pulls from dozens of Religions and Mythologies to make up its world in SMT all religions and myth exist in some form. Da'at comes from a branch of Jewish mysticism known as the Kabbalah and it means Knowledge. As for Qadistu its a ancient Mesopotamian word and refers to a class of women from that society, in SMT 5 it basically used as a title/organization for the 4 women antagonists of the game.
If you don’t totally vibe with V Vengeance I would try Nocturne instead because V has a little more of that high school vibe where Nocturne is a little more classic smt
Yeah every boss fight will feel like your fighting for your life and are extremely ruthless. Be smart and find exploits quickly or your will have your ass kicked.
26:46 ryota kozuka's music (smt 4 and especially 5) is such a hit and miss for me. i had to mute the game once or twice during my SMT 5 playthrough. i still like the OST and most of the songs are good but the worst ones are just awful, ear grating noise. shoji meguro is a much safer choice (smt 3 and persona 3,4,5) if you aren't digging ryota's experimental style.
Hm, I'm curious on what tracks u consider to be bad?
@@masstrash4609 watch?v=XvAifAnai6s
the start of the song was fine until 2:26. the bells are WAY too loud and they drown out almost everything else. i can't say i like the notes being played either. to me it sounds like someone's just hitting the bells randomly hoping to create a melody of some sort. i don't remember other one(s) off the top of my head which is probably a good thing. maybe i'll listen to the OST again one of these days and let you know about the ones i don't like.
@@TTHHJJ123 Lmao that's like my favourite track in the entire game.
I personally don't see an issue with the bells and I quite like how they add an old folklore type of vibe to the song, especially the end bit where it gets insanely trippy.
At least it's not as annoying as Kozuka's GROOVY in P5D, where 'Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There' straight up ruined the song.
@@masstrash4609 hah! quite the track selection there. but to each their own. no point arguing about music tastes. i listened to groovy and that "wake up" part. to me it wasn't the singing and the effect used there but the drumming in my opinion went a bit too crazy for a persona song. overall it's not too bad. might listen to the OST some day.
Can you react to smt v vengeance Satan's theme its pretty good
I bought last month and beaten V, V times on Hard. And yep most boss fights are out for your blood. The first you play smt is mostly brutal
The story is ignorable as almost every smt but we come for the fight
And you miss a lot of context if you pick Canon of Vengeance over Canon of Creation in your first run.
Doing a wrong decision there with SMT V, ngl Jesse. As a first Atlus game, Metaphor or Persona would be way better choices. I DO hope you enjoy SMT V tho
let's gooooooo