I’m going to sample Geoff’s low “war horn” and replace the war horn in game with it. Could you imagine being in the era and some 6’2” guy walks to a hill top and instead of blowing a horn just belts out a low note like that? You’d probably think Heimdall himself was leading the forces coming for you.
Eli absolutely stole the show in this one. Geoff, as always, is freakin amazing. Cesar was channeling his inner warrior, and J. None....HOLY MOLY! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE that Layne got some vocals in! I always seem to forget that he has such a beautiful voice because he is usually scrambling my brain with his beat boxing voodoo...but he really has such a clear, beautiful tone to his voice. We need more of Layne singing!
Layne is a treasure trove of surprises. I had no clue he played violin until Nothing Else Matters, blew my mind! He had a few solo parts in some of their Disney medleys, I agree that he def needs voice time in songs more often!
Agree. Each and every one of them showed off their amazing skills but Eli sacrificed his vocal cords to the rock gods. His sacrifice elevates his performance above and beyond, IMO.
Has anyone else noticed that in the description, where they're listing who sings which parts, the have the normal tenor, baritone, and bass, but for J. they simply call him "amazing" - I find that very appropriate.
I love: The toe-curling low bass notes Geoff has been sustaining in the last few videos, especially this one. J None's surprise rap. At first it seemed weird to me, but it does oddly fit. Caesar's unbelievable departure from his "sweet and innocent" voice...he's ready to rumble. Eli's arm movements when he hits rock god stratosphere. He's literally exuding power rays from his chest and arms, weapons to smite us all! This whole video makes this older woman want to get a battle ax and fight Gor glory!!!
Mortius, your mention of honest reactions leads me to this point, the way you physically react to a moment in the performance is about as honest as you can get. Bodily movement without thought is the proof of that.
My take on the story is that J is the lookout watching for the boats to carry them to battle, while the others are at the tavern waiting for him to come tell them it's time to go. Reminiscing while they drink, of course. J arrives with the news of the boats, they head to the shore, and the rap and big ending are them going into berserker mode for battle. Either that, or the boats are the enemy coming to attack them, as they were expecting. Same berserker mode then applies. 😁 Been loving your reactions for a while now, probably should have started with that. 😁😁❤
My take is that everyone died at the end of My Mother Told Me (except possibly J and hence why they turn their backs on the camera) and everyone is in Valhalla then J finally joins them and they're all watching a fleet of warriors on earth on their way to a battle while singing about Valhalla Calling them
Yeah, there really ought to be a clef for "bass clef but down an octave" (in the spirit of the tenor clef, which is treble but down an octave). It's silly to have an entire part that has to be notated entirely in ledger lines. Inconvenient.
All of them were incredible, but I especially loved 'fierce Cesar'! He doesn't get a chance to show his power that often. And even Layne managed to add some grit to his usually sweet, mellow tone during his solo! Eli's verse a couple octaves over everyone else just awed. And of course, Geoff ... well, he Geoffed. Nuff said.
"Excuse me, Cesar, where did *that* come from?!" was my reaction, too. I think this is the first song where I heard grit and (solo) belting from him (He had an impressive belt in "Dream On," but he was harmonizing there). Layne, too,. has some unexpected grit in his sung line(s).
You are always fun to watch when you are reacting to Voiceplay and Geoff. I don't think you can describe what they do as lip-syncing, because they are almost always singing when they record the video. They may not go full throat, but to get the facials right, they have to be singing. And I think you were disappointed in the ending before they actually got to the ending. Congrats for not collapsing during cover!
I think this kind of lip-syncing pretty much always includes actually singing, even though that audio then isn't used. Like for a definite recent example: when Tim Foust was recording his video clips for the Bass Gang's "Hooked on a Feeling" video, he absolutely was singing every time - I know because the Bass Gang commented on how good he sounded in the discarded audio from each of those video takes. (plus I've always actually sung for real whenever I was recording video for an already-mixed song) Also yeah agreed: I feel like Mortius made that whole crit because he couldn't imagine where else they could escalate to for the climax, and then they escalated in a way for which he very much was not prepared.
In classical music, what they do is called marking. (Still singing, but not full out) Tbh, what might be the issue with the Odin's halls line is a combination of the camera angle, Eli's hand placement in that line of sight, and the vowel modification required in that range.
I think that the by far most common phrase from all reactors when JNone explodes is: I Was Not Expecting THAT!! You didn't disappoint in your reaction 😂😂
Didn't see that with Eli. Maybe because he was singing so high? Eli - how did he hit those high notes? Wow! Not exactly sure what you are talking about there. Geoff - absolutely fantastic! His 16th notes give you goosebumps! Sounds like he's singing in the depths of the earth! J None! Rapping? Wow!!!! Layne's arrangement and his beat boxing - perfect. Cesar, he really is amazing! The way he was looking while he was singing! He brought his A game for this one. This is their best one yet! They are in a class of their own - they're the best acapella group out there! Thanks, Voiceplay! This was absolutely fantastic!!!
I've had Gavin (Miracle of Sound) in my ear for near a decade now and I'm so happy to see his work and covers of his work blowing up. Akin to getting a Wierd Al parody: it's a step on the road of 'making it' and he definitely has earned it.
And it is so nice that he felt they did it so well. I can’t even imagine how he would feel if it wasn’t up to his standards. I don’t usually think of that because most covers are done on more famous songs - they are somehow less directly connected to the original composer. As if they’ve been released into the wild. Whereas this song feels more like his child as if it is more personal. I’m not sure I made sense with that?
Epic cover of an already epic song! Miracle of Sound commented to VP on their video that he thought this was the most creative version of his song that he'd heard and awarded them "10 raised alehorns out of 10" 😃 Cesar found his inner rock god in this. They all did. We know Eli and Geoff can find theirs any time but even J None and Layne had a bit of rock god rasp to their voices for this. Rocking, rapping Vikings - don't know how that works but it does.
That is kind of still lip syncing, because even if they’re really singing it’s still not the same sound as the studio recording… at least, that’s how I define it :)
Peter goes off on this tangent in his reaction. He talks about Geoff singing along in the video is the first part, but you don't hear his voice. Then he talks about how even if they're singing along to a track during the video it's still lip syncing.
Very often Eli does these insane runs and hits the high notes like he's not even really trying. Like Fred Astair making it look easy, but it's all skill. So it doesn't bother me if he looks chill while he's blasting out radical notes.
Brilliant reaction! A lot of us certainly appreciate the honesty. It's always a pleasure to discuss the myriad of topics that are always brought to light in VoicePlay arrangements/videos !
This is the reaction I was waiting for. I seem to be the only person not surprised that Cesar pulled off the angry warrior persona. I have no doubt he could play any part they can imagine. But it has really been fun watching people react to that part of the song. This is one of my favorites. And I think this is the best lineup of VoicePlay ever.
Can I just say that voice play arrangements are really fun to sing! They’re very diverse and it really gives your voice a workout. Their work is some of my favorite to sing
Maybe this is a welcome back for J.None - he starts out all by himself but hears the others calling him. He approaches the doors, goes through and joins the rest of the viking group.
Valhalla is Viking concept of heaven and attainable only if they die in battle. J None sings in the beginning that Valhalla is calling him. He attains Valhalla mid way thru the video when he enters the door and joins the group. .
I knew you were going to love this song and video!! They out do themselves every time! I cannot stop watching this, it is amazing!! That first B0 Geoff hits lasts for 15 seconds!! Then Eli has become the Asgardian god of rock, Layne is a beatboxing god, Cesar has become a Berserker, and J None has shown us the rap indeed belongs in acapella! Great reaction Mortius!
I usually have a favorite for each video but there was NO way to choose this time! Layne's killer arrangement and percussion, Eli the rock god and all the tech work he did on this, Cesar channeling his inner warrior, J spittin' those bars and earthquake god Geoff and those THREE B0s, the first of which was sustained 15 seconds! VoicePlay+Viking=EPIC!
Great reaction and lovely to see a reactor not afraid to add their opinions on where something could be improved. I had one other criticism to make and that was J.None's entrance to the rest of the group mid-way through. It felt to me that they were building up and up to his walking through that door - they even silhouetted him white light - and then he walks in and just waves his arms around while joining in. I felt that was a bit of an anticlimax and they could have saved that move for his rap moment? Like 'here he comes, what an entrance, and - rap!' but instead, well, go back and watch it and maybe you'll see it. But I absolutely loved this and have been playing/singing it (badly) since it's release. Thanks Mortius. xx
This was awesome song done by VoicePlay. If you were able to notice Morteus that Geoff held that first note in beginning for somewhere round 15 seconds
Did you notice the "wolf" triplet right before te triplet you noticed? Cesar does it twice - he arcs his head back for it. I think J does it the other times.
I love that they have J staring out across the water in this. He’s been away and now he’s coming back where he belongs. Layne did the arrangement and Eli the amazing backgrounds. It was filmed, not green screen, but at a studio with immense (Full wall!) led screens. The makeup and a lot of the costuming is from MMTM. Among their tattoos are runes spelling out VoicePlay. The music in the outro is the karaoke track. The background vocals and it could be a piece on its own because it’s also gorgeous.
Hehe, yeah, everyone's been loving sweet, cuddly Cesar unleashing his inner beast in this one! And Eli... oh my sweet lord, the rock-god that is Eli! And J.none rapping, and Layne's far-too-rarely-heard vocals as well as his brain-melting beatboxing - and of course the human thunderstorm that is Geoff... Voiceplay always outdo themselves with each new song they create, but... I don't know how they'd ever top this one. I'm pretty sure the universe would break if they tried! And yeah, this video took twelve hours to film, in a studio where the air-con wasn't working, and they were all in thick furs and armour for the whole shoot (J.None's plane to Florida was also three hours late, so they had to film the first part without him, hence him being separate from the others in shots that Eli edited in later.) They stuck it out, being the dedicated guys they are, but I think we can forgive Eli and the others for their lip-syncing being a little less than 100% in some parts. 🙂
JNone's plane was a few hours late, so that might have influenced the filming? Also the AC wasn't working in the studio where they filmed. All the VP people went above and beyond expectations on this one! I knew Cesar was fierce, but now he's FIERCE too!
What you said about Cesar-RIGHT??? We knew he could be sweet and breathy, and that he could wail, but man he has some GRIT when he needs it-did NOT see that coming! Not sure why I didn’t. He’s amazing. If I had anything critical to say about Voiceplay it’s that they’re not taking full advantage of what he brings to the group. His solos are always way too short for my taste, and I wouldn’t care if they extended their songs to give him more (cuz their songs are always too short anyway). Yo, Mason! LOL. Gotta say you’ve added another really fun dimension to this channel. That bit with Eli-I think the problem there is “into Odin’s”. He has to make a break between the vowels at the end of into and beginning of Odin’s. It kind of threw off the rhythm for a hair of a second. You’re right that triplet is not in the original, but then that whole dubstep/techno bit isn’t in the original (or at least it isn’t in the versions I’ve heard, but I haven’t heard the game version). That’s all Voiceplay. You should listen to the version of the song in the patron credits. It’s a bit different and I really like it, too. Great reaction, Mortius and Mason-you two (M&M) are a brilliant combo.
I just want to say it kind of made me emotional when you said that you were excited to talk about this in the VP patron discord (which by now has already happened since I remember that conversation). I love talking in there every day when I can, that community is really just so welcoming and I always look forward to checking there every day. It just makes my day so much better. That community means so much to me and I am so glad to be a part of it. Also, I love that you are always honest in your reactions, to me that makes it so genuine, and even if I don't totally agree with you I can understand your perspective. Thanks for the great reaction as always friend💜
Such a fun song, and so many great expressions/performance aspects you found in it too! I'm glad you're not afraid to point out areas for possible improvement as well, since it ultimately so our favorites can amaze us more next time. On the topic of pauses, I know some other analysis heavy channels rewind even further back after each pause to make sure to get the full build up to the next portion, though I bet that would make the anti-pause watchers even more frustrated.
"I'm not going to make it to D&D on time!" Thank you for prioritizing this song (and that smoldering look from Ceasar). From one geek to another, shoutout to you for making the tough calls, lol 🎶😂💜🥰
Nothing much more appropriate before D&D than this! For me it's right there next to Dragonborn Comes and Geoff's Misty Mountains as music that gets me fired up to write for my own campaign. Eli's rasp when he's that high felt unearthly, like a true spirit of Valhalla. Layne's builds and drops were sensational, and he showed his inner viking with a bit of grit in his singing section. Geoff's brain-melting b0s just feel like they go on forever... And then keep rattling around my skull when he's stopped singing. J's rap was truly out of nowhere, it seems like they're bringing back a few old tricks recently as a like 'oh yeah, in case you forgot' what with the return of vioLayne from Warriors to Nothing Else Matters and now rap J from Superstitious to this and honestly I've been hoping we'd get another chance but he blew my expectations out of the water. Cesar... I will never underestimate you again. I saw the viking theme and was a bit disappointed as I guessed that he'd have a bit of a back seat in this one, I'm so glad I was wrong. They all looked stunning, sounded stunning... This was awesome.
Regarding lip sync mismatch, I don’t see it here, possibly because it’s so dark, or because his hand is in the way, or because it’s not big enough in my phone screen. But there is a spot towards the end of “Hoist the Colors” where Cesar’s mouth and posture look way off from what they’re singing.
Thank you 😮 I thought I was crazy when I just had a feeling that the “Orin’s halls” bit showed the… visualization of that moment didn’t match idk, the audio magnitude of the voice.
If you're diving into beatboxing, you should talk with Lolli at The Fairy Voice Mother. She recently started a journey into Acapella music, and was immediately hypnotized by the beatboxers and is taking a deep and very comprehensive dive into that talent. And, if you have never met her, she is an absolutely wonderful, magical human being, and one of the biggest human voice/music nerds out there - it would be fun to see you two do something together!
Surprised you didn't notice that J-None, Geoff, Eli and Layne were wearing the same make-up and outfits that they were wearing for My Mother Told Me, and that Cesar was wearing the same robe that Jose Rosario Jr. was wearing. But other than that, I loved this reaction, so many mind-blowing moments.
Yeah, he's just casually holding a B0 subharmonic through the first line of the song before it gets to him. I mean why not. I look at it as mild persuasion for people to get real headphones. I knew you'd have a reaction to J.None doing that Rap section. If you'd told me that was going to be in the song before I heard it I might have been less enthused, but it flat out works with the theme and rhythm of the song. I hope they do more of that in the future.
I was about to type "This is called contrary motion" since it is also one of my favorite effects, but I see Mason is on his game. Cesar... God, I love that man. And Eli rocking out that high tenor is just awesome! Also, I believe that B0 is the lowest note Geoff has sung. He did it for "The Dragonborn Comes" and I think maybe in Halo, and he admitted he can only sing that first thing in the morning, when he can actually hit a B1 in order to drop into that subharmonic, and even then it can take him dozens of tries. When he hits that B0, my bones shake.
I've come to appreciate the thing VoicePlay have started doing at the end of their videos with the Patreon thanks. Instead of a normal sound clip of the same song or another of their songs, it's a sound clip of the same song, _but with the lead voice removed._ It highlights all the little details going on in the background that can be hard to distinguish in the full track.
I love when VoicePlay comes out with something new then checking out all of the reactions to it. The two channels I love most though are Peter Barber and Mortius. I absolutely knew your reactions were going to be legendary, they always are when it comes to VP. The one reaction I have loved most from all the channels has been Ceasar's grit moment, it's the best.
I came back to rewatch this reaction, because it's so good. I'm going to make an obscure reference here...in this video, I love how Cesar and Geoff display the "Constantine Maroulis" method of keeping their bedroom eyes on the camera as they sing. Except they do much better.
Nice reaction/analysis as always, and well done Mason, as always too! I agree with you regarding the climax having already occurred, hence the rap including the end of that section was more climatic in my opinion. Still such a great cover, VoicePlay is amazing!!
So apparently I saw Good 4 U in a way very different from anyone else? Everyone's been so surprised by Cesar in this one. The tambre is definitely a cool new take. But lots of people seem surprised by Cesar's attitude and I'm just sitting here confused like did nobody clock that sassy fan game?
What can I say except, you're welcome. And thank you! This was so much fun. They did an amazing job with this one, and I loved watching your reaction to it. It really is just so delightful!
You missed the costumes and makeup--they're almost the same as the ones as they wore in "My Mother Told Me", except of course Cesar is wearing Jose Rosario Jr's cape and Geoff's breastplate and he needed different makeup than Jose. J None gets the wolf pelt this time. That bearskin of Geoff's must have been brutal to wear while filming without AC.
This song was an actual banger. From my mans hitting a B0 like it's not a big deal to Eli belting like a rockstar to JNONE dropping bars, this was quite an experience
Dude. Did you walk into dnd and force them to listen to this? Because I would not have been able to resist doing that, if I had to walk straight from this into a friendly meeting 😄 Thank you for a lovely analysis and most relatable reaction🤣🤣🤣 I need your reactions to point out the things my ears don't quite catch enough for my brain to notice. You're a blessing to hearing-impaired people. Thank you.
@@richardlaundon that surprised the hell out of me too! But it does fit, as Norsemen (especially in Iceland) would have made poems -- on the spot -- extolling their prowess in battle.
"SNAP"......the sound of a 'Broken' Mortius.......J. None raps in their cover of Stevie Wonder's Superstition, with Omar Cardona.......both raps were written by the same person.......>^^
I didn’t really notice any lip syncing oddities in this one, but since you brought it up…in their cover of In My Room, Layne makes a bunch of popping noises where he slaps his cheek. Near the end, you hear that same sound, but in the video he’s not doing the cheek slap. Doesn’t bother me at all, but I did notice it.
OMG Mortius! WTF took you so long??? We've been waiting for you! I was just waiting to see your face when the rap hit, lol! BTW - Vikings would do a thing called Flyting, which was basically poetic rap battling. So the rap is actually a very Viking thing to do! I think #dj_410 had the best quote so far when he said "This is the literal definition of Bardic Inspiration. "
All of them were great in this one, but Eli and Cesar was so much in character to the point where I got a bit scared of them, I mean whatever battle they are going to I'm sure they are going to be successful. Also your reaction to J. None rapping was perfect ❤😃
In hindsight, this might not have been the best piece to listen to and analyze right before a D&D session, if only for the fact that VoicePlay and JNone have completely borked poor Mortius~🤣🤣🤣
12:34 me when Voiceplay releases a new video… but seriously, I loved this song, and am so glad I got to hear it. I’m not usually one to react with much movement or whatever, but this cover left me speechless, and I kept laughing waiting for Mortius’ responses to crazy parts
So glad to see your reaction Mortius on this video! It’s another amazing song from VoicePlay. Glad to see Ceasar’s metal side and JNone’s return once again. 🔥🔥🔥
This was awesome watching you react to this one. Lots of Mortius breaking moments. Plus, if you bad been sitting in a chair you would have fallen out of it when J None started his rap. Keep doing what you do.
Internet: "You're not ready for this"
Mortius: "I got this"
JNone drops some bars
Mortius: "I wasn't ready for this"
😂
exactly! Spot on
I’m going to sample Geoff’s low “war horn” and replace the war horn in game with it. Could you imagine being in the era and some 6’2” guy walks to a hill top and instead of blowing a horn just belts out a low note like that? You’d probably think Heimdall himself was leading the forces coming for you.
Dude, if that happened I don't care, I'm packing it up and going home. My mans is gonna VIBRATE me to death if I try it.
I'm out at that point. Any amount of Braveheart speech can't convince me to fight that
How nice of Mason to lend you his channel. Such a nice guy
🤣🤣🤣
Eli absolutely stole the show in this one. Geoff, as always, is freakin amazing. Cesar was channeling his inner warrior, and J. None....HOLY MOLY! I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE that Layne got some vocals in! I always seem to forget that he has such a beautiful voice because he is usually scrambling my brain with his beat boxing voodoo...but he really has such a clear, beautiful tone to his voice. We need more of Layne singing!
Layne is a treasure trove of surprises. I had no clue he played violin until Nothing Else Matters, blew my mind! He had a few solo parts in some of their Disney medleys, I agree that he def needs voice time in songs more often!
Agree. Each and every one of them showed off their amazing skills but Eli sacrificed his vocal cords to the rock gods. His sacrifice elevates his performance above and beyond, IMO.
Has anyone else noticed that in the description, where they're listing who sings which parts, the have the normal tenor, baritone, and bass, but for J. they simply call him "amazing" - I find that very appropriate.
They always do that for the featured artist - it’s fun to see what descriptions they come up with.
I love:
The toe-curling low bass notes Geoff has been sustaining in the last few videos, especially this one.
J None's surprise rap. At first it seemed weird to me, but it does oddly fit.
Caesar's unbelievable departure from his "sweet and innocent" voice...he's ready to rumble.
Eli's arm movements when he hits rock god stratosphere. He's literally exuding power rays from his chest and arms, weapons to smite us all!
This whole video makes this older woman want to get a battle ax and fight Gor glory!!!
Perfect song to listen to right before Dungeons & Dragons!
Don't you just love it when viking war horn geoff gives you the giggles? 😂 Also, Cesar is amazing in this one, love what he did here.
He gives _us_ the giggles; I'm pretty sure Geoff's voice would give his enemies the sh*ts from across the battlefield~🤣
C is growing up and into a lovely voice.
Mortius, your mention of honest reactions leads me to this point, the way you physically react to a moment in the performance is about as honest as you can get. Bodily movement without thought is the proof of that.
My take on the story is that J is the lookout watching for the boats to carry them to battle, while the others are at the tavern waiting for him to come tell them it's time to go. Reminiscing while they drink, of course. J arrives with the news of the boats, they head to the shore, and the rap and big ending are them going into berserker mode for battle. Either that, or the boats are the enemy coming to attack them, as they were expecting. Same berserker mode then applies. 😁 Been loving your reactions for a while now, probably should have started with that. 😁😁❤
My story was that J he’s staring across the water because he wants to return home. He’s been in the Navy, just the wrong one😂.
My take is that everyone died at the end of My Mother Told Me (except possibly J and hence why they turn their backs on the camera) and everyone is in Valhalla then J finally joins them and they're all watching a fleet of warriors on earth on their way to a battle while singing about Valhalla Calling them
I never realized how ridiculous a B0 looks on a staff 😂
Yeah, there really ought to be a clef for "bass clef but down an octave" (in the spirit of the tenor clef, which is treble but down an octave). It's silly to have an entire part that has to be notated entirely in ledger lines. Inconvenient.
Geoff holds that B0 until he starts singing his line after J stops.
Awesome reaction as always. Everyone did an amazing job, but Cesar brought out a whole new side of his voice
All of them were incredible, but I especially loved 'fierce Cesar'! He doesn't get a chance to show his power that often. And even Layne managed to add some grit to his usually sweet, mellow tone during his solo! Eli's verse a couple octaves over everyone else just awed. And of course, Geoff ... well, he Geoffed. Nuff said.
"Excuse me, Cesar, where did *that* come from?!" was my reaction, too. I think this is the first song where I heard grit and (solo) belting from him (He had an impressive belt in "Dream On," but he was harmonizing there). Layne, too,. has some unexpected grit in his sung line(s).
I thought the same - they all brought their inner rock god with them to record that!
Same here, all I could think was, maybe Eli is giving some grit tutelage, and if so, I am oh so here for it
You are always fun to watch when you are reacting to Voiceplay and Geoff.
I don't think you can describe what they do as lip-syncing, because they are almost always singing when they record the video. They may not go full throat, but to get the facials right, they have to be singing.
And I think you were disappointed in the ending before they actually got to the ending.
Congrats for not collapsing during cover!
I think this kind of lip-syncing pretty much always includes actually singing, even though that audio then isn't used.
Like for a definite recent example: when Tim Foust was recording his video clips for the Bass Gang's "Hooked on a Feeling" video, he absolutely was singing every time - I know because the Bass Gang commented on how good he sounded in the discarded audio from each of those video takes.
(plus I've always actually sung for real whenever I was recording video for an already-mixed song)
Also yeah agreed: I feel like Mortius made that whole crit because he couldn't imagine where else they could escalate to for the climax, and then they escalated in a way for which he very much was not prepared.
In classical music, what they do is called marking. (Still singing, but not full out)
Tbh, what might be the issue with the Odin's halls line is a combination of the camera angle, Eli's hand placement in that line of sight, and the vowel modification required in that range.
I think that the by far most common phrase from all reactors when JNone explodes is: I Was Not Expecting THAT!!
You didn't disappoint in your reaction 😂😂
Didn't see that with Eli. Maybe because he was singing so high? Eli - how did he hit those high notes? Wow! Not exactly sure what you are talking about there. Geoff - absolutely fantastic! His 16th notes give you goosebumps! Sounds like he's singing in the depths of the earth! J None! Rapping? Wow!!!! Layne's arrangement and his beat boxing - perfect. Cesar, he really is amazing! The way he was looking while he was singing! He brought his A game for this one. This is their best one yet! They are in a class of their own - they're the best acapella group out there! Thanks, Voiceplay! This was absolutely fantastic!!!
I've had Gavin (Miracle of Sound) in my ear for near a decade now and I'm so happy to see his work and covers of his work blowing up.
Akin to getting a Wierd Al parody: it's a step on the road of 'making it' and he definitely has earned it.
And it is so nice that he felt they did it so well. I can’t even imagine how he would feel if it wasn’t up to his standards. I don’t usually think of that because most covers are done on more famous songs - they are somehow less directly connected to the original composer. As if they’ve been released into the wild. Whereas this song feels more like his child as if it is more personal. I’m not sure I made sense with that?
Epic cover of an already epic song! Miracle of Sound commented to VP on their video that he thought this was the most creative version of his song that he'd heard and awarded them "10 raised alehorns out of 10" 😃
Cesar found his inner rock god in this. They all did. We know Eli and Geoff can find theirs any time but even J None and Layne had a bit of rock god rasp to their voices for this. Rocking, rapping Vikings - don't know how that works but it does.
Voiceplay doesn't lip sync. They always sing when they record. Just not as oomph as the recording of course but they want it to look real as possible.
That is kind of still lip syncing, because even if they’re really singing it’s still not the same sound as the studio recording… at least, that’s how I define it :)
lip syncing can supposedly also mean when you sing the song while filming but use the studio audio instead.
Peter goes off on this tangent in his reaction. He talks about Geoff singing along in the video is the first part, but you don't hear his voice. Then he talks about how even if they're singing along to a track during the video it's still lip syncing.
Very often Eli does these insane runs and hits the high notes like he's not even really trying. Like Fred Astair making it look easy, but it's all skill. So it doesn't bother me if he looks chill while he's blasting out radical notes.
Brilliant reaction! A lot of us certainly appreciate the honesty. It's always a pleasure to discuss the myriad of topics that are always brought to light in VoicePlay arrangements/videos !
This is the reaction I was waiting for. I seem to be the only person not surprised that Cesar pulled off the angry warrior persona. I have no doubt he could play any part they can imagine. But it has really been fun watching people react to that part of the song. This is one of my favorites. And I think this is the best lineup of VoicePlay ever.
He played the veteran persona in Halo, so I wasn't surprised.
I know he can do it, he just doesn't often get the chance to show his true power.
Can I just say that voice play arrangements are really fun to sing! They’re very diverse and it really gives your voice a workout. Their work is some of my favorite to sing
Maybe this is a welcome back for J.None - he starts out all by himself but hears the others calling him. He approaches the doors, goes through and joins the rest of the viking group.
Valhalla is Viking concept of heaven and attainable only if they die in battle. J None sings in the beginning that Valhalla is calling him. He attains Valhalla mid way thru the video when he enters the door and joins the group.
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Don't you love it?! But you missed Eli's F#4 at the final note!!!!! It was an amazing video and WONDERFUL reaction!
I could have sworn I heard him on a B5, unless that was just an overtone I was hearing...
It was B4 and F#5.
I knew you were going to love this song and video!! They out do themselves every time! I cannot stop watching this, it is amazing!! That first B0 Geoff hits lasts for 15 seconds!! Then Eli has become the Asgardian god of rock, Layne is a beatboxing god, Cesar has become a Berserker, and J None has shown us the rap indeed belongs in acapella! Great reaction Mortius!
I usually have a favorite for each video but there was NO way to choose this time! Layne's killer arrangement and percussion, Eli the rock god and all the tech work he did on this, Cesar channeling his inner warrior, J spittin' those bars and earthquake god Geoff and those THREE B0s, the first of which was sustained 15 seconds! VoicePlay+Viking=EPIC!
Goodness, it's always such a blessing to watch you melt over Voiceplay! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Great reaction and lovely to see a reactor not afraid to add their opinions on where something could be improved. I had one other criticism to make and that was J.None's entrance to the rest of the group mid-way through. It felt to me that they were building up and up to his walking through that door - they even silhouetted him white light - and then he walks in and just waves his arms around while joining in. I felt that was a bit of an anticlimax and they could have saved that move for his rap moment? Like 'here he comes, what an entrance, and - rap!' but instead, well, go back and watch it and maybe you'll see it. But I absolutely loved this and have been playing/singing it (badly) since it's release. Thanks Mortius. xx
You right. The entrance felt kind of randomly placed, but didn't detract. Could have really added though.
I like that Geoff raised his “glass” in salute to J, when he joined them. I didn’t notice it til I’d watched several replays.
Mortius biting his tongue while listening to Geoff low notes ❤❤❤ ... Now we have to worry about his tongue too 😂
From VoicePlay's main page.
LOW NOTE LIST:
0:08 - B1 Chest
0:14 - B1 Chest
0:16 - A1 Chest
0:21 - F#1 Subharmonics
0:25 - B0 Subharmonics
0:40 - B1's Chest
0:49 - A1 Chest
0:51 - F#1 Subharmonics | Solo
0:52 - B1's Chest
1:02 - A1 Chest
1:03 - B1 Chest
1:07 - A1 Chest
1:12 - G1 Chest
1:23 - G1 Chest
1:27 - B1 Chest
-CRAZY BASSLINE-
1:29 - B1 Chest
1:30 - G1 F#1 Subharmonics
1:32 - E1 Subharmonics
1:40 - B1's Chest
1:49 - F#1 Subharmonics
2:11 - G1 Chest
2:23 - G1 Chest
2:28 - B1 Chest
2:29 - G1 F#1 E1 Subharmonics
2:50 - B0 SUBHARMONICS
3:06 - A1 Chest | So juicy
3:17 - A1 Chest
3:27 - B1 Chest
3:28 - G1 F#1 E1 Subharmonics
3:54 - B0 SUBHARMONICS | Short one
This was awesome song done by VoicePlay. If you were able to notice Morteus that Geoff held that first note in beginning for somewhere round 15 seconds
Whooo! 🤘🏻I have been WAITING for this! In the name of all that is holy, please be sitting down for this video. Your knees can’t handle it. 😁🫶🏻
I have been waiting for this since the video came out yessss
Did you notice the "wolf" triplet right before te triplet you noticed? Cesar does it twice - he arcs his head back for it. I think J does it the other times.
I love that they have J staring out across the water in this. He’s been away and now he’s coming back where he belongs.
Layne did the arrangement and Eli the amazing backgrounds. It was filmed, not green screen, but at a studio with immense (Full wall!) led screens.
The makeup and a lot of the costuming is from MMTM. Among their tattoos are runes spelling out VoicePlay.
The music in the outro is the karaoke track. The background vocals and it could be a piece on its own because it’s also gorgeous.
Yes, Cesar is wearing the hooded robe that Jose Rosario was wearing in MMTM..!
I’ve been waiting for your reaction with baited breath.
Hehe, yeah, everyone's been loving sweet, cuddly Cesar unleashing his inner beast in this one! And Eli... oh my sweet lord, the rock-god that is Eli! And J.none rapping, and Layne's far-too-rarely-heard vocals as well as his brain-melting beatboxing - and of course the human thunderstorm that is Geoff... Voiceplay always outdo themselves with each new song they create, but... I don't know how they'd ever top this one. I'm pretty sure the universe would break if they tried!
And yeah, this video took twelve hours to film, in a studio where the air-con wasn't working, and they were all in thick furs and armour for the whole shoot (J.None's plane to Florida was also three hours late, so they had to film the first part without him, hence him being separate from the others in shots that Eli edited in later.) They stuck it out, being the dedicated guys they are, but I think we can forgive Eli and the others for their lip-syncing being a little less than 100% in some parts. 🙂
Now that you point out the strangeness when Eli says Odin halls, I see it too.
I was giggling along with you in parts! I love love love this. They are all at the top of their game ❤🏴
JNone's plane was a few hours late, so that might have influenced the filming? Also the AC wasn't working in the studio where they filmed. All the VP people went above and beyond expectations on this one! I knew Cesar was fierce, but now he's FIERCE too!
What you said about Cesar-RIGHT??? We knew he could be sweet and breathy, and that he could wail, but man he has some GRIT when he needs it-did NOT see that coming! Not sure why I didn’t. He’s amazing. If I had anything critical to say about Voiceplay it’s that they’re not taking full advantage of what he brings to the group. His solos are always way too short for my taste, and I wouldn’t care if they extended their songs to give him more (cuz their songs are always too short anyway).
Yo, Mason! LOL. Gotta say you’ve added another really fun dimension to this channel.
That bit with Eli-I think the problem there is “into Odin’s”. He has to make a break between the vowels at the end of into and beginning of Odin’s. It kind of threw off the rhythm for a hair of a second.
You’re right that triplet is not in the original, but then that whole dubstep/techno bit isn’t in the original (or at least it isn’t in the versions I’ve heard, but I haven’t heard the game version). That’s all Voiceplay.
You should listen to the version of the song in the patron credits. It’s a bit different and I really like it, too.
Great reaction, Mortius and Mason-you two (M&M) are a brilliant combo.
Yes - it’s the karaoke version, which makes hearing some of those higher harmonies easier. Less competition between them and the main voices.
Cesar appeared to be gazing right into Valhalla immediately after J.None's rap.
Did you notice that the guys had the same tattoos that they had in MMTM? Cesar gave homage to Jose Rosario, Jr. by wearing the same cloak.
I just want to say it kind of made me emotional when you said that you were excited to talk about this in the VP patron discord (which by now has already happened since I remember that conversation). I love talking in there every day when I can, that community is really just so welcoming and I always look forward to checking there every day. It just makes my day so much better. That community means so much to me and I am so glad to be a part of it. Also, I love that you are always honest in your reactions, to me that makes it so genuine, and even if I don't totally agree with you I can understand your perspective. Thanks for the great reaction as always friend💜
not sure if any comments has told you yet but geoff held that low note untill his first solo part so for about 15 seconds, hes not human!
Him and Freddie Mercury; I'm not _saying_ they're part Siren...but you're also gonna have a helluva time convincing me otherwise~!
Such a fun song, and so many great expressions/performance aspects you found in it too! I'm glad you're not afraid to point out areas for possible improvement as well, since it ultimately so our favorites can amaze us more next time. On the topic of pauses, I know some other analysis heavy channels rewind even further back after each pause to make sure to get the full build up to the next portion, though I bet that would make the anti-pause watchers even more frustrated.
In my opinion, the anti pause watchers should skip the analysis reactions. Lol
"I'm not going to make it to D&D on time!" Thank you for prioritizing this song (and that smoldering look from Ceasar). From one geek to another, shoutout to you for making the tough calls, lol 🎶😂💜🥰
Nothing much more appropriate before D&D than this! For me it's right there next to Dragonborn Comes and Geoff's Misty Mountains as music that gets me fired up to write for my own campaign.
Eli's rasp when he's that high felt unearthly, like a true spirit of Valhalla.
Layne's builds and drops were sensational, and he showed his inner viking with a bit of grit in his singing section.
Geoff's brain-melting b0s just feel like they go on forever... And then keep rattling around my skull when he's stopped singing.
J's rap was truly out of nowhere, it seems like they're bringing back a few old tricks recently as a like 'oh yeah, in case you forgot' what with the return of vioLayne from Warriors to Nothing Else Matters and now rap J from Superstitious to this and honestly I've been hoping we'd get another chance but he blew my expectations out of the water.
Cesar... I will never underestimate you again. I saw the viking theme and was a bit disappointed as I guessed that he'd have a bit of a back seat in this one, I'm so glad I was wrong.
They all looked stunning, sounded stunning... This was awesome.
Never noticed until now but that last valhala calling me bit gave me very much end of oogie boogie somg.
Regarding lip sync mismatch, I don’t see it here, possibly because it’s so dark, or because his hand is in the way, or because it’s not big enough in my phone screen. But there is a spot towards the end of “Hoist the Colors” where Cesar’s mouth and posture look way off from what they’re singing.
Eli's high notes during the "rock Eli" section are D5s. Plural. Every line resolved to a D5.
Thank you 😮
I thought I was crazy when I just had a feeling that the “Orin’s halls” bit showed the… visualization of that moment didn’t match idk, the audio magnitude of the voice.
Thought I was going crazy on my own lol
I agree, the eyeliner plus the looks he keeps giving the camera when he uses that deep voice. SWOON!
If you're diving into beatboxing, you should talk with Lolli at The Fairy Voice Mother. She recently started a journey into Acapella music, and was immediately hypnotized by the beatboxers and is taking a deep and very comprehensive dive into that talent. And, if you have never met her, she is an absolutely wonderful, magical human being, and one of the biggest human voice/music nerds out there - it would be fun to see you two do something together!
Surprised you didn't notice that J-None, Geoff, Eli and Layne were wearing the same make-up and outfits that they were wearing for My Mother Told Me, and that Cesar was wearing the same robe that Jose Rosario Jr. was wearing. But other than that, I loved this reaction, so many mind-blowing moments.
How have I missed the fact thet Mortius plays D&D? Also, I very much relate to your reactions to both Geoff and Cesar in this video. XD
"Can you DO that?!"
Yes. Yes he can.
It's Geoff.
Yeah, he's just casually holding a B0 subharmonic through the first line of the song before it gets to him. I mean why not. I look at it as mild persuasion for people to get real headphones. I knew you'd have a reaction to J.None doing that Rap section. If you'd told me that was going to be in the song before I heard it I might have been less enthused, but it flat out works with the theme and rhythm of the song. I hope they do more of that in the future.
Geoff’s low note was a sub B0
I was about to type "This is called contrary motion" since it is also one of my favorite effects, but I see Mason is on his game.
Cesar... God, I love that man. And Eli rocking out that high tenor is just awesome! Also, I believe that B0 is the lowest note Geoff has sung. He did it for "The Dragonborn Comes" and I think maybe in Halo, and he admitted he can only sing that first thing in the morning, when he can actually hit a B1 in order to drop into that subharmonic, and even then it can take him dozens of tries. When he hits that B0, my bones shake.
I've come to appreciate the thing VoicePlay have started doing at the end of their videos with the Patreon thanks. Instead of a normal sound clip of the same song or another of their songs, it's a sound clip of the same song, _but with the lead voice removed._ It highlights all the little details going on in the background that can be hard to distinguish in the full track.
I love when VoicePlay comes out with something new then checking out all of the reactions to it. The two channels I love most though are Peter Barber and Mortius. I absolutely knew your reactions were going to be legendary, they always are when it comes to VP. The one reaction I have loved most from all the channels has been Ceasar's grit moment, it's the best.
I am at work so I have to wait to watch your reaction, but I am super excited!!!
Eli's rock God and Ceasar's grit realllly got me in this one. I've listened at least 50 times.
I've been waiting for you to drop this 😂 you were never going to be ready for what they did with this song lol
I came back to rewatch this reaction, because it's so good. I'm going to make an obscure reference here...in this video, I love how Cesar and Geoff display the "Constantine Maroulis" method of keeping their bedroom eyes on the camera as they sing. Except they do much better.
Nice reaction/analysis as always, and well done Mason, as always too! I agree with you regarding the climax having already occurred, hence the rap including the end of that section was more climatic in my opinion. Still such a great cover, VoicePlay is amazing!!
So apparently I saw Good 4 U in a way very different from anyone else? Everyone's been so surprised by Cesar in this one. The tambre is definitely a cool new take. But lots of people seem surprised by Cesar's attitude and I'm just sitting here confused like did nobody clock that sassy fan game?
What can I say except, you're welcome. And thank you! This was so much fun. They did an amazing job with this one, and I loved watching your reaction to it. It really is just so delightful!
You missed the costumes and makeup--they're almost the same as the ones as they wore in "My Mother Told Me", except of course Cesar is wearing Jose Rosario Jr's cape and Geoff's breastplate and he needed different makeup than Jose. J None gets the wolf pelt this time. That bearskin of Geoff's must have been brutal to wear while filming without AC.
This song was an actual banger. From my mans hitting a B0 like it's not a big deal to Eli belting like a rockstar to JNONE dropping bars, this was quite an experience
Voiceplay has gone and broke Mortuis again. You're the greatest. Love you Mortuis.
Yay finally!
Geoff's low grumble vibrated in my bones. I love the visuals and the way the background keeps the energy going. Great reaction Mortius
I like your reactions a lot - you are like a child on christmas. So much joy and fascination ... please continue like that!
Been waiting for your reaction! Seen a couple dozen already. This one is 🔥!!
So fun to find your channel - what a glorious reaction - thank you
Your facial expressions were awesome, thanks for a very goofy reaction!
Great reaction as always, the real question though is did you make it ot DnD on time?
I did!!! :)
@@officialmortius Bet you were still stoked from the experience the whole game. I was grinning like an idiot for hours afterwards.
"I have D&D in 40 minutes".....better reschedule cause you're gonna be here for a while. 🤣
Dude. Did you walk into dnd and force them to listen to this? Because I would not have been able to resist doing that, if I had to walk straight from this into a friendly meeting 😄
Thank you for a lovely analysis and most relatable reaction🤣🤣🤣
I need your reactions to point out the things my ears don't quite catch enough for my brain to notice. You're a blessing to hearing-impaired people. Thank you.
Yes!!! Been waiting for your reaction Mortius. I love when you freak out, it's great ❤❤❤
When I was recording my reaction to this all I could think was Mortius, KAz and Sarah are never going to survive this one 🤣🤣
Neither has anyone else!
@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 Well that's true lol I'm still trying to process J rapping lol
@@richardlaundon that surprised the hell out of me too! But it does fit, as Norsemen (especially in Iceland) would have made poems -- on the spot -- extolling their prowess in battle.
"SNAP"......the sound of a 'Broken' Mortius.......J. None raps in their cover of Stevie Wonder's Superstition, with Omar Cardona.......both raps were written by the same person.......>^^
I loved how you couldn't handle J None rapping. I've been waiting for your reaction ever since the video came out on youtube.
You did not disappoint.
Not sure if you noticed but Geoff held the note until his time to sing.
I didn’t really notice any lip syncing oddities in this one, but since you brought it up…in their cover of In My Room, Layne makes a bunch of popping noises where he slaps his cheek. Near the end, you hear that same sound, but in the video he’s not doing the cheek slap. Doesn’t bother me at all, but I did notice it.
OMG Mortius! WTF took you so long??? We've been waiting for you!
I was just waiting to see your face when the rap hit, lol! BTW - Vikings would do a thing called Flyting, which was basically poetic rap battling. So the rap is actually a very Viking thing to do! I think #dj_410 had the best quote so far when he said "This is the literal definition of Bardic Inspiration. "
Fantastic review! What a great song. VoicePlay have done it again.
All of them were great in this one, but Eli and Cesar was so much in character to the point where I got a bit scared of them, I mean whatever battle they are going to I'm sure they are going to be successful. Also your reaction to J. None rapping was perfect ❤😃
In hindsight, this might not have been the best piece to listen to and analyze right before a D&D session, if only for the fact that VoicePlay and JNone have completely borked poor Mortius~🤣🤣🤣
12:34 me when Voiceplay releases a new video… but seriously, I loved this song, and am so glad I got to hear it. I’m not usually one to react with much movement or whatever, but this cover left me speechless, and I kept laughing waiting for Mortius’ responses to crazy parts
Great reaction to a wild VP song! Amazing harmonies, Layne sound affects and of course Geoff! You're right... They nailed it!
So glad to see your reaction Mortius on this video! It’s another amazing song from
VoicePlay. Glad to see Ceasar’s metal side and JNone’s return once again. 🔥🔥🔥
This was awesome watching you react to this one. Lots of Mortius breaking moments. Plus, if you bad been sitting in a chair you would have fallen out of it when J None started his rap. Keep doing what you do.
Awesome reaction and breakdown! Keep them coming. 😊