I always pictured when we go to Garlemald it would have this sort of "final fight" city theme…but seeing it in it's state and the music, all I feel is sadness for what has happened to it
So this theme is the same as the (really great) last song featured in the “Job Actions” trailer! Wonder if that song will be a dungeon theme, or possibly just the battle track for this zone?
I wouldn't have expected going to Garlemald to be a moment of horror and tragedy prior to Zenos killing Varis, but it sure seems like it will be now with this music, plus seemingly what's left of the civilians in the city being huddled up in Tertium because it's one of the very few parts of it that hasn't been reduced to ruin and isn't overrun with monsters, Voidsent, or machina from the civil war
I'm really loving this theme, it vibes extremely well with the somber Terncliffe theme. There, we had the traditional Garlean theme (dundundun dun dun, DUN DUN) done with extremely melancholy piano, representing how the tyranny of Garlemald has made this city a shell of what it once was. But this has no traditional "Garlean" motifs in it. All the tyranny has been stripped out, because we're in the heart of Garlemald and its capital – these people are supposedly the privileged ones, the people who never had to fear being invaded or suffering from the hands of conquerers, and yet they're suffering.
While Garlemald has obvious inspiration from Rome (and yes, if you want to make that connection, Nazi Germany as well), I've always seen it as more analogous to the Soviet Union. Having lived in a former Soviet country, the parallels with Ala Mhigo and Baelsar's Wall to East and West Germany and the Iron Curtain, the cultural repression and outright theft of national anthems to "sanitize" them of religious beliefs, and even the architecture (cold, stale, obviously built for practicality and quick construction instead of beauty) reminded me of the Soviet Union. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the Garlean citizenry has had to struggle and scrape to get by, being fed nationalistic propaganda about how they deserve to take over the world, yet never actually getting to see it. While avoiding most of the horror of people in Othard and Ala Mhigo, they're victims of the system themselves, because they're just fuel for the war machine that is Garlemald – and now their home is gone. It's all finally blown up in their faces.
Garlemald as a nation is a terrible force for evil, led basically by tyrants and set up by an Ascian who used the plight of a people as propaganda to take over the world to make more umbral calamities. But the Garlean people, the common folk who had no choice or say in where they were born and who were pressed into the system, who don't have the resources or the knowledge to seek out anything better, are victims.
Someone also pointed out the "We Fall" motif in the soundtrack, and that's absolutely gorgeous and chilling at the same time. It fits perfectly.
This feels like a corruption of the main Shadowbringers piano motif. Considering that Garlemald is the heart of the chaos where Fandaniel and Zenos await, and that both clearly align towards darkness, a fitting parallel then.
This makes me think of the Nibelheim theme in Crisis Core
Are we the baddies?
this is such a beautiful theme ;; good god
are you gonna try to find garlemald night?
Definitely a different feel. Actually has similar theming to Terncliff imo (for good reason I suppose).
I always pictured when we go to Garlemald it would have this sort of "final fight" city theme…but seeing it in it's state and the music, all I feel is sadness for what has happened to it
Thank you ;))
You're doing amazing job mixing these. Respect!
Omg the ending notes. All of these themes already are hitting me with so many emotions
Absolutely insane Chrono Cross vibes from this, specifically the Dead Sea theme. Holy shit we’re in for one hell of an OST with this expansion.
I'm getting Palace of the Dead vibes
Some ffxi promivion vibes with the background insturments
Honestly gives me Midgard vibes
So this theme is the same as the (really great) last song featured in the “Job Actions” trailer! Wonder if that song will be a dungeon theme, or possibly just the battle track for this zone?
kinda reminds me of mechonis field from xenoblade chronicles
Hey, whoa… I heard the shadowbringers motif "We Fall" in there… which is incredibly fitting.
Kinda reminds me of FF's usual "End of the World" or "Ruined World" themes.
Then again, knowing the context from announcement previews one could say that.
Bro this song is actually breaking my headphones with that bass holy lmfao
I wouldn't have expected going to Garlemald to be a moment of horror and tragedy prior to Zenos killing Varis, but it sure seems like it will be now with this music, plus seemingly what's left of the civilians in the city being huddled up in Tertium because it's one of the very few parts of it that hasn't been reduced to ruin and isn't overrun with monsters, Voidsent, or machina from the civil war
Sad as hell.
But on the bright side, I wonder if we'll be able to get a Garlean car as a mount at some point during this expansion.
I'm actually getting heavy Shenmue vibes from this, from the Kowloon areas, which was also a massive run down broken city with broken people.
There's a Premonition vibe coming from this soundtrack.
I'm really loving this theme, it vibes extremely well with the somber Terncliffe theme. There, we had the traditional Garlean theme (dundundun dun dun, DUN DUN) done with extremely melancholy piano, representing how the tyranny of Garlemald has made this city a shell of what it once was. But this has no traditional "Garlean" motifs in it. All the tyranny has been stripped out, because we're in the heart of Garlemald and its capital – these people are supposedly the privileged ones, the people who never had to fear being invaded or suffering from the hands of conquerers, and yet they're suffering.
While Garlemald has obvious inspiration from Rome (and yes, if you want to make that connection, Nazi Germany as well), I've always seen it as more analogous to the Soviet Union. Having lived in a former Soviet country, the parallels with Ala Mhigo and Baelsar's Wall to East and West Germany and the Iron Curtain, the cultural repression and outright theft of national anthems to "sanitize" them of religious beliefs, and even the architecture (cold, stale, obviously built for practicality and quick construction instead of beauty) reminded me of the Soviet Union. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the Garlean citizenry has had to struggle and scrape to get by, being fed nationalistic propaganda about how they deserve to take over the world, yet never actually getting to see it. While avoiding most of the horror of people in Othard and Ala Mhigo, they're victims of the system themselves, because they're just fuel for the war machine that is Garlemald – and now their home is gone. It's all finally blown up in their faces.
Garlemald as a nation is a terrible force for evil, led basically by tyrants and set up by an Ascian who used the plight of a people as propaganda to take over the world to make more umbral calamities. But the Garlean people, the common folk who had no choice or say in where they were born and who were pressed into the system, who don't have the resources or the knowledge to seek out anything better, are victims.
Someone also pointed out the "We Fall" motif in the soundtrack, and that's absolutely gorgeous and chilling at the same time. It fits perfectly.
This feels like a corruption of the main Shadowbringers piano motif. Considering that Garlemald is the heart of the chaos where Fandaniel and Zenos await, and that both clearly align towards darkness, a fitting parallel then.
This was fantastic.. One of my favorite tracks so far.. Where is garlemald night?
Chrono Cross Dead sea vibes with a hint of Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits.
Very very nice. I plan to idle here often.
Sorta reminds me of ffx bikanel desert? Am I weird?
I think maybe it's the stringed instruments, but this is giving me "Garlean Castrum theme" vibes.
Haunting and emotional ♡♡