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Final Fantasy VI is the property of Square Enix. 

Hey folks, finally back with a new VGM cover as always. Once again I’ve picked another song from Final Fantasy VI, one of my favourite games. Decisive Battle is such an iconic tune and would make for an excellent speed metal cover to kickstart the new year on this channel (quite late I know lol), and so here is my rendition of the FFVI boss battle theme.

There were some subtle changes I made from the original version. I played the bass part an octave lower so that it gels with the rhythm guitar and doesn't get lost in the mix, making the distorted rhythm guitars more pronounced in the arrangement to count it as a metal cover, tweaking the drum parts throughout the song, and having the lead & harmony guitar play the click organ parts. As well as that I included a mini guitar solo too.

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 

Equipment Used:

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Strings: Yamaha PSR-275 
Acoustic Guitar: Eastwood Dreadnought Acoustic (Recorded via 
Tourtech VM50 Microphone & sE DM1 Pre-amp)
Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

MetalLegend64's VGM Covers

Final Fantasy VI - Decisive Battle (Symphonic Speed Metal Cover)

Battletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is the property of Tradewest, Rare and Nintendo. 

Hey guys, back with another VGM covers as always. Today I’ve done a Hard Rock cover (think AC/DC or ZZ Top) of the Title theme from the Battletoads & Double Dragon game. The cover is based more on the Sega Megadrive/Genesis version as it is my preferred version. 

For the most part I made sure to stay faithful to the original style of the track, even going far as to recreate the arpeggiator sfx that is present in the Genesis version (I achieved this by setting the synth setting to arpeggiator, at 16th notes, and then adding an autopan effect at semiquavers/16th note). However for creativities sake I did incorporate the air choir featured in the SNES version into this version, as well as copying a section from that version into my cover (that section being at 1:25). 

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
AirChoir: Yamaha PSR-275 
Arpegiator Synth: Ultra Analogue Synth 2
Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

BattleToads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team - Title Theme (Hard Rock Cover)

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble is the property of Nintendo ltd.

Hey guys, back with another VGM cover. I’ve done another Donkey Kong Country cover as it has been a while since I last did one. However this time round I picked a song from the third game. Although I consider the DKC2 OST to be my favourite out of the original trilogy there are some underated gems of songs from this game, this track being one of them. 

I changed the arrangement of the intro to give more atmosphere and to allow it build up into an epic tune. I also added in an original piece around 2:31 for some variation. On top of that I included some industrial sound effects throughout the cover as an embellishment

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Bass Synth: Ultra Analogue Synth 2 VST
Strings & Choral: Yamaha PSR-275 
Rhythm Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony 
Lead Guitar: Ibanez GRG270B
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

Donkey Kong Country 3 - Nuts & Bolts (Industrial Metal Cover)

CastleVania is the property of Konami. 

Hi guys. Been a few months since I’ve uploaded a video, let alone a VGM cover. As always I’ve been with real life stuff. But this past week I’ve had a bit more free time off in which I put together this sort of impromptu cover of Wicked Child, from the first Castlevania game. 

Happy Halloween!

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 


Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Acoustic Guitar: Eastwood Dreadnought Acoustic (Recorded via Tourtech VM50 Microphone & sE DM1 Pre-amp)
Guitar: Burny RSG ‘63
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

Castlevania - Wicked Child (Speed Metal Cover)

Earthbound/Mother 2 is the property of HAL Laboratory & Nintendo ltd.

Hey guys, here is my belated Christmas/Winter themed VGM cover for this year. Originally I intended to have this uploaded during the Christams week but underestimated how long it would take to complete the cover, and as I was away the Christmas weekend I had to postpone it to this week instead. Still, we are  in the winter season right? 

It’s been a while since I’ve covered an earthbound song (my last being the Onett theme from years ago) so that was another reason why I chose to cover this theme. Also, it’s a song in a different genre o what I usually do on this channel. 

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers and original material. 


Equipment Used:

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Sleigh Bells: Miscellania II VST 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: Ronald Passion Bass Preamp V.1 VST
Electric Piano: HalionOne VST
Organ: Yamaha PSR-275 
Synth Clarinet: Ultra Analogue Synth 2 VST
Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony 
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

Earthbound/Mother 2 - Winters White (Ballad Cover)

Show me your moves! Falcon quotes aside, here is an F-Zero cover I did recently. I wanted to do a more synth orientated cover for my next VGM cover and so I ended up picking “Silence”, from the first F-Zero game on the SNES. It was also a case of me really wanting to do an F-Zero cover as it’s one of my favourite gaming franchises. Whilst GX is my favourite game in the series, I really dig this song and thought it would make for an interesting rendition. 

I’m very proud of the outcome of this cover. The sounds I got out of the keyboard were perfect and set up a nice sci-fi synth vibe. I also managed to play the bass part with fingers competently, considering I am still a novice on bass, especially when playing with fingers. And I’m very pleased with how the trumpet section in the original track translates nicely onto guitars, as well as the rhythm guitar I wrote for this rendition. As I am still learning about mixing I also believe I did a decent job with the mixing, doing the best I could with what I knew and what I had. 

Hope you like my cover and stay tuned for more VGM covers in future.

F-Zero is the property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. 

Equipment used:

Interface: Lexicon Alpha USB
DAW: Cubase LE 5
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 (Drumming assembled in drum editor)
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder VST
Keyboard: Yamaha PSR-200
Rhythm & Lead Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Harmony Guitars: Ibanez GRG270B
Guitar amp sim: Peavey Revalver HPse

F-Zero - Silence (Synth/Metal Cover)

Here we gooo!! I'm back with another VGM cover. Being that it's that time of year agan, I thought I would do a more winter/snowy themed VGM cover. Also, there is a winter themed competition underway over at the VG Covers subbreddit (link is here:https://www.reddit.com/r/VGCovers/comments/5ft6vn/twist_a_song_cover_contest_results_december/) and so this is my entry for it.

To emphasize the Christmas vibe I included some jingle bells and tubular bells, as they are the standard instruments of choice for any Christmas tune. Originally the genre I was going to generally approach this tune with was in a 50's rock n roll style, like Bobby Helms' "Jingle Bells rock" or Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree". I started working on it but in my opinion didn't sound as good as the aforementioned Christmas songs. Another quintessential formula of a Christmas song is accapella or BV's. Singing is not one of my strongest skills as a musician, not to mention I'm still not adept enough at acoustic recording to conduct recording vocals in the first place. So in the end I just stuck with what I usually do, Hard Rock/Metal covers.

The whole process of making this recording was very easy and hassle-free compared to my previous uploads. I'm very pleased with the mixing and mastering I have attempted.

Hope you enjoy this cover. Merry Christmas and stay tuned for more covers in future. 

Super Mario 64 is the property of Shigeru Miyamoto and Nintendo. 

Equipment used:

Interface: Lexicon Alpha USB
DAW: Cubase LE 5
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Jingle Bass: Miscellania II Bells & Chimes VST
*Tubular Bells: GeneralUser GS Musecore v1.442 soundfont
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder VST
Strings: Yamaha PSR-200 
Guitars: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Guitar amp sim: Peavey Revalver HPse

*Tubular bells were programmed on Musecore, exported as a wave file then then imported onto the Cubase project.

Super Mario 64 - Cool, Cool Mountain (Christmas Metal Cover)

Day 6 - Minty Fresh Snow

Synth cover of aquatic ambience from Donkey Kong Country. My favorite game soundtrack. Sometime I put on the SNES and just let it sit in this level. I used the microbrute, microkorg, behringer model d (only for withe noise) and volca keys.

Donkey Kong - Aquatic Ambience (Synth cover)

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Pokemon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum - Eterna City(Solo Piano)

s3xmoditminia entry - Round 1
arena.sincx.xyz/battle.php?id=23

dj-jamster-PSYCHIQ - GOOD FEEL (LIVE @ THE METAL TANK 2000/07/07 (RARE EXTENDED MIX)).mp3

Final Fantasy VI is the property of Square Enix.

Hey guys, back with another VGM cover, and a new FFVI cover too. Final Fantasy VI has an awesome soundtrack so I decided to pick another song from the game to do a cover of, and I will no doubt be doing much more FFVI covers in future.

I picked “Troops March On” as it is an easy song to learn and play, so it wasn’t too taxing on my daily schedule to put this cover together now that I’m back at work. The changes I have made as you would expect being a metal cover are the addition of a full drum kit and distorted guitars. I tuned the bass and guitars down to Drop C for a heavier sound. I have the guitars imitate the bass part and cover the French horn parts. Rather than throw in a guitar solo in the middle of the song like I usually do with my covers, I decided to run another iteration of the theme but have the dynamics drop so it sounds more like the original, with the strings, trumpet, snare drum and timpani, then have it slowly build back up to full metal band again. 

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Strings, Timpani and Trumpet: Yamaha PSR-275 
Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony 
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

Final Fantasy VI - Troops March On (Symphonic Metal Cover)

Doom is the property of id Software.

Hello again. Back with another VGM cover as always, and another Doom cover. This time I did a cover of Kitchen Ace. It’s a very straight forward song to play, although the rhythm can be a bit challenging at first. Like my previous Doom cover I haven’t changed the arrangement of this song, except made some subtle changes to how the drums and guitars play their part. I also threw in a guitar solo at the beginning and a Wah pedal on the lead guitar on some parts for some originality. 


I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more VGM covers in future. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Guitar: Ibanez GRG-270B
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player 
Wah Pedal: Jim Dunlop GCB95 Cry Baby Mini Wah

Doom - Kitchen Ace (And Taking Names) [E1M4] (Groove Metal Cover)

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest is the property of Konami.

Hey folks, here is my new Castlevania cover. And of course I chose Bloody Tears because it’s an awesome theme and thought it would make an excellent classic metal cover. Originally I was going to try and put this together for Halloween but postponed it for the following reasons: A. I wasn't able to play it perfectly by then and B. I have had technical difficulties recently with my Ibanez, which was the guitar I wanted to use with this cover. I temporarily fixed in the past week, but I still think the guitar needs a proper upgrade with electronics being that it’s 13 years old and some of the components are starting to deteriorate as you would expect. 

Because the original theme is quite short and repetitive, I recycled many sections of the original and re-harmonised them, those sections being the intro and the main melody. I arranged these new bits to be in the middle of the cover so when the first iterations have been played just like the original there is some variation to the structure but is still recognisable so as to not through listeners off. Originally I had planned to compose a little original peace for the middle 8 but when reviewing it it sounded too different to the main theme, so I scrapped the idea and went with recycling the main theme instead.

Overall I am very proud of what I have put together for this cover and look forward to sharing it with you guys.

I hope you enjoy and stay tuned for more VGM covers in future. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Guitar: Ibanez GRG-270B
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player 
Pitch Shift Effect for Intro: Boss MD:200 (Overtone Effect)
Organ: Church Organ VST

Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Bloody Tears (Classic Metal Cover)

Goldeneye 007 N64 is the property of Rare ltd. and Nintendo. 

Hey guys, back with another VGM cover as always, and this time, I put on the faux tuxedo and covered another song from the Goldeneye N64 game, my first in a couple of years (my previous being the Dam theme from 3 years ago)

The silo theme is another favourite song of mine from the game which I wanted to do a cover of. It was also an easy tune to learn and put together relatively quickly. I didn’t bother changing the structure of the main song,  only combining the main theme and the escape theme. The biggest change I’ve made is the addition of distorted rhythm guitars and subtle changes to how the drums are played in some parts. In regards to the genre I aimed for with this cover I went with an Industrial Metal cover sound. The genre closely resembles the style of the original version and listening to the finished product of my cover it bears some resemblance to notable Industrial Metal bands like Rammstein and Fear Factory, with it’s use of drop tunings, synthesizers. 

I hope you enjoy this video and stay tuned for more VGM covers. 

Equipment Used: 

Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Interface 
DAW: Cubase LE 5 
Drums: MT PowerDrumKit 2 
Bass: Ibanez GSR180-BK 
Bass amp sim: AudioAssualt Bassgrinder 
Synth: Ultra Analogue Synth 2 VST
Strings: Yamaha PSR-275 
Orchestra Hits: Anarcho Soundfont sf2
Guitar: Epiphone Les Paul Standard Ebony 
Guitar amp sim: Guitar Rig 5 Player

Goldeneye 007 - Soviet Missile Silo (Industrial Metal Cover)

a little bit of everything  including  Christmas  music 

F-Zero - Silence (Synth/Metal Cover)

MetalLegend64

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