Battle Bards – Details, episodes & analysis

It's been a very long while, but the Battle Bards haven't fully abandoned you -- at least not without a goodbye! In the grand final episode of the show, Steff, Syl, and Syp gather together one last time to share memories of the show, the reason behind the decision to end it, and a few of our favorite MMO music tracks. Enjoy -- and from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for listening these past 12 years. We had a blast doing it.

Episode 234 show notes

• Songs featured in this episode:
• "Hamlets of Aquilonia" from Age of Conan
• "Silus Mountain" from Aion
• "Fly into the Sky" from Blade & Soul
• "Freedom Theme" from City of Heroes
• "Hills of the Shire" from Lord of the Rings Online
• "Townston Theme" from Dungeon Runners
• "Below the Asteroids" from EVE Online
• "Main Theme" from EverQuest II
• "The Republic of Bastok" from Final Fantasy XI
• "Tidecaller" from League of Legends
• "Home Sweet Home" from RuneScape
• "Alsalvara Light" from Lime Odyssey
• "Island Village" from Lineage II
• "Silverwood" from RIFT
• "Invincible" from World of Warcraft
• "Traveling Tale" from Runes of Magic
• "A Golden Field" from WildStar
• "Lana, The Advisor" from Star Wars: The Old Republic
• "World Map 2" from The Sims Online
• "Stones" from Ultima Online
• "Seascape" from Anarchy Online
• "Townlife" from Ultima X Odyssey
• "Bamboo Forest" from Vanguard
• Outro (feat. "Elwynn Forest" from World of Warcraft)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

For Battle Bards' penultimate episode, Syp and Syl explore some EPIC battle music across many MMOs. After all, if we're going to go out in style, that style's going to be loud enough to blast a hole in your eardrums! We also learn that nobody likes the Flute Guy.

Episode 233 show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Epic Raid Boss 4" from DCUO, "Mission Battle" from CABAL Online, and "Boss Fight 1" from Kritika Online)
• "Flame Incursion" from World of Warcraft
• "Battle Theme 4" from Atlantica Online
• "Battle on the Breachmaker" from Guild Wars 2
• "Abyss Battle" from Aion
• "The Copied Factory Boss Theme" from FFXIV
• "Enemy Territory" from WildStar
• Which one did we like best?
• Jukebox Picks: "The Blue Hole" from Dave the Diver and "A Verdant Wind Blows Day" from Octopath Traveler II
• Outro (feat. "Nasod-King Boss" from Elsword Online)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

It's been an almost egregiously long time since the Battle Bards turned their attention to the EverQuest II soundtrack -- but now that wait is over. Join Syp and Syl as they comb through the expansions for all sorts of delightful musical morsels to enjoy!

Episode 224 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Landing Zone," and "Darkpaw")

• "Artisan Theme"

• "Qeynos Rises"

• "Stonewood"

• "Dreadcutter"

• "Visions of Vetrovia"

• "Enchanted Lands"

• Which one did we like best?

• Listener notes: Zinn

• Jukebox Picks: "Big Apple 3PM" from TMNT Shredder's Revenge and "A New Land Awaits" from Going Medieval

• Outro (feat. "Gnomeland Security Headquarters")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• This podcast is produced using copyrighted material according to Fair Use practices as stated under Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act.

It has been a good long while since the Battle Bards walked the road that led them from the Shire to Mordor, but now they're back in Lord of the Rings Online -- and they have a lot of positive things to say about this beloved soundtrack. If the word "quaint" can ever be used as a recommendation for a score, it has to be done so here! Tune in as these three Minstrels share a few favorite tracks you may not have heard before.

Episode 139 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Let Us Sing Together," "Rivendell," and "Urgent Errands")
• "Coronation of Aragorn"
• "Mug in Your Hand"
• "Brigand's Tale"
• "Night in the Shire"
• "Malthellam, the Steward of the Vale"
• "Tavern Lore"
• "Cape of Belfalas Housing"
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener mail from Hamblepants and Jaedia
• Jukebox picks: "Chicken Illuminati HQ" from Guacamelee 2, "Menu Music" from Kingdom Hearts 3, and "Towergrounds" from Forgotton Anne
• Outro (feat. "Battle of Pelennor Fields Final Victory")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• Special nod to Video Game Music for his excellent repository of MMO soundtracks!

Boy howdy, is it time for another highfalutin Battle Bards episode? Shucks, looks like! In this week's show, the trio saddle up for a ride through the tumbleweeds and mesas of western MMO tunes. It may be slim pickins, but the pickins are actually pretty good!

Episode 138 show notes (show page, direct download)

• Intro (feat. "Renewal" from Fallen Earth, "Ashe" from Overwatch, and "Crimson Hills" from Aion)
• "Calm Guitar" from Crossout
• "Thermock Hold" from WildStar
• "Way Out West" from LEGO Worlds
• "Main Theme" from Wild West Online
• "Eyes of Ice" from Aion
• "Cool Ranch Tumbleweed Explorer" from Pirate101
• "Main Theme" from Dino Storm
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener mail from Katriana and PanagiotisLial
• Jukebox picks: "Legend of the Eagle Bearer" from Assassin's Creed Odyssey, "Into the Wilderness" from Wild Arms, and "Escape" from Return of Obra Dinn
• Outro (feat. "Antique Cowboy" from Ragnarok Online)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• Special nod to Video Game Music for his excellent repository of MMO soundtracks!

The Amiga series of computers is renowned for its amazing sound -- and the terrific scores that video game composers were able to wrangle. In this episode of Retro Reprise, Syl joins Syp for a look and listen back at this machine and the tunes that carry on its legacy!

Show notes 

• Intro (feat. "Space Ninja" from Lotus 3)
• "Theme" from Deflektor
• "Ending" from Fuzzball
• "Hymn to Aurora" from Horace Wimp
• "Theme" from The Humans
• "Theme" from The Carl Lewis Challenge
• Outro (feat. "Theme" from Hero Quest)

What's your hero's theme? If you play League of Legends, you know the answer to that already, because every hero in that game has his, her, or its own musical motif, from the dour to the delightful. In this episode of Battle Bards, the crew turns to this popular MOBA to see what heroic themes are pure ear candy.

Episode 137 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Elementalist Lux," "Odyssey Login," and "Snowdown 2018")
• "Irelia"
• "Arcade Ahri"
• "Dragon Trainer Tristana"
• "Kindred"
• "Lulu"
• "Tahm Kench"
• "Braum"
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener mail from Mika, Thomas, and Katriana
• Jukebox picks: "Warsongs: Silver Scrapes (ProtoShredanoid Remix)" from League of Legends, "Can't Wait Until Night" from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and "Stars at Our Backs" from Monster Hunter World
• Outro ("Jinx, the Loose Cannon")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• Special nod to Video Game Music for his excellent repository of MMO soundtracks!

Ever feel like the Battle Bards have covered every MMO soundtrack in existence? It's actually far from true, and today's episode is Exhibit A to prove it. The team looks at seven online RPGs that have never had a single track featured on a Battle Bards show -- and it's a fun discovery process! So settle back as we roll out 100% debuts!

Episode 136 show notes

• Intro (feat. "Terminus" from Pantheon and "Main Theme" from Otherland)
• "A Harsh Winter Fell" from Camelot Unchained
• "Intro Theme" from Rising Force Online
• "Aman's Theme" from Lost Ark
• "Outdoors" from The 4th Coming
• "Sea of Hakanas" from Riders of Icarus
• "East Sea Plain (night)" from Dream of Mirror Online
• "The Magic Shop" from PlaneShift
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener mail from Mika, Theldos, Myre_Test, Mike, and Raphael
• Jukebox picks: "Sea Theme" from Heroes of Might and Magic IV, "Dog" from MineCraft, and "Cave" from Blue Dragon
• Outro ("Lorencia" from Mu Online)

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• Special nod to Video Game Music for his excellent repository of MMO soundtracks!

It's Battle Bards vs. Battle for Azeroth -- and only one victor will come out of this alive! Actually, the podcast trio is delighted to have another World of Warcraft expansion to explore and investigate. Will it be destined to obscurity as this x-pack apparently will be, or does the score rise above and beyond Blizzard's design flaws? Find out in today's show!

Episode 135 show notes

• Intro (feat. "The Grand Bazaar," "Drustvar," and "Freehold")
• "Pride of the Seas"
• "Crimson Forest"
• "Might of the Zandalar"
• "Zuldazar Zandalari Lament"
• "The Motherlode Dungeon"
• "Time and Tide"
• "Tiragarde Sound Tavern (Night)"
• Which one did we like best?
• Listener mail from Pedro Macedo Camacho (Composer, Star Citizen), Katriana, and
  Jinxed Thoughts
• Jukebox picks: "Pallet Town" from Pokémon Let's Go, "Hunting Path" from Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and "Another Voyage" from Chrono Cross
• Outro ("Dive Bar C")

• Talk to the Battle Bards on Twitter!
• Follow Battle Bards on iTunes, Stitcher, Player.FM, Google Play, iHeartRadio, and Pocket Casts!
• Special nod to Video Game Music for his excellent repository of MMO soundtracks!

On this episode of Retro Reprise, Syl drags Syp back to her childhood playing on the Atari ST -- and the tunes that made this machine so memorable. Do these tracks withstand the test of time? Find out -- if you dare!

Show notes

• Intro
• "Theme" from Wizball
• "Theme" from Toki
• "In-Game Music" from Bubble Bobble
• "Theme" from Wonderboy in Monsterland
• "Theme" from Mousetrap
• "Theme" from Xenon 2: Megablast
• "Theme" from Bard's Tale
• Outro