There’s no stopping Vylet, is there? Track 14 from her album Love Letters: Colourless as well as the title track, it’s an emotional instrumental piece. Consisting of just a piano and the sounds of rain, it perfectly accents the diary entry included with the album, describing Rainbow Dash’s feelings for Rarity as she listens to a piece of music entitled Mistress, said to be written by the latter (though in reality was written by Vylet, and appeared on the Love Letters album). Sometimes you don’t need words to get your message across.
Author: blackenedbluemlp
[P@D] Suskii – Summon the Shadows | Metalcore
Track 8 on the freshly-released Ponies at Dawn: Eternal, and it’s about the Pony of Shadows. This one in particular was made by… Wait, Suskii? If you know the name by now, you’d probably come to expect some hard-hitting dubstep. Instead, he’s brought us some brutal metalcore, a crazy yet welcome change of pace. Suskii’s vocals switch between harsh screams and strong, harmonious clean singing seamlessly. Of course, no metalcore is complete without a breakdown, and this one’s heavy as can be, filled to the brim with low-tuned guitars, descending dissonant synths and raw guttural screams. I’m really liking the new Suskii sound!
[P@D] Francis Vace – Silent (feat. PegasYs) | Ska Punk
The last of the Eternal pre-releases, and it’s a good one! Francis Vace teams up with his usual ska punk fare, with PegasYs joining him on vocals this time. While all the familiar elements of ska punk are recognisable in his sound, the track is laced with 8-bit sounding synths to complete the piece. With great references to Autumn Blaze and her all too familiar song that needs no introduction, this is a piece you can’t pass up. Eternal releases on October 6th!
Rarity Advocate – Blossomforth | Soft Rock
After their piece about Rarity, Rarity Advocate’s back with another tribute to the background pony Blossomforth, and this one is much different! This track is a rather stripped down number, consisting of a guitar and bass, plus what sounds like a melodic bell. A clean guitar riff reminiscent of a midwest emo song from the 90s is the most prominent element and carries the song right up to the end. Ponies like Blossomforth need more love!
Valesi – Winter Village | Piano Solo
It seems more and more fandom musicians have been returning from long breaks these days. This time it’s Valesi, who’s just uploaded a soft piano track inspired by an Equestrian winter. Their first upload in three years as well as their first MLP-related track since 2015 (!!!), it comprises of a solo piano that cycles through a handful of motifs that all seem to give off the feeling of walking through a cold, yet homely path. It’s amazing what you can do with just a piano to carry a tune.
Koa – Broken Wings (PonyFireStone Remix) | Dubstep
PonyFireStone has returned to the pony music scene with this brilliant remix of Koa‘s Broken Wings, their first MLP related track in 3 years. This track starts out with intense dark ambient synths before slowly kicking into the meat and potatoes of the song; Koa’s amazing voice alongside a newer and heavier instrumental with elements of drum n’ bass and dubstep. The colours give us life, and so does this song!
Forest Rain – The End of the World | Punk Rock
Forest Rain has just put out her second album of the year: a 12 track concept album about an apocalyptic war breaking out in Equestria. It starts out with an eerie spoken word intro featuring the voice of actor Reagan Murdock followed by a dark organ melody along with the voice of a female leader addressing the nation to stay calm before the haunting sound of countless screams can be heard, which is then followed up with the first full track, The Fight. It’s a fast-paced punk rock track coupled with orchestral strings and bells along with Forest’s powerful vocals and amazing guitar work to set the mood for the entire album.
For the first half of the album, the album charges forward relentlessly with uptempo rock tracks with soaring choruses and the occasional guest spot; Borders Fall features guest vocals from Wubcake, Steel Chords and Cyril the Wolf to add character and freshen things up some, and We Stand features Whirlwind, performing live drums. The album’s halfway point – The War – brings things down quite a notch in intensity, turning somber as if to represent the dystopian aftermath of Equestria after the war. Following this track is Beacon in the Dark, one of the more unexpected tracks on the album. It has a more electronic backing, and also showcases Forest rapping with ferocity in each verse.
Overall, this album as a cohesive whole is undeniably excellent and powerful, and tells the story presented with precision. Standout tracks are The Fight, The Battle, We Stand, Beacon in the Dark and In Memoriam, but for the best experience, I highly recommend you listen from beginning to end. The album is fresh off the presses on Bandcamp, and also currently has a limited run of jewelcase CDs, so get them while they’re hot!
[ASOS] Night Blaze – Elements of Symphony | Orchestra
Night Blaze returns with their contribution to ASOS: Waffle – track 38 and the album’s closing track – Elements of Symphony. It’s an orchestral number that feels hopeful, steady and calming. While there’s only a small ensemble of a piano, strings and the odd percussion, the track feels full and beautiful. An absolutely wonderful way to close off an already brilliant album!
UndreamedPanic – Stratosphere VIP (feat. Metajoker) | Progressive House
Remember this one? Well, it’s back, and this time with a brand new coat of paint with a little help from Metajoker. While it contains all the familiar elements from the original such as the bouncy house melodies and MLP vocal chops, it also adds new vocals and lyrics from Metajoker that suit the music perfectly. Amazing work from this duo!
Nyancat380 – Afterparty | Deathstep
Nyancat380 knows their stuff when it comes to atmosphere. We’ve got ourselves a unique blend of genres with this track, which is also track 12 and the last on their newly released album Fokin’ Days. It starts out with a creepy sounding music box intro before quickly transitioning into a heavy rock instrumental reminiscent of System of a Down, which is then followed by a quick trap breakdown and then the dubstep. A unique combination, that’s for sure, but it all comes together well in this brilliant deathstep number.
Horse Music Herald 