Lock em in now for bragging rights later! Here's mine:

1. Opening ~ Bombing Mission (FF7) At least I know I'll get one right! :D I bet it'll be the first track, too.
2. Fight 2 (FF4) There's gotta be at least one FF4 song on here due to FF4DS, and this is the one to do.
3. Battle 2 (FF3)
4. The Fierce Battle (FF5) FFV has gotten one measly track out of two albums so far, so I think this is its chance to shine.
5. The Decisive Battle (FF5)
6. Those Who Fight (FF7) Only one FF7 battle theme left to do! Might as well finish 'er off.
7. Balamb Garden (FF8) Sure, call me crazy. But listen to the background of the TBM2 promo interview video and you can hear an arrangement of this.
8. The Extreme (FF8)
9. The Messenger of Ruin (FF9)
10. Final Battle (FF9)
11. Golbeza, Clad in the Dark (FF4) I CAN DREAM.

There will be no vocal tracks this time around.

A number of the tracks will have to be renamed due to overly-similar names (like "Battle 1" becoming "The Rocking Grounds" on TBM2). One of the two FF9 tracks will get the "Darkness and Starlight" honor, probably "Final Battle" since it's generic.

As for the planned second disc with the Japanese mythology-inspired tracks, it's tough to say. It seems unlikely at the 2800 yen price tag, but I can't think what else would have gotten this album delayed for so long. I'll say it's in there but fairly short, maybe ~25 minutes' worth.

So, whatcha got?

Mr. Goo

I hope he comes back!  I think I'm the only one in the whole world who actually likes The Skies Above.

-Mike

Yours actually looks like an accurate prediction, Vaeran.  I'm praying we'll finally get that arrangement of "Those Who Fight," and I do think The Extreme, FF4's Fight 2 and FF9's Messenger of Ruin all have a high probability of showing up. 

My own listing will sort of blur the line between what I HOPE will be on there, and what I believe will actually turn up.  Like I mentioned in another thread, I'm hoping that the "Starlight" in the title implicates that we'll see more non-battle tracks showing up.  Lighter rock ballads deserve a place on these albums, I feel:

Darkness:
1. Opening ~ Bombing Mission (FF7) - Despite all the negativity leveled against the demo clip, I have good faith that this can turn out really, really well.  TBM tracks usually don't start kickin' until after the first minute anyway.
2. Those Who Fight (FF7) - Nowik and Kotsamanidis (aka. norg and SnappleMan) actually came fairly close to what I'd imagine the structure of a TBM arrangement of Fighting should sound like, with their Voices of The Lifestream contribution, "Full Frontal Assault." 
3. The Extreme (FF8)
4. This Is The Last Battle.... (FF3)
5. Fight 2 (FF4)
6. Suite: Battle Theme, The Fierce Battle, and The Decisive Battle (FF5) - FF5 has definitely been grossly neglected.  Let's not just give it a chance to shine; let's make this a suite, and put it square in the center spotlight!)

Starlight:
7. Dear Friends (FF5) - Consider this the least likely piece that anyone would choose.  But I think the transition to folk acoustic guitar to electric could go really smoothly.
8. Celes/Aria Di Mezzo Carattere (FF6) - Actually, I think Ailsean did something that was very similar to a rock version of Aria.
9. Main Theme of FF7
10. Eyes On Me (FF8) - No, no vocals.... just a straight-up, soaring rock ballad variation.
11. Melodies of Life (FF9) - Ditto here.
12. Rock de Chocobo! - Seriously, what hasn't TBM done this one yet?
13. Final Fantasy - This is about the most long overdue arrangement in Final Fantasy's musical history.  If they were to make this the last album, what better way to bookend the series than with the most prominently defining FF piece of all?

Like this piece a lot myself, I'd like to see what they would do with it.

Mr. Goo can f---ing die and this is from someone who listens to operatic rock vocals on a regular basis. Thankfully, it was just "To Zanarkand" he appeared on and not something I'm dying to hear arranged.

Can't say I'm the hugest Black Mages fan anymore, but I'm calling:

The Extreme
FF9 Final Battle + Main Battle
FF4 Battle 1 and 2 (and hopefully something to make up for the awful version of Zeromus on BM2)
FFX Decisive Battle (let's see them transcribe THIS to guitar!)
FF1 Temple of Fiends
FF3 Battle 2
FF6 Lost Continent
FF7 Fighting + Hurry, Faster + Crazy Motorcycle + Birth of God (a no-brainer by now, hopefully)
And just to make sure I get at least one right...

FFVII Bombing Mission

Can really care less about the Japanese mythology rock opera stuff.

I wish they bend the rules a little bit and do some of Ryuji Sasai's battle themes from Final Fantasy Mystic Quest... that's never going to happen because - and we all know - Final Fantasy Mystic Quest isn't a real Final Fantasy game.

Heck yeah, if they would do that I might actually give a crap about one of these crappy Mages' albums.  "Matoya's Cave" has been the only track I've liked from them.

I don't mind vocal tracks, as long as the singer is singing in their native language (Japanese/English), just please no more bad Engrish. Or at least give us a instrumental version of the same track as well.

Well, remember...It's very common and accepted in Japanese to try to sound out English with Japanese phonetics (though not the other way around, except for us Japanophiles). So in a sick way, they ARE singing in their native language, which is why it's so frequent. It's something I've gotten very used to over the years, so it doesn't really bother me that much, but it stuck out like a sore thumb at first.

I would like to see one of the Uematsu-composed FFXI tracks on this album. But I doubt it'll happen.

Also would like a re-do of "Dancing Mad" that covers all four sections of the song, not just the last part (which is the fast, rock-hard part). Personally, I think they could make the whole thing sound awesome with the rock band setup.

Ramza

Well, technically, they "covered" most of it, but they didn't do much else with it...That last part is well worth the trip through the muck though, I have to admit. Maybe combine it with virt/Ailsean's Dancing Mad Once Again, which left off the last section(s).

My predictions?

It's gonna SUCK.

All I had to hear was the weak percussion on the sample of "Bombing Mission" provided on the official site, and I was holding my head in disgust.

The optimist in me is saying that sample was possibly only a demo version, and not a finished version, but this close to the album's release? Somehow, I don't think so.

Weeks before the Gyakuten Saiban orchestra album was released, Nintendo put up "samples" that turned out to be MIDI synths of the score. At the time, everyone thought the album would be awful, but it turned out to be decent. Have hope!

I don't understand the hate of this thread.  I've liked both Black Mages albums that have been released.  If Fight 2 from FFIV is on there I will be a happy camper.

Blasphemer!

No, really, it wasn't.  That didn't stop it from being one of the best OST's (IMO) of the SNES age. 

I'll go ahead and chime in with everyone here saying that anything from FFIV would be much appreciated.  The final fight against Zeromus would be EPIC. 

Other picks:

FF8 - The Extreme
and....  and it's been too long since I've listened to a FF OST.  I believe I have some old friends to catch up with...

I'll predict One-Winged Angel... sung by Mr. Goo.

Well now, hold on there, pardner.....

http://www.gmronline.com/info.asp?CatNumber=UPCH-1377

---

THE BLACK MAGES II The Skies Above

01 The Rocking Grounds (FINAL FANTASY III) 
02 Zeromus (FINAL FANTASY IV) 
03 Vamo' Alla Flamenco (FINAL FANTASY IX) 
04 Hunter's Chance (FINAL FANTASY IX) 
05 Otherworld (FINAL FANTASY X) 
06 Matoya's Cave (FINAL FANTASY I) 
07 The Man with the Machine Gun (FINAL FANTASY VIII) 
08 Maybe I'm a Lion (FINAL FANTASY VIII) 
09 Battle with the Four Fiends (FINAL FANTASY IV) 
10 The Skies Above (FINAL FANTASY X) 
11 Blue Blast - Winning the Rainbow

Three words: too ^&*#ing slow!

It's much like Cutman's theme on the Rockman Rock remix, you just don't mess with the original tempo of certain songs - if it's fast keep it fast.

Of course, the above is IMO but it's hardly H.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I relistened to that one recently and, while I was never a fan of it, now I could barely make it all the way to the keyboard solo part. Very unfortunate, considering that's still my second-favorite Uematsu track (Gilgy being #1 of course...Still love the Mages version of that track). This is one the doujin scene has picked up the slack for en masse, thank god. So much potential.

Skies Above was hilarious.  I'd wouldn't mind another Goo track.

I liked Matoya's Cave as well, maybe because it was the Mages only mellow(er) arrangement (I won't even go near jazz-fusion). Don't get me wrong, I understand The Black Mages are dedicated to metal rock arranging, but I'm hoping the whole Starlight and Darkness theme might fancy an experiment with fusion elements or even the hopes of a saxophone guest (kind of like how it popped up in F-ZERO X Guitar Arrange).

Of course, I didn't get my fix of what Star Onions put fourth. I think jazz arranging is somewhat alien to Square music, and Star Onions tried to fill that void (though I'm not too sure if it was successful or well received). Sadly, it seems they, being the Star Onions group or formation, were only a promotional tool/tie-in with FF XI.

Maybe they noted the response to Brink of Time and decided to shy away from it. I'd totally understand if that were the case.

(going to catch hell for that one)

Matoya gets a solid pass from me, but I could almost stand to clip the keyboard solo and afterwards...But yeah, there's more than a few FF themes that would make excellent rock ballads.

Battle Scene 2 was actually kind of mellow, I thought. Hellion and Guarvail both did  much faster speed metal versions and it really showcased how much they slowed it down from the original, which is why I barely recognized it at first. Oddest part is it's become one of my favorite BM tracks.

Then there's Zeromus and FFVI Battle 1, but I'll be careful not to confuse mellow with lethargic.

One of my favorites as well, and probably for the superb synth solo in the middle of the song. And about Mr. Goo, miker you've got another fan among you.

... *ahem*  What I meant to say was "The fight against Zeromus would be EPIC if done right".  Zane, pick up your guitar.  We have work to do.

Alright, let's do it. I just picked up a fresh half-stack last month that absolutely tears. I'm ready if you are.

Well, my hopes are crushed. It's confirmed the album will definitely be just one disc containing ten tracks altogether. I suppose this constitutes the safe option, but maybe the rock-operatic Japanese mythology idea will materialise in some other way.

Well, a new video is up and we know that Premonition from FF8 is going to be there.  I actually like the new arrangement.  It also suggests that there might be a domestic release for the NA and EU markets.

Great that they are considering releasing the album outside Japan. And a very good choice to include "Premonition" from FFVIII. Love that theme.

Man, I never would've thought to put in "Premonition."  Great choice, always loved the original's compositional mixing of The Landing and Succession of Witches themes.  And the arrangement itself is sounding pretty damned awesome in its demo mix form.

.....Aaaand, I had completely forgotten that the Black Mages actually did do a version of This Is The Last Battle -- as the bonus track on the Final Fantasy III DS Original Soundtrack.  Man, and none of you guys even bothered to correct me?? :p   

In that case, I motion a replacement.  And I choose, um..... FF8's Premonition. :)

Memoro de la S^tono from FFXI is included.

I hope it won't be just another "One Last Time" (the 2nd track of FFXI unreleased tracks collection) as it frankly annoyed me a lot in the game.

They're gonna reuse it.

The scary thing about "Memoro de la Stono" is that it's heavily hinted that the Black Mages will sing it by themselves.

http://dogearrecords.blog92.fc2.com/blog-entry-64.html
http://www.dogearrecords.com/tbm3_eg/index.htm
http://www.dogearrecords.com/tbm3_eg/TB … rt2_En.wmv

Ugh. Fucktards.

-Joshua

We don't know for certain that that's the case -- yes, the FF3 DS track did show up during the interview clips, but just because they were using it as background music doesn't necessarily mean it's going on the album. It could just have been a way for them to promote the current Black Mages sound without revealing too much of the next album's tracklist.