Nobuo Uematsu's new band "Earthbound Papas" is set to release its debut album "Octave Theory" next month. You can see the track list and hear some samples at the official site. Earthbound Papas are former Black Mages' members Nobuo Uematsu, Michio Okamiya and Arata Hanyuda + Yoshitaka Hirota of Shdadow Hearts fame and Tsutomu Narita who as of late seems to be Uematsu's arranger of choice (Guin Saga, Final Fantasy XIV, etc.).
With the arrangements covering sources beyond Final Fantasy + 4 original tracks the track list looks promising. The samples didn't leave a lasting impression on me, though. Thoughts?

I like it. Sounds like it could benefit from some clearer production though.

Two of the tracks there are awesome (FFVIII, Guin Saga) but the rest are definitely among my least favorites of Uemastu (although FFVIIAC's OWA was Fukui's work)

I always and still wish Uematsu formed an ensemble band, rather than a rock focused one, like how Star Onions played Ronfaure (which was never released in a CD).

All the samples are up now. Of the new compositions "The Forest of Thousand Years" sounds best to me.

Enjoying the samples thus far! Everything sounds pretty good, but I am a little discouraged that they included One Winged Angel and Eternity as I'm already satisfied with the treatments those had been given. I would have rather seen material from some more overlooked sources.

Oh well, I'll definitely be picking this up at some point. I hope this new band is able to branch out and do some exciting stuff. I loved the Black Mages, but the Earthbound Papas have the potential to be more than just a name change.

Hmmm... not impressed in the slightest.  The Guin Saga track sounds good, at least Liberi Fatali is not another version that is pretty much exactly the same as the original...
I'm sure I'll still cave and buy the album, but the samples don't have me excited anymore.

I'm rather puzzled by Uematsu's recent, gradual fascination with hard rock.

I guess there WAS "Overworld" from FFX, but...

...Earthbound Papas is a strange band name for a hard rock outfit; sounds more like a name for an acoustic folk band, if you ask me...

The sound of the album just reeks with synthesizers.

So, has anyone got this yet? I'm interested and will probably get it anyway, but I'd like to hear some opinions first.

I've got it. I could endlessly play the 2 FF tracks, as I am intimately familiar with them, and they are different from other arrangements. The other tracks are good; nothing is bad here.