Oh hey, how long has it been since we covered a console-exclusive song? It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, here's one for this week.
Cycle of Rebirth (サイクル・オブ・リバース)| Version |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | x4 (161) | x6 (272) | x7 (413) | x9 (765) |
Taiko PSP DX, Taiko Wii U 1, CD Donderful
65~161
none
psp3bsA classic case of ambiguous romanization in this PSP DX exclusive. 'リバース' can be interpreted as 'reverse' and 'rebirth', both of which make sense in the title of the song, and both words fit the intended theme of the song with 'rebirth' pulling ahead by a bit as being more suitable. Quite a conundrum huh? Even on our site both words were used on more than one occasion. Thank god for Taiko Team's Twitter account then. When asked, they confirmed the intended romanization as 'rebirth'.
Cycle of Rebirth is one of just two unlockable songs on PSP DX (the other is Mata Saitama 2000) and is the theme of the final boss fight in the Omikoshi Battle story mode - Armage-Don, a giant meteorite sent to destroy Earth by the Guts Squad, which oddly enough has Don-chan's face on it. To know more about Story Mode you can also check the Omikoshi Boss Battle page. The song focuses on destruction and despair, with hope rising to counter it.
The song's composer/arranger is relatively new to composing in general. Takafumi Sato (佐藤たかふみ) made the song along with the lyrics, and is also the producer of some of the newer Namco Originals such as Wanya World and Meena no Oyashiki, both of which are also on PSP DX. As for the vocals, it comes from someone beyond all expectations; Kani Prince (蟹プリンス), the mysterious female who provided vocals for Muscle March's soundtrack. Many of her songs from that game - from Make Inu Henjou to Hole in the Wall - are featured in Taiko games as well. Given her experience in wacky pop songs from Muscle March, it's definitely surprising to see her doing a serious rock song for once.
It's a little underwhelming that this is the only console final boss song that isn't a 10*, given the tense atmosphere of the song. Cycle of Rebirth's BPM is average with clusters that shouldn't give too much trouble, but confuse with 2 and 4 note clusters. That doesn't stop it from being an exercise in frustration during the actual boss fight due to the obstacles Armage-Don pushes at you, but that's for the story article to cover! The song is one of the longest non-Ura Namco Original ever made (3 minutes and 2 seconds).
