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by Dale October 2, 2007 For those of you who have seen Piano Squall (aka Michael Gluck) live, there was no substitute, until now. Those who have never heard him in person are in for a real treat. GAME, his debut album, is the result of years of appreciation of our favorite video game and anime music. The album features twenty-six original arrangements from titles you all will recognize, such as the Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger, Naruto, and Fullmetal Alchemist. Songs that originally contained many different instruments are capably performed through the piano without losing anything in the process. The audio quality is very clear throughout the album. This is definitely a professional release. You will quickly notices that these tracks are not mere copies of the original arrangements. Michael is a big fan of Nobuo Uematsu, and it shows. One of the standouts is the Final Fantasy Battle Medley, which connects the battle themes from various Final Fantasy games into one seamless composition. If you discovered Piano Squall through YouTube, this is probably the video that caught your attention. Scars of Time from Chrono Trigger is full of emotion and easily one of my favorite songs on the album. It is also great choice for a first track. It's a tough call, but for me the best song on the album is Bratja from Fullmetal Alchemist. This track will touch you even if you have not seen the anime. The album has its fun side as well, and tracks like The Athlete's Rag from Super Mario World will take you back to the glory days of gaming for many of us. It is also of note that GAME contains a completely original composition, Boss Battle. The track is a successful attempt at a completely unique boss theme with hints of Final Fantasy. Hearing this makes me eager to hear a few more original compositions on the next album. Overall, GAME is a masterpiece. For the price you simply cannot go without having this in your collection, especially if you are a Final Fanstasy fan. The fact that it supports a great charity is icing on the cake. Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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