Battle Bards

Justin Olivetti

A musical journey through MMO soundscapes, Battle Bards reviews and discusses the soundtrack of MMORPGs with a trio of engaging hosts. The world's first and only MMO music podcast.

  • 52 minutes 27 seconds
    Episode 232: Wayfinder

    A small online RPG proves to have a big musical heart with Wayfinder, as Syp, Steff, and Syl discover! These consummate professionals chew through this soundtrack and ask for seconds, only to be denied because they made such a mess along the way. Also, we are the only people in the world who dislike Baldur's Gate 3.

    Episode 232 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Call of the Void," "Echoes of the Fallen," and "Skylight")
    • "Awakening"
    • "Wayfinder"
    • "Deepwood Holt"
    • "In the Beacon's Light"
    • "Kragan Highlands"
    • "Blood in the Wood"
    • Which one did we like best?
    • Jukebox Picks: "Fillmore" from ActRaiser, "The Apostle Myrkul" from Baldur's Gate 3, and "Death's Door" from Death's Door
    • Outro (feat. "Raven's Shadow")
    23 April 2024, 12:00 pm
  • 54 minutes 28 seconds
    Episode 231: Caravan Stories 2

    Returning to the fertile soundtrack of Caravan Stories, Syl and Syp are rejoined by Steff to give us a fresh take! It's another journey through a charming and laid-back MMO landscapes.

    Episode 231 show notes 

    • Intro (feat. "Entrust a Will," "Toasting Dance," and "Open the Map")
    • "Foothills of Carvendel"
    • "Enigma Rips the Sky"
    • "Folka Village"
    • "Baldu Pipe Town"
    • "Slapstick Castanet"
    • "Glenmore Fault Valley"
    • Which one did we like best?
    • Listener mail from Minimalistway
    • Jukebox Picks: "Graphorn Ride" from Hogwarts Legacy, "To the Heroes of the Light" from Bravely Default II, and "Subterra" from A Boy and His Blob
    • Outro (feat. "Outpouring of Armaments")
    20 February 2024, 2:00 pm
  • 51 minutes 37 seconds
    Episode 230: Palia

    Ready to get your cozy on? Syp and Syl take you into the relatively new life sim Palia to explore its down-home-on-the-player-farm tunes. Is this a little TOO laid-back and boring, or is there a rural charm to this soundtrack? We’ll be the judge of that.

    Episode 230 show notes

    • Intro (feat. “Home Sweet Home,” “Palia’s Kilima Village Daytime Theme,” and “The Creation”)
    • “Daiya Farm Badruu’s Melody”
    • “Main Theme”
    • “Chapaa Chase”
    • “Einar’s Cave”
    • “Daydreams, Sunsets”
    • “Maji Market”
    • Which one did we like best?
    • Jukebox Picks: “Not Tomorrow” from Silent Hill and “Lost in Random” from Blake Robinson
    • Outro (feat. "Hygge Living and Building")
    12 December 2023, 2:00 pm
  • 47 minutes 23 seconds
    Episode 229: Caravan Stories Part 1

    Come along for a trundling trip through the countryside with Caravan Stories, a 2017-era MMO that charmed Syl so much that she demanded they do a two-part show on its soundtrack! Bring your sympathy for Syp, who has to put up with this nonsense!

    Episode 229 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Dubious Person," "In Trials," and "Rallying Man")
    • "Caravan Trip"
    • "Eastern Part of Denon Hill"
    • "Free City of Nero"
    • "Arlosa Mine"
    • "Polka"
    • "Mad Cow Brewery"
    • Which one did we like best?
    • Jukebox Picks: “Chef Saltbaker” from Cuphead and “Save Room Theme” from Resident Evil 2
    • Outro (feat. "Sailing to the City of Freedom - Elf")
    7 November 2023, 12:00 pm
  • 51 minutes 53 seconds
    Episode 228: Cheery dungeons

    Not every dungeon has to be a drab and dour affair -- a fact which sent the Battle Bards searching for the cheeriest tunes from MMO instances! Join Syp and Syl as they recount a good half-dozen upbeat tracks from online RPG dungeons. If you've got to loot... loot with a smile.

    Episode 228 show notes

    • Intro (feat. “Commence to Jiggin'” from WildStar, “Brawler's Trial” from World of Warcraft, and “Daring Dalliances” from FFXIV)
    • "Den of Secrets" from Free Realms

    • "Dohn Mheg" from FFXIV

    • "Balzack’s Bachelor Boogie" from Dungeon Runners

    • "Ellinia Forest Dungeon" from MapleStory

    • "The Motherlode" from World of Warcraft

    • "Math Dungeon" from Mabinogi

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Jukebox Picks: “The Streets Suburbia” from The Lawnmower Man and "Summer Breeze" from TOEM
    • Outro (feat. “Boom Box Beat” from City of Heroes)
    26 September 2023, 12:00 pm
  • 49 minutes 27 seconds
    Episode 227: NCsounds

    Syp and Syp return to the vast library of NCsoft's MMO soundtracks, with games like Aion, Lineage, and Blade & Soul to keep our ears happy for decades now. With so much new music coming out of this studio on a regular basis, there's always something fresh to experience!

    Episode 227 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Glimmer of Hope" from Aion, "A Tropical Getaway" from WildStar, and "Coastline" from Guild Wars)
    • "Corridor of Awakening" from Blade and Soul 2

    • "The Labyrinth in the Garden" from Lineage II

    • "The Recluse" from Lineage

    • "Greenhollow" from Blade and Soul

    • "Darkened Land" from Aion

    • "Cormans" from Tabula Rasa

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Jukebox Picks: "NCsoft Playlist" and "Shamburger" from Age of Empires II
    • Outro (feat. "SissiRat Theme" from Dungeon Runners)
    5 September 2023, 12:00 pm
  • 52 minutes 30 seconds
    Episode 226: Echoes of MMOs that never were

    It’s always highly bittersweet when MMO fans sit back and consider the games that never were — the projects that got far along in development but, for various reasons, didn’t cross the finish line. But some left behind a melodic footprint that’s very much worth examining, which is what our intrepid Battle Bards do today!

    Episode 226 show notes

    • Intro (feat. “Overture” from Stargate Worlds, “Sentience” from The Repopulation, and “Ancestral Lands” from Glitch)
    • “Town” from Peria Chronicles 

    • “Alpha 6” from EverQuest Landmark

    • “Roobrik and Balzare” from Glitch

    • “Barren Plains” from Ultima X Odyssey

    • “Sunlit Forest 2” from Project Copernicus

    • “West Tumbara Day” from Lime Odyssey

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Listener notes: Katriana
    • Jukebox Picks: “The Way Home” from Terranigma (SNES) and “Main Theme” from Timerborn

    • Outro (feat. “Zingo’s Faire” from Project Copernicus)
    27 June 2023, 12:00 pm
  • 46 minutes 33 seconds
    Episode 225: Embers Adrift

    One of the newer MMOs on the market, Embers Adrift leaned hard into tougher PvE gameplay and the darkest of dark nights. But how does its music support this fantasy game world? Syl and Syp investigate the "living soundtrack" of this hardcore title.

    Episode 225 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Adventures Adrift," "Gardens and Ruins," and "Into the Trees")
    • "Meadowlands Melody"
    • "Newhaven"

    • "Newhaven City Theme"

    • "Hunted in the Dark"

    • "Sojourn in the Mist"

    • "Wanderer"

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Listener notes: Thuan
    • Jukebox Picks: "Pizza Deluxe" from Pizza Tower and "Staff Roll" from Super Soccer

    • Outro (feat. "Enigmatic Echoes")
    6 June 2023, 12:00 pm
  • 46 minutes 45 seconds
    Episode 224: A return to EverQuest II

    It's been an almost egregiously long time since the Battle Bards turned their attention to the EverQuest II soundtrack -- but now that wait is over. Join Syp and Syl as they comb through the expansions for all sorts of delightful musical morsels to enjoy!

    Episode 224 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Main Theme," "Landing Zone," and "Darkpaw")
    • "Artisan Theme"

    • "Qeynos Rises"

    • "Stonewood"

    • "Dreadcutter"

    • "Visions of Vetrovia"

    • "Enchanted Lands"

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Listener notes: Zinn
    • Jukebox Picks: "Big Apple 3PM" from TMNT Shredder's Revenge and "A New Land Awaits" from Going Medieval

    • Outro (feat. “Gnomeland Security Headquarters”)
    19 April 2023, 1:00 pm
  • 48 minutes 14 seconds
    Episode 223: Dragonica

    The steely gaze and pointy ears of the Battle Bards turns to 2009's Dragonica -- also known as Dragon Saga -- to see what musical treasures might be stashed in this beast's lair. Syl and Syp descend into this all-too-cute realm to find tracks of whimsy and madness awaiting. Listener beware!

    Episode 223 show notes

    • Intro (feat. "Sky City," "Ferell," and "Haruka's Sushi Restaurant")
    • "Title Screen"

    • "Swamp Area"

    • "Traitor's Ridge"

    • "Port of Winds"

    • "Odelia"

    • "Pinecone Hill"

    • Which one did we like best?

    • Thanks to MMO Bomb for featuring us on its Top 10 MMO podcasts you should be listening to!

    • Listener notes: Bill Champagne, Katriana

    • Jukebox Picks: "The House Cup" from Hogwarts Legacy and "Content" from Age of Mythology

    • Outro (feat. "My Home")
    29 March 2023, 1:00 pm
  • 57 minutes 17 seconds
    Episode 222: World of Warcraft Dragonflight

    Will our fascination with giant, skyfaring, flame-belching lizards subside? World of Warcraft bets not, as it's currently soaring through its Dragonflight expansion. Will the music also ascend to lofty realms or fall to the earth with a dud? You'll have to listen to the Battle Bards as they figure out the answer to that question!

    Episode 222 show notes 

    • Intro (feat. "The Dragon's Hoard," "Riverbends," and "The Isles Awaken")
    • "Take to the Skies"
    • "Giants of the Span"
    • "Windsong"
    • "Tyrhold"
    • "Ramparts of Valdrakken"
    • "Gardens of Unity"
    • Which one did we like best?
    • Listener Notes: George and Bullwraith
    • Jukebox Picks: "Encounter Elite" from Sea of Stars, "Jubilife Village Theme" from Pokemon Legends Arceus, and "Density" from Citizen Sleeper
    • Outro (feat. "Life Pools")
    1 March 2023, 2:00 pm
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