X over Zero: Mega Man Metal / X over Zero: Mega Man Metal / X over Zero: Mega Man Metal

X over Zero: Mega Man Metal
Comments from album creator and director Connor Pelkey (Cyril the Wolf)
Album freely available at http://ocremix.org

As far back as 2007, I've been really into the idea of writing lyrics to video game OST music, partially inspired by the more parody/humorist lyrics of Brentalfloss and the like, and I wouldn't become aware of The Megas until late 2009. I've always been a massive fan of the Mega Man X series, so it became sort of the mountain I wanted to climb. I felt confident that I could pull it off after writing 5 albums of original music, and wanted to make something to honor the video game music roots I'd come from. Starting from 2016, after discovering the bustling VGM cover scene on YouTube, I started to release my lyrical interpretations of Mega Man X tracks to my YouTube channel and I would often get comments suggesting I cover tunes from the successor series Mega Man Zero. From that point, I knew the framework I wanted to fit an album into.

I wanted to show off a story, in brief, of two characters who were intertwined from the very first moments of Mega Man X until the final scene of Mega Man Zero 4. It took a lot of effort to make sure these all sounded like they were from the same album since, in the midst of the project, I moved to a new house *and* completely changed my recording philosophy. The lyrics are all inspired by the game's plot directly and (with just two exceptions) all are sang from the titular character's perspective. I wanted to thank my collaborators, Drummershy and DS for helping fill out some tracks. Thank you to my sister EsperPhoenix and Brandon Snell for contributing some additional vocals to a few of my choirs. HUGE thank you to my wife for putting up with my wailing. Finally, thank you to OverClocked ReMix for helping with this release, and all of *you* for listening.

- Connor Pelkey (Cyril the Wolf)

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1. Cyril the Wolf feat. Drummershy - "Never Be the Same"
Sources: Mega Man X - "Sigma Stage 1," Mega Man X2 - "Sigma 2nd"
Original Composers: Setsuo Yamamoto, Yuki Iwai

Every time this level opened up, the theme would give me chills. In the stage, Zero dies saving X's life, and this is where our characters start. Thank you, Drummershy (Jonathan Lindell), for recording some live drums for me that really hype everything up.

2. Cyril the Wolf - "Drop the Façade"
Sources: Mega Man X5 - "X vs Zero," Mega Man X - "Zero"; Cameo: Mega Man X - "Demo"
Original Composers: Naoya Kamisaka, Setsuo Yamamoto

This has such an obvious power metal feeling to it, but I perform it down a step and a half so I can sing it properly. The canon reason for this fight is slightly vague, so I just wrote as if X also had absolutely *no* idea why this fight was happening.

3. Cyril the Wolf feat. Brandon Snell - "Ego Sum Lux"
Source: Mega Man X8 - "VS Lumine ~ The Second Form"
Original Composers: Yuko Komiyama, Shinya Okada, Naoto Tanaka

This is from Lumine's perspective. The source is already epic. I just tried to ratchet that quality up with the heavier guitars and layered vocals. Shout out to Brandon for squealing out the Bb5 note so it would sound as lit as possible. Counterpoint is fun.

4. Cyril the Wolf feat. DS - "Guiding Light"
Source: Mega Man X3 - "Blizzard Buffalo Stage"; Cameo: Mega Man X - "Zero"
Original Composers: Kinuyo Yamashita, Setsuo Yamamoto

I thought this tune would sound cool as a ballad with a saxophone instrumental lead. Somewhere in the story, Zero is sealed away for plot reasons, and this explores X's feelings after having his partner leave him. Thanks, DS, for playing the piano part way better than I could manage in my initial drafts.

5. Cyril the Wolf - "X over Zero"
Source: Mega Man Zero 2 - "For Endless Fight II," "Departure"
Original Composer: Ippo Yamada

These two tracks are basically played side by side in-game as well, so just used that to my advantage to segue into Zero's feelings on being without X. Feeling like you're not enough is a common feeling, so it was easy to paint that picture with words.

6. Cyril the Wolf - "Never Stop"
Source: Mega Man Zero 2 - "Gravity"
Original Composer: Ippo Yamada

All my original albums pulled old songs I wrote years ago and refinished them. While already an OverClocked ReMix itself, I felt like it deserved a second chance. Sang from second person about Zero being a hero. The layered chorus is just too fun.

7. Cyril the Wolf feat. EsperPhoenix - "Cold Inside"
Source: Mega Man Zero 2 - "Ice Brain"
Original Composer: Ippo Yamada

The synth intro took me weeks to even approximate, though when I saw Inti Creates perform it at MAGFest they also just sampled it, so that makes me feel better. My sister helped me out with some soprano acrobatics after the guitar solo. Zero is still exploring how X was so patient when humanity seemed to just wish his kind would go away.

8. Cyril the Wolf - "You Don't Define Me"
Source: Mega Man Zero 3 - "Cannon Ball"
Original Composer: Ippo Yamada

Final boss Omega, who is Zero's original body. The theme of the game revolves around the Zero that you play as being real or not. I always loved how the Zero series of games got you to think about slightly deeper topics than previous.

9. Cyril the Wolf feat. Brandon Snell - "Falling Forever"
Source: Mega Man Zero 4 - "Falling Down"
Original Composer: Shinichi Itakura

Finally, Zero finds out the difference between himself and X. This is the final battle theme for the Zero series and the shifting time signatures and such were a BLAST. Thanks to Brandon Snell for helping fill out the choir.