An Honor Befitting That Name (Shoji Meguro PS2 Rock Remix) | Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Here's a remix of An Honor Befitting That Name from Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey in the style of Shoji Meguro's standard rock tracks from the late PS2 era. Essentially, if Strange Journey originated on PS2 and Shoji Meguro composed it in his rock style battle themes from Persona 4 and Raidou 2.
Out of all of Strange Journey's battle themes, this is the closest (compositionally) to any of his other SMT battle themes. I wanted to try and recreate it in his rock style around Strange Journey's release in 2009. Most importantly, I had to nail down his guitar tone that he had from Nocturne to Catherine, before changing it for Persona 4 The Animation and onwards. After years of searching, I found that the Line 6 POD was almost definitely the Multi Effects Processor that he used during that period, alongside many other composers around the time period (most notably Jun Senoue for Sonic Adventure 2's soundtrack). It took quite a bit of work, but I managed to almost nail his tone. I also took plenty of cues from Persona 3, 4 and both Raidou soundtracks in using the trumpet and clean guitar tone for battle themes.
If you would like to hear other SMT tracks in this style, let me know!

[@ivonnesaysmiau]

What Strange Journey OST haters expected the OST to sound like:

[@peronafanman]

True lmao

[@quantumpupper5776]

Those people just enjoy having bugs inside them, don't mind them

[@reallyhim410]

i like strange journey's ost but this is sick af

[@tronixchl2004]

Are you one of those?

[@ivonnesaysmiau]

​@reallyhim410 Fr it goes hard
Tbh I find it pretty funny how the game with the most futuristic setting in mainline smt has orchestral music

[@theguudknight]

Sounds straight out of Raidou. Absolutely incredible

[@lowhp_comic]

Strange Journey if the stakes were 20% lower and had 20% more comedy

[@theguudknight]

OMG its LowHP hi 😳@@lowhp_comic please make a funny strange journey video

[@comiccams3044]

Rock covers of Orchestral Music is always pretty cool.

[@jojijoestar7233]

This feels like something from Raidou for sure. Killing it with the covers, boys!

[@RobinandZephyr]

This has no right to work so hard; I adore this

[@jamesblack893]

Didn't know Raidou XIV had some adventures back in Schwarzwelt . Amazing job!

[@lunacurtis780]

Strange Journey PS2 port confirmed

[@banjo304]

I'm not musically adept enough to express this in the most understandable way, but I love how you were able to keep the driving feeling of this song. There's so much oomth behind every beat.

[@carloslarareyes5205]

THIS IS UNDERRATED. THIS COVER IS AMAZING

[@Luciano.g6]

If Strange Journey had press turn system:

[@CoreLate776]

Wow, such a great cover! Would like to hear more stuff from SJ (especially The Great Sign or Take the Shield, Raise the Spear)

[@MasonWhiteMusic]

Thank you! Am currently working on a cover of The Great Sign!

[@diegomolina8305]

This must be a dream. I didn't know I needed a rock version of this song. Thank you so much!!

[@efrayen4497]

this seems like a more CHAOTIC version of the song, I love both songs but this one feels... i dont know, unique? in a way, it feels like a remix that's as good as the og

[@Hibarist]

you totally nailed that smt ps2 sound man, may i ask which drum library you used? (if any)

[@MasonWhiteMusic]

Quite honestly, I just use Logic Pro X's standard drum library haha, it's not too bad, but needs quite a bit of EQ and manual touch ups to make it sound believably real. I know from Mosq's CZcams channel that the drum library Meguro used around this era was BFD 2.0, but it's pretty difficult to get your hands on nowadays.

[@KogetsuKuzunoha]

Sounds like a Final Decisive Battle/Formidable Foe for Raidou /Marebito, i mean they added devil summoner music in raidou 2 so hey why not Mainline music next, i mean it doesnt hurt (im rambling dont pay attention to me)

[@MasonWhiteMusic]

If only that manga was a third Raidou game.

[@dirtyworker595]

I hope to hear Fear of God cover from you! This sounds wonderful

[@giovanniprovost]

Lets get some Morale also

[@digitaldevilarts2589]

Good lord i cant believe how accurate this style is to meguros older work. I really miss this so much

[@VannMunson]

OKAY BUT THIS GOES HARD THOUGH?

[@NKG__]

This is amazing, holy shit! This is actually perfect, how did you go about recreating the style so perfectly??

[@MasonWhiteMusic]

Thanks! It took a lot of fiddling with EQs and whatnot but the most important thing I found was layering. Meguro always seemed to layer his lead guitars during this era especially, so I usually play the melody, then play the same melody two more times but up an octave, then pan those two a little to the left and right and lower their volumes a bit. It's hard to notice but I find Decisive Battle from Raidou 2 is the easiest to notice this with. The rest is mostly stylistic choices (like the use of trumpets, piano, making the hi hats not too formulaic, etc.)

[@jaredthegamer369]

It's beautiful

[@spiteful_dead1735]

loved finding these they go so hard pls make more 💘

[@cambrinriddle3774]

Subscribed! Cant wait for more

[@el_primer_y_el_ultimo_caiman]

You nailed the tone better than he himself did for the re-recorded Regular Battle from Nocturne

[@thechrissguy]

Welp tbh, the 2023 Redux one was done by Toshiki Konishi, not by Meguro himself.

[@el_primer_y_el_ultimo_caiman]

@@thechrissguy Is there a source for this...? The album notes were from Meguro...

[@forte4450]

Woah what this is excellently done

[@candybear16]

Dude, this is fire! I hope you'll make some more remixes 👍

[@thecookiegamer1350]

Amazing work!

[@snowpuffin6594]

This is dope!!

[@giovanniprovost]

This is cool, well done!

[@emilianojaramillorodriguez8351]

Excelent, I loved it

[@MasonWhiteMusic]

Thanks!

[@ivonnesaysmiau]

I've always wondered what specific guitar Shoji Meguro used

[@el_primer_y_el_ultimo_caiman]

That's not too tough to find, he's always used a stratocaster. The tough bit is as the description says, figuring out everything else...

[@benjaminfarias8766]

Amazing!

[@Akarui135]

THIS IS SO GOOD WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ssdecepticon]

This is insane

[@thefriesgamer7390]

so cool

[@Kira22558]

Nice.

[@newbrowny]

the trumpets are amazing bro, how did you get that tone? playing or samples? also damn, that guitar is spot on. i need a tutorial on this stuff lol

[@caledfwltch]

RAAAAAAA THIS GOES SO FUCKING HARD

[@lsv47]

This goes so damn hard, jesus christ

[@lobotomizedlunch9395]

hell yeah

[@Malzenomamador3412]

Best smt ❤️
Or not....
All smt are great games

[@KogetsuKuzunoha]

I have a suggestion (these things may take awhile i make music myself so i realize that, so ill suggest something easy) Devil Survivor - Deep Night (Meguro Arrangement) [this is not an easy thing and i dont really expect it to be chosen, but hey its the thought that count] anyways great cover.

[@PhaNapkin]

I'd pay you 2000 macca to do the entire SJ OST

[@garryrptr]

I can add 500 macca to that

[@guestc142]

Make it 3000 :)

[@KamenKami]

Mr. Mason, you would not be open to the ideal of doing a Meguro PS2 rock remix of Elly theme from Persona 1 would you?

[@tonin7228]

would you kindly share the amp settings you used to get that Meguro Guitar Tone™?

[@pedrozanon7245]

Does Meguro ever used live guitars on its OSTs or its all synths?

[@DYNOPUNCH]

What did you use for the trumpet?

[@ShoHidari]

What are you using for brass?

[@forgot9485]

Звучит как очередной ментовской сериал канала НТВ

[@stardy316]

а как бы это дело называлось: Бандитский Токио или Криминальный Шварцвельт?