I ugly-cried for an HOUR the first time I watched Geoff's video... Then I saw the thumbnail for your reaction, and I thought: "OMG, nooo! Mortius is gonna DIE!! We're gonna watch him meltdown and spontaneously combust on-screen!!" 😂😂😂
"It's I SEE Fire, not BREATHE Fire you freaking dragon of a human." Suddenly it all makes sense. Geoff is a shapeshifted dragon and musical performances are what he hoards. Wonder what color his scales are?
I'm leaning towards Brass. His voice is deep and soothing and he lives in a hot climate (though not dry). I'd say song dragon, except those don't have male humaniod forms. It's the Brass dragons breath weapon(s) from the early ad&d additions that suggest it to me. Fear or Sleep gas.
I love how solemn and introspective this is. It's the song of someone who knows that he has to go fight, and is resigned to the fact that he will probably die. Don't get me wrong, I love Ed Sheeran's version, but Geoff's version REALLY makes you think and feel those lyrics. You're spot on. It's a song of resignation.
It feels like acceptance, willing sacrifice, and commitment to your brothers in arms until the end. It's almost Remembrance Day in Canada, and this song is hitting me hard. Love it so much!
@@lmm046 Thats exactly it. While the "text" of the word resignation is fitting, the subtext is negative. What this is is acceptance, or what I have heard called "positive fatalism". An acceptance of personal loss, helplessness or other stereotypically "bad" things but turned positive due to a larger picture view.
This was legitimately one if not the most entertaining reaction I've ever seen. I'm not musically gifted enough to recognize even half of the things you talked about. But you brought those to my attention and your reaction made me realize how powerful this man is. Your reaction made me cry. Keep doing what you're doing bro
The way that I would describe this song is that it is the eye of the storm, which is 100% fitting, given where it is in the story of the movies. It is in that moment after the dwarves have fought Smaug (dubious for the narrative as that fight was, but I'm not fighting that battle right now) but before Smaug descends on Lake Town. One of the things I love is that it doesn't lose that kind of vocal space. Yes, it builds quite a lot there, but even that stays within that eye of the storm space. The feeling that it is the calm spot where we've just been through the eye wall on one side, and we're watching the other side of the eye wall coming at us here in a moment. It really is just... so powerful and solemn. The kind of thing where they barely survived round one, and here comes round 2.
I first listened to this cover when the wildfire smoke from Canada was turning skies orange along the Eastern Seaboard. I could *smell* their beautiful forests burning, and listening to Geoff’s performance just started me ugly-crying. My heart breaks for them, and I hope the brave firefighters on the front lines keep safe.
"The song is I SEE fire, not I BREATHE fire" 🤣 I like how you pointed out that Geoff/Dwarf #3 aka Fili is not actually singing that high. Just compared to what came before it sounds stratospheric. It's just an emphasis on how low Geoff actually starts out this song, and with the exception of one subharmonic, I believe is all done in chest. Great reaction, Mortius. This one is definitely emotional. I can't stop listening to it.
Indeed, there's only a single subharmonic in this song, and it's one he COULD have done in chest yet chose to give it more power. It shows how deep his voice goes, and then it shoots way up into tenor with that strength and emotion poured into it.
I cry every freaking time I hear this, even with reactions. Ed Sheeran's original never hit me like this. Nor did any other cover. Love the depth, and authenticity Geoff's arraignment brings.
I think of Geoff as a musical storyteller. I love that he is always clear with his pronunciation--most singers really aren't so you don't get the full impact of the lyrics. With Geoff and Voiceplay the lyrics are clear. It makes a real difference.
So true! I love to play these songs in class to my English-learners... because they can hear each word in correct pronounciation and intonation... and the kids LOVE it... 🎉😊❤
I'm a singer (and songwriter) and I'm a stickler for clear enunciation. Before the internet made it easy to look up lyrics, I learned a lot of the songs I sing from listening to them (over and over).
The way Geoff Castellucci does this song and the way the video is I can't help but picture the real life warriors who battle the real fires to keep us safe. The Firefighters battling in our towns and cities and the Hotshots and Smoke Jumpers who fight the flames in the woods and wild areas. Let us always be grateful for their service
I thought of our Armed Forces and their firefights. But it would make a terrific anthem for firefighters. The next time that they have to fight for funding, photos of them fighting fires with this playing in the background would be incredibly effective.
This reaction has been on the shelf for some time and I don't know why, but I left it until last. This cover is without a doubt one of my favorites by Geoff, it always moves me. Geoff is not just a singer, singers make us listen and pay attention to the lyrics and melody, but Geoff makes us FEEL the lyrics and melody, as only a true interpreter of music can do. ❤🥺🤧
I was so excited to see how mason was gonna edit this one after watching the unedited version of your reaction to this one. I love all of your videos @mortius
Geoff always seems to understand the very heart of the music he performs. He elicits emotion like no other artist I've heard, and we are truly fortunate to be able to hear the music he creates.
Geoff is sooo good at conveying emotions! I was crying from the sheer beauty of this cover when I firsr heard it. Thank you so much for your reaction and allowing your emotions to show, Mortiuuuuuus!
Loved you reaction. It was similar to my own. I am a singer/musician and lover of craftsmanship it all its forms. This was stunning. The vocals are incredible, the arrangement is perfection, the emotion is palpable. I play it over and over. I never heard of these guys, but I’ll be checking the out, for sure. Thanks for Canada😍🇨🇦😎 18:08
"I can't currently picture in my head what a Geoff's version of I See Fire would sound like" ... well, now you know, and you're right, he breaths fire!! 🔥🔥 I love it when Geoff leaves you speechless 😍.
I love this one in so many ways. Geoff arranged it so well, each brother had a featured part and a distinct voice. I really think that this is Geoff's best solo. Just magnificent.
This song, to me, already has so many emotions tied to it (I adore the lord of the rings trilogy, and the hobbit trilogy popped into theaters when I was going through rough patch in my life, when I desperatedly needed /some/ kind of anchor to cling to), so when I first heard this cover I started crying. Because Geoff gets right to the heart of all those emotions, and even typing this comment gets me emotional all over again
That "snarl" you were hearing in the beginning lines was something called pulse register, also known as fry register. It's when frequency drops below around 70 hz that we perceptually hear the air vibrating between the vocal folds in addition to the vocal folds themselves. It is still a true fold phonation being sung, but because it gets so low, it gains that creaking, quaking quality as we hear the individual pulses of air escaping between the slowly vibrating vocal folds. It's an incredible phenomenon that we don't get to hear much simply because so few humans are capable of reaching frequencies low enough to trigger it. It's not a registration change in the traditional sense, but a perceptual one on the part of the listener. This is different from intentionally added fry quality produced in upper ranges, and the range and effect can be used by bass voices to extend the lower range.
Geoff just brings soo much to this one. His high notes have improved so much over time, that soring high in contrast with the Geoffquakes is just killer. Remember to keep breathing Mortius!
I think this is my favorite Geoff solo. Its so beautiful 11:11 i tear up at this point as well. For me,the lighting going red and the emotion rip me apart inside
Awesome reaction as always. I think because you weren't so hyped up about the song in bass range initially it hit you more than you were expected. Took me a few listens to truly begin appreciating this amazing song. PS. Can't wait for your reaction to Voiceplay's In the air tonight.
I agree. You feel grief. Grief for your own fate and the fate of your people, and the hope you're remembered if things turn out all right for the latter. Geoff did an excellent job at making this a beautiful lament for and tribute to the warrior.
Absolutely loved that reaction - I think my favourite part was when you accidentally imitated a confused SIM by trying to walk away in several directions at once. Geoff has done it again.
Not to tout another channel on yours but another reactor (FVM) reviewing VP's Valhalla Calling did an amazing comparison between Eli's high notes and some other famous female singers...it was eye-opening how the timbre of someone's voice can make a note seem higher or lower than it actually is.
I think Geoff's execution of the song really captures the grief of losing ones home, which fits perfectly with the lyrics and the story of The Hobbit in my opinion. !!Quick trigger warning!! Probably not a lot of people will relate to this or even know it happened, but in Germany there was a big flood in 2020 and a lot of people lost their lives and homes in the water. I think this song shows the devastation you feel when losing your home and loved ones in a catastrophe, even though its fire in this case and water in the flood. This version of Geoff's cover really moved me.
It really hit me too. I live in Northern California where a neighboring town burned to the ground with many lives lost and for days we didn’t know if our friends were alive or not.
Mortius…I absolutely adore your reactions❣️you are so honest in your reactions, I can feel all of your wonder and awe, your joy your angst…well you know…all the feels. You are a delight!😊❤
I was waiting for you to react to this. You expressed all the things that I myself am saying since I watched this for the first time, just much better than I ever do. THIS version has all the gloominess, the grief, the somber tone, the ominous tone, that the Ed Sheeran's version hasn't. Understand me, Sheeran's version is beautiful, but it lacks all these things, IMHO. It's almost a "happy-ish", uplifting song... And it shouldn't. Here, I can FEEL the grief, the feeling of friends and brothers that are aware that this could well be their last night on Earth, yet they are willing to burn and die together just because it's what they HAVE TO DO, regardless of the price they'll pay for it. There is a sense of friendship, loyalty, dedication in this "willing to burn and die TOGETHER", and it has the due "doom and gloom". Yet it builds up, while they gather their strength in the fact that it is "the right thing to do", and therefore "what HAS to be done", and they gather energy from that... Even when they return to that last "...And I hope that you remember me", which isn't even aimed to "posterity" but to "the Father", as far as I understand it. "Calling out, father, oh..." "And I hope that you remember me", not "that you WILL remember me". I hope that you remember me NOW. "Durin, our Father, keep an eye on our souls". This thing touches me in such deep a way that I can't help but finding tears in my eyes EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. This thing is astonishingly great. THIS should be in the movie. It fits WAAAAAY better. ❤ Thank you for your reaction, Mortius. It was beautiful as always, and even more, because there were emotions right under the surface that were "there", and it's lovely when it happens. Thank you. 🙂 See you next time! 🙂
I have been waiting for you to drop this iv gotten bored watching every other reaction to this song and was getting anxious waiting for you to pop up on my feed.
Some reactors talk about how hot Geoff is, others obsess on giving us whatever pitch a low note is, some say he panders with low notes not really needed in an arrangement. You give us an honest reaction, even when it makes you vulnerable, there is a reason I subscribed and joined your Patreon, not your doggos (but they are cute), not Mason (although he is the bestest editor), it’s is YOU, you share your real self with us. Thank you ❤
4:49 that "durrins son" sound reminds me of the original cartoon of the jungle book, When shere Khan interrupts the vultures and sings "that's what friends are for". He has a similar growly snarl about his voice.
Have you seen the mini that VoicePlay did of that song? Geoff even wears some tiger stripes. It’s pretty light hearted but he gets that snarl in there.
@@janetdw I have. I love voiceplay so I've gone back and listened to some of their older covers. The jungle book was a favorite of mine when I was younger.
I had the exact opposite reaction to you when this song was announced, because I was immediately kind of ...put out by the mellowness and higher pitch of the original song when I heard it? lmao. Like I heard it and was like "Wow...this would sound so much better with more intensity." Like the lyrics begged for a more dramatic presentation to me (why are you so chill about dragon fire, sir??), so I've eaten up every deeper and darker cover I've found in the years since. Haha. This one included. Love it.
You have such a way of making me appreciate Geoff's covers even more. I'll watch them for the first time on my own and I'm like "Hell yeah, cool!" but then I watch _you_ watch them and it's like the true gloriousness is revealed to me. Every single time.
@@officialmortiushonestly with the fact that you love Skyrim I'm surprised your not just calling him a dragonborne And with that we can truly say that I tell you the dragonborne comes
I'm actually glad to see you get so emotional over this song. To me this song feels so somber and sorrowful that at about 2/3 through the song I'm just sitting with tears running down my cheeks. Geoff is a master at conveying emotions, and in this one he is using that skill to his full advantage.
This song makes me think like this- Thorin knows he may die if he goes into the mountian to try and save some of his people. He may die but he will die with his fellow dwarves. He would not abandon them to Smaug. In another universe I could see this song playing in a movie, a flashback scene of Smaug attacking Erebor.
I still have goosebumps in several spots in this song even hearing it multiple times, especially with the first dramatic lighting change. I was anticipating your reaction to the highs and lows of the song.
So, in musical theatre there's talk of the emotional triad, and how it works is as follows. "We speak until the emotion is so great we can no longer speak, and so we sing. We sing until the emotion is so great we can no longer sing, and so we dance." Its a way of conceptualizing why music works well interspersed in a theatrical production, and why characters might sing or dance, rendering the music diegetic. Once I pushed through my emotions on this song, I realized Geoff is using that emotional triad here. This song is occurring because these dwarves are facing a danger and sorrow so great there are no words, so they sing out in prayer, desperate and lamenting. As they lose themselves in the prayer they sway, toy with their weapons in almost a steadying gesture etc. They even turn towards and away from each other as the emotions wax and wane and wash over them. (Yes I know they're all Geoff.) But Geoff has worked hard to honor these characters and their story. Theatre kid of a capella indeed. All that to say, if there were ever a cover I was pleased to see you just take the time to FEEL and connect with, its this one. You did some analysis and it was lovely and insightful, but I actually think any more might have undermined the music itself. Music is emotion, and emotion is a vital part of the human experience. Thank you so much for your reaction, for being so open and letting us share the experience. Much love.
I feel like whenever he hears Geoff's covers, his inner voice is just repeating 'you're married, Mortius' over and over again lol! But hey, who could blame him?! As always, adored the reaction, Mortius! I could NOT stop listening to this song, and for obvious reasons! And hey, if you're in an 'I See Fire' mood still, I recommend Jonathan Young's cover which is very metal and rock which normally I'm not a huge fan of, but he manages to make it work awesomely!
The way he has four characters with four different, but reasonable vocal ranges of which I could _maybe_ sing the highest, and it's just. _Him._ He sings _all_ of that. Like, I've been following his work for a while, I'm well aquainted with his range. But every once in a while you just have to sit back and appreciate just how _fucking INSANE_ that is. Edit: typo
One thing I've always appreciated about Geoff's singing is how it's clear he really *thinks* about the lyrics, and what they mean, and how he lets that meaning guide him through the song. It's more than just vocal acrobatics, with him. (See also: "Ain't no Sunshine" His "Shiny" verse in VoicePlay's Moana medley [that's one song I didn't like in the original movie], his cover of "Sound of Silence," and more). Truly Thought-Full. I think that's a big reason his music knocks us all back a step or three.
I adore this version - Geoff really captured how to speak to a person’s soul and move them with this song. And the visuals really bring you into the story. So glad you got to react to this one!
This IS Fire! Terrific reaction to a pretty awe-inspiring performance. The song was pretty before (Absolutely no disrespect to Ed Sheeran). Now it’s tragically beautiful. With Geoff’s range, he managed to take it up to a whole new level. His acting skills have really been put to the test. Misty Mountains is still my favorite just because it’s so gorgeous. But this one is so emotional it’s a very close number two. The set is relatively simple but very effective. Something about the way that they’re just quietly sitting there pondering their fates makes this almost visceral. As much as I love Geoff’s bassy goodness, it’s the tenor and baritone that do it for me in this one. It was such a treat to hear him sing for a fairly long time in such a high a range. You hear it often in the BGV’s’s, but this is the first time I remember hearing him sing for a sustained time as a tenor. Thorin has the deepest voice and he has the darkest lyrics. Several times when he looks over at his “brothers” his look is so melancholy. It’s as if he knows they’re going into battle and will be fighting for their lives and he’s already in mourning. 🥺 🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥 Personal note (warning: kinda depressing) This really hits me every time I hear it. Another commenter pointed out that it reminded her of the firefighters. Perhaps that’s why it hits me as hard as it does. I live in Butte County, CA where many were evacuated when the Town of Paradise burned to the ground. For days we didn’t know where our friends were or if they made it out alive. None of my firefighter friends perished, but they’ve all been damaged by our own personal Smaug.
Mortius, that moment when you stopped, astounded had something special in it. In that moment (1:57) on his recording he stops (swallows) and goes on. For less accomplished singer, that usually denotes emotion that is overpowering the singer, making it difficult to go on, at least in my experience. There was absolutely no need for that to be there, except he wanted to convey that feeling. It was absolutely brilliant! I listened to the beauty and artistry of the vocals and production the first 20 - 30 times I watched it. After that, I finally started hearing and feeling the lyrics. Geoff is wonderful!
I love how he gives the dwarves their own voices in this one. Geoff has a way of bringing emotional to his covers that wasn't in the original. Is it his attangements? His voice? Or a combination of everything? Whatever, it's just so moving. He always moves me, in some way. He has a very special gift. And yes the piano was another inspired addition.
I saw someone on the original comment something like “the original song was of a bards lament for the end that was about to come, and this song is of a warrior’s fight and knowing he will die alongside his brothers,” and I couldn’t agree more. It is completely reasonable that this song made you a little emotional, the crunchy fire with the kinda maximized piano in the first chorus just sounds so solemn. It’s genius that he recognized the story the lyrics were telling in the first part and genuinely just poured _so much_ of that emotion into that part, and it just sounds… *so good*
Awesome reaction as always Mortius. This is my favorite song and video of his. Voiceplay released their new video Friday. In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins.
So I am kinda obsessed with this version. Yes.. emotions to the 9th. And it hits the same place it took you down. I have been thinking a lot on that and I think really that not only the performance, singing wise but also those looks he tosses to himself and the sadness that seems to live in all four of their eyes is a big part. But that said, don't discount what the sound of flames can do to your emotions. Those flames and light change when it hits are so impactful. There really isn't a part of this that doesn't add into dragging your heart to the depths of grief. Which is a great word for it, I couldn't think of it when I was trying to understand. Great Job, M.
As much as I loved the original, I absolutely think that this version fits the solemnity of the song and its lyrics even better simply because of how low and how low he keeps most of it. WOW! This is amazing! Talk about FIRE.
I ugly-cried for an HOUR the first time I watched Geoff's video... Then I saw the thumbnail for your reaction, and I thought: "OMG, nooo! Mortius is gonna DIE!! We're gonna watch him meltdown and spontaneously combust on-screen!!" 😂😂😂
"It's I SEE Fire, not BREATHE Fire you freaking dragon of a human."
Suddenly it all makes sense. Geoff is a shapeshifted dragon and musical performances are what he hoards. Wonder what color his scales are?
Red.
You should hear Drgonborn come(Skyrim) if you want to hear him dragon
I'm leaning towards Brass. His voice is deep and soothing and he lives in a hot climate (though not dry). I'd say song dragon, except those don't have male humaniod forms. It's the Brass dragons breath weapon(s) from the early ad&d additions that suggest it to me. Fear or Sleep gas.
@@kaseyboles30 With his love of Halloween let's go with fear gas.
"It's I SEE Fire, not I BREATHE Fire you freaking dragon of a human!"
This quote will live rent free in my mind for quite a while LOL
I love this version. It is more of a warriors lament than a motivational song.
Every song is motivational... because people have to be motivated to sing it. 🎉
Yes, more dirge and lament than anthem.
I love how solemn and introspective this is. It's the song of someone who knows that he has to go fight, and is resigned to the fact that he will probably die.
Don't get me wrong, I love Ed Sheeran's version, but Geoff's version REALLY makes you think and feel those lyrics. You're spot on. It's a song of resignation.
It feels like acceptance, willing sacrifice, and commitment to your brothers in arms until the end.
It's almost Remembrance Day in Canada, and this song is hitting me hard. Love it so much!
@@lmm046 Thats exactly it. While the "text" of the word resignation is fitting, the subtext is negative.
What this is is acceptance, or what I have heard called "positive fatalism".
An acceptance of personal loss, helplessness or other stereotypically "bad" things but turned positive due to a larger picture view.
This was legitimately one if not the most entertaining reaction I've ever seen. I'm not musically gifted enough to recognize even half of the things you talked about. But you brought those to my attention and your reaction made me realize how powerful this man is. Your reaction made me cry. Keep doing what you're doing bro
Oh my goodness, thank you for your words 🥰
The way that I would describe this song is that it is the eye of the storm, which is 100% fitting, given where it is in the story of the movies. It is in that moment after the dwarves have fought Smaug (dubious for the narrative as that fight was, but I'm not fighting that battle right now) but before Smaug descends on Lake Town. One of the things I love is that it doesn't lose that kind of vocal space. Yes, it builds quite a lot there, but even that stays within that eye of the storm space. The feeling that it is the calm spot where we've just been through the eye wall on one side, and we're watching the other side of the eye wall coming at us here in a moment. It really is just... so powerful and solemn. The kind of thing where they barely survived round one, and here comes round 2.
I first listened to this cover when the wildfire smoke from Canada was turning skies orange along the Eastern Seaboard. I could *smell* their beautiful forests burning, and listening to Geoff’s performance just started me ugly-crying. My heart breaks for them, and I hope the brave firefighters on the front lines keep safe.
"The song is I SEE fire, not I BREATHE fire" 🤣
I like how you pointed out that Geoff/Dwarf #3 aka Fili is not actually singing that high. Just compared to what came before it sounds stratospheric. It's just an emphasis on how low Geoff actually starts out this song, and with the exception of one subharmonic, I believe is all done in chest.
Great reaction, Mortius. This one is definitely emotional. I can't stop listening to it.
Indeed, there's only a single subharmonic in this song, and it's one he COULD have done in chest yet chose to give it more power. It shows how deep his voice goes, and then it shoots way up into tenor with that strength and emotion poured into it.
And now @Mortius knows why Tim Foust named that technique: "The Dragon's Breath." 😁
six months later, still one of my favourite Mortius reactions :D
I cry every freaking time I hear this, even with reactions. Ed Sheeran's original never hit me like this. Nor did any other cover. Love the depth, and authenticity Geoff's arraignment brings.
I cry every time I hear Geoff sing this & the look of sorrow knowing they will die in the fire. Geoff is a very talented actor.
Also. The depth and foreboding of tragedy to come is all over this song thanks to Geoff’s emotional gift to us
You are not alone on crying when hearing this. Geoff is so good at conveying emotions in his song.
Nope ED is the Best
I think of Geoff as a musical storyteller. I love that he is always clear with his pronunciation--most singers really aren't so you don't get the full impact of the lyrics. With Geoff and Voiceplay the lyrics are clear. It makes a real difference.
So true! I love to play these songs in class to my English-learners... because they can hear each word in correct pronounciation and intonation... and the kids LOVE it... 🎉😊❤
"a musical storyteller" - that is such a good way of describing what Geoff does 😃
I'm a singer (and songwriter) and I'm a stickler for clear enunciation. Before the internet made it easy to look up lyrics, I learned a lot of the songs I sing from listening to them (over and over).
Mortius rendered speechless. Well played Geoff/Jeff/Jeoff/and Geff.
The way Geoff Castellucci does this song and the way the video is I can't help but picture the real life warriors who battle the real fires to keep us safe. The Firefighters battling in our towns and cities and the Hotshots and Smoke Jumpers who fight the flames in the woods and wild areas. Let us always be grateful for their service
I've been thinking about that, too..
I thought of our Armed Forces and their firefights. But it would make a terrific anthem for firefighters. The next time that they have to fight for funding, photos of them fighting fires with this playing in the background would be incredibly effective.
someone needs to do a wildfire responders' tribute montage to this!
This reaction has been on the shelf for some time and I don't know why, but I left it until last. This cover is without a doubt one of my favorites by Geoff, it always moves me. Geoff is not just a singer, singers make us listen and pay attention to the lyrics and melody, but Geoff makes us FEEL the lyrics and melody, as only a true interpreter of music can do. ❤🥺🤧
I was so excited to see how mason was gonna edit this one after watching the unedited version of your reaction to this one. I love all of your videos @mortius
Mortius, Geoff IS one of the M.I.B. ... they call him Agent-B0 ... :)
Mr. Castellucci sings with such amazing talent , so powerful and so beautiful ....it is fabulous !
Geoff always seems to understand the very heart of the music he performs. He elicits emotion like no other artist I've heard, and we are truly fortunate to be able to hear the music he creates.
Geoff is sooo good at conveying emotions! I was crying from the sheer beauty of this cover when I firsr heard it. Thank you so much for your reaction and allowing your emotions to show, Mortiuuuuuus!
Loved you reaction. It was similar to my own. I am a singer/musician and lover of craftsmanship it all its forms. This was stunning. The vocals are incredible, the arrangement is perfection, the emotion is palpable. I play it over and over. I never heard of these guys, but I’ll be checking the out, for sure. Thanks for Canada😍🇨🇦😎 18:08
"I can't currently picture in my head what a Geoff's version of I See Fire would sound like" ... well, now you know, and you're right, he breaths fire!! 🔥🔥
I love it when Geoff leaves you speechless 😍.
I love this one in so many ways. Geoff arranged it so well, each brother had a featured part and a distinct voice. I really think that this is Geoff's best solo. Just magnificent.
This song, to me, already has so many emotions tied to it (I adore the lord of the rings trilogy, and the hobbit trilogy popped into theaters when I was going through rough patch in my life, when I desperatedly needed /some/ kind of anchor to cling to), so when I first heard this cover I started crying. Because Geoff gets right to the heart of all those emotions, and even typing this comment gets me emotional all over again
That "snarl" you were hearing in the beginning lines was something called pulse register, also known as fry register. It's when frequency drops below around 70 hz that we perceptually hear the air vibrating between the vocal folds in addition to the vocal folds themselves. It is still a true fold phonation being sung, but because it gets so low, it gains that creaking, quaking quality as we hear the individual pulses of air escaping between the slowly vibrating vocal folds. It's an incredible phenomenon that we don't get to hear much simply because so few humans are capable of reaching frequencies low enough to trigger it. It's not a registration change in the traditional sense, but a perceptual one on the part of the listener. This is different from intentionally added fry quality produced in upper ranges, and the range and effect can be used by bass voices to extend the lower range.
If your talking about 3:49 its just as simple as a low chest note lol it's just the way he hits it because G#1 is a comfortable chest note for geoff
🎉🎉Yay! You’ve finally posted your reaction! My enjoyment of a VP video is not complete until I can watch your reaction. 😁🫶🏻
This left you speechless watching it. I can relate. And I think it may be one of the best examples of his range. Great reaction!
Geoff just brings soo much to this one. His high notes have improved so much over time, that soring high in contrast with the Geoffquakes is just killer. Remember to keep breathing Mortius!
I think this is my favorite Geoff solo. Its so beautiful
11:11 i tear up at this point as well. For me,the lighting going red and the emotion rip me apart inside
Awesome reaction as always.
I think because you weren't so hyped up about the song in bass range initially it hit you more than you were expected. Took me a few listens to truly begin appreciating this amazing song.
PS. Can't wait for your reaction to Voiceplay's In the air tonight.
I agree. You feel grief. Grief for your own fate and the fate of your people, and the hope you're remembered if things turn out all right for the latter. Geoff did an excellent job at making this a beautiful lament for and tribute to the warrior.
Honestly I feel grief, sadness.. I cry every time. Like I actually sob!
I was particularly struck by the pause and swallow before beardless Geoff continues on, like his mouth has gone dry.
If you look closely on one part, I can't remember when, beardless Geoff actually has a tear running down his cheek. I believe it's a closeup of him
I love your reaction
And yes like always you are broken by geoff
I can t wait to see your voiceplay reaction
I predict a broken mortius again 😅
It has always been a people's lamentation..loss of home and heart...ones true being 😢
25% of a mortius geoff reaction video is him recovering from the impact of Geoff lol
Absolutely loved that reaction - I think my favourite part was when you accidentally imitated a confused SIM by trying to walk away in several directions at once. Geoff has done it again.
Not to tout another channel on yours but another reactor (FVM) reviewing VP's Valhalla Calling did an amazing comparison between Eli's high notes and some other famous female singers...it was eye-opening how the timbre of someone's voice can make a note seem higher or lower than it actually is.
I think Geoff's execution of the song really captures the grief of losing ones home, which fits perfectly with the lyrics and the story of The Hobbit in my opinion.
!!Quick trigger warning!!
Probably not a lot of people will relate to this or even know it happened, but in Germany there was a big flood in 2020 and a lot of people lost their lives and homes in the water. I think this song shows the devastation you feel when losing your home and loved ones in a catastrophe, even though its fire in this case and water in the flood. This version of Geoff's cover really moved me.
It really hit me too. I live in Northern California where a neighboring town burned to the ground with many lives lost and for days we didn’t know if our friends were alive or not.
@@janetdw i really hope your family and friends are all good. If not i'm really sorry and stay strong
Mortius…I absolutely adore your reactions❣️you are so honest in your reactions, I can feel all of your wonder and awe, your joy your angst…well you know…all the feels. You are a delight!😊❤
Believe the correct description of how Geoff started was "full diggeridoo mode" 😂
I was waiting for you to react to this. You expressed all the things that I myself am saying since I watched this for the first time, just much better than I ever do. THIS version has all the gloominess, the grief, the somber tone, the ominous tone, that the Ed Sheeran's version hasn't. Understand me, Sheeran's version is beautiful, but it lacks all these things, IMHO. It's almost a "happy-ish", uplifting song... And it shouldn't. Here, I can FEEL the grief, the feeling of friends and brothers that are aware that this could well be their last night on Earth, yet they are willing to burn and die together just because it's what they HAVE TO DO, regardless of the price they'll pay for it. There is a sense of friendship, loyalty, dedication in this "willing to burn and die TOGETHER", and it has the due "doom and gloom". Yet it builds up, while they gather their strength in the fact that it is "the right thing to do", and therefore "what HAS to be done", and they gather energy from that... Even when they return to that last "...And I hope that you remember me", which isn't even aimed to "posterity" but to "the Father", as far as I understand it. "Calling out, father, oh..." "And I hope that you remember me", not "that you WILL remember me". I hope that you remember me NOW. "Durin, our Father, keep an eye on our souls". This thing touches me in such deep a way that I can't help but finding tears in my eyes EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. This thing is astonishingly great. THIS should be in the movie. It fits WAAAAAY better. ❤
Thank you for your reaction, Mortius. It was beautiful as always, and even more, because there were emotions right under the surface that were "there", and it's lovely when it happens. Thank you. 🙂
See you next time! 🙂
Omg this made me laugh so hard 😭😭😭 I’m so glad you like it so much and it was fun watching you get broken by another Geoff vid. He is 👽😆
I have been waiting for you to drop this iv gotten bored watching every other reaction to this song and was getting anxious waiting for you to pop up on my feed.
Gorgeous reaction. I love how much emotion you bring.
Omg yay! I've been so excited to watch this!
Some reactors talk about how hot Geoff is, others obsess on giving us whatever pitch a low note is, some say he panders with low notes not really needed in an arrangement. You give us an honest reaction, even when it makes you vulnerable, there is a reason I subscribed and joined your Patreon, not your doggos (but they are cute), not Mason (although he is the bestest editor), it’s is YOU, you share your real self with us. Thank you ❤
4:49 that "durrins son" sound reminds me of the original cartoon of the jungle book, When shere Khan interrupts the vultures and sings "that's what friends are for". He has a similar growly snarl about his voice.
Have you seen the mini that VoicePlay did of that song? Geoff even wears some tiger stripes. It’s pretty light hearted but he gets that snarl in there.
@@janetdw I have. I love voiceplay so I've gone back and listened to some of their older covers. The jungle book was a favorite of mine when I was younger.
Ever since this dropped I have been checking and waiting for your take on this. You didn't disappoint. Geoff truly knocked this out of the park.
Geoff broke Mortius….again! ❤🏴
I'm definitely not duetting this if it makes it's way to TikTok !!
I had the exact opposite reaction to you when this song was announced, because I was immediately kind of ...put out by the mellowness and higher pitch of the original song when I heard it? lmao. Like I heard it and was like "Wow...this would sound so much better with more intensity." Like the lyrics begged for a more dramatic presentation to me (why are you so chill about dragon fire, sir??), so I've eaten up every deeper and darker cover I've found in the years since. Haha. This one included. Love it.
You have such a way of making me appreciate Geoff's covers even more. I'll watch them for the first time on my own and I'm like "Hell yeah, cool!" but then I watch _you_ watch them and it's like the true gloriousness is revealed to me. Every single time.
Comments like these are a big reason why I keep making the content I do. Thank you ☺️
@@officialmortiushonestly with the fact that you love Skyrim I'm surprised your not just calling him a dragonborne
And with that we can truly say that I tell you the dragonborne comes
16:04 I can neither confirm or deny that that we have already looked into Geoff's origins nor what any such investigation found out.
His cat died😢 i think thats is why he crying in this video and It was so beautiful. Cant explain how good this was🤯😭
I don't think you'll ever question again if Geoff can pull off a song lol You almost stopped the video before it had begun 🤣🤣
I love it when Geoff and vp make you two just stare in wonder
Love love this.
You nailed it when talking about the emotions of this song. Geoff really hits that tear jerker button with this one. Stunning arrangement.
I'm actually glad to see you get so emotional over this song. To me this song feels so somber and sorrowful that at about 2/3 through the song I'm just sitting with tears running down my cheeks.
Geoff is a master at conveying emotions, and in this one he is using that skill to his full advantage.
This song makes me think like this- Thorin knows he may die if he goes into the mountian to try and save some of his people. He may die but he will die with his fellow dwarves. He would not abandon them to Smaug. In another universe I could see this song playing in a movie, a flashback scene of Smaug attacking Erebor.
I still have goosebumps in several spots in this song even hearing it multiple times, especially with the first dramatic lighting change. I was anticipating your reaction to the highs and lows of the song.
You were very shocked, but I glad did that.😮
I just love your reaction. This one RECKED me😊
@15:50 up close and personal Mortius! lol
So, in musical theatre there's talk of the emotional triad, and how it works is as follows. "We speak until the emotion is so great we can no longer speak, and so we sing. We sing until the emotion is so great we can no longer sing, and so we dance." Its a way of conceptualizing why music works well interspersed in a theatrical production, and why characters might sing or dance, rendering the music diegetic.
Once I pushed through my emotions on this song, I realized Geoff is using that emotional triad here. This song is occurring because these dwarves are facing a danger and sorrow so great there are no words, so they sing out in prayer, desperate and lamenting. As they lose themselves in the prayer they sway, toy with their weapons in almost a steadying gesture etc. They even turn towards and away from each other as the emotions wax and wane and wash over them. (Yes I know they're all Geoff.) But Geoff has worked hard to honor these characters and their story. Theatre kid of a capella indeed.
All that to say, if there were ever a cover I was pleased to see you just take the time to FEEL and connect with, its this one. You did some analysis and it was lovely and insightful, but I actually think any more might have undermined the music itself. Music is emotion, and emotion is a vital part of the human experience. Thank you so much for your reaction, for being so open and letting us share the experience. Much love.
Love ur vids keep them up
You know it’s a good cover when Mortius is not only speechless but looses all motor control lol
i love it
Geoff may in fact owe you restitution for emotional damage on this one. go lie down hon. you've earned it.
You Dragon of a human is so funny to me. But Geoff being a Dragon is such a feeling.
I just love your editor's little commentaries he puts in your videos like he's talking to you during your reaction/analysis.
I knew this would blow your mind. This is so well done, Geoff at his best😀
no Way
I feel like whenever he hears Geoff's covers, his inner voice is just repeating 'you're married, Mortius' over and over again lol! But hey, who could blame him?! As always, adored the reaction, Mortius! I could NOT stop listening to this song, and for obvious reasons! And hey, if you're in an 'I See Fire' mood still, I recommend Jonathan Young's cover which is very metal and rock which normally I'm not a huge fan of, but he manages to make it work awesomely!
The way he has four characters with four different, but reasonable vocal ranges of which I could _maybe_ sing the highest, and it's just. _Him._ He sings _all_ of that. Like, I've been following his work for a while, I'm well aquainted with his range. But every once in a while you just have to sit back and appreciate just how _fucking INSANE_ that is.
Edit: typo
You don't think of Ed Sheeren and Geoff singing the same song? This is my shocked face.🤣🤣🤣...LOL
One thing I've always appreciated about Geoff's singing is how it's clear he really *thinks* about the lyrics, and what they mean, and how he lets that meaning guide him through the song. It's more than just vocal acrobatics, with him. (See also: "Ain't no Sunshine" His "Shiny" verse in VoicePlay's Moana medley [that's one song I didn't like in the original movie], his cover of "Sound of Silence," and more).
Truly Thought-Full. I think that's a big reason his music knocks us all back a step or three.
I adore this version - Geoff really captured how to speak to a person’s soul and move them with this song. And the visuals really bring you into the story. So glad you got to react to this one!
Here lies Mortius. Cause of death: Geoff Castellucci.
This IS Fire! Terrific reaction to a pretty awe-inspiring performance. The song was pretty before (Absolutely no disrespect to Ed Sheeran). Now it’s tragically beautiful. With Geoff’s range, he managed to take it up to a whole new level.
His acting skills have really been put to the test. Misty Mountains is still my favorite just because it’s so gorgeous. But this one is so emotional it’s a very close number two. The set is relatively simple but very effective. Something about the way that they’re just quietly sitting there pondering their fates makes this almost visceral.
As much as I love Geoff’s bassy goodness, it’s the tenor and baritone that do it for me in this one. It was such a treat to hear him sing for a fairly long time in such a high a range. You hear it often in the BGV’s’s, but this is the first time I remember hearing him sing for a sustained time as a tenor.
Thorin has the deepest voice and he has the darkest lyrics. Several times when he looks over at his “brothers” his look is so melancholy. It’s as if he knows they’re going into battle and will be fighting for their lives and he’s already in mourning. 🥺
🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥🪵❤️🔥🪵🔥
Personal note (warning: kinda depressing)
This really hits me every time I hear it. Another commenter pointed out that it reminded her of the firefighters. Perhaps that’s why it hits me as hard as it does.
I live in Butte County, CA where many were evacuated when the Town of Paradise burned to the ground. For days we didn’t know where our friends were or if they made it out alive. None of my firefighter friends perished, but they’ve all been damaged by our own personal Smaug.
This song calms my neuro-spicy mind 🥰🥰🥰
I love this version. It has been in My head since Friday! So good.
should we tell him the snares were made with shovels? i don't think he'd be able to handle that
No we need to save that for later. He's not stable enough yet
@@laundrygoddess4 understandable
😂
I'M not able to handle that. 😭
Mortius, that moment when you stopped, astounded had something special in it. In that moment (1:57) on his recording he stops (swallows) and goes on. For less accomplished singer, that usually denotes emotion that is overpowering the singer, making it difficult to go on, at least in my experience. There was absolutely no need for that to be there, except he wanted to convey that feeling. It was absolutely brilliant!
I listened to the beauty and artistry of the vocals and production the first 20 - 30 times I watched it. After that, I finally started hearing and feeling the lyrics. Geoff is wonderful!
I love how he gives the dwarves their own voices in this one. Geoff has a way of bringing emotional to his covers that wasn't in the original. Is it his attangements? His voice? Or a combination of everything? Whatever, it's just so moving. He always moves me, in some way. He has a very special gift. And yes the piano was another inspired addition.
I heard this hundered times now 😂
Love the emotions my friend. Keep being true to you. This song out me in the feels as well.
That "snarl" was a G#1/G1 chest its just how he sings it xd
yeah... yeah, i feel you on this one. i was not ready either. at all.
😢😢i was very emotion when I heard this one...and I still am now I listened to it with you!! Thanks again 😊💚🌹
I saw someone on the original comment something like “the original song was of a bards lament for the end that was about to come, and this song is of a warrior’s fight and knowing he will die alongside his brothers,” and I couldn’t agree more.
It is completely reasonable that this song made you a little emotional, the crunchy fire with the kinda maximized piano in the first chorus just sounds so solemn. It’s genius that he recognized the story the lyrics were telling in the first part and genuinely just poured _so much_ of that emotion into that part, and it just sounds… *so good*
Awesome reaction as always Mortius.
This is my favorite song and video of his.
Voiceplay released their new video Friday. In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins.
One of your BEST Geoff reactions, Mortius!! “When are we going to report this man to the authorities?” 🤣🤣 So good.
That may be the closest thing to "speechless" I've ever seen Mortius during a reaction!
So I am kinda obsessed with this version. Yes.. emotions to the 9th. And it hits the same place it took you down. I have been thinking a lot on that and I think really that not only the performance, singing wise but also those looks he tosses to himself and the sadness that seems to live in all four of their eyes is a big part. But that said, don't discount what the sound of flames can do to your emotions. Those flames and light change when it hits are so impactful. There really isn't a part of this that doesn't add into dragging your heart to the depths of grief. Which is a great word for it, I couldn't think of it when I was trying to understand. Great Job, M.
Am I the only one who wants geoff to voice smaug if he makes a return in the future
💜💜
he is the dovahkiin
I can’t wait I loved this song!!
But Mortius, did you see fire?
As much as I loved the original, I absolutely think that this version fits the solemnity of the song and its lyrics even better simply because of how low and how low he keeps most of it. WOW! This is amazing! Talk about FIRE.
"You freaking DRAGON of a human"
Legit almost spit out my drink. LOVE IT. GEOFF is HOT HOT HOT!!!!