"People's god" -you absolutely nailed it, and the analysis about it not being necessarily benevolent, thought it appears so, is absolutely bang on. Another banger of a video!
Lore wise you're right on the money as usual: the Dancing Lion isn't quite a god itself, rather it's a ritualistic Chinese Lion Dance style performance where multiple people wear a singular elaborate Lion costume to embody the elements, storms, and animalistic nature of the Crucible or the gods that were associated with it. So it's the people's representation of their gods, in effect. As for the violent undertones, the lion Dancers turned their performance towards warfare during a war of extermination against their people, so it's a divine celebration turned to blood by necessity. You can hear the hope of the people pinned on their heroic quasi-deity in the music, as well as a bit of the pain of what was already lost. It's one of the better explained bosses in the game, there's a priestess-like character that talks about it at length which is slightly unusual for Fromsoftware games, and she seems to honor the Dancing Lion as nearly a god itself, though it's clearly people in a costume.
While you're right about it being Chinese Lion Dance performance, you're wrong about it being performed by people - it's performed by either two humanoid sculptures, or corpses, that are possesed by some higher power or being. That's why the Empyrean Grandam (the priestess) rever it as some kind of diety and calls it 'from higher shpere delivered."
I’d say the lion was an empty husk until possessed/imbued with divine power so there is a horn sent god and the scupper keepers being the body to be used (there’s a recurring theme of separation of body and soul ie: godwyn, miquella, and spoilers the final boss)
I'm once again awed by the sheer amount of information From Software manages to put into their boss music and by your ability to masterfully extract and interpret them. Really makes me appreciate an already great song even more.
That moment at 7:44 where the whole choir opens up in a grand note gives me goosebumps and I love that you perked up at that sepcific spot. By far my favorite OST of the dlc.
This entire DLC's OST is insanely good. My personal favourites are Those United In Common Cause as well as Messmer The Impaler's, but the entire OST is incredible.
@Bumbum_Inspector I got auto corrected, I meant to reference gank squad from ds2 lmao. Anyway yeah I loved that fight so much (unlike the gank squad) even as a ds2 enjoyer, that boss is garbage.
@Fuzzywuzzyking I'm gonna be honest, there is no fiber in my being that says anything other than bayle. Between his sick design and lore, the absolute GOAT that is Igon, and the god tier ost, yeah bayle is my favorite.
I can't express how I feel about music in From's games. Davi read the exact lore of the boss just from the ost. No words were used, absolute masterpiece. This made me cry. Games are art.
Love how the second phase theme feels more like a continuation of the first theme as oppose to simply an escalation that’s very different. Like it’s obviously more intense but it maintains the motifs from before, it’s just really unique for these games soundtracks
I actually have heard an interesting theory about the boss, some of their attacks and transitions they specifically do on beat with the music and I've heard people suggest the idea that this bosses theme is diegetic
Romania saint of the bud and the final boss of the dlc is the soundtracks from the trailer. Should definitely check out Midra, lord of frenzied flame probably my favorite in the dlc
Dude, you are absolutely a master of your craft. You can see the big picture and you can explain it simply. How much longer before a developer hires you for some work :)
Heyooooo, I've been waiting for this!!! An interesting fact about this track is that when you hear it changing drastically, it always align with the boss changing between elements, and it cycles after it enters phase 2, it's awesome. This is the closest they've come to make the music match what's actually happening in the fight.
My second (First one is final dlc boss) favorite boss because im so facinated how good its music is in game more so with dancing lion changing elements with every part of song its just hitting harder with that music then with its attacks
Exactly what I visited UA-cam for first thing in the morning. And I didn't even have to search for it. Thanks, Davi! You do good work for us music plebs. Also, please give Malenia's a try one of these days.
Really interesting analysis, you were spot on on most of the things. A small detail is that the lion is constantly rolling or going in circles, flowing around, and the theme is also going back and forth with the strings to make you feel as if the song is also rolling alongside him. Also the theme keeps shifting with the different elemental phases and each resonate with how each phase plays (chilly ice spikes with a slower song, thunderous and more strings with the lighting phase). Pretty genious, advance music in this dlc so far
Been watching you quite a lot now, and i can say you’re doing a great job! I strongly recommend you listen and react to Slave Knight Gael. He is the last boss of the whole Dark Souls trilogy.
Youre spot on with your thematic analysis of what the music conveys. Im in awe that you can extrapolate the musical part and articulate it into thematic ideas. Presumed you havent played the game/saw pictures or read or heard lore of the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, it literally fits your description so well. Really enjoying hearing your analyses!
Awesome to see you cover this piece! Nailed it right on the head. I think it's absolutely incredible they really cemented "Dancing Lion" in this. It's literally just that. Two dudes in a costume akin to Chinese Dancing Lions, but at the same time being primordial, raw, and well, divine. It's not "holy" in the sense of other music associated with deities. It's quite literally as beastly as the creature itself. The introduction dialogue is awesome, too, by the way: "Oh horn-deck'd beast from higher sphere deliver'd. Take root inside the tower's sculpted keepers. And perch'd within, we beg of thee; rise." "Dance and cavort, cleanse all that thou wilt. Cruelty, woe, and those who plague the tower. Cleanse away the strumpet's vile progeny." I will stand by this being, to me, the best introducton boss to a DLC out there. I'm looking forward to unvovering more of the DLC when I have time away from my uni studies to stop exploring the map and fight more bosses, lol.
it's amazing that you were able to pick up on harmony as a major player in this song's construction, because a very important thing to the Divine Beast's story and design is it's multiple dancers working together to operate this large, very Eastern inspired costume. Once again From Software and whoever else is involved in the music production of these games absolutely blew my mind with this one
spot on with the analyzis as always. And curiously Shoi Myiazawa (composer of this track) did not compose for Sekiro. I could swear this song came from the same composer of Corrupted Monk but i was wrong.
without a doubt my favorite boss and theme in the dlc it has such spectacle and awe and it fits perfectly with what it is. the music during its phase transition is amazing
I must, must recommend ‘those united in common cause’, I think it’s my favorite Elden ring dlc track and the fight behind it is legitimately so emotional that it may just make a top 3 for all FromSoft game soundtracks in my opinion.
The bosses theme actually plays into the fight. Phase 1 Is the regular non elemental Theme. Phase 2 has 3 different modes for wich theres a secment of the theme for. (4 on the secret fight) 7:16 is the Lightning form theme. 7:40 is the Wind form theme. 8:24 is the Ice form Theme.
You commenting on it not feeling sophisticated like other elden rinc music is probably meant to evoke that this boss stems from a culture that the followers of marika and the erdtree wiped out
This dudes ability to nail the concept of the boss *everytime* speaks both to the Elden ring composers craftsmanship and his hard work that led to this talent
I was thinking to myself in work earlier today "I wonder if Davi will review SotE tracks ..." So I searched up one of my favourites to have a listen when I got home and HEY PRESTO My dude
The best ost work & boss design they have ever done. The rest of the dlc.. well, ive had more fun playing other games. But worth it for these bosses alone with the designs, set pieces, and incredible soundtrack
The dancing lion is magnificent and feels like a festival/parade. Another one you absolutely gotta check out is Bayle the Dread. You'd swear it was the final boss if there wasn't another who claimed that title.
I'm so thrilled you caught the chinese influences in this track. I've noticed that the reference to chinese lion dancing in both this boss's design and theme went over a lot of people's heads. As a vietnamese person I grew up surrounded by lion dancing so discovering this boss and its theme was such a treat.
I've done a TON of videos on FromSoft's music including Bloodborne. Check em out over here: ua-cam.com/video/4nQexcuDPAw/v-deo.html
Davi please react to "treachery" from bleach I swear you'll love it!
Aizen Sasuke's version of treachery
"People's god" -you absolutely nailed it, and the analysis about it not being necessarily benevolent, thought it appears so, is absolutely bang on. Another banger of a video!
Lore wise you're right on the money as usual: the Dancing Lion isn't quite a god itself, rather it's a ritualistic Chinese Lion Dance style performance where multiple people wear a singular elaborate Lion costume to embody the elements, storms, and animalistic nature of the Crucible or the gods that were associated with it. So it's the people's representation of their gods, in effect. As for the violent undertones, the lion Dancers turned their performance towards warfare during a war of extermination against their people, so it's a divine celebration turned to blood by necessity. You can hear the hope of the people pinned on their heroic quasi-deity in the music, as well as a bit of the pain of what was already lost. It's one of the better explained bosses in the game, there's a priestess-like character that talks about it at length which is slightly unusual for Fromsoftware games, and she seems to honor the Dancing Lion as nearly a god itself, though it's clearly people in a costume.
While you're right about it being Chinese Lion Dance performance, you're wrong about it being performed by people - it's performed by either two humanoid sculptures, or corpses, that are possesed by some higher power or being. That's why the Empyrean Grandam (the priestess) rever it as some kind of diety and calls it 'from higher shpere delivered."
I’d say the lion was an empty husk until possessed/imbued with divine power so there is a horn sent god and the scupper keepers being the body to be used (there’s a recurring theme of separation of body and soul ie: godwyn, miquella, and spoilers the final boss)
Those are some amazing insights!
Fun fact too they are actually dancing while fighting you
Their god requires a vessel, and that vessel just so happens to be a Chinese dancing lion!
I'm once again awed by the sheer amount of information From Software manages to put into their boss music and by your ability to masterfully extract and interpret them. Really makes me appreciate an already great song even more.
Yes 🤘💖
"This is a people's, god" oh god, how right he is
When your boss is actually three bosses in a trenchcoat.
Budget cuts.
2
@@Domihockeyrocky 3 if you count the mask possesing the 2
@@lemnioaz3854 Ooooh so that’s what’s happening! Didn’t know that mb😭🥂
The third guy is the cameraman
That moment at 7:44 where the whole choir opens up in a grand note gives me goosebumps and I love that you perked up at that sepcific spot. By far my favorite OST of the dlc.
This entire DLC's OST is insanely good. My personal favourites are Those United In Common Cause as well as Messmer The Impaler's, but the entire OST is incredible.
Those United in common cause, is that the ost for bank squad 2.0? If so I agree that shits goated.
@@Desinole83 Yea it's the npc fight against Leda and her allies. Such an unbelievably good track.
@Bumbum_Inspector I got auto corrected, I meant to reference gank squad from ds2 lmao. Anyway yeah I loved that fight so much (unlike the gank squad) even as a ds2 enjoyer, that boss is garbage.
i think midra is my favorite but so many of the tracks have their own personality and memorable moments
@Fuzzywuzzyking I'm gonna be honest, there is no fiber in my being that says anything other than bayle. Between his sick design and lore, the absolute GOAT that is Igon, and the god tier ost, yeah bayle is my favorite.
"there must be so much movement in this" is a very accurate sentence, the camera goes insane with how much the boss moves around hhaa
The flute in the background sounds like the rolling winds of a storm
One of my favorites bosses from the DLC
It's pretty in the middle tier imo
I love it
@@naga8756 middle of what?
@@Noizzed it's my 6-7 favorite boss of the dlc
@@naga8756whats at the top for you?
It's got an Eastern flair because it's based on those Chinese dragon puppets they use for parades.
Lion dance and nearly all Asian countries got their own version as well
I can't express how I feel about music in From's games. Davi read the exact lore of the boss just from the ost. No words were used, absolute masterpiece. This made me cry. Games are art.
i get teary-eyed from this stuff too! it's so fucking cool what we as humans can create
Love how the second phase theme feels more like a continuation of the first theme as oppose to simply an escalation that’s very different. Like it’s obviously more intense but it maintains the motifs from before, it’s just really unique for these games soundtracks
7:00 oh boy... if only you knew
💀
You HAVE to do Midra’s theme from the DLC at some point. It’s actually so unbelievably good.
That bass drop makes me lose my edging streak
@@GozieaaaSubwoofers go woof...
And so go my windows 😅
One of my favorites of the DLC soundtrack and easily the most recognizable exactly because of its Eastern sound. Yet another spot-on analysis, Davi!
I actually have heard an interesting theory about the boss, some of their attacks and transitions they specifically do on beat with the music and I've heard people suggest the idea that this bosses theme is diegetic
Romania saint of the bud and the final boss of the dlc is the soundtracks from the trailer. Should definitely check out Midra, lord of frenzied flame probably my favorite in the dlc
Agreed. Insanely cool atmosphere.
its not even a week after dlc and people be puting spoilers everywhere for the final boss
I feel like you should just refer to it as "the final boss" to avoid spoilers.
Romina not Romania 😆
@@spaceman4286One day Miyazaki will make a boss fight that's just a fight against the entirety of Romania
Absolutely love this boss fight and theme.
Can't wait for lord of frenzied flame. Best track.
For real so good
Dude, you are absolutely a master of your craft. You can see the big picture and you can explain it simply. How much longer before a developer hires you for some work :)
Heyooooo, I've been waiting for this!!!
An interesting fact about this track is that when you hear it changing drastically, it always align with the boss changing between elements, and it cycles after it enters phase 2, it's awesome. This is the closest they've come to make the music match what's actually happening in the fight.
Th way you nail the lore just by analyzing the music is so cool and genuinely awesome
There's so many bangers in this dlc. My favourite is definitely Midra, lord of frenzied flame though, would love if you covered it
This is the best video game ost period.
Gorgeous masterpieces of art and design deserve to be ACTUALLY listened to, actually SEEN, properly appraised and savored.
Literally my favourite boss and boss music in the game now
What i love about this boss is that in the 2nd phase Lion actually changes phases in time with the music
This dlc had some really good tracks. I recommend midra, lord of frenzied flame next.
100% a people's kind of god ^^ means they really did convey it well.
My second (First one is final dlc boss) favorite boss because im so facinated how good its music is in game more so with dancing lion changing elements with every part of song its just hitting harder with that music then with its attacks
This fight, Putrescent Knight, and Metyr are the only three fights in the DLC I thoroughly enjoy and mainly because of their OST
That was really fantastic. I think your "feel" for the music that accompanied (or did it carry) this event, was really phenomenal! Wow!
1:04 me watching eastern videos
Exactly what I visited UA-cam for first thing in the morning. And I didn't even have to search for it. Thanks, Davi! You do good work for us music plebs.
Also, please give Malenia's a try one of these days.
Since you liked blasphemous 1 track
I'm sure you'll love blasphemous 2's track even more
Hoping for blasphemous 2 ost analysis, thank you
hey davi its so cool to see you cover the Elden Ring DLC boss music. Shadow of the Erdtree as been amazing!!!
Really interesting analysis, you were spot on on most of the things. A small detail is that the lion is constantly rolling or going in circles, flowing around, and the theme is also going back and forth with the strings to make you feel as if the song is also rolling alongside him. Also the theme keeps shifting with the different elemental phases and each resonate with how each phase plays (chilly ice spikes with a slower song, thunderous and more strings with the lighting phase). Pretty genious, advance music in this dlc so far
Listen to midra lord of frenzied flame theme!
Could you react to Slave Knight Geal sometime soon. Hes the Last Boss of the whole Dark Souls series. Would be cool 👀.
yesss!!!!!!!!!
Unfortunately he listened to it on stream one time and hardly even had a reaction
I'm sure you'll love Midra's theme
You definitely gotta cover Midra and Messmer's theme they're incredible
I can’t believe you covered this before you covered Slave Kight Gael 😩😂😂😂 love it!
Been watching you quite a lot now, and i can say you’re doing a great job! I strongly recommend you listen and react to Slave Knight Gael. He is the last boss of the whole Dark Souls trilogy.
Midras:lord of frenzied flame ost is my favorite of this dlc, but this one is great too
Youre spot on with your thematic analysis of what the music conveys. Im in awe that you can extrapolate the musical part and articulate it into thematic ideas. Presumed you havent played the game/saw pictures or read or heard lore of the Divine Beast Dancing Lion, it literally fits your description so well. Really enjoying hearing your analyses!
I'm pretty sure my heart rate was 350bpm when I was fighting this.
There are a bunch of great boss tracks in this dlc, cant wait until you react to Midra or to the final boss
I remember walking into the boss arena and deciding on the first try that the OST was a 10 out of 10
Midra would be hype
You can kind of imagine all the singers and players off to the side during a festival with the Lion Dancing in the center.
Lord of Frenzied Flame next PLEASE
Also, amazing analysis on this one
Awesome to see you cover this piece! Nailed it right on the head.
I think it's absolutely incredible they really cemented "Dancing Lion" in this. It's literally just that. Two dudes in a costume akin to Chinese Dancing Lions, but at the same time being primordial, raw, and well, divine. It's not "holy" in the sense of other music associated with deities. It's quite literally as beastly as the creature itself.
The introduction dialogue is awesome, too, by the way: "Oh horn-deck'd beast from higher sphere deliver'd. Take root inside the tower's sculpted keepers. And perch'd within, we beg of thee; rise."
"Dance and cavort, cleanse all that thou wilt. Cruelty, woe, and those who plague the tower. Cleanse away the strumpet's vile progeny."
I will stand by this being, to me, the best introducton boss to a DLC out there.
I'm looking forward to unvovering more of the DLC when I have time away from my uni studies to stop exploring the map and fight more bosses, lol.
7:46 absolute favorite part
There is also a primal aspect to this theme as well.
I recommend both the Putrescent Knight and the Lord of Frenzied Flame track from this DLC
The dancing lion amazing music for the boss,the best boss in the dlc
it's amazing that you were able to pick up on harmony as a major player in this song's construction, because a very important thing to the Divine Beast's story and design is it's multiple dancers working together to operate this large, very Eastern inspired costume. Once again From Software and whoever else is involved in the music production of these games absolutely blew my mind with this one
First boss in the DLC and the music is already top10 in the whole series!
Fun fact, the elemental phases are on a timer that keeps with the music!
日本では獅子舞(sisimai)と呼ばれています。
spot on with the analyzis as always. And curiously Shoi Myiazawa (composer of this track) did not compose for Sekiro. I could swear this song came from the same composer of Corrupted Monk but i was wrong.
without a doubt my favorite boss and theme in the dlc it has such spectacle and awe and it fits perfectly with what it is. the music during its phase transition is amazing
Nice, been waiting for this!
I must, must recommend ‘those united in common cause’, I think it’s my favorite Elden ring dlc track and the fight behind it is legitimately so emotional that it may just make a top 3 for all FromSoft game soundtracks in my opinion.
The bosses theme actually plays into the fight.
Phase 1 Is the regular non elemental Theme.
Phase 2 has 3 different modes for wich theres a secment of the theme for. (4 on the secret fight)
7:16 is the Lightning form theme.
7:40 is the Wind form theme.
8:24 is the Ice form Theme.
You commenting on it not feeling sophisticated like other elden rinc music is probably meant to evoke that this boss stems from a culture that the followers of marika and the erdtree wiped out
Would love to see you analyse Messmer's theme!
This track is fantastic ❤
For me, it has some Eastern European vibe to it, like Romanian folk music ❤
Great breakdown as always Davi! Maybe you can do bayle the dread next? Anyway keep it up
Messmer next pls!!!
I'm glad you listened to this one, this is one of the more interesting ones from the DLC!
This dudes ability to nail the concept of the boss *everytime* speaks both to the Elden ring composers craftsmanship and his hard work that led to this talent
You need to listen to these DLC tracks, they are all very insane. I recommend:
Messmer
Rellana
Romina
Midra
Metyr
Bayle
What an exhilirating track! Midra and Scadutree Avatar are amazing.
7:45 is a masterpiece
This ost unbelievably divine
Man you gotta react to Midra, Lord of Frenzied Flame!!!
Honestly the entire DLC OST is super good. My faves by far are the Lord of Frenzied Flame and Those United in Common Cause
I love this track as it really gives the feeling of this last Vestige of an extinct civilisation attempting to take revenge one last time. Beautiful.
Liking and saving it for later, Nice.
I was thinking to myself in work earlier today "I wonder if Davi will review SotE tracks ..."
So I searched up one of my favourites to have a listen when I got home and HEY PRESTO
My dude
The helmet this boss gives is truly the best.
Earth water air fire these four great nations were once in harmony
The best ost work & boss design they have ever done. The rest of the dlc.. well, ive had more fun playing other games. But worth it for these bosses alone with the designs, set pieces, and incredible soundtrack
I think it's sounding a bit like you could play it in the circus, which would fit perfectly given that we're fighting a dancing lion.
can’t wait for him to check out Rahdahn and miquella theme, it’s so good
You're absolutely spot on that it sounds like it could be a Sekiro boss.
I recommend listening to Midra’s OST in this DLC. It’s the best one by far
The dancing lion is magnificent and feels like a festival/parade. Another one you absolutely gotta check out is Bayle the Dread. You'd swear it was the final boss if there wasn't another who claimed that title.
You should definitely check out midras ost next
Lord of the Frenzied Flame, Midra next please! I think that one is the best of the DLC.
You'll have to check out the song for Bayle the Dread at some point!
"something underneath" yeah, two dudes.
and somehow those two dudes kicked my ass more than actual gods...
Is it just me or is Elden Ring music uniquely beautiful?
no, not just you
I'm so thrilled you caught the chinese influences in this track. I've noticed that the reference to chinese lion dancing in both this boss's design and theme went over a lot of people's heads. As a vietnamese person I grew up surrounded by lion dancing so discovering this boss and its theme was such a treat.
Lord of Frenzied Flame = holy horror theme. It's pretty awesome.
Please Midras Lord of Frenzy Flame!
MIDRA NEXT PLEASE
Yessss