We continue our focus on the newly released Lufia II: Of Gods and Men album with another impressive throwback as Artem Bank rocks out "The Abysmal Bottom of the Sea"! Unlike our previously posted feature from Darangen, Artem didn't know Lufia II at all, but he saw another album project in need and dove in with a valuable assist:

"I'd never played Lufia II before, so, I really didn't know a thing about the game or any of the music... but, I do like hunting for projects to be on. So, I ended up watching a Let's Play of the game, and that lead to me getting a larger appreciation of the music, so, off I went! I just wanted to make something that was really high in energy, and "Great Depths" sounded cool to me."

Nostalgia's a powerful thing when you have it, yet don't be shocked when contributors can make hay out of just being exposed to creative VGM compositions like those of Yasunori Shiono! Album director Gario was pleasantly surprised by Artem's high-octane approach to one of Lufia's most low-key themes:

"Such an unexpected approach for a song so subdued -- this one really takes those themes and hits you in the face with them! Not that anyone should be complaining, since it really exploits the potential that this source must've had this whole time. The good music keeps rolling, with this album, let me tell y'all!"

Agreed, respect to Artem for the adjustments he made to his treatment of the source tune, not only turning up the dial on it but also making it more melodious. Then-judges Palpable and Nutritious both got Radiohead vibes from this, and overall this was a rock-solid take on this theme, with cohesively written original sections that flowed very naturally. You'll be pulled in by the Western-sounding acoustic guitar opening things up and rewarded with a sophisticated electronic palette featuring good dynamics and intensity throughout. The first chorus at 1:18 has an amazing crescendo at 1:43 before hitting some super-cool sound design during the gradual rebuild all the way until 2:33. Strong stuff, Artem, and a welcome example of how diving into album projects -- even when you don't know the game -- leads to creating great music! Make like the Excerion airship and be sure to dive into the fine waters of the full Lufia II: Of Gods and Men project, you won't be disappointed! :-)