November 2nd marks the debut of the 7th season of the Rooster Teeth Productions, an LLC animated show, RWBY. A fantasy 3D modeled web series akin to anime, RWBY chronicles, the adventures of Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long (for whom the show is named after) Already, fans can look forward to redesigns of their favorite cast members (the last redesign occurred in 2016 when Rooster Teeth Productions LLC completely transitioned from using the animation program, Poser Pro 2014, to the now industry standard of Maya), a completely new setting, and an amazing score.
Jeff Williams and daughter Casey Lee Williams have provided vocal tracks for every volume ever since Volume 1. Songs in RWBY serve a grander purpose than setting the tone. Fight compositions, pacing and choreography are heavily reliant on the tempo and rhythm of the songs in the background. Furthermore, vocal songs serve as an additional medium to communicate certain plot elements to the viewer. An example would be Volume 4 song “I’m the One”, a high tempo and high energy song that recounted the abusive pasts of minor villains Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black.
Volume 6’s soundtrack had some rather large shoes to fill, as the previous volume included many fan favorites such as “Ignite” and “Path To Isolation”. This didn’t go past the mind of Jeff Williams, as the release date of Volume 6 was the most delayed of all the albums.
Track 1 features the opening song of the season, “Rising”. High energy and amazing guitar riffs, “Rising” is everything viewers have come to expect out of their openings song. Dedicated fans will be able to pick up on lyrics in the bridge that reference a conversation from fan favorite character Pyhrra Nikos all the way back from Volume 1.
The second track on the list, “The Miracle”, completely shifts this tone. This track is looming and foreboding with lyrics to match. Appearing as the first song in the volume to be accompanied by a fight scene, it’s ability to telegraph information to the viewer is severely hindered by the storyboard team’s decision to have dialogue occur intermittently.
“One Thing” was a track that was paired with one of the most anticipated character returns of the series, Neo. Seeking vengeance against those who he feels are responsible for the death of her companion, “One Thing” perfectly captures the desperation and blind fury that comes with not knowing who to blame. Also , the fighting animation set with this track is constructed with far better execution, calling back to an era prior to Volume 4 when this level of execution was commonplace.
In the album, Recounting the manic obsession for power of villian, Adam Tauras, the lyrics in “Lionize” document a “shoot first, ask questions later” mindset. Stylistically, Williams made some perplexing choices with the vocal range of the song, coming out as strained and almost exclusively shouts. While they may have been intentionally pushing the preachiness and self atonement that villains usually feel entitled to, it makes for a less enjoyable listening experience.
Following “Lionize” is Track 5 “Big Metal Shoe”. Back to the high octane energy the series is known for, “Big Metal Shoe” is actually a huge breath of fresh air. Making references to fairy tales such as Jack and Jill, The Three Little Pigs, Snow White, Pinocchio, and so many others, “Big Metal Shoe” makes for a fun song even when listening passively. In addition, Lamar Hall returns to add his own flair. Lamar Hall has been the staple rap artist for each RWBY album ever since Volume 1, his performance being just as strong as ever before.
A fan favorite staple of the RWBY Volume Soundtracks are the ending songs. . For Volume 6, we were blessed with “Nevermore”. Surrounding the triumph of protagonists Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna over previously mentioned antagonist Adam Taurus, the duet is a very striking and heartfelt story of coming to terms with your own definition of peace and having to do what’s right. Adrienne Cowan is a featured vocalist on this track for the first time in the series and her vocal performance does a nice job to compliment lead vocalist Casey Lee Williams.
Many fans were very excited for the 7th Track, “Indomitable”, as the main series only showed 20 seconds of the full song. The full version is a beautiful reflection of the series themes of hope and resolve.
Every RWBY Volume Soundtrack has had a token “right-in-the-feels” song, and Volume 6 is no exception. These songs have always been my favorite, and Track 10, “Forever Fall”, admittedly, was my most anticipated song in the entire album. The scene accompanying it was so powerful and heartfelt that it had me pause the show so I could cry for 10 minutes, so I had very high expectations of this song. The full song, unfortunately, didn’t hit the nail on the head for me. The sad songs of yore were far more personal excavations of the characters personalities, struggles and motivation. The accompanying score and lyrics this time around didn’t hit that bar and come across as a more generic feeling of mourning and longing.