#also im sorry for ppl following me who don't know how to read sheet music

[athetos]

has anyone else noticed that the ridley boss theme from super metroid is super similar to one of the riffs from panic attack by dream theater?

Below is the bass line from Panic Attack by Dream Theater, starting at :29. It's in Cm.

Below is the bass line from Vs. Ridley from Super Metroid, which repeats with minor variations throughout the entire song. It's also in Cm (although the arranger for this particular sheet music for some reason left the key signature in C and just added accidentals)

If you ignore the consistent low C played between the moving notes, it's an identical rhythm, and with the exception of Panic Attack opting for that dissonant F# over Super Metroid's flat 2nd, it's the same notes as well. What really made this stood out to me though was that they're both in 5|8, which is an unusual time signature. Most western music typically has 3, 4, or 6 beats in a measure. Using 5|8 here really gives both pieces a frenetic and urgent feeling, almost like the measure is being chopped short. Combined with the dissonance of that tritone/flat 2nd, it's all the more jarring, which is why I think Ridley's theme is one of the most effective boss tracks of all time.

Anyway, I don't think this was like plagiarism or anything, i just find it really neat! The Metroid franchise (particularly Super Metroid) is fond of strategically using off-sounding time signatures to create this very alien, unsettling soundscape, that I adore.

#ash.mp3 #metroid #super metroid #dream theater #i am genuinely unsure how to add image descriptions for these i apologize... #also im sorry for ppl following me who don't know how to read sheet music