Uploaded February 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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A full band cover and sheet music transcription for one of the Asterisk Boss themes from Bravely Default 2, composed by Revo in the heavy fantasy rock style of Linked Horizon.
A massive thanks to guitarist and fellow composer, Raúl Sangonzalo, who was invaluable in performing the guitars and drums, as well as guidance with mixing & mastering. Check out his awesome work:
➤ instagram.com/raulsangonzalo
➤ https://linktr.ee/raulsangonzalo
Support the official soundtrack:
➤ rlbd2.ponycanyon.co.jp/release
--------------------
➤ Analysis:
In classic Revo style, we begin with large aggressive bare 5ths chord in A (0:03). The presence of a Bb suggests a Phrygian modality (A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G), rather than the typical harmonic minor. This tonality, combined with forceful syncopation (rhythms going against the pulse) create an instant battle aesthetic - very suitable for an asterisk boss. This atmosphere is further enhanced by diminished 7th chords (0:07; A-C-Eb-F#).
At 0:09, this opening material repeats, now doubled in open 4ths / 5ths by the violas. But by 0:14, we abruptly step up a tone to B minor / Phrygian, with another repeat of the opening material. This time, the piano contributes some seemingly improvisatory chromatic material with some dissonant trills (0:22).
Halfway through the intro (0:26), we return to our tonic of A, expanding the opening material with increased aggression through more drums, bass, strings and piano presence. And, as expected, we step to B at 0:37 with another expansion of earlier material with extra spice.
But as we conclude the phrase (0:48), instead of stepping back down to A, we step up a further semitone to C Phrygian (C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb) for the climax preceding the main asterisk boss theme. This passage is Phrygian in nature due to the C-Db-Eb progression. As this climax concludes (0:52), we get a heavily distorted rising swell with some unison syncopation as we enter the main asterisk theme.
Here (0:55), the off-beat syncopation continues (very reminiscent of the "Attack on Titan" season 1 OP, also by Revo) as we get a shift to A Aeolian (A-B-C-D-E-F-G). The material is otherwise quite simple. We get a quick tertiary shift up to C Aeolian (1:05), where this opening phrase is almost repeated in full, but transposed.
By 1:18, a 2nd section begins with the strings taking the melodic role. Here, we tonally swim through multiple tertiary modulations (from C, to A, back to C, then to Eb, and back to C). These progressions are termed "tertiary" since they modulate a 3rd away from one another (e.g. A is a 3rd away from C).
We return to the 1st section at 1:30, more or less unchanged outside of some additional spark from the piano, and the 2nd section is also repeated again at 1:41. But as it concludes, this time we modulate to the relative major of C minor (Eb) for a brief episode. This shift to the relative is very typical of neoclassical composition, a style that Revo heavily incorporates in his music (note the circle of 5ths we'll see later).
Following this relative episode (2:04), we get a developed return to the 1st section in C Aeolian, now coloured with new harmonies such as the submediant (Ab) and relative (Eb), as well as a new horn & viola countermelody.
At 2:27, we get our famed Revo guitar solo section, now seamlessly falling back into A minor (the tonic). This solo plays around a circle of 5ths (Am-Dm-G-C-F#-B-E-Am) - an incredibly neoclassical technique. As the intense solos come to an end, we get an instant loop back to the beginning of the 1st section, as the track repeats (2:50).
Revo Drinking Game: Take a swig every time you hear wind chimes.
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Bravely Default II
★Developer: Claytechworks
★Publisher: Square Enix, Nintendo
★Composer(s): Revo
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Bravely Default 2, Bravely Default II, Asterisk Boss 1, Cover, Guitar Cover, Band Cover, Remix, Transcription, Sheet Music, Score, Re-creation
#BravelyDefault2
#AsteriskBoss
#Cover
🎵 Sheet Music, Parts & TABs ➤ musicnotes.com/l/NRTPX
💗 MIDI / XML / Sibelius ➤ bit.ly/TandABundle
🎹 Commissions ➤ jshaw.co.uk/commissions
🎮 More Arrangements ➤ jshaw.co.uk/TandA
👍 Facebook ➤ bit.ly/TandAFacebook
🐦 Twitter ➤ bit.ly/TandATwitter
🎵 Bandcamp ➤ bit.ly/TandABandcamp
🎵 Spotify ➤ bit.ly/TandASpotify
🎵 Deezer ➤ bit.ly/TandADeezer
🎵 YouTube Music ➤ bit.ly/TandAYouTube
🎵 Apple Music / iTunes ➤ bit.ly/TandAApple
A full band cover and sheet music transcription for one of the Asterisk Boss themes from Bravely Default 2, composed by Revo in the heavy fantasy rock style of Linked Horizon.
A massive thanks to guitarist and fellow composer, Raúl Sangonzalo, who was invaluable in performing the guitars and drums, as well as guidance with mixing & mastering. Check out his awesome work:
➤ instagram.com/raulsangonzalo
➤ https://linktr.ee/raulsangonzalo
Support the official soundtrack:
➤ rlbd2.ponycanyon.co.jp/release
--------------------
➤ Analysis:
In classic Revo style, we begin with large aggressive bare 5ths chord in A (0:03). The presence of a Bb suggests a Phrygian modality (A-Bb-C-D-E-F-G), rather than the typical harmonic minor. This tonality, combined with forceful syncopation (rhythms going against the pulse) create an instant battle aesthetic - very suitable for an asterisk boss. This atmosphere is further enhanced by diminished 7th chords (0:07; A-C-Eb-F#).
At 0:09, this opening material repeats, now doubled in open 4ths / 5ths by the violas. But by 0:14, we abruptly step up a tone to B minor / Phrygian, with another repeat of the opening material. This time, the piano contributes some seemingly improvisatory chromatic material with some dissonant trills (0:22).
Halfway through the intro (0:26), we return to our tonic of A, expanding the opening material with increased aggression through more drums, bass, strings and piano presence. And, as expected, we step to B at 0:37 with another expansion of earlier material with extra spice.
But as we conclude the phrase (0:48), instead of stepping back down to A, we step up a further semitone to C Phrygian (C-Db-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb) for the climax preceding the main asterisk boss theme. This passage is Phrygian in nature due to the C-Db-Eb progression. As this climax concludes (0:52), we get a heavily distorted rising swell with some unison syncopation as we enter the main asterisk theme.
Here (0:55), the off-beat syncopation continues (very reminiscent of the "Attack on Titan" season 1 OP, also by Revo) as we get a shift to A Aeolian (A-B-C-D-E-F-G). The material is otherwise quite simple. We get a quick tertiary shift up to C Aeolian (1:05), where this opening phrase is almost repeated in full, but transposed.
By 1:18, a 2nd section begins with the strings taking the melodic role. Here, we tonally swim through multiple tertiary modulations (from C, to A, back to C, then to Eb, and back to C). These progressions are termed "tertiary" since they modulate a 3rd away from one another (e.g. A is a 3rd away from C).
We return to the 1st section at 1:30, more or less unchanged outside of some additional spark from the piano, and the 2nd section is also repeated again at 1:41. But as it concludes, this time we modulate to the relative major of C minor (Eb) for a brief episode. This shift to the relative is very typical of neoclassical composition, a style that Revo heavily incorporates in his music (note the circle of 5ths we'll see later).
Following this relative episode (2:04), we get a developed return to the 1st section in C Aeolian, now coloured with new harmonies such as the submediant (Ab) and relative (Eb), as well as a new horn & viola countermelody.
At 2:27, we get our famed Revo guitar solo section, now seamlessly falling back into A minor (the tonic). This solo plays around a circle of 5ths (Am-Dm-G-C-F#-B-E-Am) - an incredibly neoclassical technique. As the intense solos come to an end, we get an instant loop back to the beginning of the 1st section, as the track repeats (2:50).
Revo Drinking Game: Take a swig every time you hear wind chimes.
--------------------
The score was created in Sibelius 7.5, and the audio was created in Cubase using sample libraries from EastWest and Vienna Symphonic.
★Game: Bravely Default II
★Developer: Claytechworks
★Publisher: Square Enix, Nintendo
★Composer(s): Revo
★Software: Sibelius 7.5, Cubase Elements 7, Cubase 10, Adobe Premiere Elements 15, EastWest Sample Libraries, Vienna Symphonic Library
★Tags: Bravely Default 2, Bravely Default II, Asterisk Boss 1, Cover, Guitar Cover, Band Cover, Remix, Transcription, Sheet Music, Score, Re-creation
#BravelyDefault2
#AsteriskBoss
#Cover
