Late-era PS2 orchestral darkness that sounds like it was recorded in a cathedral during a thunderstorm. "Pathetic" appears in multiple arrangements (violin and piano, chamber) and each version strips the melody down further until it's almost unbearable in the best way.
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"Snow of Lament" lives up to its name with strings that feel frozen mid-bow. The combat themes like "Armor" and "Mercenary" have this restrained aggression, never going full bombastic when simmering tension works better.
"Does Silence Float on Water" is the kind of track title that tells you exactly what this composer was going for. Brooding, deliberate, beautiful. If you miss when PS2 RPGs took themselves dead seriously, this delivers.