Rock on for Ragnarok

Ragnarok is a popular game played on-line. That means you have to be connected to the Internet through which you will join a very special community that now boasts of over 50,000 members worldwide. Ragnarok is based on a Nordic tale about the eternal battle between good and evil. If evil wins the game, it would mean the end of the world. So the players do battle with the bad guys. While doing so, they also get to play act their chosen roles, assuming various personas, complete with costumes and assorted characteristics.

This is all very interesting, but for somebody still mired in Gem Drop and occasional peeks at Pokemon, plunging into the world of Ragnarok does not only seem complicated. It is in truth, somewhat scary and might turn out to be expensive. You pay to play. But Ragnarok is here to stay and the game has already spawned related merchandise of various sorts including the album Rok On.

The liner notes of the CD seeks to explain the connection between the Ragnarok game and the contents of the album. "Once upon a time, rock ‘n’ roll gave voice to the revolutionary youth movement of barrier-breaking, community-building and social activism. In 2005, the revolution is revitalized in a new medium. The Internet has expanded our world and at the same time made it much smaller by connecting everyone.

"On-line games and their visual worlds are the playgrounds of this ‘interverse.’ Ragnarok On-line has broken down both socio-economic boundaries. A brand-new economy has emerged and even a new language has been created.

"Ragnarok is so rock ‘n’ roll. This album is the aural expression of that belief…"

Wow! is all I can say. Those are mighty big ideas presented to justify the time and money that goes into every instance somebody goes on-line to play Ragnarok. But every dog has its day and this is the time of on-line gaming. So if you have the capacity to indulge in this type of entertainment, then so be it. We are in the world of the Internet and if Ragnarok has indeed become the latest substitute for reading, war games or television, there is nothing left for us to do but adapt to the change

But meanwhile, on-line or not you can still enjoy Ragnarok music, thanks to Rok On. Six bands are featured in the album. Each of them was requested by producer Level Up! to compose new original materials inspired by the game. The results of their efforts should send Ragnarok players thinking of what they are referring to. Those who do not play however can still enjoy these sounds. Pag-ibig Ko Sa ‘yo by Moonstar 88; Chiksilog by Kamikazee; A Different Kind by Kwan; Rockin’ It by SVC; Phoenix by Typecast and MVP by 7 Shots.

Each CD copy of Rok On comes with a bonus disc that contains the Amatsu and Kunlun A Tale of Two Cities Game Installer and the Ragnarok New Player Game Guide, which should come in handy for buyers the album will introduce to the game for the first time.

Alternative music from Ayuz

Great news for budget-conscious alternative music fans. Ayuz! a collection of the best recordings by some of the biggest bands in town is now available. So if you missed out on their albums that included these songs, now is your chance to have the original recordings in one talent-filled CD.

Get a load of the contents: Liwanag sa Dilim, Balisong and Umaaraw Umuulan by Rivermaya; Shallow Graves and An Argument by Chicosci; Alay and Rainsong by Imago; Pigface by Greyhoundz; Bulakbol by Mongols; Tungkol sa Wala and Gusto Ko ng Baboy by the Radioactive Sago Project; Happy Birthday and Antipara by Itchyworms; The Brownbeat Theme and Lampungan by the Brownbeat Allstars; Shooting Star by Teeth; Realm of the Wicked by Badburn and Trilogy by Cheese.

Top videos of the week

Over at MYX, the Filipino music channel, the top videos of the week are: We Belong Together by Mariah Carey; Same Ground by Kitchie Nadal; Can This Be Love by Sarah Geronimo; I’ll Never Go by Erik Santos; Hold You Down by Jennifer Lopez; Incomplete by the Backstreet Boys; She’s No You by Jesse McCartney; Over by Lindsay Lohan; Not That Kind of Girl by Jojo; Love Moves in Mysterious Ways by Nina; Holiday by Greenday; Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani; Untitled by Simple Plan; Mockingbird by Eminem; Signs by Snoop Dogg; and You and Me by Lifehouse.