I was so excited to try out playing a mage in World of Warcraft way back in the day… and then it was so awful. So many amazing spells! And so little survivability…
It all adds up to a pretty awesome album though.
“These Hands are Made for Crafting” is a song about realizing your hands simply aren’t up to some tasks and that if you want to use them for what really matters — like casting ice bolts and fireballs — you can’t waste them on swinging about heavy weapons.
There are so many amazing spells for mages… but you have to pick which skill tree to opt into — fire, ice, or arcane. “What Kind of Magic” is a song about that choice, and I really love how the vocal turned out. I could listen to it over and over again.
The song “Fire and Ice” riffs off Robert Frost, because of course it does:
“Some say the world ends burning
Some say it ends in frost
I know enough of fire to say it calls to me
I know enough of ice to say it’s everything I’d want to be
…
But neither one is what my hands are reaching for tonight”
Of all the songs I’ve made, “Embrace the Chaos” has the most fun doo-wop breaks. I was going for a “Witch Doctor” vibe, and it’s just such a delight. So catchy.
“Oo-sha ba-da, hexy vexy voom
Zigga zamma zoom-bam
Boom-ba bloom”
Catchy, catchy nonsense!
It’s fun in these albums to have a companion for the hero, and for the mage, it absolutely had to be a flying book.
I love the mage aesthetic with all the flying books.
“Made of Glass” is the cornerstone truth of being a mage, and so it needed to be the cornerstone song to the album… and wow did this earn its spot.
I know that basically no one else is listening to these things, but damn, I’m so happy with this one.
“Mirror Spell” is where our mage gets to see herself from the outside and appreciate her own power, finally reconciling her fragility with her strength. It’s also just a cool spell, and it’s fun finding ways to turn game mechanics into emotional arcs.
“Portal” is the song where this whole fantasy world opens up around the mage and we get to see glimpses of all the faraway places and magical vistas.
Conjuring food and drink is one of the most pedestrian-seeming spells a mage has — it’s quiet, not flashy. But when taken seriously, that’s powerful magic, summoning sustenance from nothing. So, “Conjure” is where the album ends — feeding the whole party.