Materia Collective has released Metal Trainer, a thrashin’ progressive rock and metal cover album featuring nine tracks from the original Pokémon Red and Blue for the Nintendo Game Boy. Arranged and performed by Ro Panuganti-best known for his game music remix performances on YouTube and past albums dedicated to Metroid and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time-Metal Trainer captures the fierce battles, intriguing locales, and remarkable moments Pokémon’s heaviest journey yet. Metal Trainer is now available wherever digital music is sold:
Metal Trainer on All Storefronts
“Metal Trainer was started as a simpler, more traditional rock album that people could enjoy hearing live and playing on the go, or working out,” comments arranger Ro Panuganti. “I quickly got pulled in the nostalgia of those first Pokémon games, and realized that I had to keep things more progressive rock and metal to properly capture that epic journey. Some of my proudest arranging happened for ‘Lavender,’ where most of my ideas came when I just had my guitar in a room with no computer. I played with how that song should go in a story, and eventually wrote some of my proudest, spookiest music yet. I hope that listener’s feel that innocent charm of Pokémon’s city anthems, that fire in your belly from wanting to beat the intimidating gym leaders, and those ghostly chills that came from traversing Lavender Town.”
Key themes from across Pokémon Red and Blue are included. The track list for Metal Trainer is as follows:
01. Pokémon Master
02. Viridian
03. A Wild Encounter
04. Pokémon Hospital
05. Mt. Moon
06. Cerulean
07. Lavender
08. Pokémon Mansion
09. Gym Battle
About Ro Panuganti
Ro Panuganti is an active musician, recording and playing in the avante-garde yet remarkable style of progressive rock/metal and more. His skills range from electric guitar to bass, vocal, piano, and a slew of traditional Indian instruments. Influences range from Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and modern prog artists to Van Halen, Iron Maiden, Metallica, and varieties of musicals and soundtracks.
Ro has been creating rock and metal versions of videogame, television, and movie themes since 2011 and has performed at a variety of events including National Harbor MAGFest (Music and Gaming Festival) in 2017 and ConBravo 2018. His music has been featured on Nickelodeon, Smosh, in small indie games including Bacon Man: An Adventure, and on albums that performed in the Top 20 Bandcamp Albums in their respective genres.
Ro continues to create a variety of game remixes, original music, gear reviews, tutorials, contests, and more for his YouTube channel on a near-weekly basis and works to grow the world of exciting fan music and videogame scores.