"Oh my God, this thing is about to land" - Hunters famous last words since MH Gen Ultimate

When Radahn did his second phase comet, I remember going "OH SHIT HE'S DOING A VALSTRAX" and that saved me 😂

Crimson Glow is actually quite different then normal Valstrax. Valstrax has an “engine” of sorts in its chest. It sucks in air through its gills on its chest. (At least I think they’re called gills.) The air is then converted into dragon energy in its “engine” which it then shoots out its wings to fly. Normally Valstrax almost never lands on the ground. And when it does it normally lives on the highest peaks possible. Crimson Glow has a problem with it’s “engine”. It’s creating to much dragon energy causing it pain and drives it mad. In this mad state it becomes incredibly aggressive and comes down more often and attacks anything it sees.

Valstrax's ultimate attack is where he takes off into the sky to the point that all you can see is a red glowing spot in the sky, where he then flies in a quick circle before crashing down directly onto you at full thruster velocity. The attack is lovingly called by some of the players as the "Around the World" attack.

Gaze up at the sky in fear The crimson comet draws near The light of the stars Burns the earth to ash Rends heaven in twain With a final flash One of my all time favourite monsters and themes! Thank you so much for reacting to it!

Valstrax is one of my favourite dragon designs ever. There aren't many things as majestic as a rocket powered dragon, and its theme reflects that.

I love how he gets so absorbed into the music with his facial expressions and hand gestures it really shows how much passion and appreciation that he has for video game music or just music in general

You were actually right about Crimson Glow Valstrax being able to fly, but he hovers with his wings and their jet propulsion, as befitting himself as a fighter jet dragon. It’s so damn cool.

Crimson Glow Valstrax is the Variant of an existing monster with the same name; Valstrax This variant in particular is one that has lost control over it's dragon element (The dragon element is this red energy that some elder dragons can control) While the original is pretty peaceful and is actually hunted due to it's inability to see while he's flying to high speed through the skies, he end's up destroying some of the guild's airships, so he's not an aggressive monster by itself In the other hand, Crimson Glow has lost control over this energy, and it even started to burn it's Silver shell, this is basically a Valstrax that went rampant do it's excessive dragon Energy Valstrax has it's own theme, and Crimson Glow is a rearrangement of that theme that, as a general opinion of the community, reflects the downfall of the Crimson Comet, that turned into a Star of Despair.

Valstrax's theme really makes him feel like the Hero and not you as the player. It's like this guy is Majestic, awe-inspiring and he has that protagonist presence whiceh honestly is reflected with his popularity as a monster, I do believe he is the most popular monster a lot of the times if you were to poll it. Music wise, though I love this track, the tracks I love most are; Betelgeuse's theme, white Fatalis's theme, Caedius's theme, Dire Maralis' theme and Murmers from the land forbidden which is the general battle theme of the rotten vale. All absolutely amazing and impactful, no particular order there.

The "star of despair". An exceptionally powerful valstrax driven mad by pain from the incredible amounts of dragon energy it produces. Killing it is a mercy.

For the uninitiated, Valstrax is an elder dragon that sucks in large quantities of air through the vents on it's chest, mixes it with dragon energy, and blasts it out of it's hollow wing tips. It is basically a rocket powered elder dragon, and it is capable of using this as both a form of high speed transportation and attack by shooting out bursts of energy as projectiles and as propulsion to enhance slices, stabs, and slams with it's wings. It's wings are attached to the back via stalks, making them incredibly maneuverable, and it's body is incredibly tough owing to the speeds at which it can move. It's strongest attack consists of it taking flight and circling the area to build up speed before breaking the sound barrier and slamming back down with the force of a falling star. All-in-all, it's probably one of the coolest things to exist both inside and outside of monster hunter.

Love how monster hunter musical composer can just describe the vibe of a monster with just orchestrated sounds!

The normal valstrax theme brings me a feeling of heroism and freedom, as if you were the valstrax itself flying through the sky. the Crimson glow variant theme makes me feel more aggressive and intimidating, as if Valstrax is furious.

I love this song, it feels like freedom incarnate.

This is honestly one of the few Elder Dragon themes that stick with me more so than others. Jhen Morhan's only stuck with me because of how many pauses in the fighting there are against it that I can take it in, but Ceadeus' theme Moonquake is just straight up transcendental as you're chasing it deeper and deeper into the abyss.

valstrax is by far my favourite monster in monster hunter. i just wish its set came with a trail effect like its wings give off when it hovers.

Matching the drop with valstrax dive bombing you from the upper atmosphere is one of THOSE moments in monster hunter

Valstrax is my favorite monster in the franchise and such an enjoyable hunt. I've hunted so many of them that I know the patterns and it's a legitimate dance. My friends hate fighting him, but im over here dodging everything lol. Also getting the timing to when he does his signature red comet attack to when the song peaks is just pure hype.

I love how the themes in Monster Hunter really embody these monsters, the music reflecting their behavior and design. I got to get myself back into Monster Hunter Rise on PC and get to endgame.

I've been waiting for this analysis for so long. I'm amazed by how you can describe the feeling these songs want to convey. I always felt this awe the music has but never knew how to describe it.

Due to the rampant dragon energy flowing through its body, Crimson Glow Valstrax has permanent glowing red marks connecting from the chest to the wings, showing up on the sides and wing-arms. The wings have a different design than a normal Valstrax's wings, looking more like exhaust vents, and are covered in glowing red color similar to a normal enraged Valstrax. When inhaling air, the wings will glow a bright red and start spewing out dragon energy. When enraged, dragon energy starts to spew out from the nostrils on the back of its head as exhaust, while the torso glows red in color, with large amounts of dragon energy coming out from the vents in its chest and shoulders.

As a new monster hunter player (started with Monster Hunter World a few months ago) out of all of the old generation monsters I've seen, Valstrax and the 3 Magalas (Gore Magala, Chaotic Gore Magala and Shagaru Magala) have both really caught my attention, especially after listening to their themes, there's something about a Dragon element powered rocket dragon and a dark almost alien like dragon that sheds into a shiny golden scaled, heavenly dragon that I love so much! Speaking about the Magalas, it would be nice to hear your thoughts on the 3 Magala themes in the future, aka Gore Magala, Chaotic Gore Magala, and Shagaru Magala, I especially love how Chaotic Gore Magala incorporates parts of both normal Gore and Shagaru's themes since it was a Gore Magala that failed the process of shedding into a Shagaru Magala.

Now I really want to see you react to the Chameleons theme. It's probably my favourite in Rise.

"We, the hunters see it fliying and saying *wooow*" yeah all woos until it crashes on your head at 300mph

There’s a beautiful ecology video from Generations Ultimate of how Valstrax hunts. Like the bird of prey called the osprey, it dives down onto aquatic creatures swimming in the water below it, snatches it in its talons and then flies off to its nest to feed. Fun part about Valstrax is it does this *at Mach 1.* “Awe” is an apt word for this beautiful beast.

I wish I could grow a beard as full as Marco's

i've been nonstop binging these series! your analyses are always so neat. i'm sure you've had these recommended but that just means i'm seconding them: - amatsu. i think you'd find this one very interesting. it's very ephemeral-sounding and not what you might expect - astalos' theme is energetic and bombastic, it'd be cool to see how you envision his fight! - and one of the most underrated ones imo, namielle, which makes me feel like i'm battling the stormy seas

FINALLY! My favorite MonHun theme ever. Nothing sends me into the sky like the intro of this song. Gets me every single time. Love this song, so glad you got around to it!

THE SUPER JET DRAGON, CRIMSON MODE!! I absolutely love this song!! I still remember when I heard it for the first time when playing MH GEN ULT!! And it became much better for its Crimson Glow version! The singing adds so much as well!!

As a guy who plays Monster Hunter AND Ace Combat, when I first heard this theme, I was like "what is my Ace Combat doing in my Monster Hunter?!?". It's one of my favorite themes in MH, right behind World's Fatalis theme and Proof of Hero. As a side note, Valstrax's japanese name is "Valfalk", and the devs said the name is basically the words "Valorous" and "Falcon" combined. So the song sounding heroic fits with his name

OMG Thank you so much Marco for breaking down so many MH OST. And now it’s my fav boi Valstrax. Can’t thank you enough. ❤

Reverence is a good point, the map that Valstrax is originally found in (in Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate) is full of ancient ruins and such, made by peaple, that presumably worshipped Valstrax (can be assumed by the comet immagery in their stone carvings and such). This makes sense as Valstrax are normally peacefull when left alone, and due to its power it probably drives of weaker monsters with its shire presence, making the area quite safe, thus the people there likely worshipped it as a sort of guardian deity. Its unclear why these people dissapeared but it likely wasnt the Valstrax who caused the ruin of their civilization. Valstrax are normally a bit dangerous due to the shire speed at witch they travel the sky at, they sometimes crash into and ramm through guild airships without even noticing wich makes them a bit of a problem sometimes wich is why we hunt it. The Rise version is quite different, its a mutation, 4the organ that creates the energy it, it makes too much wich hurts valstraxs amd send it into a violent rampage. This is what Chrimson Glow is.

Agreed on it being the best track! Thanks for covering it so well

The fact that you posted the valstrax theme breakdown on the same day that another channel i follow posted their valstrax A9 hunt video is insane! What are the odds?! Anyway, so much fun to watch these. As for valstrax himself, he is an experience and i cannot recommend facing him enough.

Thanks for being there when I was reminiscing on this theme and happened to not see this video before lol

Though it sucks that you couldn't get that first take, it's really cool to see a slightly different rhythm than what you normally have in your videos. I really like how much fun you're having with the music, re playing, getting animated, Describing what you're seeing in your head as you listen and think about it. It's contagious. I say it's an absolute success of a video.

Funnily enough, despite his aerial prowess, Valstrax is a really grounded fight. This grounded nature is only real broken when he travels or uses one of his strongest moves. However, in Crimson Glow Valstrax, there are several more aerial attacks, and some where he uses his wings to go straight hover to take precise shots from his wings, stab, or even dive. Also worth noting is that Valstrax is a flagship, but not only that, the flagship of a celebration of an entire generation of monster hunter. If you want Ahtal-Ka is the final boss and a longer song with 3 main different segments.

Every time you review a new track from MonHun, I am always so excited, even if I can't comment every time. Valstrax is SO GOOD, and the music is fantastic!

Hi Marco, I just wanted to say that I just came back from my first ever opera! It wasn't at an official opera house sadly but my movie theater was showing a live performance of the met opera Champion and I decided to check it out. It's definitely a more modern opera but I really enjoyed myself and I don't think this is something I would have experienced if I hadn't watched your channel and learned about the opera world. Thank you! and I'm excited to see more that my theater shows in the future and hopefully one day I can see a live one in person. ❤❤

the valstrax theme is really exceptional, I hope that one day you make the zinogre theme.

Im glad you love Valstrax's theme too - easily one of my top 3 monster designs in the whole series the entire concept, the look, the fight, the music! Ticks off those boxes so completely the only reason it isnt my exact favorite is because there's another monster that ticks all those boxes better

Imagine you and your teammates met Valstrax for the first time. Four young hunters finally met the monster in its nest. You thought it was cornered. So you jumped on its back when 4:24 you hear the loudest decibles you had ever experience. You struggled but you refused to let go of its back. Then you realized your teammates shout something so fade, since the engline sound of its wings getting louder. "Why did they keep shouting at me to let go? I can handle this." You said in your mind. But then 4:33 you realized everything was too late. You tightened your grip as your life depended on it since Valstrax start soaring above the earth vertically with you on its back.

Valstrax and Malzeno have my favorite themes for sure! Love them so much!

An interesring fact about this Valstrax is that is a variant. Regular Valstrax who doesnt bother anyone and just attacks if provoked and it lives so high it doesnt engage in much combat, only goes down for food. Meanwhile Crimson Glow who is Valstrax that has been corrupted by it's own dragon energy (the red energy around it), it goes mad crazy and constantly looks up for things to kill, doesnt matter if is another big monsters or just some defenseless small creatures. And yes, it has big dive bomb attack that most of the time one shots you.

This one of those themes that really reminds you the hunters aren't the main characters. The monsters are, they're the stars of the show, they're what make the series interesting and give it soul.

My recommendation for next mh listen would be Gore magala (Shagaru magala to can’t do one without the other)

The red comet of despair. Crimson Glow Valstrax's appearance and theme invokes urgency, fear, and the absolute need to rise to the challenge. I was playing with three friends in Rise when we encountered Crimson Glow Valstrax for the first time and his immediate appearance carted two of us. We rushed back on our Palamutes while the other two were barely managing to stay alive, he was so fast. I remember someone getting knocked down for over 70% of their health and CG Valstrax turned to look at them, I knew he was going to charge so I made a mad dash and started using Strength Stance on my hammer to smash its head as hard as I could. I barely managed to stagger it while the other two were yelling *"GET UP GET UP!"* We cleared it on our first go, but we needed a break after. That shit was intimidating as hell and defines the reason we play Monster Hunter, and will continue for many more years.

Valstrax theme has always been an absolute favorite of mine in MH, it just sounds so HEROIC, it genuinely makes me feel like I could fight God

The climax bring me to tears and chills every time.

Valstrax is one of if not the coolest monster in MH, the design is unmatched and the concept is beautiful. The theme is definitely the best part of it all, and it’s been stuck in my head for years. You should totally cover Rukodiora next, he’s a monster from Monster Hunter Frontier, and his theme is one of the best, up next to Valstrax

I remember the first time I met Valstrax in the MHGU demo, I actually cried because of the music and the spectacle of the fight

Oh, he's flying away... is it? HE'S NOT FLYING AWAY, HE'S NOT FLYING AWAY!!!!

I unironically subbed because of your facial expressions and overall body language over listening to music.

Definitely in my top 10 Monster themes, you should check out Nakarkos' theme, theres a few parts to it and it really feels like fighting some sort of cosmic horror.

i think that we undestand very well the song, when we are in the hunting, a hit to get in the camp or a hit to win the hunt!!

2:08 idk how to explain but i always imagine this as a brief moment of relief. Flying far up and away from all the noise and bustle, only to come back in a few seconds later in ablaze with determination.

One of few monsters that matches pace with its music. Also when it takes off to do its big dive bomb a.o.e. the music fades to silence then it crashes and the explosion gives the audio ears ringing shell shock effect, as it wears off the music fades back in as your characters hearing comes back. Its such an experience. Im never mad when val kills me, a monster worthy of respect at all times.

FINALLY. MY FAVOURITE GAME TRACK.

You should check out Amatsu's theme since it was recently added to Rise. Both phases and maybe the unique victory theme. Another more old school track you'll probably like is the Ceadeus medley.

2:32 that has always been my favorite part. Heroic is was comes to mind whenever I hear it

I first discovered this theme when i was just randomly watching youtube videos and found a Russian Wingsuit glider gliding in the night with a flare lit up attached to his leg and as he glided down the music was also getting stronger ahahaha

Crimson Glow Valstrax and Shantien are two of my favorite Elder dragons, and the themes reflect them perfectly!

Nice, I love Valstrax. Thank you for doing more monster hunter.

Now I wanna hear your take on Chameleos' theme.

To the sky and around the world, CG Valstrax is simple PEAK monster and theme in MH

Yes yes YES, oh my gosh oh my gosh 💜💜💜💜 I was waiting for this ❤

Monster hunter music is just so good probably a reason why I love all the games so much I hope you cover the astalos theme one day its so good

its such an amazing monster theme

Ambush + The Chorus is a good combination in-game. The Deafening ear ringing and then the Chorus continues was my best experience fighting Valstrax on Generations Ultimate

I started to play monster hunter recently so this is oddly good timing, also it's nice to see you've grown so much since I last came here, you deserve it. Anyways I am looking foward to more of your analysis! Ps: I still recommend looking at Assassin's creed revelations track 01 since I feel like you'll like to analyze it

I've been waiting for this day

I really love crimson glows theme, it really feels like an intense explosive back and forth battle. Especially since crimson glow is just filled with power and coming at you strong. I also love Valstrax theme from generations ultimate. That version of the track feels like freedom incarnate. I feel like the difference in the tracks show off the personality difference from valstrax and its crimson glow variant.

I'd like to nominate 'rocket jump waltz' as a track to look at in the future

imagine this you're not even a hunter, you're just some guy scavenging out in the field. it's early in the morning, just before daybreak because you want to get a head start on the day, finding materials and foodstuffs out in the nearby wilderness since the village stockpile is running low on some of the things it can't make on its own. as you're hunched over, picking mushrooms, you notice a flash of red light from the corner of your eye. you look up toward where you thought that light came from and see nothing. looking around for a few more seconds, you then hear something. a whistle of sorts. then you see the light again. a burning crimson comet streaking across the twilight sky. you start to get nervous. you've heard legends of a fearsome dragon who rockets across the skies at unimaginable speed. killing the prey it sees with blinding speed and precision. suddenly it's path changes you hear the whistle again but it doesn't last as long as before it trails a circle in the sky the whistle changes to a distant rumble the circling stops and the light grows suddenly, you realize you've made a terrible mistake and dive for the closest thing resembling cover a brief, ear piercing whistle reaches your ear an instant before your body is rocked and thrown by a thundering crash. stone is launched in every direction. trees are torn up from the roots. and then silence followed by a close, head splitting screech as if some twisted hybrid of a dragon and a falcon screamed straight into your ear a high pitched humm starts before another blast followed by more silence you dare not move after some time you finally get the courage to stand only to find a crater larger than an elephant a dozen or so feet from where you hid and you hear a distant bellowing screech that you recognize as the one you heard shortly after the impact

Ok i didn't expect this reaction that's for sure but i appreciate it

Valstrax is one of the best monsters in the series. Not just for its crazy design as a falcon/jet dragon, but it’s fight is just so good. It is so fast and visceral where if you let your guard down, it’s going to slap the shit out of you. However that difficulty is fair, there are plenty of openings within and it doesn’t have absurd hitboxes or cheap 1 hit kos. It’s crimson glow variant turns that up to 11, but since it is rise, us as hunters were also turned up to 11 so it is still an even match. Risen Crimson Glow Valstrax (quite a name…) is where you get the real challenge and they somehow managed to keep the fight fun, exciting, and manageable without cheap bs. What’s even better is that the music matches the fight so well and keeps you feeling amped and despite such a tough and chaotic foe.

Nice to see you enjoying one of my favorite tracks! (No I'm not biased, what could you ever be talking about? *cough cough*) There is also a full chase theme remix of the track in rise, but its a shame you basically dont hear it aside from a few seconds because the game cuts the track once valstrax has made it to the next area on the map.

even if i havent fought crimson glow i still get chills hearing the ost and imagining it flying

I'm so glad you picked the gu one over the rise one, I adore the impact the percussion has!

i have nothing to add other than that valstrax's generation's ultimate theme is even better the big build-up to the climactic part of the track in GU is the greatest piece of music i have ever listened to

Valstrax is my favorite monster and I loved how he instantly picked up on his ultimate "around the world" at the start of the video (don't even get me started on risen boi's ultimate my god what a sight) when I fight this guy theres little time I feel true dread but I constantly feel heroic and valiant taking on this noble beast Also apparently his original theme is one of the top 10 MOST PLAYED monster hunter videos out there

I know I'm 10 monsths late to comment, but I personally love the way the song (and the original) synergizes with Valstrax itself's roar. it almost makes it feel like it's another instrument

Amazing vid as always! You should really try listening to Shantiens themes (or at least phase 4, it’s the best). It’s one of my all time favorite tracks in everything I’ve played so far!

There is a game called Endless Space 2. It has a faction called The Umbral Choir. You definatly should listen their OST.

I wish more people reacted to Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate Valstrax theme. I personally feel that version is so much better.

Valstrax actually has a rivalry with a monster named Amatsu, a wind dragon god and i believe youd like to hear the rivals phase 1 and phase 2 songs.

you should watch the first trailer of valstrax in mh generations, when the monster climbs that huuge mountain is something awe inspiring

“I’ve been looking forward to this”

See other people recommending Shantien and got to agree, there’s a ten minute medley of all the phase tracks (plus the version from the games [MHF] trailer) it’s a great listen all in one go.

ah yes my favorate monster and theme of all monster hunter

The new and old ver of this theme actually is pretty dope the new 1 is all villainous and have a sense of dread and the old 1 is heroric and epic

If you haven’t listened to Valstrax’s original theme from Monster Hunter Generations: Ultimate (Double Cross/XX in the East), you should. While Rise’s has its own extra flair with the vocals the sheer POWER and overwhelming majesty of the original is unmatched. I remember watching the Opening Cinematic for Generations Ultimate while the introduction to his theme played, and a tear came to my eyes out of fear and reverence, and awe. A shudder running down my spine. It’s a must listen for sure, and if you have the time watch the cinematic for yourself.

First time I fought it, I honestly thought the dive bomb would be as harmless as Rathalos's fitness gram pacer test... Just block, and continue fighting... Boy was I wrong...

You can't not smile when Marco gets excited.

Finally, my absolute favorite monster

Ah yes, my favourite monster and my favourite theme. The music itself is quite valorous and majestic; you're basically having a giant swordfight with an F-16 Raptor that has blades attached to its wings, it very much feels like the monster itself is some kind of heroic legend that wants to test itself against you in kind. It lends itself well to the other name it goes by, Valfalk, which is a play on the words valour and falcon. Also my friends and I affectionately refer to it as Starscream, but thats unrelated.

Rise and Sunbreak recaptured a lot of the nobility of the hunt that imo wasn't present in World/Iceborne until later on with Velkhana and the returning Black Dragons.

This track reminded me a lot of Octopath OST. This might be very off topic but "Vide, the Wicked" from the second octopath game is pretty neat.

It's interesting that they kept the very heroic sounding theme for Crimson Glow (technically a variant), because it's a Valstrax corrupted by the dragon energy it struggled to contain. So it's more of a chaotic/dark Valstrax, and yet it STILL has that awe to it--because it's still beautiful and striking HAHA