Artist: Viking Guitar

Origin: Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area by Kenji Yamamoto

Length: 3:54

Earthroot puts an unconventional spin on one of the most beloved songs to come out of Metroid, "Brinstar Red Soil Swampy Area", AKA "Lower Brinstar" or "Red Brinstar" when not around family. The original is a very low key and sad piece centering on a synth bass overlaid with flute and piano. Earthroot takes this and dunks it headfirst into blood-pumping metal, with a thundering bass and crazy guitar solos.

Viking Guitar is one of the most frequent contributors to the Harmony of a Hunter projects, and outside of his contributions to Shinesparkers he has performed at big name events like PAX and MAGfest. Despite his numerous contributions to Harmony of a Hunter, he has many more Metroid (and other) remixes, and is one of the most well-known musical presences in the Metroid fandom.

I think this one is pretty awesome. Despite being very different tonally from the gorgeous original (and a departure from Viking Guitar's other Metroid covers, which are for the most part of intense songs that better fit his style), Viking Guitar absolutely nailed this one. The deep bass is perfect for the low notes in the original. It brings an appropriate weightiness to the song and flows from high intensity to subdued pressure beautifully. The guitarist is playing their heart out and the solos go crazy. The whole thing brings out the grit in the original song, as suggested in the title "Earthroot", like Samus is digging through the muddy earth, wet and dirty but still kicking.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Another herb is Earthroot. I skipped Silverleaf because no design did hit me yet. Let’s see what another herb I will pick, still thinking.

WoW herbs!

for @ocatnip

Silverleaf, Earthroot and Peacebloom

This strong, noble root is aligned with strength and curative medicines, and becomes a powerful force of earth magicks in its various distillations.

Colloquial Names: Giant’s Vein, Elekk Trunk, Lakota’muhale (meaning “tooth of the earth” in Taur-ahe)

Physical Description:  Earthroot is found prominently throughout the rocks of Azeroth, notably in Darkshore and across the Barrens. This thick root grows straight out of rock and earth, a testament to its physical strength alone. It grows from a red-brown to a silvery lilac, depending on the area in which it is present. The roots branch into feathered clusters of leaf along the sides, surprisingly soft for such a strong plant. Earthroot is easily spottable, as it is often the only thing strong enough to root in the rocks that it inhabits. A small hand saw is a sufficient for gathering, although I personally find a jeweler’s pearl-cutting saw more ideal.

Favored especially among tauren tribes where family and tradition hold great importance, Earthroot is a relatively common herb. It thrives on the rich minerals in certain rocks, and is best hunted for in hills, mountains, or rocky outcroppings. It is found on the continents of both the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.

Earthroot is often burned by furbolg seers to induce visions, which some tauren tribes and druids now practice as well. It also has other uses in alchemy, inscription, and can even be eaten. However, Earthroot has a very tough skin that protects the fleshy, bitter root within, and must be boiled or otherwise softened prior to eating. It is not very suitable for display, but is a welcome gift nonetheless for its practicality.