The Skies Above is the Black Mages' second outing in the musical world, and a bit has changed since their first album.  The most obvious difference is that they're no longer just exclusively doing battle themes, which I feel is a great thing since it means they're expanding their horizons.  The second point of difference is that it's nowhere near as keyboard dominated as the first album; whether that's a good thing or not is up to your personal preference.  I personally don't mind it.  Lastly, they actually hired some guest vocalists on this album for the Final Fantasy X songs.

The end result is an album that I feel is much more coherent and even than the first.  Although I will admit that I didn't like this album at first, after repeated listens a few songs started to stick and after a while I loved every song on here and thought it a million times better than the first, slightly uneven one.

The album starts off with the Rocking Grounds, the battle theme from Final Fantasy III, and I'll say first that this is one of the best pieces on the album.  Perfect execution, perfect pacing, and instead of overwhelming the listener with keyboards, there's a perfect balance between it and the lead guitar, as they switch back and forth between the main melody.  I can't think of a better way to open the album.

Zeromus, the final boss theme of Final Fantasy IV, I didn't like much at first..  the tempo is slowed down quite a bit, and one of the best parts of the original piece, the energetic alternating high and low notes(it occurs at around 1:45) is kinda dumbed down in this rendition.  However, there's still plenty to love in this version, as the lead guitar really takes center stage here, and there's a tasty keyboard solo in the end.

Next comes a surprise, Vamo' Alla Flamenco, from Final Fantasy IX.  I never could have imagined this as a progressive metal piece before hearing this album.  This is a fantastic track, and the real highlight of it is the awesome flamenco guitar solo at 1:50.  Not to be missed.  I also have to note that the drumming, for some reason, is especially great in this piece, as it really adds to the energy of it rather than filling in for the background.

Hunter's Chance, from Final Fantasy IX, was one of the stronger pieces from that game, and it's as great as ever here.  The highlight again, here, is the drumming, as it really gives off the feel of being in a hunting competition, if that makes any sense at all.

Next comes one of the more controversial pieces on the album, Otherworld, from Final Fantasy X.  The original song got a very mixed reaction from people, as some totally loved there being a death metal piece being in of all games, Final Fantasy, and some totally hated it.  Me, I was sorta in between, I liked the song, but I really didn't like the incomprehensible vocals.  The Black Mages, then, give us a version that isn't quite as heavy and crushing as the original, and replaces the rough male vocalist with a female vocalist, KAZCO, that sounds more like a j-pop idol than a progressive metal vocalist.  This one took a while to grow on me, but in the end, I like it much more than the original, as the lyrics are now understandable, and the keyboard really add an extra depth to the song.  Interestingly, though, this is the song on the album that has the least keyboard involvement, but the amount that is in this piece truly counts.

The next song is my absolute favorite, and I think it's the best song on the entire album.  It's Matoya's Cave, from none other than the very first Final Fantasy.  This is done in a power ballad fashion, with a nice dual acoustic guitar intro and a very hip keyboard solo in the middle.  This is one of those songs that totally doesn't sound like it's been pre-written or rehearsed, and sounds more like a jam session with improvisations.  Everything about this piece works and flows perfectly, and it's just a pleasure to listen to.

Next up is The Man With The Machine Gun, from Final Fantasy VIII.  This is the most keyboard dominated piece on the album, with the keyboard on the main melody along with another in the background.  It's also the most energetic piece on this album, but that's to be expected, since the original piece was bouncy in its own way as well.  Probably the most straightforward arrangement on the album.

Maybe I'm A Lion, the battle theme for Griever for Final Fantasy VIII, is a fantastic track here.  I never liked the original, as I feel it lacked a lot of energy, as the keyboard synths left much to be desired, but the Black Mages version provides all the needed energy with the guitar on the main melody.  They make up for replacing the lead keyboard with a guitar with one of the most jaw-dropping, amazing keyboard solos ever, followed by another equally insane guitar solo in the middle of this song.  It is not to be missed, and is the absolute highlight of this track.

Battle With The Four Fiends, from Final Fantasy IV, is in my opinion the weakest track on the album.  That doesn't mean it's bad, as it is still a great piece, but it's nothing compared to how awesome the other tracks are.  Musically, this track leaves a bit to be desired, but there's a lot of great chops here, so  I guess this piece was a way for the band to really show off their skills.  This is actually a fairly complex piece, with some truly fantastic musicianship from all the members of the band, but it's just lacking in melody.

Then we have the most controversial piece on the album and also the most creative, the Skies Above, also the name of the record.  This was originally To Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X, the sweet piano piece that served as the main theme to the game.  I know, I never would have thought this would be on a Black Mages album, either.  This is the other song on the album that had a guest vocalist for it, mr.goo, who is one of the most unexpected choices for a vocalist.  You'd think the Black Mages would either choose a dude with a fierce, punk rock sounding voice or someone that sounds like Geddy Lee for the progressive rock aspect.  Instead, the male vocalist here has a very operatic voice, and it totally caught me by surprise the first time I heard it.  I'll admit, that I really disliked this track at first, but after a few listens, it really grew on me, and I love it just as much as the other tracks.  Anyway, the track opens auspiciously enough with the familiar piano intro, then grinds into chaos as the rest of the band joins in.  The vocalist's English leaves a little bit to be desired, but the lyrics are very nice, and his performance I guess sorta fits considering the context of the game, and when this song plays in it(it's supposed to be an emotional piece).  This is also a really well constructed song, beginning with a piano, and having the first half being dominated by electric guitar, and having the second half be dominated by the keyboard as it joins in, and ending the same way it began, with a solo piano.

The album ends on a high note with a totally original song(!), Blue Blast - Winning the Rainbow.  This is a really energetic piece that is a truly wonderful showcase of the skills of both the band's guitarists.  As a result, the keyboard doesn't play as big a role in this song as it does in others.  Anyway, great song to end the album with.

All in all, if you loved the first Black Mages album, this one is an obvious purchase(or download).