Multiversal Masterpieces – The Best Sounds Around, Part 3

Hello and welcome to the final (for now) part of my grand tour of the best soundtracks in games, cinema and… television? I’m always confused as to what to call TV shows now that we don’t often watch them on TV. In this case, there’s a few entries from series which never even aired on TV, but are purely creations of the web, instead. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

Runner up: Harbinger

We’re opening with a big one.

If DOOM 2016 turned out to be a terrible game, it would still be famous for its soundtrack. Mick Gordon worked pure dark magic to create a soundtrack as furious and unstoppable as the DOOM Slayer himself. When you’re actually playing DOOM and you’re in the middle of an arena of waves and waves of demons and this comes on, everything sort of clicks into place, and you feel like an indomitable killing machine as the game’s universe sings to you in deep guitar.

I’m yet to play DOOM Eternal, and from what I hear of the officially released soundtrack, I’ll want to hear it in the game as it was originally mixed.

Runner up: Departure to Destruction

If I may slip into a sacrilegious opinion for a second… I may prefer this to even DOOM’s incredible soundtrack, with a caveat. I think BFG 9000 fits better in DOOM than Reflections of Violence does in Dusk. But when listened to outside of the context of their games, Andrew Hulshult’s soundtrack just about tops it for me, mainly due to the velocity of the thing, the build-up. I… don’t know if progressive is the right wait to talk about it, as every time I look up actual music genre definitions my brain turns to mush, but JUST LISTEN TO THE WAY IT GOES.

Sorry, I hit 2:42 as I was typing that and caps lock sort of activated itself.

No Man’s Sky has a beautiful atmospheric soundtrack. Some of the tracks on this album are titled and arguable more direct in their approach to being, well, music, but I chose this track because of its long, atmospheric charm. I’ve spent many hours exploring the Euclid Galaxy, and this soundtrack really helped to secure the feeling that the game’s story also tried to achieve, the sense of you being a lone traveller among an unfamiliar galaxy of weird creatures and aliens. It’s not quite isolating, but it’s certainly alien.

Runner up: Spoiler’s Noble End

And on the subject of space, we ever so subtly pivot back into the world of film. How fitting. Almost like it was done… on purpose.

All right, so there were two good things that came out of Episode I: Pod racing, and the Duel of the Fates, the latter backed by this epic. The chorus is used to great effect here, I believe to emulate the Sith threat of Darth Maul. It’s just timeless. You can imagine any number of fateful duels to this.

Runner up: Spoiler vs. Spoili-wan

I love this duel track even more than Duel of the Fates. There’s just something so awful about that chorus, in the best way possible. It’s really signalling to the audience how far our hero has fallen, and how heartbreaking of a fight this is for Obi-Wan, whilst all the time reminding us of the perilous surroundings where this all takes place.

Listen, I’m not saying that the prequels didn’t do a lot wrong, but I can’t imagine not being moved by that final duel.

I… what do you even expect me to say about this one? It’s timeliness, it’s iconic, it’s the frickin’ Imperial March, I doubt there are many people on this planet who don’t recognise it.

Seeing as I’ve decided to order the Star Wars soundtracks in chronological order as opposed to the date of their creation, I suppose the Mandalorian’s theme fits in here. I know a lot of people were sceptical upon learning that the Mandolorian wouldn’t feature a soundtrack by John Williams, but Ludwig Goransson knocked it out of the park. He didn’t even try to emulate the pre-established sounds of the Star Wars universe, and that was absolutely the right call given the show’s subject matter. It’s technically not done airing here in the UK, but I doubt I’ll love a piece more than the Mandolorian’s own theme.

Runner up: Rey’s Theme

I bloody love the theme for the Resistance. That scene in The Force Awakens where they approach flying across the lake is absolutely cheer-worthy, and it’s backed by this theme of pure determination. It’s also, like a lot of the sequel trilogy and TFA in particular, reminiscent of the original trilogy, which likely wins points for a lot of people.

I like a lot of Harry Potter themes, but I don’t love them. Except for this one. It’s heartbreaking! Which is a good thing, in this instance. It really gives the sense that something awful has happened, something that leaves so many characters lost for words. I vaguely remember being in the theatre watching this scene, hearing more than a few sniffles.

Stranger Things is another one which mostly uses contemporary music for the driving force of its soundtrack, but this original score for a spoiler which I won’t discuss was moving and fantastically appropriate to the world of Stranger Things. After all the action and all the horror, this felt like the show taking a moment to stop and assess the repercussions of the events of season two.

Part of me feels like I have to defend my enjoyment of the Crown, as if my watching it suddenly makes me a royalist or that I believe it’s entirely historically accurate. It’s not, and there’s far too many behind-closed-doors scenes for it to not be a lot of conjecture, but that doesn’t detract from how interesting and dramatic it is. And this soundtrack in particular succeeds remarkably in establishing Elizabeth as a determined, yet restricted character – in the show, at the very least.

It’s been long enough since I watched this show that I don’t entirely remember which episodes were season 1 and which were season 2, so I don’t have a lot of context to base this around. Nonetheless, it delivers a similarly royal theme to the previous entry, with a nice escalation to epic tones.

Season 3 not only changed the cast, but the composer too. And yet, Philip’s theme here is fantastic! It fits in with the previous themes of the show whilst being different, of its own nature, which is probably what they were going for when you look at the character of Philip himself.

I haven’t fallen in love with a huge amount of Sherlock themes, but this one stands out to me, as it explores Sherlock’s grief after he loses the one person who managed to get past his insecurities and challenge everything he thought he knew about himself.

Daredevil had some cracking good fight scenes, and the soundtrack behind this one is just… chef’s kiss. Again, it’s been years since I watched season one of Daredevil, so my lack of contextual knowledge betrays me, but it’s just… good, innit?

Red vs Blue is a machinima-based web series which I encourage everyone to go and watch if they can find the time. It’s a remarkable example of just what can be achieved with nothing but a videogame, a screenrecorder, some voice actors and a lot of dumb jokes. Watching it evolve over the years has been an absolute pleasure, and I chose this soundtrack for the Masterpieces playlist because it’s just a chill backing track which ran throughout season 12 that I always appreciated. It’s also a perfect example of the production value that the series achieved as it got older.

Runner up: Contact Redux (feat. Meredith Hagan)

And god damn, if that humble little machinima series doesn’t go places. It is hilarious, but then it breaks your damn heart! How rude! Burnie Burns owes me therapy. Along with… you know… a couple other people. I’ve got a list.

Runner up: Beginning of the End

Buoyed by the success of Red vs Blue and various other projects, Rooster Teeth went on to make a western anime series that you’re far more likely to have heard of – RWBY.

I love this soundtrack because both Qrow and Winter have distinct themes, and you hear them clash to fantastic effect here, sometimes shining on their own and sometimes intermingling. It is – as is the theme with this playlist – masterfully executed.

Okay… so the previous entry also got bonus points for being 50% based around Qrow’s theme. I LOVE QROW’S THEME. SO MUCH. And this is it. It describes his character so brilliantly, and the cadence of “I am no-one’s blessing / I’ll just bring you harm” belies the self-loathing that defines him.

You… won’t find my anime soundtracks on this list. And that’s because there’s hardly any anime soundtracks on Spotify. I would love to include them and this list would be at least another blog entry long if they made it to Spotify, including the likes of Bleach, Naruto, Angel Beats, One Punch Man and more.

As it stands, though, My Hero Academia is available, and doesn’t this theme just scream the word “valour”? It embodies the spirit of the anime itself in that it’s super motivational and upbeat, but not without being earned. If you haven’t watched My Hero Academia yet, do. I’m long overdue a catch up myself.

Okay, so it’s You Say Run but it’s turned up to 11. I don’t think I need to say anything more.

Changing tracks a bit – Orphan Black is a drama which does not shy away from exploring the darkest areas of the human mind, and this soundtrack is as beautiful as it is sad for that very reason. It’s also a show which explores the nature of self, and nature vs nurture. I still need to watch the final season.

I’ve never played a Final Fantasy game, but Sephiroth’s theme is transcendent. Who hasn’t heard it, honestly? And this right here is the Advent Children version, which is, in my opinion, even more badass. I’m excited to hear FFVII Remake’s version of this theme, if they ever get to this point.

I just love how demonic it is. I obviously don’t know much about Sephiroth as a character, but I feel like this tells me everything I need to know. He brings dread. Oh, and I love the emergence of what I’m guessing is Cloud’s theme towards the end, cutting through the gloom with a theme of hope.

The other soundtrack in this list from a game I’ve never played! A friend of mine is a big DMC fan and was very enthusiastic about the music in DMC 5, and a review video I watched used this as its backing track, so I figured I’d track it down myself.

I’m now playing through DMC 1.

The Theory of Everything was such a heartwarming movie about the life of Stephen Hawking. Given the nature of his illness, he was always seemingly near death’s door, and therefore the virtues of life as a concept was highlighted in this film to tremendous effect, amplified beautifully by this soundtrack.

Hollow Knight, or more specifically Hollow Knight’s soundtrack, really helped me come to terms with the idea that sometimes it’s okay to embrace melancholy. Not depression, not dark thoughts, but melancholy… which I suppose I would classify as reflecting on sadness, without entirely losing yourself to it. I don’t know, it’s difficult to quantify.

Either way, Hollow Knight is an absolutely gorgeous game in every sense of the word. It looks beautiful, it sounds beautiful, and it plays beautiful.

STRAFE is a first person roguelike with an eighties-inspired soundtrack which slaps. The entire game is a love letter to all things retro, from the Playstation One aesthetic to DOS-like menu screens. It’s also a fantastic listen without the context of having played the game!

The alternate history of The Man in the High Castle makes for a fascinating and unique setting, by way of an America split into two halves, one ruled by the Nazis, and the other, the Japanese. It’s such an interesting narrative, and this particular soundtrack backs an important scene for Frank, who is driven by hatred and ready to lay down his life for vengeance. The way it builds up alongside the scene is tremendous, which wouldn’t work half as well without this piece behind it.

This closed out the second season, and continued to drive home feelings of desolation, hopelessness and revelation found within the show. Again, it’s been a long time since I watched it, but it’s a cracking good theme.

I love love looooooove violins being used to signify madness, and without giving too much away, this theme does it to such a fantastic effect that it makes me giddy. I listened to this so much over the period of a few days that it rang around inside my head and stopped me from being able to sleep, and the only other theme to have that affect on me was Light of the Seven by Ramin Djawadi. If that isn’t high praise, I don’t know what is.

I didn’t know what to expect from The Umbrella Academy when I started it, but I was pleasantly surprised. I eagerly await season two.

Runner up: The Dragon

I finished God of War for the first time a few weeks ago, having no idea what to expect from the game going into it. That initial fight with The Stranger had me sat up straight and paying full fucking attention, and, as coincidence would have it, this is his theme. (Note, once more, violins to signify mental instability.) God of War is just… epic. In every sense of the word. If you haven’t played it, don’t look up a playthrough or a plot synopsis or anything of the sort. You don’t need to play the originals, I didn’t. This is a standout game all by itself.

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That’s it. That’s all I’ve got for you so far.

I’m a little concerned that I may be overusing the term “masterpiece”, given that these three blog posts surpassed 7000 words and contain a solid 93 songs. But to put it into perspective, these are the “chosen few” from a much larger playlist consisting of 914 songs, and counting. And I don’t just dump albums in there, I go through and pick out my favourites. So, to summarise, yes; masterpieces.

I mentioned during the My Hero Academia tracks that I lament the lack of anime soundtracks on Spotify – the same goes for many Nintendo games, and Playstation 2 and earlier era games. The issue is that while I could find most of these on Youtube, they would by their very nature be unofficial, and prone to being removed from the website by publishers, so any playlist I made would fall into a state of disrepair within the year. That being said, I’m not ruling out a similar style of blog post where I link them here and discuss them, as you’ll then at least have the title of the song should the video be removed entirely.

If you’re interested in my soundtrack playlists, here’s Multiversal Masterpieces through which you just read, and Multiversal Melodies which contains… the other 90% of amazing soundtracks.

If you made it this far: thank you.

Multiversal Masterpieces – The Best Sounds Around, Part 2

Hello and welcome back to the blog posts where I discuss the best of the best, a playlist which is still big enough to require splitting into three parts! As you can probably guess, my general soundtracks playlist is somewhat enormous, a design choice which makes listening on shuffle a delightfully unpredictable experience.

When we left off I’d revealed my favourite Skyrim soundtrack, but the Elder Scrolls isn’t done being represented here! Not by far. I’m a quite a fan of Elder Scrolls Online, you see, and they’ve had a number of expansions since launch.

 

Runner up: The Towers Cast Long Shadows

The best part about an MMO’s soundtrack is that it’s brimming with atmosphere. Moons of Evening Star in particular sends me back to the many hours of exploring the larger world of Tamriel for the first time, becoming familiar with places never before seen in the Elder Scrolls games but often written of in the game’s many books. I can almost picture my Dark Elf Sorcerer stopping for a rest somewhere amidst the ashen hills of Stonefalls as this plays. I love it!

 

Runner up: A Land of War and Poetry

I never got to play Morrowind when it was a, erm, modern RPG, and I absolutely cannot get into it now – I’ve tried, several times. And I know there’s thousands of elitist TES III fans who would cry out to hear me say this, but ESO fulfilled my desire to explore Morrowind’s island of Vvardenfell. It’s one of the best times I’ve had in ESO, and was the closest the game has ever felt to a traditional Elder Scrolls game to me, insofar as I was highly immersed in the quest and world design. Grazelands Dawn, then, was a very prominent soundtrack in and around the outdoor zone of Vvardenfell, and I associate it with some of my best memories in the game. Plus, even I can tell it’s a throwback to TES III itself!

 

Runner up: Dusk Song of the High Elves

Okay, so login music feels like an easy choice, right? But that doesn’t make it the wrong one. It’s great both in context and without. In context, it’s the music you associate with an entire year of ESO, with that entire expansion, and it’s one I happen to like. Out of context, it’s a track which with a lot of elements; it has some of the zone’s peaceful atmosphere, and some of the story’s battle theme, composed in a way which gives a sense of adventure.

 

Runner up: The Two-Moons Dance

More login music! I’m continually impressed at the multitude of ways they manage to alter the original Elder Scrolls theme to fit whichever corner of Tamriel wins the year’s story. As with Summerset before it, this soundtrack has many elements of the Elsweyr chapter as a whole. And while I admit that the story and land of Elsweyr didn’t grip my quite as thoroughly as the preceding expansions, the music certainly didn’t fail to form a vital part of thematic zone cohesion, which is totally a game design term and not something I just came up with on the spot.

That’s all for ESO, for now, as Greymoor has yet to be released! Onto another Blizzard franchise.

 

Okay… confession time. I’ve never played Diablo II. But that Rogue theme is ICONIC. It is so masterful at evoking that spooky, dark-fantasy feel of the Diablo franchise and has assuredly inspired many ARPG soundtracks in the years since. I hear not only the obvious Diablo III soundtrack coming from this, but also a lot of Torchlight’s atmosphere (which sadly doesn’t seem to have been released). But enough fanboying, I suppose I should move us on to a game I actually have played…

 

Runner up: And the Heavens Shall Tremble

Twang. Twang Twang. The first time I played Diablo III was as a demo on the PS3, and I was immediately struck by the evocative and flavourful music that was New Tristram. If Blizzard know how to do one thing, it is to craft a world with atmosphere, and the soundtrack is vital to making that craft a success. New Tristram has dark fantasy gloom in spades. It took the rogue theme from Diablo II and it ran with it, applying drear and dismay to every mortal it touched as it passed by. Just… just bravo.

 

Chains of Fate has this build-up to it which I basically salivate over every time I think of it. And words fail me a little here, as I’ve mentioned before, as I have very little knowledge when it comes to actual musical theory, but something about the instruments used with that always building tempo paints this picture of… hopeless perseverance? It just suits the Nephalem so perfectly, and their journey thorugh the world of Sanctuary.

Man, Diablo IV cannot get here soon enough.

 

Runner up: Brothers In Arms

Duh-duh-duh-DUHHH! I was tempted to choose one of the slightly less obvious themes in the game, but come on, it’s the Halo theme, and we’re talking about masterpieces here. And this masterpiece is such a masterpiece that you’re about to see it posted three times in a row!

 

Because, in my defence, I’m still waiting on Halo 2 and 3 to be released on PC. But omitting every version of duh-duh-duh-duh-song just felt wrong. Especially when this one added GUITAR phwoarr guitar.

 

And I mean, really, when all is said and done, will my choice for album Masterpiece be any different? I fully expect to find a few themes I love that I’ve never heard before – like Halo CE’s Brothers In Arms, or On A Pale Horse – but come on, it’s the Halo theme.

 

Runner up: Overture

Well, it’s close to the Halo theme, but it’s not quite – and isn’t that just Halo Reach in a nutshell? Regardless, Reach was the first Halo game I ever got to play, as it’s what they released first on PC, and this cinematic was when shit really started to hit the fan. That campaign drew me in and blew me away, and I was listening to this track for weeks afterwards.

We’re skipping Halo 4 because I know so little about that game I don’t even know if the Halo theme is in it. And it is of course, but I do tend to look up soundtracks after I’m already familiar with the source material.

 

Runner up: Dominus Ghaul

Destiny 2 was my introduction to Bungie’s second space opera, and my god was it an introduction. Bungie’s many years of experience paid off in spades during the Red War campaign (Destiny 2’s main story), and I think it’s criminal that New Light players currently have to search for it in the corner of the main hub to play through it.

Journey tells a story of… well, the Hero’s Journey. It’s a story we’ve heard many times before, but the soundtrack, as with Bungie’s Red War campaign, tells it in such an expertly crafted and moving way. And as a voiceless Guardian, the soundtrack acts as your entryway into your character’s state of mind. Despondent, defeated, but then determined, resurgent, triumphant.

Oh, and one quick note on my runner-up track – Dominus Ghaul is such an incredible track that I honestly considered breaking my own rules and having two songs from one album in the same playlist. But I’m not breaking that rule for Game of Thrones, I’m not breaking it here.

 

Runner up: The Rifleman

So uh, apparently Bungie heard about Russel T Davies and Murray Gold owing me therapy and figured they’d pitch in for some of the bill.

Destiny 2 has so many amazing action themes, but I keep choosing the heartbreakers. But in my defence – and to Bungie’s credit – it’s never one-note. This song succeeds in telling the story of a character without a single lyric, and it does it all whilst simultaneously remaining true to the character and feeling bittersweet.

Man. Imagine thinking that videogames aren’t an art form when this exists.

 

Runner up: Salvation

All right, all right, here’s your action track. The thing I love so much about this song is that it plays during the end of a Strike, and it’s one that I had immense trouble with when playing through Shadowkeep for the first time. There was so much juicy story to follow and Hashladun, the space hag, was keeping me from it with her infuriating knockback stomp move. I did not serenade her with compliments for this. Motivated by the song, I gritted my teeth and threw myself at the fight time and time again until I overcame her and her endlessly spawning thralls and beat her. And it was one of the most satisfying moments I’ve had in a videogame; it was that rare, non-recreatable moment when the game’s narrative aligned my character’s determination with my own, making the taste of victory that much sweeter.

 

Runner up: Mice on Venus

Let’s shift gears a bit.

I could – and probably will – write an entire blog post about my history with Minecraft, but long story short, it dates all the way back to 2009 when I was playing the “classic” free version in a web browser window. Back then, the game only had three songs in it, and this was one of them.

C418’s melancholic, atmospheric piano easily takes me back a decade, even when it kicks in during a Minecraft session today. I’ll often take a moment to stop, look to the horizon, and remember long-lost save files of bases long past. I wonder if I still have any in my Dropbox…

 

Runner up: Haunt Muskie

I’ve only just realised that Volume Beta is full of songs that are Creative mode only. And I typically like my Creative worlds to be a flatmap, so this tune is often accompanied by the vast expanse of empty space, and the sound of me placing a bunch of stone bricks to outline a building I’m never going to finish. And maybe the occasional baa of a sheep that I’ve spawned in to fill the silence.

It’s less depressing than it sounds, I promsie.

 

Runner up: M54

Speaking of depressing though, here’s a track which goes on for literally twenty minutes and is some of the most beautiful and intensely melancholic atmosphere I’ve ever heard in a videogame. And I fucking love it. And if you don’t know what catharsis is yet, dear reader, then you’re probably very concerned about me, but rest assured, all is well. It’s good to let yourself be sad sometimes!

Jokes aside, there’s a grace to this which is rarely found in game soundtracks, and I’ve found it to be very useful in times of hardship before, both inside and outside the game.

We’ve reached the superhero portion of the soundtracks, so of course we’re starting with Batman! I’ve chosen what feels like the most quintessential / epic version of the Christopher Nolan Batman theme. I always liked how unreservedly dark these films were, and Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack reflects that theme exceptionally well. He also does a good job of creating a ticking clock and signalling Bruce’s determination.

Oh, and sorry for taking this long to include Hans Zimmer in my best soundtracks of all time playlist, I know that’s somewhat sacrilegious. But I had an order, okay?

Runner up: Flight

Now might be a good time to mention that I’m a DC Cinematic Universe apologist. Man of Steel was amazing! And that’s not just Henry Caville’s abs talking. Right, in all seriousness, I respect that people expected a different tone for a Superman movie, but the shounen anime fan in me just revels in the large scale devastation shown within the movie. Hans Zimmer seals the deal with another truly epic soundtrack. Again, not hugely confident in the musical terminology here, but I love how he uses low notes for foreboding and evil, and high notes for some of Superman’s big moments. Simple, sure, but remarkably effective.

Runner up: Is She With You?

How far do my shameless apologist ways stretch? Far enough to defend Batman v Superman to my dying breath. Not far enough to touch Suicide Squad with a ten foot barge pole.

I find it really impressive that Hans Zimmer (and co) managed to make another theme for Batman which was completely different to the Nolan films, and yet still fit Batman really well. I suppose you could argue that it’s more a theme for Bruce Wayne, given that this is the backing track for his origin story, for his parents getting shot. Either way, it’s effective in how it signals trauma and loss.

All right so… this may be cheating a little bit, regarding my rules, but I bloody love Wonder Woman’s theme and I can’t find as epic a version specifically within the Wonder Woman soundtrack. There’s some fantastic tracks in there for sure, but I remain enamoured with her battle theme from Batman v Superman.

Very, very excited for WW84!

Onto the MCU, where you’ll find… less than you might otherwise expect, as Marvel do a surprisingly bad job of creating memorable movie soundtracks, in my opinion. The Avengers theme is iconic though… though it’s a little hard to listen to independently without being reminded of half a dozen memes which blow out the audio for comedic effect. That’s hardly Alan Silvestri’s fault, though!

You’ll notice the odd song in here which seems maybe a little overly appreciated, at least compared to other themes. I don’t know, I have a few of them. The fact that this is simply called “Theme from Ant-Man” should indicate that it’s not intended to be especially revered. But it’s an absolute banger. I had it stuck in my head for days after I first watched the movie! It is, much like the movie itself, unexpectedly quite grand. And so it absolutely deserves its place on this list.

Runner up: vs. The Abilisk (another fantastic and underrated track, only glanced over due to the larger second half)

I remain confused as to why the soundtrack to the original film isn’t on Spotify, but this contains the main motif for the Guardians which I very much enjoy. It’s big, it’s grand, it’s good for Big Moments and it’s good for immediate pratfalls. The other 1:09 is good, I suppose, but that theme is what we’re really here for.

Runner up: Porch

Infinity War feels like the moment when the MCU as a whole began to take original soundtracks seriously. This theme in particular was given the task of building tension in a “last ditch effort” scene, and it did the job spectacularly. Infinity War is a masterpiece of a movie in its own right, but when we’re on the edge of our seats it’s Alan Silvestri who stokes our increased heartbeats. This song also includes The Bit Where Thor Shows Up, which automatically gives it bonus points. Think Avengers Assemble x100.

Runner up: The Real Hero

Unf. This moment. This is one of those tracks which I imagine won’t do a lot for you unless you know the context (at least until the Avengers motif kicks in), but uh… I can still hear the cheer go up from my cinema viewing of this movie. I can’t think of another movie which has brought an audience together as successfully as these two movies, and while I’ve said as much before, Alan Silvestri is the guy on the boat who beats the drums to stir the oarsmen.

Runner up: The Prowler

This is one of those movies that employs the use of pre-existing music to great success for the majority of its soundtrack, but that doesn’t mean that Daniel Pemberton doesn’t deserve to be praised for the original score. The sounds behind this climactic moment, as with many other themes in this movie, are so refreshingly different to the kind of thing you hear in most superhero movies, whilst achieving the same goals as them. And that statement rings true for so many aspects of Into the Spider-Verse.

Runner up: Inside the Numbers

Oooh, did you see that cheeky transition back into videogame music? It was glorious, wasn’t it? Shh, you don’t have to say it, I already know.

Ahem. Hi! I bought a PS4 for Marvel’s Spider-Man. It’s one of the best Spider-Man stories across all of media, and all of it is backed by John Paesano’s wonderfully cinematic soundtrack, which is – in my opinion, at least – reminiscent of the original Spider-Man movie trilogy, but better. More modern, more heroic, more epic in scale. Having this in the background while you swing through New York is truly marvellous. Why are you reading this? PLAY THIS GAME!

Runner up: Home in Florence

One of those “ooh, yeah!” moments, if you’re reading this and you’ve ever played Assassin’s Creed before. This song is iconic. It’s so evocative of Ezio’s pain and sorrow after the opening events of Assassin’s Creed 2 that you don’t once doubt his resolve to see his quest for vengeance through. It’s such a good theme that – as you’ll soon see – it was adopted as the main theme for all Assassin’s Creed games, despite being initially composed for Ezio’s own story. Because that’s the beauty of music – it can mean anything you want it to. It’s masterful as a vehicle for Ezio’s emotions, yes, but it also works as a general theme for the Assassin’s brotherhood in general, as Ezio’s story and cause is reflected in so many others of the order, for good or for ill.

Runner up: Master Assassin

Curse Ezio’s Family though, for being on the same album as Home in Florence, one of the best ambient soundtracks ever made. Ah well, City of Rome is almost as good, though different in tone. It speaks to the history of the already ancient city, making you really feel like you’re roaming around in an important center of Europe, and the world in general. The story of Brotherhood opens up a lot of avenues into planetary-scale conspiracies, so it’s only appropriate.

Runner up: Enough for One Life

This song is hauntingly beautiful. It’s been a long time since I played the game itself so forgive me for not knowing where it’s specifically used, but it really gives the impression of an older Ezio looking back on his life. As you may someday see in my writing, I really have a thing for older characters who have a lot of regrets in their life to work through, and this evokes that so beautifully that I’m touched by it even without remembering the specific context of its use in the game. Just… wow.

First, if you have a favourite theme between Revelations and Origins I assure you I’m not snubbing it, I just haven’t played those games. In fact, the reason I love this version of Ezio’s Family is because Origins is so different in theme that it went a long way to helping me reconcile this game as an entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. And it’s so masterfully made in how it’s familiar, yet Egyptian! I’ve not played the game to completion, but I have enjoyed my time with Bayek, and as I mentioned during the Ezio’s Family entry, the pains of Ezio’s journey to becoming an Assassin are mirrored in the series’ other protagonists, including Bayek.

Legend of the Eagle Bearer

And when we get to Odyssey, they finally abandon all pretence and just name it the theme of the series. Again, I’m impressed with how familiar yet unique it sounds, and how it adopts the Greek themes found elsewhere in Odyssey’s soundtrack. It’s fantastic! The only thing I don’t like about it is how they play it during the inventory screen, so it’s overdone fairly quickly. Nevertheless, that doesn’t stop it from being fantastic. As for the legitimacy of it being applied to Kassandra, well… I’ve never seen a protagonist in this series with such a well fleshed-out and interesting family tragedy. If you haven’t played Assassin’s Creed since the Ezio days, Odyssey is absolutely worth your time.

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Hello again, it’s me, your favourite under-line text telling you that I’ve put a stop to this excessively long blog post. If you’ve made it this far and you’re interested in my picks for best soundtracks, then thank you, it honestly means a lot to me. It’s kind of a personal project I’m strangely passionate about. Might get more into that in part 3. So stay tuned for the final part!

Multiversal Masterpieces – The Best Soundtracks Around, Part 1

It’s no secret that I’m a huge soundtrack enthusiast, as I’ve mentioned before on this blog. Heck, I’ve made a playlist on Spotify of all my favourite soundtracks which is currently up to 913 songs! That’s a lot of songs. So, I made a smaller playlist of my absolute favourites, max one song per album, and I intend to discuss each song here today – well, across three posts, anyway.

These playlists are always growing, so I may make another post on the matter someday. For now, though:

Runner Up: Madame de Pompadour

I was 11, and this episode of Doctor Who was DEVASTATING. You’ll find that some tracks in this playlist are included due to the memories it prompts whereas others are included purely for the amazing sounds they’re composed of. This is a mixture of both; heartbreak tangified, and still effective at transporting me back to a sombre evening in 2006. (Don’t worry, I got better…)

Sidenote: This playlist, along with the much more extensive Multiversal Melodies playlist, does have a rough logical order to it. I started with Doctor Who as it’s one of the first shows to make me sit up and take notice of the soundtrack. It was probably this very song, to be honest!

OH. And only now when listening to it do I realise that the humming symbolises Rose, whilst the low strings symbolises the Doctor. Chills.

Runner up: The Doctor Forever

Regal, whimsical, and sad. Oh, and the ticking clock. Permeated by the Master’s foreboding klaxons! Murray Gold knows how to paint a picture with music.

Runner up: A Dazzling End

EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!
There’s nothing I can do…
EXTERMINATE! EXTERIMINATE!
I’m sorry… we’re dead.

Ah, man. Daleks are done best when alone (Dalek, New Year’s episode) but Murray Gold makes a compelling argument for them to also be impressive when portrayed as an invading force.

Sidenote – season 4 had so many good themes it was excruciating to even pick the runner up!

Runner up: The Time Lord’s Last Stand

Russel T Davies and Murray Gold owe me therapy.

Bonus points for The Waters of Mars being one of my favourite Ten episodes!

Runner up: The Sad Man With A Box

Well, duh. This is the theme that defined Eleven’s entire run. Grandiose, a bit all over the place, and ever so slightly fairytale, much like the Doctor himself. Eleven is my favourite – yes, even more than Ten, yes, even during the Clara bits – and there’s really not a lot more that needs to be said, is there?

Runner up: Melody Pond

More of the same? Maybe. If I Am The Doctor is Eleven’s swagger, The Majestic Tale are the actions the back up his confidence. Does that make sense? Probably not. Regardless, this is an epic theme and it always played during epic moments, so sue me for loving the tits off it.

Runner up: Together Or Not At All – The Song of Amy and Rory
(I also love Up The Shard, but that’s just I Am The Doctor again, isn’t it)

This episode had a lot of problems, but I fucking loved this scene. I think it was the first time we saw Eleven really have the wind taken out of him, besides the obvious- ah, but I’m talking about the show, not the theme. This, then, is one of those that I love for the context. There are better sad themes (the runner up for one), but this always takes me back to that scene in The Name of the Doctor.

“Sorry… and it was Trenzalore, it was definitely Trenzalore?”

Runner up: This Time There’s Three Of Us (The Majestic Tale)

Fuuuuck it still hurts. Eleven’s last moments. Capaldi was great and I bloody love Jodie Whittaker so far, but Eleven truly resonated with me. And this theme is really melancholic at the start. But then it transitions to something more important – something sad, but also celebratory. Eleven’s exit taught me that change is good!! And this theme takes me back there with the full weight of his entire run, without me having to actually, you know, watch his entire run again. That’s one of the reasons I love music so much. It moves you.

Look, I’m going to level with you. I’ve not rewatched Capaldi’s run, and I was very critical of the show during his stint. For these reasons, there’s really not a lot of music past season 7 here.

And yet… The Shepherd’s Boy. A familiar melody, but retouched in such an effective way. It was the perfect backdrop for Capaldi’s final monologue. It just sings determination. And honestly, who wouldn’t call Heaven Sent a masterpiece? When isolated, anyway.

Runner up: Time Lords

But season 12 provided many surprises, one of which being that Murray Gold isn’t the only one who can make a cracking good Doctor Who soundtrack. Sacha Dhawan’s Master is as capitvatingly raving as John Simm’s, but this one has an even better theme. The reveal was astounding, and it wouldn’t have been nearly as impactful without that severe change in tone brought to the soundtrack by Segun Akinola here.

Thus concludes our Doctor Who coverage. Next up: Game of Thrones!

Runner up: Small Pack of Wolves

Ramin Djawadi very quickly establishes the desolate overtones of the North with fantastic success. The tale of the Starks is largely tragic, and this soundtrack really conveys the feeling of being apart from family and those you love.

Runner up: Pay the Iron Price

When putting the Masterpieces playlist together, I wanted to make sure I represented as many of the motifs as possible across the seasons. And yet, when I heard Winterfell I knew I’d have to put two Stark themes side by side. If Goodbye Brother is the distance between family, Winterfell is the hearth from which they depart. It feels like you’re sitting by the fireplace while the winds of winter rage outside, and I’m not certain that’s a picture entirely painted by my knowing the context of the theme.

Runner up: Chaos is a Ladder

Also known as The Rains of Castamere, instrumental version, the backing theme of the Red Wedding. Oh god. When they break out the violins and Catlyn becomes suspicious. The fantastic thing about it is the song exists within the world of the show, so there’s a good chance she recognises it, understands the story of the song and the significance of its use there. Actual use of foreboding soundtrack WITHIN THE STORY OF THE SHOW! FUCK I love Game of Thrones.

Runner up: Three Eyed Raven

They got Sigur Ros to cover The Rains of Castamere and they played it in the credits after The Big Death in Early Season 4 and it was very cathartic and yes it counts as soundtrack. Oh god, those screams at the end.

Runner up: Forgive Me

What, you didn’t think I was just going to ignore the Targaryen themes, did you? Danaerys has some of the most badass and uplifting music in the show, and in my opinion it’s best represented with this track right here. It’s equal parts royal, wrathful, and idealistic. This theme never fails to give me goosebumps.

Runner up: Lord of Light (Bonus Track)

Ramin Djawadi is a master of masterpieces, but this is truly the pinnacle of his work, in my opinion. He saved his use of piano until this exact moment to make the viewer stand to attention when it began playing, feeling that something “didn’t feel right”. He uses the piano in tandem with violins to make something that sounds holy, yet foreboding. And as the scene itself has very little dialogue, the theme becomes the leading voice.

This is one of those moments where my lack of musical knowledge hinders me being able to explain just exactly what makes this so great. If you’ve seen it, you already know.

Runner up: The Army of the Dead

A theme of love and also of revelation. I won’t get into the specifics because, spoilers, but what I will say is that I paid attention to whenever this motif would pop up, and the first time it really swells is hugely appropriate and really rewards the viewer for taking note of it. For those who have seen it and need more context: I’m on about when she arrives to save him.

Runner up: The Bells / The Last War

There’s a lot of controversy about the plot of the last season of Game of Thrones, but in my opinion the execution of said plot still makes it a bloody enjoyable watch. Part of that execution includes the soundtrack, and Djawadi did not disappoint in making this pivotal point feel momentous; even if the writers did. He did away with motifs and composed purely for the moment, which I think was a beautiful decision. After all, what do houses and titles matter when something like this is occuring?

Runner up: Forest Ambush

So by now you probably get it, I like Ramin Djawadi. So when it was announced that he was scoring the upcoming Warcraft movie, holy balls I was ecstatic! Overall I really love the soundtrack for that movie, though I was secretly hoping to recognise a motif or two from WoW’s own soundtrack. Perhaps that’d come off weird, though.

Runner up: Legends of Azeroth (Main Title)

Ah, our first videogame soundtrack. You’ll notice that videogame soundtracks are often able to act as soundscapes to an environment more than show or movie soundtracks, which are often punctuated by the requirements of dialogue, or action. I chose Dun Morogh for the first WoW soundtrack here (we’re going expansion by expansion) because… well, it’s nostalgia juice. I’m reminded of the first alt character I ever created, a dwarf, and the peaceful isolation of running around the snowy zone late at night while this music played. It made me introspective then, and it makes me introspective now.

Runner up: The Sin’dorei

The Blood Elf themes in the Burning Crusade are unlike anything in the game’s soundtrack, past or since. Lament of the Highborne specifically is sung in-game by Sylvanas Windrunner when you bring her a pendant that reminds her of her past life and home.

I love levelling through the Blood Elf starting zone, largely due to their theme. So regal, so tragic, oh crap I have a type don’t I…

Arthas, My Son (Cinematic Intro)

This, as far as I can tell, isn’t the popular choice of favourite soundtrack in this expansion. And yet, it tells the story of Arthas beautifully. The way the entire track turns when he’s made his decision to purge Stratholme into a dark, almost imperial march is fantastic. I chose a lot of soundtracks based on the atmosphere they bring to a zone in the game, but this was composed specifically for a dungeon based on a character’s actions, and it reinforces how good games are as a medium of telling a story.

People bloody love Grizzly Hills, but bagpipes have always grated on me I’m SORRY

Runner up: Tempest’s Wake

Finally, a fantastic Night Elf theme! I main a Night Elf and this is music to my ears. I used it as my Garrison music for most of Warlords of Draenor, as there was a Garrison jukebox which allowed you to change what played in your very own instanced prison. But I’m getting ahead of myself; Nightsong is a battle theme for the Night Elves, the drums of war backing wonderful elven vocals. In short – we’re pretty, but don’t mess with us.

(Yes I know they messed with us and won, hush)

Runner up: Clan Warsong

Warlords of Draenor was lacking in a lot of ways, but three ways in which it was not lacking was the zone design, the levelling story, and oh yes, the soundtrack. It has the best soundtrack in the entire game, though that may be the rock enthusiast in me talking. It’s just so… badass. Weighty and dramatic. And it slaps. The Iron Horde may not know how to mount an invasion, but they sure as shit know how to make a tune.

Runner up: Demon Hunter

Ooooft. I don’t know why they decided to put Anduin’s theme and the Valarjar theme in the same song, but boy am I lucky, because those are my two favourite themes in the entire expansion. I’m typically quite a big fan of Anduin as a character, so his entire story with his father and succeeding to kingship landed very well with me, and was punctuated poignantly with this theme. As for the Valarjar theme, it’s what Blizzard used for a lot of their Q&A livestream intros leading up to the expansion’s launch, and I remember desperately wanting its final release. It’s such a good build up for hype! And something about it paints a picture of a warrior standing steadfast against incredible odds. It just sounds heroic!

Runner up: Return to Arms

Confession time: I’m not a huge lover of Kul Tiras as a continent. It is exceedingly pretty, but maritime themes just kinda bore me, likely due to its being the norm in my hometown. That being said, the theme for Boralus fucking slaps. It’s almost absurd how hype it is. It feels like I’ve ended up rocking out every time I’ve hearthed in the last year or so; indeed, it’s not uncommon to see other characters jumping around on the spot to the same groove as you.

By the way, the runner up for this one was really hard to choose. WoD may have had the best soundtrack, but they haven’t let up on the quality since.

Okay, this one is a slight cheat because it’s still tied to Battle for Azeroth. But it’s a separate release, so it counts! Basically, as Battle for Azeroth approached, Blizzard released three cinematics – named “Warbringers” – detailing the past of three major characters in the expansion. Jaina’s is based on music specifically, as the citizens of Kul Tiras have a sea shanty about how she betrayed her father back in the events of Warcraft II. And it is an absolute masterpiece.

I can’t wait to see what music Shadowlands has in store for us!

Runner up: Harmony

I couldn’t exclude Runescape just because it’s MIDI! Home Sweet Home never failed to make your Player Owned Home feel like a cosy place to relax with friends, and I associate many happy memories with it. It’s like a sunny afternoon. It just puts a smile on my face, you know?

Runner up: Death Knell

Now, there have been some pretty damn disturbing allegations against Jeremy Soule which we’ve not a verdict on, and I hope they aren’t true for everyone involved. But in case they are – I find it easy to separate the artist from the art in this instance, as I associate these sounds with a particular world and its events, and it’s orchestrated by many talented musicians.

Oblivion, then, always had this peaceful village vibe to it which I bloody loved. Talking about your latest harvest? Idyllic tunes. Discussing the untimely death of Emperor Uriel Septim VII? Idyllic tunes. Asking for help because a portal to Oblivion has opened up and demons are sacking the city just down the road? Idyllic. Tunes. Until you get closer, anyways.

I started the Elder Scrolls series with Skyrim so Oblivion was much harder for me to get into, but it has a certain atmosphere to it which Skyrim lacks, and it’s what keeps me intrigued in Skyrim’s predecessor. That, and the fantastic meme potential.

Runner up: From Past to Present

Do you get to the Cloud District very often? Oh, what am I saying, of course you don’t.

Skyrim’s soundtrack is one of those where it’s hard to distinguish one song from another, because they all have such a strong prevailing theme throughout. Nevertheless, I’ve spent hundreds of hours in Skyrim and this soundtrack is a perfect way to transport myself back to the many happy afternoons I spent in this Nordic country.

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Right, we’re at 2700 words so I’m cutting it off there and calling it part one. Stay tuned for parts two and three! Expect the latter half of part two and the entirety of part three to have a lot more variety 😉

The Best Music in the World… Subjectively Speaking

In a spur of pseudo-creativity after an exceedingly long and arduous day, I decided to make a Spotify playlist with a simple guideline: I’d choose my favourite artists, and, I would pick one song per album of theirs to add to the playlist. I then ordered the playlist by date (oldest album’s song to newest album’s song per artist), genre (roughly, because I don’t know crap about music), and… well, mood. From the outset, the playlist is heavy metal oriented. Then it smooths out into rock, through to rap, before changing abruptly to drum ‘n’ bass / dubstep / chiptune / whatever electronicy subgenre you want to call it, before mellowing out with some Coldplay and Snow Patrol. I guess that’s alternative rock? I really don’t know much about music.

Anyway, it’s 4 hours 43 minutes long and free to listen to here.

Musical Time Travel

Sometimes, when you listen to a song you haven’t heard in years, you find yourself transported back in time to the last time you heard it, remembering with new-found clarity how you felt at the time. Of course, this happens with other senses too, with sight (visiting a place from your past), with taste, and most potently, of course, with smell. But I personally find that music is the most common trigger, as it’s not everyday that I smell a loaf of bread and find myself in a bakery from 2004.

My favourite example of musical time travel is my personal experience with the band Gorillaz. I bought their self-titled album when I was very young (because of the cartoon cover of course) and, as their particular genre of music didn’t take hold of me at that age, the reminiscence was all the more strong when I revisited them in 2012. I fell into listening two particular songs which complemented my then-maudlin state of mind: Gravity and Starshine. Their album Demon Days was also a nostalgia trip for me back then, but rather than listening to Feel Good Inc. and Dare over and over as I had before, I fell into listening different songs on the album such as November Has Come, All Alone, White Light and the narrative masterpiece Fire Coming Out of the Monkey’s Head.

Now, I’m not telling you about these individual songs just because I like them so much. Here’s the point: Gravity and Starshine reminded me of a childhood long past, and transported me around eight years back in time, fueling the fires of nostalgia and triggering memories that had long since faded. The Demon Days songs listed, however, were new to me at the time, as I’d only really listened to the first half of the album before. I listened to all of the above songs at the same time in my life. Now, if I were to go back and listen to them again it would be another nostalgia trip, as it’s been so long. This time, however, I’d be remembering events that took place in 2012, when I went through my last phase of listening to them, both the new and the old. (It’s also worth noting I’ve not familiarised myself with the first eight tracks of Demon Days since my childhood, and therein lies a potential nostalgia trip back to those times.)

Music is the same as anything else; too much of a good thing dulls your appreciation to it. The aurora borealis is beautiful, even as a picture, but make that picture your desktop background and within a week it won’t hold the same awe that it used to. Remove yourself from that picture for a few months, however, and the next time you make it your background it may once again be beautiful… for a few days, at least. But the thing with music is that, at least for me, it can capture your thoughts and feelings like a snapshot, and becomes a sort of time capsule after your appreciation for it wanes, waiting for your taste to swing back its way in a few years time to barrage you with the echoes of your past state of mind.

The nostalgia that old music can bring is a blessing, but the way it is automatically overwritten in the mind – or at least, I must stress, my mind – is saddening. I feel like I have a limited supply of music left I can use to transport myself back into the very earliest depths of my past. Linkin Park’s teenage angst was revisited a few years ago, as was Nickelback’s… distinct… sound. I figure I have the first half of Demon Days, Coldplay’s first few albums and, because it’s just stellar music, The Simpsons’ Yellow Album left until all of my earliest nostalgia is overwritten with modern associations that the subconscious must so relentlessly pursue. On the other hand, I’ve not listened to The Killers since my few months of binge-listening to them when I first started University, and some of Avenged Sevenfold’s albums are probably due for a revisit. Alternatively, I could simply keep finding new music, leaving a trail of nostalgic albums in my wake, growing more potent in their power of reminiscence by the month.

It only now occurs to me that if I’m the only one who experiences this sensation, the last 700 words may well paint me to be a madman. I hold confidence that I’m not alone, though. Whether I mean I’m not alone in the musical sense or the insanity sense, I’ll leave you to decide for yourself!

Let’s Talk Music!

I have no musical talent (or really any musical sense at all), but this of course does not make me exempt from appreciating music. With the release of two new albums from favourite bands of mine and the amount I’ve been listening to to select dailies for #Rocktober, I felt that it’d be an appropriate time to put my thoughts about music down on paper. Or, ah, pixel paper.

Let’s start with genre. As far as I’m concerned, the stuff I listen to falls loosely under the genre “metal”. There are subgenres and people who say some stuff isn’t metal it’s rock and some stuff isn’t rock it’s metal and some stuff isn’t either it’s tingtangulatia or flobbercore or what have you. I don’t care, it sounds good. And I can never discern differences in genre. Apparently it’s to do with instruments used but honestly, it doesn’t even matter.

Next we’ll talk about stereotypes. People typically assume that if you listen to a particular kind of music, then you’re a particular kind of person. If you listen to dubstep you’re probably a chav, if you listen to rap you’re probably about to damage somebody’s property. In my case, I listen to bands like Five Finger Death Punch and Bullet For My Valentine, so I’m most definitely an edgy preteen. Fans within the genre might raise their eyebrows at that, but I’m fairly sure that that’s how we’re viewed by other people, guys.

The thing people fail to notice is the ability to recognise the shortcomings of the artists they listen to. I am fully aware that Five Finger Death Punch’s lyrics are cheesier than a wotsit bathed in squeezy cheese and wrapped in a processed slice. (Sorry, FFDP fans.) I bet that a lot of people see the utter bollocks that some rappers rap about (for instance, entire songs dedicated about how good their songs are), but they can still enjoy the music. But people get so passionate about this kind of thing, too. I’m sure that some people reading this blog post are already up in arms for insulting their heroes. It’s just music, mates.

I’ve also realised that I prefer not to know the true meaning behind songs. I enjoy painting a portrait of what the album is about in terms of reflecting the artist’s life. I felt cheated, for example, when I read some behind the scenes stuff for Bring Me The Horizon’s latest album, That’s the Spirit. I’d listened to the album a few times, and through half-heard lyrics and general tone I’d decided that the album was speaking a somewhat happier tone, especially in relation to its predecessors. Now that I know the story behind every song, I can make less out of it regarding my own personal thoughts. Still, it doesn’t lessen the awesomeness of the album, which I very much enjoy despite its departure from heavier roots.

Anyway, before I end this blog post I might as well list my favourite bands / artists for those interested. They are, in no particular order, Avenged Sevenfold, As I Lay Dying, Beartooth, Architects, Bring Me The Horzion, Bullet For My Valentine, Five Finger Death Punch, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and for miscellaneous genres, Pendulum, Chipzel, Eminem, Gorillaz, and The Killers. There are plenty of others, but those would be the main ones, I suppose.

Finally, if anyone’s reading this and thinking, “this guy doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about!” then I heartily invite you to re-read the opening sentence of this blog post.