Music: Video Game Music - DooM Soundtrack
Video game music has come a long way from the 8-bit boops and beeps. Here Mick Gordon lays down a killer riff, nailing the intensity and the insanity that is one of the premiere first person shooters
One of the video games that really hooked me on PC gaming in the 1990s was the original Doom by Id Software. That original soundtrack was heavy and fun, but it was mostly ripoffs of metal from the 1980’s reworked into the game.
But as the years have gone by, new versions of the game have been released, and in 2016, a massive version dropped (ironically, it was a few days before my birthday, so I bought a copy). The game play was amazing, but the real star was the bespoke soundtrack crafted specifically for the game by Aussie Mick Gordon.
On the soundtrack are several heavy and killer jams, but the one that I keep coming back to is BFG1 Division.
It is an amalgam of sampled sounds (including a chainsaw!) a driving bass line, interspersed with synths and the heaviest that an 8-string guitar can deliver.
It is a perfect accompaniment to the visual and visceral onslaught of the game.
There are a lot of quirks in writing music for games, terms like stems and branches, so it in general is not precisely what you hear in the game, as your actions can affect the intensity and tempo. Fortunately, Mick and the Id games folk released it as a stand alone soundtrack, and it is amazeballs.
Below is a sample, nearly eight and a half minutes of audio assault on the senses. Be sure to turn it up to get the full effect!
Doesn’t that get the blood pumping?
Fuck yeah it does!
BFG stands for “Big Fucking Gun” it has been an overpowered staple of the genre since the beginning.
Mick Gordon does great work. Great post , I have some of Mick's works , Like this one . great post .Geoff , Peace to you and all reading the post
Perfect timing. Your post came in while I was in the gym and that track got me through! 🤘