Music of Doom (2016)

Last updated
DOOM – Original Game Soundtrack
Doom 2016 soundtrack cover.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Mick Gordon
Released28 September 2016
Genre Soundtrack
Length2:08:14
Label Bethesda Softworks
Producer Mick Gordon

The music for the 2016 first-person shooter video game Doom , developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, was composed by composer and musician Mick Gordon, with contributions by musician Richard Devine. Working for a period of 18 months from mid-2014, Gordon extensively used synthesizer s and effects units to alter sub-bass sine waves. Although initially instructed not to use guitars or to include any metal influences in Doom's soundtrack, about halfway through the project, Gordon experimented with augmenting the sound of guitars.

Contents

Background and composition

The soundtrack of Doom was composed by Australian musician and composer Mick Gordon, [1] with contributions by electronic musician and sound designer Richard Devine. [2] [3] Gordon began composing music for video games in 2003 but only came to widespread attention with his work on the 2013 fighting game Killer Instinct . [4] He next scored the 2014 first person shooter Wolfenstein: The New Order , [5] a reboot of id Software's Wolfenstein series developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. [6] In mid-2014, Gordon met with id Software, [7] which Bethesda had purchased in 2009, [8] at their Dallas headquarters to discuss composing music for Doom. [9]

The composition of Doom's soundtrack took place over 18 months. [10] At their meeting in Dallas, id instructed Gordon not to use guitars or to write a metal score, [11] [12] despite the original Doom having an ambient, thrash metal soundtrack by Bobby Prince, [9] [13] as id felt that the genre had grown "corny". [9] Gordon was encouraged to instead to make use of synthesizers, [14] and took inspiration from Argent energy, an in-game energy source extracted from Hell. To create the sound Argent energy might make, [15] Gordon designed several chains of effects units through which he passed sub-bass sine waves, [14] [16] layered with white noise to make them audible on widely available speaker equipment. [17] According to Gordon, after "six to nine months [of] doing just synthesisers", [9] he convinced id to allow the use of guitars and began experimenting with augmenting their sound. [18] For the main riff of the main menu theme, Gordon combined a nine-string guitar with a sample of the chainsaw from the 1993 Doom. [19]

Gordon devised different soundscapes for Mars and for Hell, saying in an interview with Revolver magazine, "As the [Mars] environments were created by humans ... the music needed to sound like humans created it, too. ... That lead to Hell being more atonal, dissonant and weird." [20] Some tracks, such as "At Doom's Gate", contain homages to Prince's work for the original Doom. [18] Gordon also included easter eggs in the soundtrack. Shortly after the game's release in May 2016, players discovered pentagrams and the number "666" hidden in the track "Cyberdemon" via spectrogram. [21] [22] Speaking to the Game Development Conference about composing Doom's soundtrack in 2017, Gordon revealed the presence of a reserved message, "Jesus loves you", in an unidentified track. [23] On 7 February 2019, Gordon confirmed the discovery of the final easter egg on Twitter. [24]

Album

DOOM – Original Game Soundtrack comprises music from the game composed and produced by Mick Gordon. The album has 31 tracks and spans 128 minutes. The soundtrack was released digitally on 28 September 2016. [25] [26] A physical release of the soundtrack came on 18 April 2018 with CDs and a limited, four-record vinyl set. [27] [28]

The soundtrack of Doom was positively received. The reviews of Doom by The Daily Telegraph and Push Square singled out the score for praise, [29] [30] as did Jordan Pearson, writing for Vice. [31] James Davenport of PC Gamer called Doom' soundtrack "one of the best game soundtracks" of 2016. [32]

No.TitleLength
1."I. Dogma"0:45
2."Rip & Tear"4:18
3."At Doom's Gate"1:11
4."Rust, Dust & Guts"7:42
5."II. Demigod"0:50
6."Hellwalker"5:06
7."Authorization; Olivia Pierce"2:24
8."Flesh & Metal"7:02
9."Impure Sanctum"1:45
10."Ties That Bind"2:07
11."BFG Division"8:27
12."Residual"1:57
13."Argent Energy"2:35
14."Harbinger"7:11
15."Biowaves"2:16
16."Olivia's Doom (Chad Mossholder Remix)"4:41
17."Transistor Fist"6:09
18."Dr. Samuel Hayden"4:10
19."Cyberdemon"6:18
20."Incantation"3:36
21."III. Dakhma"2:17
22."Damnation"6:45
23."The Stench"2:50
24."UAC Report File; Shto36u3"3:04
25."Death & Exhale"3:49
26."SkullHacker"7:16
27."Lazarus Waves"3:39
28."Vega Core"8:03
29."6_idkill Vega.Cih"1:38
30."Mastermind"6:38
31."IV. Doom"1:47
Total length:2:08:14

Legacy

The soundtrack won the Best Music / Sound Design award at The Game Awards 2016; Gordon, joined by Periphery drummer Matt Halpern and Quake II composer Sascha Dikiciyan, performed a short medley of the tracks "Rip and Tear", "BFG Division", and Quake II's "Descent Into Cerberon" live at the awards show. [33] It was also nominated for the Audio Achievement and Best Music categories of the 13th British Academy Games Awards. [34] [35]

Related Research Articles

<i>Doom</i> (1993 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a first-person shooter game developed and published by id Software. Released on December 10, 1993, for DOS, it is the first installment in the Doom franchise. The player assumes the role of a space marine, later unofficially referred to as Doomguy, fighting through hordes of undead humans and invading demons. The game begins on the moons of Mars and finishes in hell, with the player traversing each level to find its exit or defeat its final boss. It is an early example of 3D graphics in video games, and has enemies and objects as 2D images, a technique sometimes referred to as 2.5D graphics.

id Software American video game developer

id Software LLC is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack.

<i>Wolfenstein 3D</i> 1992 video game

Wolfenstein 3D is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Apogee Software and FormGen. Originally released on May 5, 1992, for DOS, it was inspired by the 1981 Muse Software video game Castle Wolfenstein, and is the third installment in the Wolfenstein series. In Wolfenstein 3D, the player assumes the role of Allied spy William "B.J." Blazkowicz during World War II as he escapes from the Nazi German prison Castle Wolfenstein and carries out a series of crucial missions against the Nazis. The player traverses each of the game's levels to find an elevator to the next level or kill a final boss, fighting Nazi soldiers, dogs, and other enemies with a knife and a variety of guns.

<i>Doom 3</i> 2004 video game

Doom 3 is a 2004 survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. Doom 3 was originally released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004, adapted for Linux later that year, and ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X in 2005. Developer Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox, releasing it worldwide on April 4, 2005.

Robert Caskin Prince III, known professionally as Bobby Prince, is an American video game composer and sound designer. He has worked as an independent contractor for several gaming companies, most notably id Software and 3D Realms. Some of his most notable works include Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Doom II: Hell on Earth, Duke Nukem II, and Duke Nukem 3D.

Doom, a first-person shooter game by id Software, was released in December 1993 and is considered one of the most significant and influential video games in history. Development began in November 1992, with programmers John Carmack and John Romero, artists Adrian Carmack and Kevin Cloud, and designer Tom Hall. Late in development, Hall was replaced by Sandy Petersen and programmer Dave Taylor joined. The music and sound effects were created by Bobby Prince.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Splash Damage</span> British video game developer

Splash Damage Ltd. is a British video game developer specialising in multiplayer first-person shooter video games. The studio is best known as the creators of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

id Tech Series of video game engines

id Tech is a series of separate game engines designed and developed by id Software. Prior to the presentation of the id Tech 5-based game Rage in 2011, the engines lacked official designation and as such were simply referred to as the Doom and Quake engines, from the name of the main game series the engines had been developed for. "id Tech" has been released as free software under the GNU General Public License. id Tech versions 0 to 3 were released under GPL-2.0-or-later. id Tech versions 3.5 to 4.5 were released under GPL-3.0-or-later. id Tech 5 to 7 are proprietary, with id Tech 7 currently being the latest utilized engine.

<i>Doom</i> (2016 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the first major installment in the Doom series since 2004's Doom 3 and was a reboot of the franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016. A port for Nintendo Switch was co-developed with Panic Button and released in November 2017, and a version for Google Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of an unnamed space marine, known as the "Doom Slayer", as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on Mars and in Hell.

<i>Wolfenstein</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Wolfenstein is a 2009 first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision, part of the Wolfenstein video game series. It serves as a loose sequel to the 2001 entry Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and uses an enhanced version of id Software's id Tech 4. The game was released in August 2009 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Doom</i> (franchise) Video game franchise

Doom is an American media franchise created by John Carmack, John Romero, Adrian Carmack, Kevin Cloud, and Tom Hall. The series usually focuses on the exploits of an unnamed space marine operating under the auspices of the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC), who fights hordes of demons and the undead to save Earth from an apocalyptic invasion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First-person shooter</span> Video game genre

A first-person shooter (FPS) is a video game centered on gun fighting and other weapon-based combat seen from a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action directly through the eyes of the main character. This genre shares multiple common traits with other shooter games, and in turn falls under the action games category. Since the genre's inception, advanced 3D and pseudo-3D graphics have proven fundamental to allow a reasonable level of immersion in the game world, and this type of game helped pushing technology progressively further, challenging hardware developers worldwide to introduce numerous innovations in the field of graphics processing units. Multiplayer gaming has been an integral part of the experience, and became even more prominent with the diffusion of internet connectivity in recent years.

<i>Wolfenstein: The New Order</i> 2014 video game

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a 2014 action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. It was released on 20 May 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. The game is the sixth main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the first since 2009's Wolfenstein. Set in an alternate history 1960s Europe where the Nazis won the Second World War, the story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to stop the Nazis from ruling over the world.

<i>Wolfenstein: The New Order</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack

Wolfenstein: The New Order is the soundtrack to the video game Wolfenstein: The New Order. The soundtrack was released on 19 May 2014, consisting of an original score featured in the game. Composer Mick Gordon took inspiration from multiple sources while producing the soundtrack, ultimately creating over six hours of music. Critical reception to the soundtrack was positive, as reviewers considered that the music had been appropriated effectively for gameplay.

Michael John Gordon is an Australian composer, record producer, musician, and sound designer, composing music primarily for video games.

<i>Quake Champions</i> Free-to-play arena first person shooter

Quake Champions is a first-person arena shooter developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the fifth main entry in the Quake series, following 2005's Quake 4. The game was first released in early access on August 22, 2017; since August 10, 2018, the game has been free-to-play. The game's full version was released on August 18, 2022.

<i>Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus</i> 2017 video game

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a 2017 action-adventure and first-person shooter game developed by MachineGames and published by Bethesda Softworks. The seventh main entry in the Wolfenstein series and the sequel to 2014's Wolfenstein: The New Order, the game is set in an alternate history that takes place in 1961, following the Nazi victory in the Second World War. The story follows war veteran William "B.J." Blazkowicz and his efforts to fight against the Nazi regime in the United States. Gameplay mechanics are largely similar to those of The New Order, though the team introduced improvements such as allowing players to dual-wield any combination of weapons in the game. A binary choice in the prologue alters the game's entire storyline; some characters and small plot points are replaced throughout the timelines.

<i>Doom Eternal</i> 2020 video game

Doom Eternal is a 2020 first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The sequel to Doom (2016), and the seventh game in the Doom series, it was released for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020, with a port for Nintendo Switch released on December 8, 2020, and versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S released on June 29, 2021.

References

  1. ↑ Reilly, Luke (18 October 2017). "Pentagrams and Partisans: Mick Gordon on Making Music That Matters". IGN . Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. ↑ Shamoon, Evan (14 December 2020). "The Maximalist: Richard Devine". Orb Magazine. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  3. ↑ Gordon, Mick. "DOOM". Archived from the original on 17 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Greening, Chris (17 April 2014). "Mick Gordon Interview: Rebooting Wolfenstein and Killer Instinct". Video Game Music Online. Archived from the original on 19 April 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Aristopoulos 2023, p. 150.
  6. ↑ Pitts, Russ (15 May 2014). "Making Wolfenstein: A Fight Club at the Top of the World". Polygon . Archived from the original on 6 August 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Gordon 2017, 3:16.
  8. ↑ Remo, Chris (24 June 2009). "Bethesda Parent ZeniMax Acquires id Software". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 26 June 2009. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Prescott, Shaun (15 November 2016). "Doom composer Mick Gordon: "one of the pre-conditions of the project was no metal"". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Gordon 2019, 18:06.
  11. ↑ Scott-Jones, Richard (2016-11-16). "id Software didn't want heavy metal for Doom soundtrack, says composer, now working on Prey". PCGamesN . Archived from the original on 2023-12-22. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Gordon 2019, 3:16–3:30.
  13. ↑ Smith 2017, pp. 3–4.
  14. 1 2 Smith 2017, p. 5.
  15. ↑ Favis, Elise (28 May 2016). "Doom's Sounds Were Created From Old Cassettes And A Russian Synthesizer". Game Informer . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  16. ↑ Aristopoulos 2023, pp. 151–153.
  17. ↑ Gordon 2017, 9:58–10:07.
  18. 1 2 Smith 2017, p. 7.
  19. ↑ Gordon 2019, 33:04–34:40.
  20. ↑ Winkie, Luke (3 July 2018). "'Doom': Inside Ultra-Violent Video Game's Brutally Heavy Soundtrack". Revolver . Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  21. ↑ Fingas, Jon (29 May 2016). "The new 'Doom' hides sinister images in its soundtrack". engadget . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  22. ↑ Matulef, Jeffrey (31 May 2016). "Doom's soundtrack contains satanic Easter eggs". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  23. ↑ Davenport, James (2 March 2017). "'Jesus loves you' is hidden in the Doom soundtrack". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  24. ↑ @Mick_Gordon (February 8, 2019). "Big-ups to @nick_w94, who found the final @DOOM soundtrack easter egg a little over 2 years after release. Rock on dude!🤘😼🤘" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 23 December 2023– via Twitter.
  25. ↑ Seppala, Thomas J. (29 September 2016). "Raise some Hell on your commute with the 'Doom' soundtrack". engadget . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  26. ↑ Chalk, Andy (28 September 2016). "The Doom soundtrack is finally out". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  27. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (18 April 2018). "Doom's amazing soundtrack getting deluxe physical release". Polygon . Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  28. ↑ Crecente, Brian (18 April 2018). "'Doom' Soundtrack Goes Vinyl This Summer". Variety . Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  29. ↑ White, Sam (23 May 2016). "Doom is a fiendishly moreish, impeccably refined shooter - review". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  30. ↑ Thurmond, Joey (18 May 2016). "DOOM Review". Push Square . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  31. ↑ Pearson, Jordan (15 March 2017). "How the 'Doom' Soundtrack Was Made Will Melt Your Puny Mortal Mind". Vice . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  32. ↑ Davenport, James (28 December 2016). "Listen to the best game music of the year". PC Gamer . Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  33. ↑ Oh, Ashley (2 December 2016). "Watch the Doom soundtrack performed live at The Game Awards 2016". Polygon . Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  34. ↑ Blades, Charles (7 April 2017). "Here is the BAFTA Game Awards Full Winners List". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on 5 January 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  35. ↑ "Inside big winner in BAFTA Academy Game Awards nominations". MCV/Develop . 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 23 December 2023.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.