Spooky Music

I sometimes play backgroud music during gameplay (depends on the gaming group). I haven't in a while, but the characters in my game will eventually be infiltrating an evil temple during an unholy "church service" and I think the encounter will be more engaging with a bit of ambience.

I'd really like some kind of chanting music (it's gonna be dwarves), but it needs to have deep voices and sound really creepy. Anything that might sound like a evil, dwarven, sacrificial ceremony.

I'm sure you all have a section marked "EVIL DWARF MUSIC" on your iPods, so can anybody recommend something I could download or find relatively quickly?

Thanks,
R

P.S. Do you guys find music helpful in setting a mood or is it distracting? I find that my guys get quieter and stay focused more if the music is going.

I'm a big believer in music in games. I don't run it without music. But it depends on your group. Some people hate it. Obviously, it works for your group.

If you want evil chants, I might recommend the first track of Bram Stoker's Dracula, which can be found on iTunes. However, that track is a bit dynamic in that it gets really loud suddenly, so you have to be ready to roll with it.

The first track off of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning is more ominous and disturbing. It's also less dynamic. It doesn't change up so much. However, there's no chanting in it.

If you can find it, the evil temple track from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is exactly what you are looking for. It features evil chanting. But I have this on tape, and have never seen it on CD, much less for download.

But the perfect track for you would be the first track from the Elizabeth soundtrack. It's the movie with Kate Blanchet. It's called "Elizabeth: Overture". Lots and lots of evil chanting. Be careful, because it can get loud, but if you have your finger on the volume, you'll be all right. It says EVIL CHANT all over it.

Buddhist temple chants tend to be pretty deep and eerie, though I can't give you any specific ones.

Try these guys:

http://www.corvuscorax.de/

You can play demos/samples from their site, and they have a download section somewhere, but it maybe buried in the German section.

Also consider Therion, which is best described as if Wagner composed metal. It sounds crazy, but it works. I could hear a couple of tracks that screams evil dwarves.
http://www.megatherion.com/

Both are great because they perform in multiple languages, and I think that when people don't understand what they are hearing, it helps that mystery/eerie factor.

-suzi

If you can find them anymore, Solitude Aeturnus is heavy, dirge-like metal that really puts out a spooky vibe. I think the band is defunct now, but the music is worth looking for.

Awesome! Thanks!

(And by the way Toben, Elizabeth is one of my favorite movies. I don't know why I didn't think of it before!)

Creepy music is handled by Current 93 in my sessions. Monte Cook did a couple of articles about "music in your game" and mentioned their album "Faust" as being creepy. I found a site selling it through google. Definately creepy, not much chanting though.

Midnight Syndicate has pretty atmospheric stuff too. (And by 'atmospheric' I mean 'spooky'.)

If you can find it, the evil temple track from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is exactly what you are looking for. It features evil chanting. But I have this on tape, and have never seen it on CD, much less for download.

Click to expand...

I just got this myself, actually. It is availabe on CD, but damn near impossible to find. I had to order a Japanese import off EBay.

I'd be willing to upload the actual Temple of Doom track--the one with the chanting--as an MP3, if the moderators would confirm that they'll allow me to do so, since the CD is not available from any current US markets.

One of my fave "spooky" musics for my multi-year Vampire chronicle was various works by Diamanda Galas.

Actually, downright frightening at times is a better descriptor.

However, her voice is probably the exact opposite of what you'd want for chanting dwarves.