Music Suggestions for a Gothic Horror game

[Greatwyrm]

Take a look in the classical compilation section of your local music store. They usually have a few CDs that are just creepy stuff called "Fright Night" or "Classics from the Crypt" or something like that.

Also, try Glen Danzig's Black Aria. It's tough to find, but it's just about the best.

 

[diaglo]

how about a google or amazon search:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...103-1495948-0223033?v=glance&s=music&n=507846

 

[hong]

Well, yeah, yeah I can, actually. I despise playing modern "pop" music for games.

Actually, I'm thinking that the Rocky Horror soundtrack would make an EXCELLENT soundtrack for a horror game.

 

[diaglo]

Actually, I'm thinking that the Rocky Horror soundtrack would make an EXCELLENT soundtrack for a horror game.

nah, just go with the MeatLoaf song: Paradise (by the Dashboard LIght) as a theme for a real Horror session.

 

[Mach2.5]

Although I found them long after my horror campaign ended, the soundtracks for the Silent Hill series of games would have worked wonders for setting the strange moods and creepy atmospheres that one would come across. The soundtrack for SH2 was especially good.

Game soundtracks tend to be hit or miss. Some game music only seems great while playing the game; listening to it afterwards though and you may note some serious problems. Oftentimes, sound scores are layered with eachother, yet on the soundtrack, they are pulled apart and given individual tracks. This can all be a bit jarring. The upside is, they tracks are normally set up to be played in loops in the game, meaning that you can easily play the track during a game session on repeat rather smoothly.

 

[Mach2.5]

Although I found them long after my horror campaign ended, the soundtracks for the Silent Hill series of games would have worked wonders for setting the strange moods and creepy atmospheres that one would come across. The soundtrack for SH2 was especially good.

Game soundtracks tend to be hit or miss. Some game music only seems great while playing the game; listening to it afterwards though and you may note some serious problems. Oftentimes, sound scores are layered with eachother, yet on the soundtrack, they are pulled apart and given individual tracks. This can all be a bit jarring. The upside is, they tracks are normally set up to be played in loops in the game, meaning that you can easily play the track during a game session on repeat rather smoothly.

 

[freebfrost]

I have to agree with Mach2.5 here -- the Silent Hill soundtracks are great for Halloween games. However, they are also hard to find and typically expensive.

For some great background music I have to recommend getting any of the Apocalyptica cds. They are a Finnish cello quartet that started out doing covers of Metallica songs (yes.. cello covers of Metallica songs), though now they are doing mostly their own compositions. Very good stuff and great mood music. I recommend "Cult" as a personal favorite of mine from past Halloween games I've run.

You can find their work at Amazon and pretty much in most bigger chain stores (Best Buy, etc.).

More information is also available at http://www.apocalyptica.com

 

[Kesh]

Pick up the musical scores for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. Your players will lose bladder control.

Other scores: Aliens, X-Files: Fight the Future, Highlander (really just excerpted music from 1, 2 & 3).

Also, Furious Angels by Rob Dougan has a second CD that's all instrumental. Some of those tracks are perfect for any adventure, normal or horror.

 

[Desdichado]

My games all tend to be like "The D-files: D&D X-Files" in a way, so while not all of this is what you'd want specifically, most of it would work well. Here's my "approved soundtrack" list, and in the perfect world (as in, when we play at my house and my wife isn't trying to use the stereo to watch TV) when I can play a ripped CD with tracks from all my movie soundtracks I own, I use essentially this:

• Lord of the Rings, both soundtracks so far (and presumably the third one in a couple of months)
• Braveheart -- dark and moody fantasy-esque music
• Bram Stoker's Dracula (selections) -- don't use the whole thing, though -- some of it is kitschy romantic music, and the Annie Lennox song is a real mood killer
• Signs -- wow, the best spooky soundtrack I own!
• Sleepy Hollow -- another really good one; I like all Danny Elfman's stuff, though.
• Both Harry Potter soundtracks -- there's a lot of spooky music there, and I actually kinda like the whimsical pieces too for a change of pace.
• From Hell -- pretty good dark, scary mood music
• 13th Warrior -- maybe a bit too "dark nordic Ragnarok heroic" but dang, I love this music for gaming!
• Last of the Mohicans -- also fairly dark, but the little Celtic jig theme that pops up from time to time is not. Also, the second half of this CD turns into a mushy New Age disc for some very strange reason.
• Stargate -- foreign, "Middle Eastern" songs are spooky, but a lot of it is too heroic for what you want, I'd think.
• "I'm the Scatman" or "Pac-Man Fever" -- sometimes you just want to break the tension and have one of these pop up on the random playlist.

 

[Hjorimir]

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by JS Bach.