Thoughts on the music

I recently posted about how the music in E2M2 is the awesomest, and have been recently thinking about the music in general - and I got something more to say...

• At Doom's Gate and Running From Evil will haunt my nightmares for the rest of my life.
• E1M2* clave FTW
• Bobby Prince should've got a Grammy for E1M3
• I used to associate E1M6's track more with E3M6
• Ditto E1M7 with E2M5 (and very interesting that this is the only track used in all 4 episodes of UDoom)
• I don't think anyone playing Doom and getting into guitar at that time didn't try to learn the solo to E1M8
• E2M4's music is too damn quiet and tense.
• Used to associate E2M7 more with E4M5
• Everyone knows Alice In Chains' "influence" on Barrels O Fun (Them Bones) and Bloodfalls (Angry Chair), but no-one talks about how they influenced were influenced by the drum break in E2M8 when they created the intro to No Excuses **
• And let's just say, the first time I heard Mouth For War by Pantera at my cousin's house, I was quite confused.
• Ditto with Slayer (Crooked Cross, South Of Heaven)
• E3M8 - when Prince stated he originally wanted to write only metal songs for the soundtrack, I'd like to think they'd be along the lines of this one. Pure ass-kickige
• ALWAYS have associated the ending 'bunny' music more with Plutonia map 11, for extremely obvious reasons
• Map02 is a goddamn samba 
• Map03 is dreary, but I like the ticking clock motif
• Map04 is goddamn jazz fusion
• Map06 sounds like a mistake was made with the bass and drums not 'matching up', like Prince was going for something else as he was making it, but heard it and was like "I'll leave it like that", then continued making the song this way.  I dunno, it always sounded off-kilter to me
• Map08 is an awesome blues-rock song.
• Used to associate Map10's music more with Map16
• ...And Map18's with Map27
• Map20 has the second-coolest solo ever in Doom
• Map28 is too kickass to be introduced so late in the game
• And of course, Icon Of Sin theme is a masterclass of tension - freaky opening 'whistle' sound, subterranean bass, slow groove, subtle sound effects (including more clave), also possibly an influence on A Therapy For Pain by Fear Factory.**

* No, I ain't learning the names of the rest.

** At least I'd like to think that.  Hey man, it's possible.

Stay tuned for part II, where I'll drop a massive dissertation about the TNT:Evilution music

I really love the music in Doom. All of it.

My favorites are E1M3, E2M2 and E2M4:

E1M3 (Dark Halls): Very cool and minimalist, with a remarkable pulsing synth. I love the part before the rhythmic swap, when the chord progression suddenly changes and ends with a nice and unexpected harmony.
E2M2 (The Demons from Adrians Pen): The most progressive song imo, with a lot of rhythmic swaps, including a very brief dance motif. It goes from very atmospheric to fast paced in a matter of seconds and I love it.
E2M4 (They're Going to Get You): This one is full of cool unusual techniques, like the almost inaudible drone in the background, the pizzicato violins that actually enhances the overall silence and the main theme that starts normaly and then breaks into some haunting harmonies. Very creepy.
 

On 4/7/2019 at 5:17 AM, Maximum Matt said:

Map02 is a goddamn samba 

Not so much. I mean... I had to get used to samba, as a fellow brazilian lol. I think the "elevator music" part is closer to cuban or american-cuban music, like cha-cha-chá or salsa:
 

See 4:18 for that usual piano motif, the "Montuno rhythm". It's very cool, but not related to brazilian music as far as I know.

Salsa music!! Sorry, got the names confused.  Thanks for the vid, very interesting. This style of music is quite cool, but to me doesn't really give the right atmosphere when you're stalking through the waters of the underhalls.

individually, i can't really comment on each and every track. i do think a lot of it is great and perfectly fits doom, but i often found myself preferring the more...ambient tracks to the PS1 port. that, and - while it's brought up all the time, i do honestly think i'd just rather listen to the tracks that Bobby Prince was inspired by, rather than the tracks Bobby Prince made himself

Like nearly all of the original Doom music. E3M8 is probably my least favorite, and I don't like the E1M7 music being used for Unto the Cruel. Wish that episode's final map had its own unique tune, like the other three. One point of inconsistency for me is not using "Hiding the Secrets" for E2M9. It kinds of breaks the idea of that theme being used solely on secret maps.

And I mostly associate that song to E4M9.  That level kicks so much ass.  Arguably the most incongruous level in E4, it still is hands-down the best secret level in UDoom (E1M9 is too ugly and boxy, E2M9 and E3M9 are gimmicks) and it's symmetricity totally works in its favor.

And there are crates in the starting area.    

Map02 makes me think of the ghostbusters movie for some reason