Apologies for being extensively absent from this column over the last few months! Every day the Massively OP offices are deluged with fan mail demanding, “Bring back Jukebox Heroes! Where is Jukebox Heroes? How can I survive without that epic MMO music to get me through the week?”
To which I can only mutter something about a classified mission to Paraguay, being adopted by a jaguar for six weeks, and subsequently finding myself co-starring with The Rock on his latest escapade. It’s all in the line of duty when you are an MMO reporter.
But I am back, and boy is there a lot of news to talk about this week! Let us catch up on the MMORPG music scene and see what is happening with Destiny 2, Lord of the Rings Online, Absolver, Black Desert, and Champions Online already!
Destiny 2
There’s an outside possibility that you have heard of the launch of this online shooter over the past couple of weeks, but that is only secondary (of course) to the release of the game’s official soundtrack. The $10 album contains a whopping two-and-a-half hours of music spread out over 33 tracks, composed by Michael Salvatori, Skye Lewin, C. Paul Johnson, Rotem Moav, and Peter Schlosser.
“The new soundtrack was composed to capture the somber spirit of a civilization confronting immense tragedy, and also to inspire bravery in the hearts of our heroes as they stand together and fight to reclaim all that they hold dead,” Bungie said.
As a bonus, fans who purchase the soundtrack from the studio’s store will get an in-game emblem called “Resonant Chord.” Neat!
Black Desert
This sandbox MMORPG isn’t just retooling its already-impressive graphics; Pearl Abyss has committed itself to remastering a large swath of the soundtrack. The project is to be completed by the German National Soundtrack, and I cannot wait for the end result.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUG-vnh7UFA
Absolver
Speaking of new soundtracks, the launch of Absolver also saw the release of its 19-track score. This is composed by Austin Wintory, who also did the award-winning Journey. I’m putting this on my list of must-listens for the near future! You can pick up the digital soundtrack for $8 at Amazon MP3. or elect to pick up a physical copy of the soundtrack on CD or vinyl.
“I wrote the music in a pure and holistic way about the emotional experience [of Absolver],” said Wintory in a press release. “Our creative director Pierre described the game as ‘combat through friendship’ during our very first call, and so it was crucial that the music reflect that underlying empathy. It’s about giving strength to your adversaries, while they strengthen you. So the music becomes this kind of dance, like the two players are engaged in a ballet together. Conveniently this approach also helped us avoid the clichés of the martial arts genre, which both the developers and I were very keen to avoid!”
Lord of the Rings Online
The limited-edition release of the 10th anniversary commemorative soundtrack quickly sold out, prompting a second run. Meanwhile, there is a player petition for a vinyl version of the score.
And where’s that official Mordor soundtrack release already?
Champions Online
Check out the new official remix of that bizarre anniversary tune for this year’s birthday celebration!
MMOs are meant to be heard as well as seen, and chances are that music ties your memories to these games more than you might realize. Every two weeks Jukebox Heroes listens through a game soundtrack and picks out the highlights to share and discuss. And if you like this column, then don’t miss the author’s MMO music podcast, Battle Bards!
