The sound of Warhammer

[Kelborn]

Greetings,

 

While we're discussing a lot about novels, their releases and fluff, which everyone's enjoying, I wanted to ask you something different:

 

Do you have a certain band / soundtrack you're listening while reading/ working on your minis / write your own stuff?

 

Why am I asking?

 

As I'm writing my own stuff and as being a part of the BotL project, I'm thankfull for every advice concerning music. While writing, I'm listening to certain music for inspiration or as a tool to visualize scenes and the likes.

 

For example:

I'm currently working on a Japanese themed Knight Household. While working on it, I'm listening to soundtracks like the ones from The Last Samurai or Blizzards Mists of Pandaria. Furthermore, recommended bands like In Each Hand A Cutlass help me a lot in creating stuff for them.

 

So, do you have specific bands you're listening to, as well?

 

Another question would be:

Do you associate certain Legions / Factions with certain music styles or bands?

 

Don't know if you are familiar with him but Klayton aka Celldweller aka Circle of Dust did some great tracks which imho fit perfectly into the setting of Warhammer. His latest release, Machines of our disgrace, fits the atmosphere of the Imperium very well.

 

What music / bands do you have in mind while thinking of Warhammer or the Wolves of Fenris or the Iron Warriors or Orks or whatever?

 

I'm curious of your pov on this. :)

 

@Laurie, Aaron, Rob and other authors, same questions for you.

Do you have something like a soundtrack in mind for your works? Are you preferring certain bands while working?

 

Cheers,

Kelborn

[Runefyre]

Bolt Thrower for when I'm feeling metal. Starset is also a go-to for me. Of beauty and rage by RED is awesome for when you're feeling edgy gothic (at least most of the songs on the album, with a few exceptions). Though all of RED's stuff is awesome.

 

I've got probably 20 or so bands I listen to, but those are probably the three I listen to the most when I'm hobbying (rare these days unfortunately).

[deathspectersgt7]

I recorded my Chainsaw when I paint Assualt squads to get in the mood . Other than that BL Audio Books and what ever kind of music I'am up for . Mostly Iron Maiden , Judeas Priest and Johnny Cash  some LA guns .

 

While reading at night I will listen to classical music mixed with sound effects. Have a cousin who works for Sony .

[Olis]

I don't specifically listen to any music while I read/write because one usually does not affect the other. When it does, though, it's more of a distraction than anything else. When I was younger, it was a lot easier to to not be distracted by music like I am these days. That said, I've had a touch of writer's block recently so I have no up-to-date musings on the subject. Sorry. ^_^

[Marshal Rohr]

Can't go wrong with operas or classical.

[bluntblade]

I take inspiration from a fair amount of music, but don't really listen when I write.

[Legatus]

Back in 2nd Edition I was listening to some Bach while reading the Codex Angels of Darkness (specifically Passacaglia in C Minor and Toccata in D Minor) and then just had to start a small Dark Angels army.

 

For songs for Marines in general I'll quote myself from a few years ago:

 

 

Two pieces I allways found very suitable for Marines in general are the Crimson Tide Theme (especially from 1:47 to 3:03, with 1:47 marking the Thunderhawks dropping through heavy dustclouds and AA fire and at 2:12 the boarding ramps drop and the Marines disembark, bolters firing) and the

.

 

Some other pieces that have some nice parts suitable for a "galactic empire" theme are the

, the orchestral version of Progenies of the Great Apocalypse (though an

of the metal song would not be bad either), and let's not forget the great

(1:21 and 4:24). Those songs can have some slower parts not that thematically appropriate for Space Marines, but they all have some nice brass or drum parts that make up for it.

 

Of course the Ultramarines have their own theme from the Chaos Gate game. I also liked ths song from that soundtrack.

[Volt]

When writing, I like to listen to thematic music. For the very short one-shots I always end up deleting, I typically listen to something very moody done by a band like Hoizier to emotionally put myself into a dark and depressing state. Or for something glorious, something by Sabaton or what I would call "classical classical" music, stuff written in the middle ages.

[Marshal Rohr]

When writing, I like to listen to thematic music. For the very short one-shots I always end up deleting, I typically listen to something very moody done by a band like Hoizier to emotionally put myself into a dark and depressing state. Or for something glorious, something by Sabaton or what I would call "classical classical" music, stuff written in the middle ages.

Did you just hipsterize classical music? 'I only listen to classic music originally written on parchment' :P

[RikuEru]

When painting Space Wolves Wardruna is one of the best choices. It sets the mood soooo good.

 

When I'm distracted by real-life stuff still bothering me and so on there are two routes I go:

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes on repeat.

Or

Teardrop by Massive Attack on repeat.

 

Both songs are deeply indoctrinated into my brain lobes. Both can help me to shut off anything around me. Proven time and again for more than 10 years or so.

Choice between the two depends on mood and the task ahead.

[LaurieJGoulding]

I know it's a wildly unpopular viewpoint, but I find the idea of putting rock music of any kind alongside Warhammer completely laughable...

 

Don't get me wrong, I loves my metal. But there is something I find very immature about the combination of Space Marines and Metallica, for example. You don't need to go full classical, but at least instrumental. (And no, not Apocalyptica)

 

My writing/reading music this last month has been:

 

The Division

Mad Max: Fury Road

anything by Two Steps From Hell (a favourite of James Swallow, too)

[Volt]

When writing, I like to listen to thematic music. For the very short one-shots I always end up deleting, I typically listen to something very moody done by a band like Hoizier to emotionally put myself into a dark and depressing state. Or for something glorious, something by Sabaton or what I would call "classical classical" music, stuff written in the middle ages.

Did you just hipsterize classical music? 'I only listen to classic music originally written on parchment'

Call me a hipster, but even classical music in the sense of 17th or 18th century music doesn't have anything on some stuff from the middle ages.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqedfB6tVLw

[Marshal Rohr]

If only Excalibur hadn't ruined the Carmina Burana.

[Marshal Rohr]

I know it's a wildly unpopular viewpoint, but I find the idea of putting rock music of any kind alongside Warhammer completely laughable...

 

Don't get me wrong, I loves my metal. But there is something I find very immature about the combination of Space Marines and Metallica, for example. You don't need to go full classical, but at least instrumental. (And no, not Apocalyptica)

 

My writing/reading music this last month has been:

 

The Division

Mad Max: Fury Road

anything by Two Steps From Hell (a favourite of James Swallow, too)

Max Richter, man. The Leftovers soundtrack has a piece called De Profundis, I :cuss you not. Phillip Glass and John Murphy are great too. Some of the best artists in the traditional symphony and orchestral genres work in movie soundtracks these days.

[Sete]

I just use the TV as background noise.

[Dantay VI]

Got to be 2 steps from hell, audiomachine, adrian von ziegler, LotR sound track, wolfstone "battle" and "the howl" and Wardruna.

 

Epic Music VN is pretty good sometimes too

 

Youtube throws out tons of great stuff.

[Kelborn]

I know it's a wildly unpopular viewpoint, but I find the idea of putting rock music of any kind alongside Warhammer completely laughable...

 

Don't get me wrong, I loves my metal. But there is something I find very immature about the combination of Space Marines and Metallica, for example. You don't need to go full classical, but at least instrumental. (And no, not Apocalyptica)

 

My writing/reading music this last month has been:

 

The Division

Mad Max: Fury Road

anything by Two Steps From Hell (a favourite of James Swallow, too)

Agreed (besides Warhammer + metal = immature but that's your opinion and I respect that).

 

Warhammer is way more complex than some other franchises. For example Star Wars, do you need an additional band or soundtrack for it? Heck, no. John Williams did a tremendous and outstanding job here. :)

 

For Warhammer, I can see all kind of music fitting in. Even gangsta rap could be covered by an Ork Freebooters fleet. :D

 

Or Daft Punk for AdMech. ^^

 

I can only speak for myself but most of the time I'm listening to such stuff as:

 

Imperium - monumental soundtracks, mix of electric / rock music (again Celldweller does it pretty well, check out his End of an Empire for example)

Chaos - hard, sometimes brutal lines and riffs, sometimes more intelligent stuff with a certain message

 

That's why I'm saying: hey, listen to this! This is Warhammer!

 

This thread is more like a place to exchange new music and ideas. Imagine the same scene with a different music and you get something new. :)

 

Classic, rock, electronic, ... All of that fit in Warhammer and that's really cool about it. ;)

[R_F_D]

Gav Thorpe regularly publishes the soundtracks he writes too, the latest one, for Azrael, is here

[Dantay VI]

Thats pretty cool R_F_D

 

Whenevwer working on my Imperial Knights I usually have this running through my head

 

[grailkeeper]

I have loads of different types of music I like.

 

But the music I ASSOCIATE with Warhammer is the pop music of the late 90s to early 00s when I first started playing and would spend hours painting minis and rereading white dwarf listening to the radio. I didn't particularly like most of it at the time but a few seconds of this

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwGGLrDvfE

 

 

Or this

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DksSPZTZES0

 

 

brings me straight back to those days in my room. Its like mainlining nostalgia.

 

Also My GW only played the LOTR soundtrack, Duel of the fates, Enter Sandman and Motley Crue. It was an odd time,

[grailkeeper]

That said, I defy anyone to listen to this and not think of Titans. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLJ8sxon9g8

[Marshal Rohr]

The association between Warhammer and metal is solely because it's the same target demographic, not because metal works for 40k. The same guy that has the personality type to play with toy soldiers into middle age is going to listen to counter culture music. It's the way they are wired.

[deathspectersgt7]

The association between Warhammer and metal is solely because it's the same target demographic, not because metal works for 40k. The same guy that has the personality type to play with toy soldiers into middle age is going to listen to counter culture music. It's the way they are wired.

​DAMNED STRAIGHT !!!!!

[MrDarth151]

I know it's a wildly unpopular viewpoint, but I find the idea of putting rock music of any kind alongside Warhammer completely laughable...

 

Don't get me wrong, I loves my metal. But there is something I find very immature about the combination of Space Marines and Metallica, for example. You don't need to go full classical, but at least instrumental. (And no, not Apocalyptica)

 

My writing/reading music this last month has been:

 

The Division

Mad Max: Fury Road

anything by Two Steps From Hell (a favourite of James Swallow, too)

 

I agree. in that spirit, I would deeply recommend Nox Arcana, which I feel fits 40k rather well. Good combination of somber tracks with more menacing ones with a distinct gothic feel.

 

I've been listening to Blood of the Dragon while writing some vengeance themed stories. Good stuff.

[bluntblade]

Fury Road has been a massive influence on me. Some of Nine Inch Nails' most heavily electronic stuff is great for tech-heavy stuff too (especially the new track Burning Bright, which has an almost hymnal quality in places). I defy anyone to listen to New Dark Ages by Godflesh and not see Imperator Titans.

 

Post-rock and post-metal can be good too, as it tends not to distract me from writing with lyrics.