It’s come to my attention that a criminally low number of people in the local LARP scene, which draws such heavy influence from fantasy, are aware of the following groups, whose topics and musical style are inspired by and add to the same settings and themes that we have in our games. With that in mind I’ve compiled a small list of what I consider to be essential listening for inspiration and adding to my own enjoyment of my LARPing.
It should be kept in mind these are pretty much all metal bands of varying weight and intensity, so if that’s not your thing, MAKE IT YOUR THING!
[i]1. Nightwish[/i]
General heaviness: Moderate
Some things they sing about: Doomed romances, classic (usually Greek) mythology, angels, Tarja’s black and hollow soul
A primer:
Nightwish have an unfortunate reputation of being emos/wusses and also of being “similar to Evanescence” because of the vocals of their classically trained singer, Tarja (who they fired last year). It is true that a good majority of their western fans (they hail from Finland, although all their songs are in English) are misanthropes and vagabonds; exhibit:
However, this impression of the band is untrue. Their music is high in fantastic and epic imagery and their instrumentals are far beyond that of Evanescence, who are little more than a glorified pop/emo band.
Why you should check them out: Their music is great for inspiration when playing or writing in fantasy settings and it’s just downright good listening.
Some recommended songs: Dead To The World, The Siren, Over the Hills and Far Away, Elvenpath
[i]2. Demons & Wizards[/i]
General heaviness: Moderate
Some things they sing about: Ships of lost souls, dark towers, evil kings, The Picture of Dorian Gray
A primer:
I picked up a Demons & Wizards CD based purely on the name and the cover art, expecting dark magic, epic journeys, and bitchin’ guitar solos. I was not disappointed. The group is a duo, comprising the singer from Blind Guardian and a multi-instrumentalist from Iced Earth, both of which are also worth checking out (I do not, however, have enough Blind Guardian music to feature them on this list, and Iced Earth is something of an acquired taste).
Why you should check them out: Like Nightwish, they are great tunes for setting to your imaginations of fantasy worlds and roleplaying. Also, there are fewer finer things in life than a bitchin’ guitar solo in a song about The Lord of the Rings (not that I’m a big LOTR fan to begin with).
Some recommended songs: Down Where I Am, Beneath These Waves, Seize the Day, Dorian
3. Apocalyptica
General heaviness: Light to moderate
Some things they sing about: (Apocalyptica songs very rarely, if ever, contain lyrics)
A primer:
Apocalyptica are known for the fact that all of their members play the cello. This instrument is the focus of most of their catalogue, giving the work a more classical grandeur and unique flavor that can be hard to pinpoint in other metal genres. They also have a sizeable offering of Metallica covers performed entirely by their arrangement of four cellos.
Why you should check them out: Great instrumental work; the cello gives them a unique, classically fantasy feeling, coupled with their obvious elements of rock which makes them listenable as both score music and as metal.
Some recommended songs: Fuel (Metallica cover), The Unforgiven (Metallica cover), Beyond Time, Hall of the Mountain King
4… Finntroll
General heaviness: Very
Some things they sing about: Pretty much all of Finntroll’s songs are about being a troll and eating people, except for their experimental work, which is about goblins and giants eating people.
A primer:
There isn’t much to say about Finntroll that can’t be garnered just from listening to them. They play polka metal (has to be heard to be believed, if you’ve never heard of this genre) and they sing about trolls who eat people and how humans are lame in comparison to trolls (fact). Though they are from Finland, all of their lyrics are in Swedish (which, says the band’s original vocalist, sounds “damn trollish”).
Why you should check them out: Trolls are freakin’ sweet.
Some recommended songs: Trollhammaren, Fiskarens Fiende, Eliytres
5. Midnight Syndicate
General heaviness: Nonexistent, unless you consider the scores from Lord of the Rings or Diablo to be just a little too rowdy
Some things they sing about: (Midnight Syndicate’s music does not contain lyrics, aside from chanting and choir)
A primer:
Midnight Syndicate’s music is all instrumental and score music, generally in the vein of gothic horror. They are popularly used as ambience or mood music for Halloween attractions and, more notably, roleplaying and tabletop gaming sessions.
Why you should check them out: They’re great stuff to use as background music for your D&D sessions or LARP games, or while writing. (I’d personally love to see some of their music made use of for Mordavia: Endgame next month)
Some recommended songs: Awakening, Crypt of the Forsaken, Undead Hunters, Spectral Masquerade
I encourage you to check out all of these bands, and also to post and share your own such groups in this vein; please try to avoid using this thread as a vehicle for expounding the virtues of the Killers or of death-metal-band-of-the-month, as such things bear no relation to realms of fantasy or to role-playing gaming in general. However, don’t feel that you must be limited to high fantasy-friendly music; groups that draw inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft or Orson Scott Card are also welcome.
