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Game Music

Wrath of the Lich King Soundtrack: Meet Pedro’s Duduk and Cajsa’s Nychelharpa

November 21, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 3 Comments Share this

Seven hours of music. That’s a whole lot! If you read our interview with Russell Brower and the audio team last week, then you know that’s how many hours of music are featured in the latest WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. We also told you guys that the collector’s edition shipped with a soundtrack album, and after being thoroughly impressed with the soundtrack album from The Burning Crusade, I was excited to get my hands on this one.

The album definitely does not disappoint. As one would expect from the harsh lands of Northrend, the score ranges from abstract and sparse to warm and epic. A slew of performers along with the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra make their mark on Wrath of the Lich King, and show yet again that Blizzard doesn’t slack off when it comes to polishing every aspect of their games. Even more, there are three exclusive tracks featured on this album that are not available on the iTunes release, which has three exclusive tracks of its own.

So, what do we think of the Wrath of the Lich King Soundtrack? Hit the jump for our review. (more…)
Game Music

Wrath of the Lich King Audio Team Interview: Russell Brower, Derek Duke, and Glenn Stafford

November 13, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 1 Comment Share this

This game has a seriously kickass title. I’ve always dug lich’s in general (Daggerfall, anyone?), so it’s cool to have a game that focuses on one. The pieces that many of us heard in the beta version of the game is only a fraction of the expansion’s massive 7 hours of music, so we’ve been fortunate to gather up composers Russell Brower, Derek Duke, and Glenn Stafford to tell us more about the game’s music.

We discover their inspirations as well as the names of the musicians and instruments that were recorded for the score, as well as get confirmation that the Wrath of the Lich King soundtrack will be hitting iTunes with three exclusive tracks that will be different from the Collector’s Edition soundtrack’s exclusive tracks. Way to tease us, Blizzard!

Read the interview with the Blizzard sound team after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

The Best of Blizzard: Echoes of War Arrange Album Tracklist and Interview

October 27, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 12 Comments Share this

It’s a big day in the world of game music. The Eminence Symphony Orchestra has just announced that it has recorded an entire album of arranged music from the classic Blizzard catalogue. The album, titled Echoes of War: The Music of Blizzard Entertainment, will feature music from Warcraft III, World of Warcraft (including music from the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King), StarCraft, StarCraft II, Diablo II, Diablo III, and even StarCraft: Ghost.

We’ve been fortunate to get an interview with Eminence director Hiroaki Yura, who we spoke with a few months back, regarding the project. We learn about the exclusive arrangements that will be featured on the album, including an appearance by Kow Otani, as well as Eminence’s close collaboration with the original composers of the music and the possibility of a second Echoes of War album in the future. Pre-orders are available now, so I recommend heading over to the official Echoes of War website to get your hands on this… after you read our interview, that is.

Hit the jump for the complete track list and for the down low on what’s looking to be one of the biggest game music albums of the year. (more…)
Game Music

BlizzCon 08: Interview with Audio/Video Director Russell Brower

October 21, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

Yeah, I know, BlizzCon ended over a week ago, but we’re still not done! We were able to get some time with Russell Brower, the audio and video director at Blizzard Entertainment whose name you may recognize from the “Diablo III Overture” that was released for free last month.

Well, we talk about that particular piece along with a number of other topics. We get confirmation that Wrath of the Lich King will feature over 7 hours of new music, and we also get an idea of who will be handling the music for the individual races in StarCraft II. Finally we discuss how the “Diablo III Overture” will appear in the completed game.

Which of Blizzard’s upcoming titles are you most looking forward to? Would you buy a 20-volume soundtrack for World of Warcraft?

Read our BlizzCon interview after the jump! (more…)
Game Music

BlizzCon 08: Closing Ceremonies Feature Comedy, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Video Games Live

October 12, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | Comments Off on BlizzCon 08: Closing Ceremonies Feature Comedy, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and Video Games Live Share this

Well, it began two days ago, and it’s already over. Gamers attending this year’s BlizzCon were not only treated to StarCraft II, Wrath of the Lich King, and Diablo III this year, but a slew of developer panels, in-game events, and merchandise made BlizzCon a complete experience. There was even a retro arcade featuring two of my Blizzard titles, Lost Vikings and Rock ‘n’ Roll Racing.

The closing ceremonies began last night with two comedians, followed by Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain who perfromed a combination of old and new tracks, and finally a special Blizzard edition of Video Games Live with three new segments. Needless to say, there was a lot for music enthusiasts to enjoy at the show.

Hit the jump for a complete account of the closing ceremonies. (more…)
Game Music

BlizzCon 08: New Diablo III Tunes, New Co-Composer Announced

October 12, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 6 Comments Share this

I am really excited about Diablo III. I’ve been looking forward to the game for years, and now that it’s officially on the way, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it. Although many guessed that Diablo III would be playable at BlizzCon, I was pretty skeptical given that the game had previously only been shown by Blizzard staff.

Well, I was wrong, and the game was playable on the show floor at BlizzCon this weekend. Four playable classes, including the newly announced wizard were playable, and gamers had the choice of engaging in a single or multiplayer campaign through Tristram and three layers of the catacombs in the approximately 30-minute long demo. It was a great chance to hear some of the music in the game, which is sounding quite good.

Read about the three tracks featured in the demo after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Video Games Live To Return to BlizzCon With New Debut Performances

October 6, 2008 | Jayson Napolitano | 2 Comments Share this

While the VGL performance that closed BlizzCon 2007 was a monumental event, featuring music from Diablo, StarCraft II, and World of Warcraft that had never been performed live before, I was starting to think the show would not return to BlizzCon this year. It appears as though I was wrong!

Many had suspected that the mysterious Anaheim concert that was listed on the VGL website would in fact be a BlizzCon pefromance, but nothing had been confirmed up until today. Waiting until the last minute, VGL has finally shot off a press release confirming that the concert will once again be a part of the closing ceremonies. There will apparently be some new musical debuts as well, so be sure to check out the concert if you’re attending BlizzCon on Friday and Saturday.

Any thoughts as to the music they will be debuting at this performance? Will you be tuning into the Pay-Per-Review presentation of convention?

Hit the jump for the official press release. (more…)