What do you like to listen during playing the Arkham Horror with your friends? Do you play something that fits into the athmosphere or maybe you like to listen something completely different? Answer with artists and albums. Also describe shortly why do (or don't) you listen music during the gameplay and why just that kind of music.

Point of the Topic: To find more good background music.

During the setup we don't play any music and if there are newcomers we explain the rules without music. After a couple of succesful game rounds I put the music on. Of course my playlist varies but here are the basics:

1) Nox Arcana: The Necronomicon (A great Cthulhu Mythos tribute from this band. Too bad the songs are quite short.)

2) Massive Attack: Mezzanine

3) Eternal Tears of Sorrow: a virgin and a *****

4) Pain: Rebirth

5) Theatre of Tragedy: Velvet Darkness They Fea

6) Theatre of Tragedy: Theatre of Tragedy

WHY? I like to listen music that fits into the athmosphere and deepens the feeling of the game.

All of Midnight Syndicate and a couple of Nox Arcana (including the necronomican) are on a playlist on the iPod. The mood fits the atmosphere and never gets old while playing Arkham.

I usually play with Trinacria's Travel Now, Journey Infinitely. It's an experimental/Black/Death/Noise/atmospheric metal creation featuring members of Enslaved and a two-piece female noise group called Fe-Mail. Interesting and wierd stuff that has some seriously wierd creeping atmosphere to it.

Otherwise something by Opeth, especially Ghost Reveries and Still Life, or maybe some Celestial Season (only their first two full-lengths which are My Dying Bride-inspired Doom/Death, the others have more of a base in stoner metal). Occasionally I may throw in My Dying Bride's Turn Loose the Swans (only album of their's I have) or any other Doom or Doom Metal that I may feel like at the time.

Playing solo I often add in Meshuggah's obZen or Catch 33 as well. They're two of my favourite albums, and while catch 33 is a little more straightforward metal (for Meshuggah anyways) obZen has an interesting sound to it which is almost otherworldly and alien.

The first game I played (so far only did play 1 game since I got it), I listened to the Runescape music called 'Inadequacy', since it's a pretty good music for this game. It sets the mood that the investigators aren't strong enough to fight the ancient one, but they still fight the ancient one anyway.

thorgrim said:

There first albums were way toned down in experimentation compared to their newer stuff. obZen and Chaosphere have the best balance, in my opinion. And yes, their polymetric grooves and Thordendal's insane guitar soloing are definantly otherworld.

Back on topic, I started out with lots of Doom metal and ambient stuff, like SunnO))) or Pelican, but then I got my fiancee' hooked and she can't stand Doom Metal (Or Grindcore... I'm trying to fix her, slowly. At least she likes Car Bomb and Meshuggah in moderation) so I switched over to experimental rock and from there it just landslided to whatever we feel like listening to. The Veronicas aren't very lovecraftian, but **** they have some catchy songs!

I have a CD of a bunch of Halloween sound-effects which I think is good. Then I have another cd with sound effects, short skits, clips from old radio shows, and other halloween themed stuff (but light-hearted) like The Monster Mash or One-Eyed One-Horned Flying Purple Eater.

Soundtrack form Call of Cthulhu: The Dark Corners of the Earth"

My music largely comes from my Call of Cthulhu rpg mix and includes:

• Some of the Midnight syndicate stuff (the stuff that doesn't sound too electronic)
• Original film soundtracks of - Bram Stoker's Dracula, Sleepy hollow, The fog, Mothman prophesies, silent hill and the Ninth gate (love this!)
• Heck of a lot of classic 20s & 30s jazz with a couple of modern reworkings for contrast (and less crackly)
• Some game soundtrack still from silent hill and Dark corners

WHY? I think it adds to the atmosphere really thats all, low lights and creepy music on a auto-shuffle can be quite nice and makes for some chilling moments when the music ties in with the in game stuff just by coincidence.

Cheers, Hal

Thank you people! Now I know what kind of music I should try.

More recommendations are welcome!

any john carpenter soundtrack, the fog, the thing, prince of darkness, put them in your cd player on random and enjoy!

Also, any orchestral horror or thriller soundtracks are generally good. I'd recommend those for Hellraiser 1 & 2, and Gothica. All three are quite creepy.

Hellraiser soundtrack is a bit too much "standard Hollywood movie"-soundtrack. It is not bad or good.

I tried Opeth but didn't like it. It reminds me of Music TV and all the sh*tty music that plays there.

However, Midnight Syndicate sounds perfect! Thank you for this find Gamemaster.

There's also a music thread in the off-topic subforum. I like oldies jazz/blues and classical music, but only when there's a creepy theme.

Try Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy Soundtracks), slavonic march by Tschaikovsky (spelling?) or wrestling theme songs. That keeps me happy during the game. Audioslave and Evanescence work well too, but I prefer the stuff without words so I can focus on the game.

avec said:

Definitely jazz, especially if it's got a lonely sound.

I also rate Boards of Canada's second album and cLOUDDEAD's first album cuz they're so **** creepy.

I like the film soundtrack ideas...

@Acebob:

Holy crap, I had that CD as a little kid and have long since lost it. Please tell me the name of the CD! Hours of nostalgic remembrance depend on it.

Oh man, I hope you see this post.

I've only played a handful of games insofar, however so far I've enjoyed listening to a few of Angelo Badalamenti's soundtracks - specifically various pieces he's done for David Lynch's films (a mix of various songs from 'Twin Peaks', 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me' & 'Mulholland Drive'). David Lynch also recorded an album for 'INLAND EMPIRE' called 'Polish Night Music' with is fantastic for the game.

Aside from that 'Endtroducing' by DJ Shadow was good. I'm thinking of getting the soundtrack from the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society's 'Call of Cthulhu' film to try out.

jhaelen said:

This is some of the jazz I like:

• Artie Shaw and His Orchestra: "Nightmare" and "Gloomy Sunday" (Billie Holiday also did Gloomy Sunday)
• Fats Waller and His Rhythm: "Dry Bones"
• Bessie Smith: "Devil's Gonna Get You"
• Charlie Barnet and His Orchestra: "Murder at Peyton Hall"
• Jack Hylton and His Orchestra: "Bogey Wail"

These are all from 1925 to 1945. Thanks for the heads up about Bohren & the Club of Gore.