Just happened across Midnight Syndicate on the interweb and was wondering if anyone uses their music for mood music with Arkham Horror. Any opinions on which album is best?

Intarwebs. It's always plural. And you spelled it wrong :3

Tibs said:

Good. Thanks. Well done. I suppose I was simply fortunate not to do something silly, such as beginning a sentence with a conjunction.

Does anyone have an opinion on Midnight Syndicate?

If you really want music, I suggest music with no lyrics. It's less distacting. I suggest the Lord of the Rings theme.

Fair enough. I was just considering this particular music and wondering if anyone had any experiences with it. Particularly which of their albums was the most worthwhile. In any case, I really don't like the soundtrack from the new Lord of the Rings film, if that's what you're talking about. All that heavy choir stuff is appallingly clichéd to my mind.

oldthrashbarg said:

Have you just insulted the best movie theme of all time?

Take it back!

oldthrashbarg said:

I have The 13th Hour from them. It's my only mood music. I play it over and over again. I love it. Others is my group says it drives them insane, so I guess that's a high recommendation too.

It's all music, no words. I've got nothing to compare it to, though.

I don't think I'd like listening to the Lord of the Rings Soundtrack while playing Arkham Horror. The main theme of the Lord of the Rings, while good, is mostly heroic and inspiring. The Arkham experience should be much more insidious and scary. I've linked Lord of the Rings in my mind to something completely different anyway. Even during the scary and more appropriate moments on those albums, I'd associate it with the ultimately happier world of Middle Earth. Arkham, Massachusetts, is never happy.

I've never listened to Midnight Syndicate, but I'll look them up when I get the chance.

Eh. Every music is bad idea IMO. Even with no words it's still distracting.

I've used Midnight Syndicate 13th Hour as well. There another one that sounds good by them..the Dead Matter I believe.

I recommend Lustmord. The music is ambient and relatively unobtrusive, but unsettling. There is an otherworldly, alien quality to it that fits the theme well.

Would "The Call of Ktulu" by Metallica be too cliche for this thread?

I have a personal preference for the album Necronomicon by Nox Arcana. Can't really go wrong with music inspired by the Mythos to begin with.

I always play with Vromb on the background. His latest fits the Innsmouth team pretty well ;-) (Le pecheur de noyes). Maybe ambient stuff like Kraken (e.g. Aquanaut). But Lustmord is ok too although it's a bit heavy.

I like to listen to Neurosis, Isis, or similar bands to set an apocalyptic or at least gloomy mood. While they do have lyrics, the instrumental parts are typically quite long.

I've also been considering to try some drone stuff, like Sun O))) but I'm not sure if my fellow players will let me

After listening to both Lustmord, and Midnight Syndicate, I am going to have to buy both for boardgame night, and for the ocasional pen and paper game. I just couldn't leave without posting my own recomendation. The band Lab Report have a few albums and they all are on my Ipod for game night. They are ambient industrial with bone cracking sound effects mixed in. It freaks out my friends when I'm describing a scene to them and just the right sound effect comes out over my speakers backed by some very creepy music. I highly reccomend at least looking for a sample.

I actually think that Midnight Syndacte's album Born of the Night might be better for Arkham Horror game play despite 13th hour being inspired by Lovecraft-esque horror.

Never heard of Midnight Syndicate before, just checked 'em out, shall be aquiring some of their CDs at earliest opportunity. Nicely. As another suggestion (although it has vocals) would definitely be the concept album by the Fields of Nephilim called simply Nephilim. It's all about someone with Deep One taint, if I remember right (it's a long time since I dusted off my vinyl collection), very moody and atmospheric and depressing. In fact I am going to play it right now!

I think Flying Frog Games should have got these people (Midnight Syndicate) to do their soundtrack CD for Last Night On Earth instead of that terrrible, terrible, horrible, cheesy casio keyboard sounding thing they gave with the game. It made me laugh and laugh until it didn't end; oh nooooo I can recall it so clearly now, arrrrrrggggggggggghhhh!!

Black Lung, György Ligeti and The Stone Roses for me.

jhaelen said:

Yeah!!! I'm listening to Isis right now actually. And if you like Isis, also check out:

- Pelican (heavier sound but no lyrics at all)

- Explosions in the Sky (soundtrack-style background music that does not distract, though probably too inspirational for AH)

- Red Sparowes (Isis side project)

If you want something that will instill sad, lonely, despondency, I suggest Requiem for a Dream, "Summer Overture."

Sothis said:

I hadn't heard about Red Sparowes, yet. Thanks for the tip!

Try Melek-Tha... Truly shocking and scaring noise-ambient stuff. It's just sick.

I have Midnight Syndicate's 13th Hour as well, and sometimes use it for Arkham plays. Otherwise I use soundtracks from the Silent Hill or Resident Evil games.