Albums I listen to while gaming

If you've read my previous blog entry, you'll know that I'm often forced to play my music in some games so that I won't have to listen to the horrid soundtrack. Picking a proper CD to play during a game is easier said than done, though, as I'm quite picky as to which music I play during a certain game. The music has to fit the atmosphere and gameplay of whatever I'm playing.

What this comes down to is that there are usually only 3 albums that I feel are suited for a specific game. Of course, it depends on the genre, as racing games especially lend themselves to be accompanied by a wider array of musical styles, but my pickiness in this area often leads to frustration. To demonstrate that different kinds of games warrant different kinds of music, I'll show you some of my most-played albums during gaming sessions.

Alcest - Souvenirs d'un autre monde

Alcest is commonly classified as 'shoegaze', but 'Souvenirs d'un autre monde' reportedly came out before the sole man behind the project, Stéphane "Neige" Paut, had even heard of the genre. Nevertheless, the music has an air of haziness similar to that of shoegaze, making for very meditative, dreamlike music. This makes the album ideal for exploration-based games, such as FUEL and even Oblivion. Putting this album on repeat while exploring the vast landscape of a particular game usually makes time fly.

Darkthrone - Soulside Journey

I won't deny that I dislike death metal, as it's not a genre I can relate to. The music generally feels like it focuses so much on brutality that it is severely lacking in the atmosphere department. At least, that's how I experience it. For every rule there's an exception though, and in this case it's Darkthrone's debut album, 'Soulside Journey'. It's their only death metal full-length (bar the much later released 'Goatlord'), as they switched to the black metal style not too long after the release of 'Soulside Journey'. This album has tons of variation in the riffing, incredible bass lines and very good drumming. Its fast pace and aggressiveness make it suited for faster racing games, such as Burnout Paradise. I swear that whenever I play this album while racing, I go even faster.

Bone Thugs N Harmony - E 1999 Eternal

It's a stark contrast to the death metal album, but Bone Thugs N Harmony have, despite their stupid lyrics, always impressed me with their atmospheric beats and harmonic voices. As the cliché dictates, The 'E 1999 Eternal' album is best enjoyed while playing more crime-based games, such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Saints Row 2. Actually, the game it worked with best probably was GTA San Andreas, as that game featured a setting heavily inspired by the early 90s hip-hop culture. So you want to feel gangsta even though you are a white boy who performs well in school? Play this album while conquering turf, yo. Holla at ya.

The Kovenant - S.E.T.I.

'S.E.T.I.' is an album I was particularly fond of as a teenager. The Kovenant's atypical fourth full-length can best be described as a twisted mix of Rammstein and Samael. I'm not as crazy about this album as I used to be, but it still makes for excellent background (or rather foreground) music during gaming sessions with its spacey tunes, pop-like catchiness, and occasional harshness. It mixes particularly well with more chaotic games, such as Just Cause 2. It might also work well with space sims, but I haven't tried that yet in fear of sucking too much at those games. At any rate, 'S.E.T.I.' makes for a good amount of aural (NOT oral) pleasure while gaming.

Course of Nature - Superkala

Course of Nature's first full-length seems to fit with pretty much any game. I decided to get this CD after hearing the band's fantastic track "Wall of Shame" on Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit 2's soundtrack. Ever since I got the album, I found out it can be combined with a huge variation of games, especially if the title in question belongs to the racing genre. This is why it's my album of choice when playing games like Test Drive Unlimited 2 and FUEL. This slightly dark and typically American rock is best enjoyed on lonely roads, it seems, both virtually and in the real world.

So now you see that, at least for me, combining listening to music with playing games is not an easy and straightforward process. I may be nitpicking a bit, but I think everyone understands that blasting N.W.A. while dungeon-crawling in Oblivion doesn't really cut it. I've popped mudcrabs more gangsta than you!