Doom Musings: Soundtrack Rankings: Requiem

This had to come by eventually. Requiem! The last great vanilla megawad before the Quakers Quaked their way, or whatever you call that. And well the music in Requiem is just as good as in Memento Mori II. Now starring Jeremy Doyle as another musician for this game too. 23 tracks to rank. Let's go!

23. Baracus Returns (Title and Intermission)

Yeah, one day you'll see a title track, and in this case a combined title and intermission track, breach the last place mark. Not today, sadly, cause this track doesn't really go that long. But it's still super ominous and as always there's no really weak tracks in Requiem.

22. Slider (MAP24)

I'll tell you, it's already really difficult to rank some of these tracks. Slider I would say its biggest weakness may be the fact that it's played during a time where tracks are starting to repeat in the megawad, and it's somewhat easy to miss it in the middle of just one level. That being said, spooky atmosphere ensures this isn't one to forget, even though it's real slow to start. But who am I kidding.

21. Jacob's Staircase (MAP07)

This one always struck me as weird. It sounds like it would fit a 70s bar music, not that that's bad, mind you. It just sounds quite happy when compared to the overall atmosphere of Requiem. Yeah, it at least tries for something spooky but it never really feels that way sometimes. An interesting track for a MAP07 too.

20. Take All (I Have More) (MAP20 and MAP25)

This track exists at least twice, but both levels are quite short, and like the previously-ranked track, is an odd fit for Doom maps. Maybe it's the instrumentation with the awkward guitars as well as the trumpets, almost as if it's treading the waters of ROTT with those trumpets. Pretty funny when you think about it.

19. The Rhythm of Carnage (MAP01 and MAP26)

Well, it gets the ball rolling! Gotta love how when Shaw rocks out it's always generally decent. Fun Master of Puppets-style riff with droning rock sound, and works great for both action-packed levels. That being said, those two levels this track is on are a little too short for this to be that enjoyable.

18. Skinny Puppy (MAP19)

I have no idea if this is actually the track title, but it is the level title. One of the more appropriately-sounding MIDIs for its level, although it has no relation to the actual band it certainly fits the punkish and techno nature of the level its on. Shame it doesn't get used much, cause this is a hidden treasure by Doyle.

17. Tides of War (MAP17 and MAP32)

Driving drums are what really makes this song, along with some key notes giving it a relatively pedestrian melody that sounds quite nice for MAP17's fairly easygoing nature. Maybe not so much for the short MAP32, but it's not exactly a bad fit. To further this one's score, the main melody is used for a medley in one of Darkening Episode 2's MIDIs, which includes such melodies such as Into the Beast's Belly and Memento Mori II's intermission. How strange that this song's melody could end up in a medley for a later set!

16. Path of Destruction (MAP06)

I'd like to think of Mark Klem's best strength, as well as his biggest weakness, as finding a great riff and sticking with it. It's why songs like Mirage a bit lower than usual, even though they have memorable riffs, they constitute the entire song. Which is the case with Path of Destruction. Fantastic riff promoting creepiness and urgency, along with accompanying instrumentation that works quite well, but I keep thinking there should be much more.

15. Reason for Nothing (MAP16 and MAP22)

To me this is a fun track, but it barely compares to the much better and more memorable Klem tunes. It's about as typical as Mark gets with grungy melodies, one which you can't really hate, and fits quite easily to both levels its on. Or maybe that's cause MAP16 is actually my favorite level in the WAD. Either way, it's fun, but there's better.

14. Mystic's Glance (MAP05)

Turn up your volume a bit, this one's a bit quiet and slow to start. It's got a slow, melancholy melody, making it much better than I expected, plus the main riff (which you want to turn your volume up) is equally melancholy. It's a very, very nice track, but it is a bit quiet and only gets used in one map in the set.

13. Rage (MAP02 and MAP27)

Tambourines and cymbals constitute the start, before Mark's signature grungy guitars throw themselves into the melody. This is a gem of a MIDI from Mark, as it's one of the few that gets better the further you go in it. Culminating in a beautiful guitar solo which follows some tenser riffs, what isn't to like? MAP27 in particular makes great use of this, as it's the longest level overall at that point and helps you like this song more.

12. Devil's Grounds (MAP14)

An underrated rocking gem from Klem. Seriously? How has this not played more? At least with other Requiem tracks they've been heard a few more times, but this one really deserves more credit. Funky start with incredibly fun synth and numerous riffs with numerous instrumentation. Honestly this is one of Klem's more experimental tracks and deserves better.

11. The Everlasting Negative (MAP21)

And here's another track with very low mileage. Given how much you'll be banging your head in MAP21, you at least are treated to a very ominous and melancholy track that would put Mystic's Glance to shame. Those guitars are full of feels, and even before that the bell-sounding instruments are just preparation for what is to come with those guitars. It even slows down for the ending. A classic tune.

10. Dry Rot (MAP18 and MAP23)

Two of Mark Klem's tracks here really rock your socks off. This one is actually the second of the two but it's no slouch. Lots of adrenaline pumping once those guitars get louder, it gets a bit crazy at times. Although it slows down, it picks up the pace with ascending notes and doesn't let up from there with interesting riffage. Even the bass is meaty and grungy. This definitely had to be in the top 10.

9. Lordly Might (MAP10)

And here's the other rocking track from Klem. Honestly, it should have been used more in this set, though it get used in other levels (Zones of Fear MAP05). The drums are quite loud and drive the whole melody, with muted bass being heard well with it. The guitars, and later the trumpets, make this one of Klem's most active and lively MIDIs, but it's still full of doom and gloom once you go to the hardass riffs near the end.

8. Breath of Sin (MAP03 and MAP28)

Many of Shaw's tracks landed in the Top 10, so let's look at Breath of Sin. Muted bass to start things off, but the synth and the low horns really drive the melody and provide much of the love. Relatively spooky but wouldn't sound out of place if it was made by a certain Bobby Prince. Yeah, I'm going there. It's such a good track.

7. Lamneth's Ground (MAP13)

Of all the tracks that only get used once or so, man, this one really hits home. Atmosphere is absolutely nailed, driving drums and low-tone guitars help make it fun and atmospheric. Several melodies exist with fun instrumentation in them, with the most slowed-down melody leading into a fantastic extended guitar solo. One that even drowns itself out for the rest of those juicy melodies. All on the level with the double 3D bridge too. Criminally underused as a MIDI.

6. The Helix (MAP09 and MAP29)

Sometimes the strings make the difference in the beginning. A simple down-chord leads to the drums picking up and synths getting better. Again, another MIDI that gets better. The main culmination has to be the Doom-sounding breakdown near the middle, with the guitar going up and down, with some hard notes at the down part along with some cool drumming before it mellows out. Maybe this is why it's called The Helix.

5. Last Resort (MAP15)

Like Skinny Puppy, I'm not sure if this is the real title of this track or not, but we got a track that proves to be both ominous (those loud and eerie sounds!) and rocking, once it gets comfortable that is. This track is actually kinda short, but that doesn't matter, what matters is an almost perfect combination of rock and atmosphere to make this MIDI just as memorable as the level its on, and easily one of Doyle's best.

4. Somewhere Over the Horizon (MAP04)

Mark Klem makes a Heretic-sounding track that works out well. It definitely has that feeling, lots of strings, a medieval-sounding track that goes into what you'd expect for castle-storming, some guitar work, but mostly low horns and spooky tones. It gets used in a number of other sets as well, making this one of Klem's better works. Yeah, some of his more atmospheric works certainly trounce his grungy ones.

3. Hunter's Lair (MAP11)

Honestly the best of Shaw's work in Requiem, and he's exceptional here. Low bass and a memorable drum line, a great guitar riff that hits the feels. String accompaniment furthers the feel, and then a semi-solo to end it off. This gets used again in Darkening MAP08, but like Lamneth's Ground, really does deserve much more in mileage.

2. Under Death (MAP08 and MAP30)

Klem will take us home with, you guessed it, more atmospheric works. This is one of Klem's most memorable MIDIs overall, with perfect spookiness (not in a Halloween way either) going up and down and drums and bells joining in to enhance that spookiness. The gritty guitars you'd think would be detrimental but it's the exact opposite. It makes the atmospheric feel much better. There's even a mini-solo to round it all down. No wonder it's one of the tracks you'll listen to in a Sunder map.

1. Breach of Madness (MAP12, MAP31, and text music)

Organ notes make up one of Mark's more spooky tracks and he sticks with this memorable riff a number of times throughout this track. But he goes away from it for a few simple bass riffs, and also some grungy guitars. It's yet another case of a perfect mix of grittiness, spooky atmosphere, and all of other things that would make Requiem great. This works out nicely for even text music too! To me it's the most memorable and treasureable of Requiem's tracks, and that's the way to go.

Doom Musings: Soundtrack rankings: Eternal DOOM

(whoops I was supposed to submit this yesterday oh well) So next soundtrack rankings is on a megawad where you'll be hearing the music loop very, very often. Yep, Eternal DOOM. Interestingly, this is a WAD that is eventually going to have ANOTHER custom MIDI pack to it. Wonderful! But for this one, we are grading work entirely done by Rich Nagel, who used a Creative Wave Blaster with three AWE32s. Neat, but overall the songs all feel much louder than usual. Still, Eternal Doom was rife with weird atmosphere and its music tracks will show that.

37. Introduction To Death

Short, medieval-sounding yet suspenseful title track music. There's not much else to say.

36. Intermission From Death II

This is actually the text screen music. It's basically an excerpt from the track Death Jam (later on in this countdown). Maybe it'd work better if there was actually custom text screens for those who play the game more or less normally.

35. Intermission From Death

A brooding intermission music. Fairly decent, but it is intermission music.

34. Cyber Hunt

INCREDIBLY AMBIENT AND SPOOKY. Though of course it is in a bonus level. But it's still suspenseful, moreso than a track in this one called Suspense.

33. Eternal Medley

I haven't really played the bonus levels all that much, but a medley's a medley. Would actually be more fun if this track was in MAP30, but then again the track that's on MAP30 is already fun.

32. Instant Death! (MAP13)

A lot of melodies that Rich uses gets reused, either in reprises or otherwise. This takes the main melody of Suspense! more or less and just puts it in a transition level. Thus it's not all that great.

31. Searching! (MAP01)

This is an unpopular MIDI apparently. There's a number of reasons for that. The melody of it is awkward with the notes, just a scale going up and down more or less. Plus it loops wrong. That's pretty much all there is to this.

30. UAC 5-0 (MAP31)

An upbeat MIDI that fits the resort house gimmick of MAP31. That is, until you hear it loop a lot after banging your head trying to figure out the level's main puzzles. Yeah, I'm grading these based off of how well they are used for their levels. Jim Flynn's levels use a lot of upbeat MIDIs, which are fun until you wander around with not much to do. This certainly has the surfing feel in any case.

29. Death March Reprise (MAP02)

I'll spoil it, but yes, Death March is a legendary track. That being said, its reprise happens 10 levels before it, and although appropriately spooky, the reprise coming before it just feels weird. The melody is substantially different to make it feel less like a reprise too.

28. Death Assured Reprise (MAP29)

The horns make this one of the goofiest tracks ever, especially considering how long this level is in general too. Feels like I'm in a castle in a Dragon Quest game. At least the melody from Death Assured, which sounds super wholesome even in this reprise, gets to be reused in this reprise, but the horns try to drown it out.

27. Hellspawn (MAP09)

A medieval fortress must have a medieval-sounding MIDI, with brooding instrumentation that befits storming a castle and its many denizens. An interesting MIDI all things considered, but kinda goofy in hindsight, especially with the low horns.

26. DETH Bells (MAP15)

Atmospheric, feels like it belongs in Hexen (especially given level length). Bells are fantastic...

25. Hell's Bells (MAP24)

But it's Hell's Bells that wins out more in my opinion. Probably because it starts with the bells chiming? Certainly pulls you in with the atmosphere right away as opposed to the minor ambience DETH Bells held. Still, these two tracks are on really long levels and the bells will certainly make you feel strange things.

24. The Battle (MAP21)

I guess Rich wanted to give us a LOTR-sounding battle theme here. It works somewhat, but it's on a forgettable level so it's not the best overall.

23. Mission Possible (MAP03)

Thankfully it's not some movie soundtrack reprise or something. But it is a quirky track for...an actually quirky mishmash of a level. I'll take it! Melody will probably be a memorable one in any case, considering it's on one of the earlier levels, but you can feel the xylophone throughout.

22. Barabbas (MAP07)

Basically, it's like you take the melody of They're Going to Get You, make it orchestrated, then add some funky drums and a few new strings attached. It works, but I can't help but notice how much Rich really leaned into this melody with this, its reprise, and Death Assured as well.

21. Suspense! (MAP04)

This track actually doesn't feel suspenseful despite its title. It's got a bit of funk, with an interesting instrumentation for its main melody. I think it works alright for Nucleus, the level its on, which is a sewer/storage complex which with the sewer-like instrumentation, works out well enough. It's a strange track in any case though.

20. Suspense Reprise (MAP10)

Yeah, the reprise track beats it, but only slightly. To be frank, it might just be that mini-variation to the original melody of Suspense which I find much neater. Although the level its on isn't as fitting as the one Suspense! is on overall. It's still fun.

19. Barabbas Reprise (MAP27)

A more militaristic-sounding reprise makes this the best out of the reprises. This slows the instrumentation from Barabbas and makes it sound regal and ready for a powerful march. I dig it! Slow and steady wins the race.

18. Death Jam (MAP25)

Death Jam is a strange MIDI on a strange level. It's got a buttload of instrumentation which fits the bank environment as well as the other locations in Beginner's End. Very lively, very strange, but also very fun.

17. War Cry (MAP28)

Shouldn't this be War March? Cause it sure sounds like a medieval marching song to me. It gets into the groove quick, then gets out of the groove quick. Fun, but short. Then again, the level its on is also short by Eternal Doom standards.

16. DOOMin' (MAP26)

The most rocking track out of all of Rich's, this definitely gives you the rocking city vibes. Like the rest of the Flynn levels, it suffers when you're trying to find your way around things instead of battling monsters, but it's a fun track in any case.

15. Spectres (MAP08)

A nice, relaxing MIDI for a relatively decent level in Eternal Doom. Easygoing orchestra followed by decent horns and drums. Simple and it works well. If only there were more spectres in Woodhead though.

14. Fugue in A Minor (MAP14)

This is a personal favorite of mine. It's all classical music which is quite fun in the overall setting. And the setting in this case is a lot more mild due to different gameplay gimmicks and helps you relax a bit more. That is, if you don't suck with Tyson-style gameplay. Not many people appreciate this MIDI, and that's sad.

13. Simple Death (MAP20)

Bob Evans' Silures is a level you're going to spend nearly forever in, and this brooding, orchestrated, somewhat-classic-sounding MIDI will be one of the proofs of that. It's created very well, and usually won't be getting old considering how slow-paced it is.

12. Death Assured (MAP18)

A very wholesome way to incorporate They're Going to Get You's melody. It just feels far more wonderful and such. Shame the level its on is fairly short by ED standards but it's a very, very cute track to listen to. Beats out Barabbas and its reprise real easily.

11. Mysterious (MAP06)

Interesting instrumentation, using the xylophone and tenor strings to make a suspenseful track full of urgency. Works well, as short as it is, but one that manages to stick in my head easily.

10. InDIAn Song (MAP17)

Now this is a unique track! Of course, with its name, it was made to sound like traditional music that would fit the setting its name takes after. The level its on feels traditional enough to work. And boy howdy it does that with aplomb. And even Epic 2 uses this for one level, so it's a real knockout of a track. With this said, it MUST be used appropriately or it wouldn't be great.

9. Psychopathic Evil (MAP19)

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with a lot of percussion instruments outside drums, but those opening parts of percussion are super neat and drive the song as it gets to the more atmospheric parts. The orchestra is slow and needs to be, and it feels astounding. This is just a song to feel and you will feel it, given how long this particular level its on is.

8. Eternal DOOM (MAP05)

Of the absolute slowest of tracks, this is probably the winner. It captures the feeling of a true Doom song, just brooding tenor sound that feels sinister, yet you have that longing feeling to push through. Not sure about titling it after the entire megawad, but it's a song that basically defines the entire game and its majorly dark settings.

7. Cacophage (MAP32)

This feels like a mishmash of styles, but it quickly became a favorite of mine. Very interesting percussion work, a MIDI that sort of treads familiar Doom melodies (some parts remind me of the epic Demons on the Prey melody, and this goes for other tracks like the Death Marches and Psychopathic Evil). But these mishmashes work out. It's a lively one, but it fits a Doom setting well.

6. Death in D Minor (MAP22)

The woodwind melody here sells it, and it's quite unique compared to the other ones around it. A few variations and some added drums give it more flair, but it's a hummable tune for a lengthy level and is quite cute to listen to.

5. Impending Death (MAP16)

Now this is a MIDI that would fit a sinister, brooding, church-like setting. Given that Guardstation has one, it's honest and worthwhile. The pre-melody tenor is gorgeous. The horn melody is beautiful and lures you in, before having the strings and a few more percussion taking over the melody near the end. There's no way I'm leaving this out of the top 5.

4. Trooper Procession (MAP23)

I'm kind of a depressing individual given how many of the slow-paced tracks in Eternal Doom are closer to the top, but this track is all feels. Slow to start, but you'll be lured in instantly. It's a melancholy tune, heavily horn-driven. The only thing is that it's really loud on the horns and it leans on them, but this time you don't get a lot of backing percussion and for this track, that works out well.

3. The Lost Souls (MAP11)

This is a perfect example of using many great instruments together. Pre-melody checks out, leaving way for the strings to take over with tambourines and other percussion to drive us into the main melody. A few variations and bridges further sell this MIDI as a kickass way to lead us into the second third of Eternal DOOM. All this and the fact that this is Couleur's best map overall, and you have one legendary MIDI that fits a sinister setting.

2. Death March (MAP12)

Of course, I said it earlier, but this is another legendary MIDI. And yes, it's a very fitting march track. Very slow to start, not as much instrumentation as the previous track, but it doesn't need that much. All we need is the right amount of percussion and sinister-sounding strings to lead us to the main event, a melody that sort of sounds like Demons on the Prey but for a much more heavy setting. And by god is Darkdome the perfect level for it.

1. Death by the Sword (MAP30)

Well, I never thought the MAP30 track would be at the top, but think about it. This is the culmination of Eternal DOOM. We have to end it properly, and sure enough, a medieval sounding march not unlike War Cry, with a few melody parts from Cacophage, seem to be the way to go. Excalibur is the ultimate challenge of the WAD, and with it you have the track that would befit this ultimate challenge, one that won't get old as you stumble your way around it. And this matters most.