Music of DCC

[reverenddak]

This is the BEST D&D Song ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M60zW_Mfm58

this one is good too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o_VLqxFMrk

Same artist, Mikey Mason, he's brilliant.

[Karaptis]

A giant yes for the Court of the Crimson King!!!

[Klyngster]

Joe, what was your soundtrack when coming up with this game? What are you DM's listening to when writing up your campaigns? I'm thinking anything from the late 1970's is fair game. I'll start - To me, DCC is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03kmoGQBisw

Camel - Lunar Sea

This is a tricky subject for me, because what I've found works for me will usually throw some people off. I once tried to figure out what Robert E. Howard must have listened to while he wrote his stories, if anything, and I realized after a while that what inspired him would not inspire me in like fashion.

Take R.A. Salvatore, for example. He's claimed that his inspiration came from Fleetwood Mac. When I read this years ago, I tried listening to it, but found it wasn't my cup of tea.

What I'm getting at is that finding what music inspires you or puts you in the DCC RPG mood is a personal journey, more or less. If you find that whatever the TSR staff listened to in the late '70s is what you're looking for, by all means go that route.

However, with all of that being said, when I read how Monte Cook uses soundtracks for his games, I ended up finding some soundtracks that have inspired me. While I won't speak on behalf of his list, I will say it was a good starting point for myself in my own personal journey.

Here are the Monte Cook journal entries that I am referring to, in case you're interested.

http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?arch_dmonly6
http://www.montecook.com/cgi-bin/page.cgi?arch_dmonly19

[Zdanman]

Although Joseph does not seem like a metal fellow I think many many bands you be perfect for DCC music. Some tracks:

Candlemass - Demons Gate
Pagan Altar - Cry Of The Banshee (although almost any song would do)
Manilla Road - Open The Gates, Necropolis, Book Of Skelos
Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead, Chaos Rising, Join The Legion
Manowar - almost any song
Sacred Steel - Tonight The Witches Ride
Ironsword - Return Of The Warrior
The Gates Of Slumber - Dweller In The Deep

If someone wants more metal reccomendations along those lines just say a word. I will be happy to drop tons more.

[meinvt]

There is always this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE0ukoL7sW8

[Zdanman]

Or you can go with this - not their most metal track by a long shot but a GREAT song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q71A5hPk2mM

Love it totally.

[SYKOJAK]

As for gaming music, I personally like the following bands:
Slayer
Black Sabbath
Dio
Metallica
Man-O-War
Molly Hatchet
Motorhead/anything with Lemmy!
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest
Disturbed
Slipknot
And I could also do Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks
and lets not forget Santana!

[Ogrepuppy]

I was constantly listening to Judas Priest (Screaming... and Defenders...) when I was an awkward, gangly teen trying to learn D&D. I'd add Moving Pictures era Rush and Iron Maiden to the mix, too. Very vanilla fluff rock, but...it's what I liked back then.

Now? Uggh, I'm willing to bet most gamers would hate my "DCC Mix Tape", as I've veered into the alternative field. Lycia? Black Tape for a Blue Girl? Deadsy? Razed In Black? Cocteau Twins? Skinny Puppy at the gaming table? Sacrilege! (Although I know Harley and I have the Sisters in common. First and Last and Always, baby!)

[Ogrepuppy]

I could also do Stevie Nicks

[Ogrepuppy]

And how in the sacred names of Azathoth and Hastur could I forget...

Dead Can Dance. <-- Epic music right there.

[Karaptis]

Coctaeu Twins Victorialand is sooo visting the Elf King patron! Dead Can Dance is really good as well for gaming! It just so happens Skinny Puppy's singer is Nivek Ogre eh Ogrepuppy?

[Karaptis]

I would like to add Hawkwind's Quark, Strangeness and Charm. Some of the songs , including the bonus tracks from CD, belong on the soundtrack to the animated flick Heavy Metal. 70's metal rules!

[Ogrepuppy]

It just so happens Skinny Puppy's singer is Nivek Ogre eh Ogrepuppy?

Yes, sir! Can you feel my Tired Eyes Slowly Burning....?

In fact, it's odd--my two favorite bands are on opposite sides of the spectrum--Cocteaus with angelic, ethereal vocals and shimmering guitars, and the Puppies...who sample horror movies throughout their music and often bark or scream as much as "sing".

Anyway.....back on topic!

[Karaptis]

Lawfuls get Coctaeu Twins and Chaotics get SP. Lving near Toronto, I had the honor of seeing SP a few times.

[Ogrepuppy]

Lawfuls get Coctaeu Twins and Chaotics get SP. Lving near Toronto, I had the honor of seeing SP a few times.

I've seen many of my favorite bands (including both the Cocteaus and Dead Can Dance) but the one band I HAVEN'T seen is SP. I hope to remedy that grievous error someday.

Oh, and I'm across the border south of you in Rochester. We should hook up sometime.

[SYKOJAK]

It just so happens Skinny Puppy's singer is Nivek Ogre eh Ogrepuppy?

Yes, sir! Can you feel my Tired Eyes Slowly Burning....?

In fact, it's odd--my two favorite bands are on opposite sides of the spectrum--Cocteaus with angelic, ethereal vocals and shimmering guitars, and the Puppies...who sample horror movies throughout their music and often bark or scream as much as "sing".

Anyway.....back on topic!

Speaking of "adding horror to the music", I am surprised that no one here has included Rob Zombie. You gotta love his horror Talents!

[jonchappellnow2]

I find that songs with lyrics distract from the action at the game table. Here are couple of synthy-psychodelic songs that for my tastes fit with the vibe of DCCRPG:

Alan Parson - I robot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgJA7lPkb1o

Doctor Who Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J_3rsEwYVE

The Police - How Stupid Mr. Bates
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0kUlxK4Q6Y

[Karaptis]

I find that songs with lyrics distract from the action at the game table.

Your kinda right on that! Nothing kills a mood like an "important" Hockey or football game either.

[reverenddak]

i09 is doing a Top 100 albums all Sci-fi & Fantasy fans should listen to. Some good stuff in there.

Er, link! http://io9.com/top-100-albums/

I have http://www.death.fm playing before games. And then I switch to http://somafm.com/play/doomed at game time (which is Tonight!)

I used to have a playlist that consisted of the following:

LotR movies soundtracks by Howard Shore
Book of Eli Soundtrack by Atticus Ross
The Dark Knight Soundtrack by Hans Zimmer
The Road Soundtrack by Nick Cave
Avatar soundtrack by James Horner

and others I can't think of.

[Vanguard]

Note Joe's strange metal phobia. The closest he comes to Zeppelin is Rush. I'm all for Moody Blues though for some reason.

In the past I've intentionally played Cradle of Filth and Slayer to throw off Mr. Goodman's board games mind. It is often my job to represent Chaos and/or Neutrality when Joe stays too positive.

It probably doesn't need to be repeated, but I listened to The Sword a lot while working on DCC art and still do.

In that more contemporary vein you might also also listen to:

Witchcraft
High on Fire
Sleep
Electric Wizard


From the Hawkwind/ Sabbath standpoint you can also turn to Budgie and ,of coarse, Jethro Tull. I suppose Joe can listen to the 80's Tull.
Also Dio's first band : Rainbow

Some of the divergences on the cds I gave Joe probably included

Bach (on organ)
Dead Can Dance
Rudimentary Peni (they have a whole H.P. Lovecraft Album is you are sophisticated enough for 80's british punk)
Hank Williams III (the grandson, yes country, but the good kind with lots of great dark stuff)
The Pogues

and I'm sure "The Thing That Should Not Be" was on there from the band nobody should follow anymore.


let me see if I can hunt up the list for Joe. I might not have even discovered The Sword at that point.

Electric Wizard <b>f*ck</b> yes. Also, check out Conan. Would be great to use some of their tracks as the soundtrack to a boss fight.

Edit: Not the Conan we know. This Conan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPoIlknNd5o

[Stonebreaker]

I have to agree with a lot of the bands mentioned above.
I like listing to soundtracks from movies when I play. I'd have to go with the original Conan movie.

[headspice]

May I add a few to check out? Hawkwind, early Genesis, King Crimson...all favorites, but here's a few contemporary bands worth checking out, all rocking a DCC RPG vibe.
Kadavar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJlFheQF ... re=related

Orne
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HzgPtZNLDE

Blood Ceremony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kBx07tU ... re=related

[headspice]

Rudimentary Peni has a Lovecraft album? Whoa....didn't know, gotta check it out.

While we're on the subject, AMEBIX! Everyone has got to check out their Sonic Mass lp! That first song, These Days, is the most haunting track I've heard in recent memory.

GWAR, can't believe I didn't see them mentioned. You know Dave Brockie (aka Oderus Umongus), is writing an OSR adventure for Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

Axegrinder, Rise of the Serpent Men, is a great crusty disc.

And you know the genre of black metal was virtually birthed out of RPGs...Varg Vikernes started Burzum back during his MERP playing youth.

[Teflon Billy]

Manowar, Hawkwind and Blue Oyster Cult.

On a more modern note, Brutus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EtCnoGc ... ults_video

[headspice]

And I could also do Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks

If you do, could you get me her autograph?