Music to Game to: Allfather - And All Will Be Desolation

I listen to a lot of music (over 40 days worth in 2017 according to last.fm) and I find that few things help me keep the mood of a game foregrounded in my mind like a good soundtrack. Plus, I’ve discovered that when I’m playing music to a speaker via Bluetooth, I’m less likely to be on my phone, lest my players hear any stray sounds, letting me better model engagement during a game. To that end, I want to share some of my favorite music to game to; the albums that inspire and inflame my imagination and that I’ve found work well as background music for games as well. I’ll do a mini-review and cover the basics of what mood it helps me set.

ALLFATHER – AND ALL WILL BE DESOLATION

Thunderous sludge metal with heavy riffs, these songs should have your players feeling like their first level PCs can walk right up to that corrupt minor lordling and punch him right in the gut. From the first listen, this album has been inspiring dreams in me of getting to run a commoner rebellion campaign or to play a berserker dedicated to battling nefarious and rotten nobles. The refrain of “Citadels” sums up the fighting spirit of the album best… “Instead of burning bridges and raising citadels / We should be burning flags and raising fucking hell”.

• Vocals?...Yes
• Music Genre(s)… Metal, Sludge
• Perfect for…Dark, gritty fantasy games where the PCs fight the good fight against oppressive forces.
• If you only grab one track, make it... “Citadels”, the perfect theme song for a game about commoners battling decadent and corrupt nobility.