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You know you’re not in for a good time when the track listing begins with a piece called “Omen.” The track begins with the boom of a concert bass drum, reminiscent of the beginning of the Demon’s Souls main theme. Unlike its predecessor, however, the piece follows with a slow, brooding cello, setting the overall dark background that permeates the soundtrack; in contrast to Motoi Sakuraba’s (桜庭 統) grandiose use of brass in Dark Souls, lead composer Ryan Amon only uses brass to accentuate certain notes and to reach low ranges of the audio spectrum where strings could not. 

That said, strings do take the forefront of Bloodborne, an appropriate choice considering the game’s pseudo-Victorian England setting. The bass strings advance to a steady march, and when the lone vocalist begins her somber note, you know you are once again subject to From Software’s twisted sense of beauty. “Omen” is very much a, ah...microcos, or some say microcosm of the entire soundtrack, demonstrating Ryan Amon’s emphasis on strings and vocals, with recurring disjointed escalating notes reminiscent of horror movies.

Amon also sets himself apart from Sakuraba and Shunsuke Kida (木田 俊介 ) of Demon’s Souls fame by introducing tempo shifts in several tracks. “The Night Unfurls” in particular is one of my favorite tracks. The vocalist starts slow and soft, but strings escalate the piece to a higher octave, leading the vocalist to a shrill note. “The Night Unfurls” has a clear intro, rise, apex, denouement, and end, unlike most looping tracks in the Souls series. Many of Bloodborne’s tracks are similar in this regard, making each piece a self-contained movement. The theme brightening at 1:10, the minor key at 1:27, and my favorite bit, the lead violinist’s chilling performance of the single F# con affetto (with emotion) at the 1:37 mark. That last one never fails to send chills down my spine.

Bloodborne is yet another FROM SOFTWARE game chock-full of action-packed sequences, and its composers have continued the lineage of epic classical compositions that began with Demon’s Souls. “The Hunter” is a prime example, making great use of tempo shifts that match the boss’ transformations. This piece really stands out from the rest of Amon’s compositions for its use of brass. The heavy-handed brass combines with the strings’ and bass drum’s relentless pacing, making the encounter truly intimidating. The effect is further amplified around 1:45 when the tempo speeds up affrettando (in a rushing manner) and strings take center stage. At 1:55, the song shifts into a higher key and introduces even more levels into the piece; almost overwhelming, but in truth a beautifully controlled chaos. At 2:19 the chorus’ 5-note motif brings the song to a terrifying crescendo. “The Hunter” is undoubtedly one of the best tracks in recent videogame history, as its composition wonderfully complements the boss. The theme is a prime example of the soundtrack being an integral part of game design, showcasing the incredible attention to detail from both FROM SOFTWARE and Ryan Amon.

Art by Yoshioka (Haco) http://haco11.tumblr.com/

The action tracks in Bloodborne weren’t simply filled with unending terror, thankfully, as it has its fair share of grandiosity as well. “Ebrietas, Daughter of the Cosmos” from Souls veteran Yuka Kitamura (北村 友香) was perhaps the grandest of all. The slow tempo of the solemn Latin hymn and the steady pace of the drums feels very much like a procession march. As soon as it escalates at 0:32, however, the strings bring about a feeling of vastness, and the brass accompanies with a sensation of grandness. That strings, escalating ever higher, paint an image of a immense, galaxial place without bounds, whereas the brass depicts the awe of communing with something on a higher level. By 1:28, the tempo picks up again but contains a hint of sorrow; the minor key makes the theme sound like it came straight out of a tragic opera. The main chorus proceeds almost angelically near the beginning, but by 1:45 the theme grows increasingly desperate; the song becomes a holy song of praise and also a dirge at the same time. Tuplet notes at 2:23 and minor keys at 2:58 and 3:01 respectively deepen this sensation. At 3:12, the track reaches an apex on a major key, but soon falls and slows. The fermata (grand pause) for a full beat at 3:33 and half beat at 3:39 gives incredible strength to the emphatic final crescendo. “Ebrietas” is sublime because, despite being a boss theme, awe and tragedy have replaced terror. “Ebrietas” is awesome in the literal sense of the word.

The final track that really elevated the soundtrack for me was Tsukasa Saitoh’s (斎藤 司) “The First Hunter.” The slow strings performed a sad melody that reminds me of the classic “Adagio For Strings” by the late Samuel Barber. This piece was really strange to me because of its emotional depth; the boss itself has a whole backstory I completely missed (due to the dreaded chance-based encounters), so I initially did not understand the reason for the track’s dramatic performance. Upon seeing the encounter and one of the endings, however, I slowly saw why. “The First Hunter” is very much the “Gwyn, Lord of Cinder” of Bloodborne, depicting a similar idea of being reduced to a shadow of your former self while watching your world die slowly. I am ashamed that I don’t have more words for this beautiful piece, only to say that, if you can appreciate classical music in the very slightest, then you should listen to this theme.

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On the softer side of things, “Hunter’s Dream” and “Moonlit Melody” are more similar to Souls songs of old, and for good reason. FROM SOFTWARE has often put emphasis on a “home” location: The Nexus from Demon’s Souls, Firelink Shrine to a degree in Dark Souls, Majula in Dark Souls II, and now Hunter’s Dream in Bloodborne. Each of these locales is a rare, safe haven for the player character, a bulwark against the rest of the terrible worlds out to end you. Both “Hunter’s Dream” and “Moonlit Melody” only feature strings and a solo vocalist playing a simple, beautiful, memorable melody. These two tracks are very much in tune with the previous Souls home themes in that players will not tire of their soft, calming effects; they do not utilize the tempo shifts like other pieces in lieu of stability and familiarity, both essential traits of home themes. By including both stable and variable-tempo songs, Ryan Amon and co. introduce flexibility not only to the individual tracks, but also to the entire soundtrack itself.

This review only covered some of my favorite tracks, but some others deserve a listen as well. The timpani performance at last third of “Amygdala.” The Eerie strings opening of “Celestial Emissary.” And, of course, the titular “Bloodborne” in its full glory, completing the twisted journey that “Omen” began. I still stand by what I said in the beginning in that Bloodborne’s soundtrack is not for everyone, but if you have an interest in dark, grand orchestral compositions---something you’d listen to while reading Lovecraft---or simply that you have played Bloodborne, then I highly, highly recommend it.

The Old Hunters DLC Soundtrack Review will arrive soon.