In a rather unusual and nontraditional approach to its soundtrack, Doom Eternal developer id Software will be utilizing a choir comprised of various singers in the metal genre as a part of its music. This choice was made so that Doom Eternal's soundtrack would have its own unique flair, while still maintaining similarities to the music of its predecessor, 2016's Doom.
The choir was featured in a trailer showcasing the production of the Doom Eternal's soundtrack. The approximately four-minute video shows Chad Mossholder, Doom Eternal's lead audio designer, and Mick Gordon, the game's composer, along with their assembled group of vocalists, working together to create this unorthodox take on metal music.
Since metal isn't generally sung in large groups, id Software had to gather their own ensemble via an open call for metal singers in Austin, Texas. Together, the group makes up the background noise of some of Doom Eternal's music, creating the sounds of a choir of demonic chanting. What exactly the demons of Mars are saying in their native language however, if the words actually do have meaning, isn't clear.
The end result is a sound similar to that of a chanting crowd, though sounding like it's only coming from a few individuals. The deep voices of the metal singers are well utilized to give the sounds accompanying Doom Eternal's gameplay an appropriately dark, unnatural, and truly otherworldly quality to it. The chants are then implemented to correspond to the beats, giving them a bit of extra emphasis.
At the end of the video, a sample of the music plays, giving a better indication of what the final soundtrack will be like in the actual game. If the showcased song is anything to go by, Doom Eternal's music seems to be just as hard-hitting, fast-paced, and aggressive as that which orchestrated the violence of 2016's Doom.
For those who enjoyed the soundtrack of Doom's most recent outing, Doom Eternal seems to be bringing that same energy and then some to the table. While using metal singers for a choir is an unconventional concept to begin with, if any series were to try it and pull it off successfully, it only seems fitting that it would be Doom.
Doom Eternal is slated for release on March 20th, 2020, on PC, Playstation 4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
