Doom Eternal's soundtrack is a perfect accompaniment to its demon-slaying antics. Deep 7- and 8-string guitars provide an onslaught for the ears that's just as chaotic and violent as the game itself. That being the case, the soundtrack is a worthy accompaniment to any demons you may have to slay yourself. Unfortunately, the soundtrack that's bundled in with the Collector's Edition of the game doesn't seem to be lighting fans' Crucible Blades on fire.
Twitter user @thatACDCguy has pointed out a key difference between the soundtracks of Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. This is going to get a bit nerdy, so bear with us. The original "BFG Division" from Doom 2016 has a jagged, varied waveform, whereas the waveform for "BFG Division 2020" from Doom Eternal's soundtrack is almost completely straight. This results in less dynamic range in the instruments, so you're hearing less definition for each instrument individually. According to @thatACDCguy, the mix on the soundtrack as a whole often falls into this trap. If you want to check out the full thread, you can do so here.
Being the cool guy that he is, Mick Gordon replied to @thatACDCguy personally. Gordon said he didn't mix this track himself and "wouldn't have done that". According to Gordon, listeners will be able to tell the tracks he mixed personally. Examples include "Meathook" and "Command and Control". It's not clear who actually did mix the tracks, but evidently they're not up to Gordon's usual exacting standards.
This could be the end of Mick Gordon's collaborations with Bethesda (as well as Doom, he's also worked on Wolfenstein and Prey). According to a Reddit thread, Gordon says he's unlikely to work with Bethesda after the Doom Eternal situation. Additionally, ResetEra user Dio Over Heaven points out that Gordon commented on a YouTube guitar cover of Doom Eternal's "The Only Thing They Fear Is You". Gordon says the time signature changes in the piece are "stupid" and that they're a result of marketing folks piecing together the song without any musical knowledge.
Yikes. Looks like Gordon's righteous soundtracks for the Doom series could well be no more. It'll be a shame if Gordon departs since his doom-laden guitar symphonies made the carnage on-screen all the more effective. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds for Doom as a franchise and for Gordon's involvement in it. If he departs, we'll be sad.
How do you feel about the Doom Eternal soundtrack? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Let us know in the comments below!
