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Doom's Sounds Were Created From Old Cassettes And A Russian Synthesizer

by Elise Favis on May 28, 2016 at 12:25 PM

Mick Gordon, Doom's musical composer, released a video on YouTube that gives insight into how Doom's synthetic and heavy metal-inspired sound was designed.

This is part two of a YouTube mini-series. If you haven't yet watched part one, which focuses more on the composition of Doom's epic guitar riffs, go here to watch it. 

Gordon was inspired by the pillar-like structures in the game that have bolts of red energy seep out of them. "What would this energy sound like?" asks Gordon, and this idea transcended into the game's electrifying music. 

He used cassettes, old guitar pedals, and an antique Soviet synthesizer to compose the soundtrack. "I don't speak Russian, and operating [the synthesizer] is kind of an adventure," says Gordon. A short section in the video demonstrates what the synthesizer sounds like alone, and it's off-kilter, foreboding vibe suits the game incredibly well.

Doom is out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. You can read our favorable review here and watch us fight off demons in our Test Chamber.