Elder Scrolls Oblivion Soundtrack Released
 

Yes, that's right, sorry if this is old news, but i've just found that the Official Elder Scrolls Oblivion soundtrack has been released over at Directsong.

It seems rather strange that they released it before the game, and I can't quite understand if it's best to hear the music for the first time now or in the game. The album carries a price tag of $9.99, not too bad if you ask me, and what i've heard from the previews, it sounds amazing! If, like me, you are a huge Elder Scrolls fan and Jeremy Soule fan who's been anticipating this release for some time, I should get a hold of a copy now!

You can find everything here http://www.directsong.com/

So, can you actually buy the CD there, or are you paying to just be able to download the songs. I downloaded the Sorrow's Furnace Mini-Pak, which was free, and the songs were in WMA format. :( I'd love to be able to buy the actual CD. Morrowind has a very nice soundtrack, and from the samples, Oblivion seems to take even larger steps forward.

Your buying the full soundtrack to download.

There are 26 tracks in all, and from what i've heard, they are pretty much all great.

I want to own a CD, not download music I can only play on WMP. Gah.

Good news! I've listened to the samples on the website and the music is interesting. While I'm not the biggest fan of Soule and fantasy music, this is still something I'll try to listen to someday.

Yeah, it'd be cool if there'd be a CD release of the soundtrack. Maybe with a special edition of the game, that would have good chances.

From the slivers I heard in the demo videos, some of the domestic stuff sounds across between Palestrina and Gorecki.

Damn, I wish it wasn't a DirectSong release. It really worked for GuildWars as you could also use the downloaded music expansions in-game, but for a standalone soundtrack the quality (and not having a hardcopy) just doesen't justify the price, in my opinion.

Unless of course its really, really good.

Edit: Listened to the samples and was sold, this really sounds like another winner for Soule.

I wouldn't want to listen to this now, because in my opinion it would ruin the atmosphere and epic experience of playing the game and hearing it for the first time then.

Even though you have to download the OST, you can still burn it to a CD....unless DirectSong has restricted it (i.e. Battle Pack, Sorrow's Furnace).

Granted, there is still nothing like the actual disk.

I couldn't see why they wouldn't put the OST in the CE of Oblivion. They are doing that in the new Guild Wars Factions CE with Jeremy Soule's score. Maybe it is just wishful thinking?

So true. Having listened to this thing through completely I have to say that most of the tracks are composed as atmospheric pieces, which most likely come together when paired with gameplay action. A few of the darker, dungeon pieces in particular will be really effective as the visuals, sound effects and music will create a really creppy atmosphere in a lot of dungeons (based on what I think it would have been like in Morrowind, had Soule composed dark ambience for dungeons in that game.) I think many will not like this soundtrack by itself before they play the game, but will grow to love it once they do.

And it looks as if you can burn this album to CD. Considering that is does include front and back cover art it looks like a no-brainer.

Nah, no thanks. I'm not gonna pay $9.99 to download a bunch of WMA files. I'll just stay hopeful that an official album release is done at some point.

As far as waiting to hear the music in-game, I don't care about that. I don't have a 360... or plan to get one in the near future. I enjoy game music just as much outside of the game, and I feel I can appreciate it just the same. I did it with Morrowind and I'm sure I'll be able to do it with Oblivion.

I'm with the group of people avoiding the soundtrack to keep the game experience intact. I pre-ordered the Collector's Edition of Oblivion for 360 last night.

The few samples on the DirectSong site were nice though. Sounds a lot more thematic that the ambient Morrowind score.

If it's anything like Morrowind, all the tracks will be sitting as MP3s in the game folder anyway. So unless you're really desperate to get an early taste of the game's soundtrack, I don't really see the point of a pay-download version with no hard copy when you can just copy-and-paste the MP3s out of the game's music folder after you install it.

Incidentally, one of Morrowind's best-kept secrets was that you could add any MP3s you wanted to the music folders and they'd play in-game just like the real game tracks did. My battles in Morrowind were fought to various OC ReMixes of RPG battle music, and my characters' exploring was done to everything from Enya to Tom Waits. Here's hoping Oblivion makes it just as easy to customise things to your taste.

The samples sound very much in the vein of Soule's recent work, which means that I'll probably love the OST but it will never win in SoTW :D

The thing that really interested me was the "Prey" banner. I thought that game was cancelled years ago. And, since the site is 100% Soule at the moment, does that mean that he's working on Prey?

I enjoyed the samples, but I'm not desperate enough to pay for music that doesn't come with a CD. Plus, the music will probably be able to be ripped easily enough from the PC version. If they even need to be ripped at all.

Could the X-Box version do that too? If not they kinda got shafted.

The Xbox version of Morrowind got shafted in more ways than that, good sir.

What with no mods, and all.

Ouch! Hopefully it won't be so bad for the X-Box 360 version.

*edited*
Ahh but what do I care? I'm getting the PC version anyway. hehe! :biggrin:

Just bought the album. I just needed it.

edit: no way to copy this, sorry.

edit edit:

WOW

I'd have thought that you, of all people, would know that anything can be copied :D What about using a line-out recording or audio hijacking program?

Having listened to this thing all day today, I have come to like it better than I did the first time I heard it. The battle themes in particular are very well done. They are a little on the short side but serve the numerous (many times surprise) battles that take place in this sort of game. Many of the exploration themes are also quite good. "Watchman's Rest" is a soothing yet reflective piece that has some great fiddle sections. It would most likely give you an orgasm while playing this game on max settings and sitting by a brook or other scenic place. While not an exploration piece (I may be wrong on this one) "King and Country" is also a high point of the album. The sweeping, majestic theme paints a serene picture but there is also a hit of sadness mixed in. The numerous piano and flute interludes as well as the Thomas Newman-esque ending really emphasize this. "Through the Valleys" is another great exploration piece that takes one of Soule's Morrowind themes ("Explore 5) and really expands on it. This epic piece paints a vivid picture of the landscape, using the original clarinet melody as a base. The thing is quite beautiful, and if you didn't listen carefully you wouldn't catch that this was a very loose arrangement. "Auriel's Ascension" is one of the sadder pieces on the album, and features the quiet piano interlude that made several tracks on GW Battle Pack 1 so great. It works wonders here when combined with a strong flute melody that quickly changes the tone of the piece in the middle, before the piano returns, but this time joining a clarinet in a little duet. All in all, this is one of the best offerings, if not the best. Among the battle themes, the one that stood out the most was "Bloody Blades. This track starts off with pounding percussion and strings that develop into a really cool little march that adds a tremendous amount of tension to the piece. It will be really scary to be surprised by an enemy suddenly and have this theme kick in.

All in all, this is a very worthwhile album if you are a fan of Jeremy Soule's style or symphonic game music in general. Some pieces do have the potential to stand a good chance at placing in SoTW, which says alot considerig the general disdain the general GFF population has for his musical style.

Wow, this is pretty beautiful stuff...

Another great soundtrack by Mister Jeremy Soule.

Sounds great Excrono, but I still won't listen to it, of course. 8 more days now until this godly game gets placed into my beloved 360.

Listening to the OGGs now, very impressed with this score. :edgarrock:

Track 25 'Dusk at the Market' has a very Evermore-ish vibe to it.

Now I HAVE to get this album!.