I'm slowly learning more about Hollow Knight music. Today's lesson was: HK music can be VERY surprising. If you haven't seen my other Hollow Knight videos, they're over here: th-cam.com/video/1uTcGHliPoc/w-d-xo.html
look at Nightmare king music, it's basicly the same as the grim troop but the boss is more powerfull so the music is more powerfull too (sorry for bad english)
Dont forget the Electric Guitar aswell. Correct me if im wrong but isint Grimm the only ost that has the Electric guitar in it? Also who composed Haunted Foes? Dosent that have Toms in it?
@@draw2death421 1up this - it's the only one that I can remember (and could find briefly listening through), though the drums do make a return in 'Nightmare King', which is nice!
“Disturbing” yet “glorious” is a very apt way to describe Grimm. Despite being so clearly inspired by Dracula and have a sinister appearance, he isn’t a villain. He is a performer who wishes to please the crowds. Yet he doesn’t want the praise and glory all for himself. He wishes to share it with the main character. “Dance with me, my friend. The crowd awaits. Show them you are worthy of a starring role.”
Exactly. What I love about Grimm is that he doesn't care if he loses since his death is part of the plan, and so he has no fear/remorse/etc, and that means that he's not there to fend off some invader, he's there to make a majestic exit, to terrify and to mesmerize the crowd and the player. And I love that
It also brings out the Nightmare aspect of the Grimm Troupe's existence without making them actively malicious. It feels more like a circus with dark origins but overall positive intentions. Compare that to a certain other boss that's effectively insane with rage against another god who probably never even saw her face in person.
When you take the previous events,conversations and the fight into consideration Grimm is actually getting hyped up with the 'dance' as Grimm calls it. As the knight is performing better and nearing the boss fight's end Grimm is getting more excited and looses himself to fight the battle he always wanted
@@NeuroatypicalKirby not sure if you’re adding to it or countering but what you said is very true, I did more than a hundred tries, took me 4 hours to stop trying to kill him and learn his attacks instead. I can’t even imagine how powerful Grimm is at his full potential with killing intent
Listen, if you liked the suspense and glory of grimm, the radiance's theme is where its at. It truly makes you feel what the game wants you to feel, a pipsqueak fighting THE *SUN.*
Nightmare King is basically what I would consider a phase 2 for this track where Larkin really emphasises on the terror. And it works wonderfully. Fight as a whole keeps you on your toes the entire time as minor slip ups can so easily cascade into loss of rhythm and panic inputs. Truly my favourite fight in the entire game, maybe along with Mantis Lords.
@@ImVeryOriginal NGK is honestly closer to dance you have to memorize and perform in front of the choreographer. Every little mistake you make in your performance is punished harshly.
I know a lot of people are suggesting you listen to more boss themes but I would highly recommend giving the song White Palce from the Hollow Knight OST a listen. It is really beautifully composed and I feel often overlooked as it appears in a very noisy area in the game.
Man, i suggested this before but screw it i'm gonna do it again. You really should do a video on Soul Sanctum. Based on the reaction to the Baroqueness and that sinister organ quality of this piece i imagine you'd really like Soul Sanctum.
Yes! Gosh this theme rocks and your analysis is making me rethink this theme again. Grimm as a character was inspired by a ton of things, he is like a circus leader, but also a spooky bat monster who likes to sup on the remaining fire of dying kingdoms. And the whole fight is supposed to be a dance sort of. Grimm is testing you if you are worthy to help him complete his ritual. So he fights you in his troupe tent and as you fight him an audience of his followers watches you and there are some cool theatrical details in the fight, like whenever you stagger him he turns into a bat for a bit and then returns with a drum roll followed by audience cheering and when he does a certain big attack the music goes full rock like in the second half of this theme for a bit as the whole arena lights up for the duration of the attack. But this fight is just a small taste of what's coming, once the ritual is nearly finished the last act is to defeat and actually kill Grimm himself in his true form "The Nightmare King" and that fight has its own theme titled "Nightmare King". "Nightmare King" has a bit more going on than this theme I think and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks for the video, made my evening!
I agree in him being inspired by a lot of things. He gave me a lot of vibes from Dracula from Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. The attacks relate so well to the Dracula from that Castlevania game. One of my favorite boss fights so far!
Yes but actually no. Grimm doesn't want you to finish the ritual. He especially says that he doesn't need you anymore after you beat him. The ritual isn't here for Grimm, but for the Heart which feeds on the fight between the Knight and NKG. Fighting Grimm is a danse where he exhausts you to feed the Grimmchild. Fighting NKG is a fight for Grimm's own survival. Brumm guessed right, Grimm is nothing else than another slave of the Nightmare Heart. "Burn the father, feed the child !" is one of the saying of the troupe (Grimmkin lvl 2's journal entry). It is not metaphoric.
@@z8tr377 A'ight, now I'm angry. I played the game in french, and french translations when you beat Grimm is not at all what he says in english ! In french he says : "Sortez dans l’obscurité, mon ami. Quittez notre scène et laissez-nous performer notre acte final." which means "Leave into darkness, let us perform our final act" and "Et avec cela, je pense qu'il est temps pour nous de nous dire au revoir. Après une performance comme celle-là , de quoi d'autre le Rituel pourrait-il exiger de nous ?" which means "Time to say goodbye. What could the Ritual expect from us now ?" In english, he says "Go out into the darkness. Harvest the last lingering embers of this Kingdom. Then return to me and we will complete our dance." Now I don't know what to think anymore about it...
I love seeing a composer reacting to this theme because the guitar drop always makes their chins also drop 💀 it’s by far my favourite hk song and boss/area of the game in general
You could do a whole series on every Hollow Knight track and it probably wouldn't get boring. "Hornet" and "Mantis Lords" are also heavily baroque influenced, as is "Soul Sanctum" - a foreboding ambient track that seamlessly transforms into boss battle music. The ambient tracks are great in their own right - "Greenpath", "Crossroads", "Crystal Peaks" are all beautiful pieces, creating unique atmospheres with their own sense of progression. And hearing "City of Tears" for the first time in the game while descending into the titular metropolis was a magical moment that made me fall in love with Hollow Knight. There's just too much great stuff to choose from. :)
Troupe Master Grimm is my favorite boss to fight. He's a fun fight to learn.... but have yet to even fight his Nightmare King variant, which makes him faster, more aggressive, and adds trails of fire to his attacks. Thinking on it, Grimm is a bit like Hollow Knight's version of Dracula from the Castlevania series. He even takes on a similar stance to what Dracula does when throwing out his fire balls.
1:50 You know, I heard an interesting theory about why Baroque-style music became associated with grim, sinister things. You might find the video about it interesting! th-cam.com/video/WT934eTbmuY/w-d-xo.html In a nutshell, organs were instruments originally constructed for use within the church and generally only used for worshipping God and representing his glory musically. Later on, it became a common trope to have an evil or sinister character playing the organ, because it's like a representation of their desire for power and control, that they would claim the might of God for themselves, or that they even BE God themselves. So when you have a character like that, the organ music that represents them is not beautiful and glorious, but horrifying and unsettling.
I don' think that that's a good description of Broken Vessel. It's not really metal or Grimm-like in any sense, it's a dejected and determined march using the vessel theme.
The interesting part about the metal sections is that in the game, they ONLY happen while Grimm uses his balloon attack, so you barely hear any of it but it makes his most hectic attack feel so much scarier! Amazing video again, I would love to see you compare Mantis Lords with Sisters of Battle.
I love this sooky theme. I actually listen to this song on loop when I do my homework because nothing is scarier than my homework and it psychs me up haha
This OST definitely feels like a deadly performance. With audience in the background and this intence glorious music it's really like a deadly dance we share with Grimm. The dance of Flame and Shadow. Wanted to suggest listening to Everybody's gone to the Rapture OST - Mourning tree or Carry me back to her arms. Jessica Curry - the composer of the OST - made a masterpiece, imo. Anyway, thank you for your reaction, you're one of many youtubers, that really explains how the music works and what it does to make us feel сertain emotions! You're great!
Christopher Larkin is a genius.His music is amazing. I really liked your analysis of this , and tbh of all the Hollow Knight music you have done ! Hollow Knight has quite a few "scary" pieces so to speak. I fully reccomend you the Nightmare King Grimm song , Soul Sanctum and for sth completely different i would reccomend Pure Vessel All are amazing imo
6:08 i was waiting for your reaction to the choir part of this soundtrack and if you thought this was wait till you hear part 2 of the song Nightmare King Grimm
The whole "baroque being associated with horror and sinisterness" definitely fits grim bc he's not terrifying because he's evil but bc he's so alien and his motivations and goals incomprehensible to the characters and players. He shows up in town out of nowhere, gives you a child and a task to defeat his followers, and bows to you before he attacks you, and call it all a dance. Why he's doing any of this is beyond anyone's understanding and that definitely fits the kind of horror captured by baroque music.
Very happy to see you reacting to more Hollow Knight tracks! I can't recommend City of Tears enough; it's the song that accompanies you as you walk around the area of the same name. I and many other players really fell in love with the game in City of Tears, and the music is a huge part of that. It has a different feeling in a lot of ways from other Hollow Knight songs you've shown on this channel but still features Christopher Larkin's signature composition style in a beautiful way.
4:11 something I just noticed upon rewatching this. The stringed instrument in the background (unsure of range/name) at this part is actually playing the main melody to Nightmare King. Granted it keeps modulating higher, but the note pattern is the same. Hiding the litmotif of Nightmare King in the background of Grimm's theme like how the Nightmare King resides inside Grimm as it's vessel. Clever Christopher, clever.
Amazing series, love how you analyse these tracks! Hollow Knight has an amazing soundtrack, but is also an amazing game! Can we hope to ever see you do a playthrough on Twitch, discovering these tracks in the context they were meant to be discovered in. Would love a full playthrough with some interludes where you explain stuff on your keyboard or go more in depth about what you're hearing. Keep up the good job, hope to see more Hollow Knight content, that soundtrack is simply amazing. (If you need ideas for future Hollow Knight tracks, I'd suggest: White Palace, Hornet, Mantis Lords, Soul Sanctum and of course the amazing City of Tears!)
Very interesting video, as always! This piece is really cool and makes me want to play air drums! This fits perfectly with Grimm’s pompous, theatrical and unique character. I like the organ tone which goes very well with the Metroidvania game! I also like the chorus part which accentuates his charisma. I get the feeling that Grimm himself is conducting his band. It’s so brilliant that this piece has intense and overbearing vibes, and yet has catchy and playful vibes. Thank you for this video, Davi!!
There's a reason for terror, disturbance and all that, dude! This fight is INSANE! And after you beat him on your 100th try, maybe, shit gets real and it gets 10x CRAZIER!
The organ gives a spooky vibe, while the brass when hitting first makes you think of medivial castles and (mostly) vampires. The circus like base of the theme brings out the show aspect. So yeah, the usual "OH MY GOD ITS AWSOME"-stuff
Lol ikr. I love it though. I think it's more romantic to me. I know, I know, that is not close to many. But I think of the whole edwardian era. Which is very classy and romantic to me.
2:10 while you're right about them both having sinister undertones, they are sinister for different reasons, the hollow knight (the boss with the sealed vessel theme) is unkown because as you fight him, it becomes more apparent that he isnt himself, and seems mad or regretful for what is happening and struggles during the fight, while you have to question what is happening. Grimm is sinister because his fight is unexpected, he suprises you with it when you expect another challenge like what is given earlier in the game. He also seems calm and respectful, even bowing to the player and rewarding a successful fight, creating this atmosphere of eerie collectedness.
Please do White Palace from Hollow Knight next! It's not a boss track, but god it's so beautiful. Easily one of the best tracks in the game, along with this and Sealed Vessel.
I KNEW this would be a good one. Grimm was such a fantastic part of the game and his theme ROCKS (literally), its hard to believe it gets even more metal in the Nightmare King version. Larkin is phenomenal, and thanks so much for the video! :)
I will make a comment suggesting Pale Court on every video until you do it; it is such a masterpiece and it's a shame it doesn't appear ingame. Also Nightmare King Grimm is an obvious recommendation after this one.
If you plan to do more HK themes, I recommend Hornet’s theme (called Hornet) and Radiance’s theme (called Radiance), both are great and I’d like to see you break them down :)
So happy you covered this! Grimm and NKG are by far my favorite fights of the game. Another two that are fantastic that I recommend are the Radiance and Soul Master themes.
I sincerely recommend you to listen to the "Sisters of Battle" theme, it is a rearranged theme from another spectacular track (Mantis Lords) adapted for a more epic and glorious context which, in my opinion, puts it a few inches above the original track.
Your videos well and truly have made me come to appreciate Christopher Larkin's sheer talent and genius. Mad props to you for breaking his work down an teaching us so much greatness about his stuff!!! Really loving the Hollow Knight content, I've already loved the soundtrack so much before, but you just brought a whole new level to actually *understanding* the greatness of the music
Excellent reaction. I really enjoy this piece from HK. If you plan in reacting to more HK music, I cannot highly recommend enough Soul Sanctum, Pale Court, White Palace, and Haunted Foes. By far some of my favorites
I'm so glad you are doing Hollow Knight now! It's soundtrack is such a gem. Some tracks I'd recommend: Broken Vessel Nightmare King Grimm City of Tears Greenpath Pure Vessel Soul Sanctum
Your analysis of HK music (and others) made me realize there was even more complexity here than I knew. Something this game does really well is create and mix leitmotifs, so look out for those and you can get a gleen into the story without even having had played the game!
I love that moment in reactions when they just go speechless. That jump in genre is very impressive and you gave it the appropriate reaction it deserved
Honestly, every part of the Hollow Knight OST is actually a masterpiece. Every one of the boss fights have music that's perfectly evocative of the fight and the story behind it, and every zone you explore has music that sounds exactly like the place you're exploring. A mysterious ancient cavern, an overgrown grove, and the literal crumbling edge of the kingdom, and so on. 10/10, perfection. But all the songs do contain a thread of despair or hints of loss... because the entire game covers a dying and forgotten kingdom consumed by madness.
I'm really happy to see Davi cover this one. Grimm's theme is easily one of my favorites. I love that it starts out baroque and refined like how Grimm acts most of the time, then that metal transition hits kind of like how Grimm freaks out if you hit him when he bows to you
I loved your reaction to the guitar lol. You should check out Mantis Lords, very popular track. If these boss tracks are too short you could also do it alongside the Gods and Nightmares version of the track (mantis lords + sisters of battle). Personally though, Soul Sanctum would be an interesting track to look at.
I'd recommend listening to White Lady or Kindom's Edge from Hollow Knight, as you've listened to some of the more dramatic music, but these more calming songs are just as stunning.
There's another track from this DLC called Pale Court, it was never used in the game but I've been told it's the only song in the OST that's been orchestrally composed! It's so pretty(forgive my wording if I said that incorrectly I'm not a music person) But my favorite track has to be Enter Hallownest, and funnily enough, that one wasn't used either😅
Great video, as always. I really enjoy seeing someone with a music background break down these tracks and bring my attention to elements I hadn't noticed before. Hollow Knight is such a great game with amazing music/sound design. Grimm is a fantastic boss, and as others have mentioned he has another, harder form called "Nightmare King" with an entirely separate track. Would love to see you check that one out some time!
I think it's the calmest and most solemn boss battle music I've ever heard. When you think they couldn't possibly squeeze any more emotion out of the Hollow Knight, you get the gut punch of seeing it as it was before its corruption. One of my favorite fights in the game.
1:42 I love it so much when I hear that kind of pattern, I'm a big fan of the use of instrumental staccatos when this is done too (The attacks he talked about at 7:02)
Yeah this one is a banger! It starts good but when it really kicks in it just elevates this fight to a whole other level. Btw, are you planning on checking out risk of rain 2 some time? Great video, hope you keep up the awesome analyses!
Thanks for bringing the song back to my attention.. Sitting here: Goosebumps all over, coordinating the invisible orchestra and then hitting the multistep ascend to the metal part. Pure bliss! Really happy to see you get excited about good old Master Larkin's work ;)
Desde que conheci o canal, sempre pensei "nossa... o sotaque dele parece de um brasileiro falando inglês..." só hoje entendi o porquê. Curiosamente conheci o seu trabalho pelo Matthew Griffin e como um fã de Hollow Knight e alguém que admira ver um trabalho bem feito, o seu é espetacular. Sucesso, meu conterrâneo!
OMG! I've never payed the required attention to this track, that Metal vibe is awesome! The Knightmare King Grimm and Sisters Of Battle are my favorite themes, but this theme now is close to them!
Some of my favourite tracks of hollow knight, probably one of the things that made Grimm my favourite Boss fight ! Can you beleive I had goosebumps during the whole song ? The harmonics, the whole orchestra ! It's just incredible ! In a way it's logic to have this disturbing chords so different for the game's ambiance, Grimm troup aren't from the same world, they don't play with the same rules. When Hollow Knight is Light vs Darkness, a life of insects, Hallowness very dull and earthy, Dreams are bright and gold, but Grimm ? Grimm is Fire. Red and Dark, and actually kind of a bat, so basically thematically sooo different (he has this vampire aesthetics as well). Then you have "Dream" version >:) (shouldn't it be called Nightmare btw ? )
Thank you. Such a good video. Next Time please listen to Nightmare King. This track is from the same dlc and you should hear it right after this one. Also in my oppinion it is even better ;)
i absolutely adore these videos, the hk song analyses are lots of fun to watch. if you were ever to analyze another good hk song that has plenty of organs, I recommend the soul sanctum or the soul master theme :)
You don't ever see it recommended because it's an OST for an unreleased game (HK Silksong - HK sequel) but breaking down 'Lace' would be awesome. Here's some incentives: 1. 'Lace' is currently #2 most viewed HK ost on youtube only losing to GRIMM + NK GRIMM combo ost. Not bad for a sample ost. 2. HK fanbase is VERY hungry for any hints including ones you can find in the ost. Especially for an unreleased game, your predictions/speculations can be very interesting. 3. It sounds very different from original HK ost. 4. All of the original HK ost was made (almost) solely by Christopher Larkin. For the sequel they used actual orchestra and real instruments. Hopefully you'll consider doing this one. Thanks.
As a hollow knight fan, I love these analyses! though the gameplay footage gives me the OCD I never had. Aside from that, I think it would be really cool if you checked out the sisters of battle track and the gods and glory track.
bro when the metal part came in I got so hyped I had to stand up and pace around my room seriously, I love this track so much. (slight spoilers for the character grimm!) grimm is the master of a traveling troupe, they all have a very gothic and almost circus like theme. grimm particularly is quite a charming character. he calls the fight a dance, something to entertain the audience. in the beginning he even bows to you (but if you attack him mid bow like the guy in the video did he immediately gets angry and screams, going into a harder attack phase). I think the baroqueness of the song really fits with the gothic circus vibe, and the adventurous, playful, and heroic notes are there because grimm isn't necessarily a bad guy, and this fight is, like he said, a dance. your suppose to have fun! although many people don't because grimm is one of the very much harder bosses and his second form is notoriously difficult
I'm slowly learning more about Hollow Knight music. Today's lesson was: HK music can be VERY surprising.
If you haven't seen my other Hollow Knight videos, they're over here: th-cam.com/video/1uTcGHliPoc/w-d-xo.html
Thanks for bringing attention to one of the best video game soundtracks there is.
Now go and listen to the variations made for Nightmare King Grimm, the hard version of this boss. It's even more metal!
look at Nightmare king music, it's basicly the same as the grim troop but the boss is more powerfull so the music is more powerfull too (sorry for bad english)
dude PLEASE do mantis lords it’s so cool
@@sdjtlch the first half is the regular Grimm and the second is nightmare king Grimm.
One of the rare times Christopher Larking pulled out drums in Hollow Knight :D It's so different yet manages to fit the game and the battle so well
Ah, I was wondering if there were any other tracks similar to this
Dont forget the Electric Guitar aswell. Correct me if im wrong but isint Grimm the only ost that has the Electric guitar in it?
Also who composed Haunted Foes? Dosent that have Toms in it?
@@draw2death421 1up this - it's the only one that I can remember (and could find briefly listening through), though the drums do make a return in 'Nightmare King', which is nice!
@@DaviVasc there's Nightmare king, it's this but more powerfull
@@DaviVasc how about absolute radiance ost from hollow knight
If you love this theme, youd adore his other theme, Nightmare King
Ah, thank you for suggesting it!
@@DaviVasc it’s awesome
@@DaviVasc Be prepared and to give you some background of how disturbing this group is, their phrase is “Burn the father, feed the child.”
absolutely
Oh yeah its awesome
Ah yes, chromatic mode, or as I like to call it, "I paid for the whole keyboard, I'm gonna use the whole keyboard"
“Disturbing” yet “glorious” is a very apt way to describe Grimm. Despite being so clearly inspired by Dracula and have a sinister appearance, he isn’t a villain. He is a performer who wishes to please the crowds. Yet he doesn’t want the praise and glory all for himself. He wishes to share it with the main character.
“Dance with me, my friend. The crowd awaits. Show them you are worthy of a starring role.”
Exactly. What I love about Grimm is that he doesn't care if he loses since his death is part of the plan, and so he has no fear/remorse/etc, and that means that he's not there to fend off some invader, he's there to make a majestic exit, to terrify and to mesmerize the crowd and the player.
And I love that
@@theweaverofworlds if he's going down, he's going down in style
@@shrekiscool4743 Exactly. He's just there to dance his final dance. And god dayum is this dance majestic.
It also brings out the Nightmare aspect of the Grimm Troupe's existence without making them actively malicious. It feels more like a circus with dark origins but overall positive intentions.
Compare that to a certain other boss that's effectively insane with rage against another god who probably never even saw her face in person.
The circus leader that feeds on the misery of dreams and tries to kill you………yup, definitely not a villain.
One of my absolute favorite transitions , it's like Grimm himself is getting into it
When you take the previous events,conversations and the fight into consideration Grimm is actually getting hyped up with the 'dance' as Grimm calls it. As the knight is performing better and nearing the boss fight's end Grimm is getting more excited and looses himself to fight the battle he always wanted
@@NeuroatypicalKirby not sure if you’re adding to it or countering but what you said is very true, I did more than a hundred tries, took me 4 hours to stop trying to kill him and learn his attacks instead. I can’t even imagine how powerful Grimm is at his full potential with killing intent
bro was really using hive blood in a boss fight
it was played by someone else... 😶
I was holding in my laugh the entire time i saw hiveblood
Whoever was playing that just wasted four charm notches
Listen, if you liked the suspense and glory of grimm, the radiance's theme is where its at. It truly makes you feel what the game wants you to feel, a pipsqueak fighting THE *SUN.*
oh _yeah_
but to fight the sun u need to *git gud*
@@ivanpavic3355 hope I can *git gud* before I reach Radiance. Hell, before I reach the Mantis Lords
@@lolloblue9646 Oh ,you poor soul. Many a thing must happen if you wish to beat the Mantis lords as your third boss...
Yes *Gitting gud* is one....
@@UnicronicHerald Surprisingly enough, I beat them first try
One of my friends described this song and his other theme perfectly as a “rock opera”
Actually rock circus opera
this isn't really what rock opera is. rock opera is already a thing, and this song doesn't match that pre-existing definition
This song teally makes you heart beat go wild while dodging
It must be crazy to listen to it in-game
It's my favorite workout boss, before going for the 5th pantheon. Just to listen to the music once more.
@@DaviVasc You will be adrenaline thumped in game fighting him( and dying a LOT). Worth every penny this game.
“Heart” you say?😏
@@mr.j3rs3y GET OUUU-
The mantis lords have an amazing theme that i think you’ll like
Mantis lords is great, but sisters of battle edges it out imo
@@Dadvinder I prefer mantis lords because it's simpler but it still retains that vibe.
@@Dadvinder Sisters of Battle honestly sounds a bit too “epic” and it loses some of what makes Mantis Lords sound so fun.
Mantis lords is definitely the better of the 2, and probably my favourite track of the game
@@Dadvinder Yeah, I love the choir.
At 0:22 you can see some rude bastard who attacks Grimm while he bows to you.
Nightmare King is basically what I would consider a phase 2 for this track where Larkin really emphasises on the terror. And it works wonderfully. Fight as a whole keeps you on your toes the entire time as minor slip ups can so easily cascade into loss of rhythm and panic inputs. Truly my favourite fight in the entire game, maybe along with Mantis Lords.
NKG was the most frustrating fight in the whole game for me but once you start getting it, it becomes very rewarding.
@@ImVeryOriginal NGK is honestly closer to dance you have to memorize and perform in front of the choreographer. Every little mistake you make in your performance is punished harshly.
@@ImVeryOriginal The coolest thing about NKG is that every one of his attacks are in time with his music
@@ImVeryOriginal I LOVED THAT FIGHT!@
@@ImVeryOriginal I did it ONCE and could not again but it was soo much fun
I know a lot of people are suggesting you listen to more boss themes but I would highly recommend giving the song White Palce from the Hollow Knight OST a listen. It is really beautifully composed and I feel often overlooked as it appears in a very noisy area in the game.
*sound of getting hit* *sound of getting hit* *sound of getting hit* *sound of vessel dying*
@@JanbluTheDerg *sound of buzzsaws*
Good suggestion! It is indeed a beautiful theme.
Kind of piggybacking off this I REALLY want him to listen to pale court. I don’t feel like it gets the attention it deserves
My favorite part of the game
Man, i suggested this before but screw it i'm gonna do it again. You really should do a video on Soul Sanctum. Based on the reaction to the Baroqueness and that sinister organ quality of this piece i imagine you'd really like Soul Sanctum.
Cool, thank you for suggesting it. No worries about suggesting stuff again, I'm cool with it.
Yeah... Soul Sanctum is clearly underrated!
When you listen to Soul Sanctum knowing the lore behind it is terrifying
@@kurusu1614 Terrifying with or without lore.
@@DaviVasc PLEASE do soul sanctum is has such interesting rhythms and it's one of my favorites
Yes! Gosh this theme rocks and your analysis is making me rethink this theme again.
Grimm as a character was inspired by a ton of things, he is like a circus leader, but also a spooky bat monster who likes to sup on the remaining fire of dying kingdoms. And the whole fight is supposed to be a dance sort of. Grimm is testing you if you are worthy to help him complete his ritual. So he fights you in his troupe tent and as you fight him an audience of his followers watches you and there are some cool theatrical details in the fight, like whenever you stagger him he turns into a bat for a bit and then returns with a drum roll followed by audience cheering and when he does a certain big attack the music goes full rock like in the second half of this theme for a bit as the whole arena lights up for the duration of the attack.
But this fight is just a small taste of what's coming, once the ritual is nearly finished the last act is to defeat and actually kill Grimm himself in his true form "The Nightmare King" and that fight has its own theme titled "Nightmare King". "Nightmare King" has a bit more going on than this theme I think and it would be interesting to hear your thoughts on it. Thanks for the video, made my evening!
I agree in him being inspired by a lot of things. He gave me a lot of vibes from Dracula from Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. The attacks relate so well to the Dracula from that Castlevania game. One of my favorite boss fights so far!
Yes but actually no. Grimm doesn't want you to finish the ritual. He especially says that he doesn't need you anymore after you beat him. The ritual isn't here for Grimm, but for the Heart which feeds on the fight between the Knight and NKG. Fighting Grimm is a danse where he exhausts you to feed the Grimmchild. Fighting NKG is a fight for Grimm's own survival. Brumm guessed right, Grimm is nothing else than another slave of the Nightmare Heart. "Burn the father, feed the child !" is one of the saying of the troupe (Grimmkin lvl 2's journal entry). It is not metaphoric.
@@stevenselvini8759 Up to one's interpretation bucko!
@@z8tr377 A'ight, now I'm angry. I played the game in french, and french translations when you beat Grimm is not at all what he says in english ! In french he says : "Sortez dans l’obscurité, mon ami. Quittez notre scène et laissez-nous performer notre acte final." which means "Leave into darkness, let us perform our final act" and "Et avec cela, je pense qu'il est temps pour nous de nous dire au revoir. Après une performance comme celle-là , de quoi d'autre le Rituel pourrait-il exiger de nous ?" which means "Time to say goodbye. What could the Ritual expect from us now ?" In english, he says "Go out into the darkness. Harvest the last lingering embers of this Kingdom. Then return to me and we will complete our dance." Now I don't know what to think anymore about it...
@@stevenselvini8759 If you are too lazy to look things up yourself (like I am) just watch a lore video, like one of mossbag's videos and be at peace.
Yes! This is one of my favourite tracks. You also break things down so well, even though I don’t understand music theory.
My intended audience is people that don't know music theory, so I'm happy you like the video!
1:33 bruh, you're spot on, that tune literally plays during a different point in the grimm troupe story
Glad to see more HK songs! Its cool to see someone who actually knows what they're talking about react to something
I love seeing a composer reacting to this theme because the guitar drop always makes their chins also drop 💀 it’s by far my favourite hk song and boss/area of the game in general
You could do a whole series on every Hollow Knight track and it probably wouldn't get boring. "Hornet" and "Mantis Lords" are also heavily baroque influenced, as is "Soul Sanctum" - a foreboding ambient track that seamlessly transforms into boss battle music. The ambient tracks are great in their own right - "Greenpath", "Crossroads", "Crystal Peaks" are all beautiful pieces, creating unique atmospheres with their own sense of progression. And hearing "City of Tears" for the first time in the game while descending into the titular metropolis was a magical moment that made me fall in love with Hollow Knight. There's just too much great stuff to choose from. :)
Troupe Master Grimm is my favorite boss to fight. He's a fun fight to learn.... but have yet to even fight his Nightmare King variant, which makes him faster, more aggressive, and adds trails of fire to his attacks.
Thinking on it, Grimm is a bit like Hollow Knight's version of Dracula from the Castlevania series. He even takes on a similar stance to what Dracula does when throwing out his fire balls.
Grimm is absolutely a nod to the genre's roots in Castlevania
Plus the nkg deals 2 masks per hit.
You are the reason I got into hollow night and it's lore...thank you! It's been very fun!
Ah, that makes me happy. Thank you Myna!
Cool thing to note is that in game his theme turns into the symphonic metal part only when he uses a special attack then goes back to orchestral
1:50 You know, I heard an interesting theory about why Baroque-style music became associated with grim, sinister things. You might find the video about it interesting! th-cam.com/video/WT934eTbmuY/w-d-xo.html
In a nutshell, organs were instruments originally constructed for use within the church and generally only used for worshipping God and representing his glory musically. Later on, it became a common trope to have an evil or sinister character playing the organ, because it's like a representation of their desire for power and control, that they would claim the might of God for themselves, or that they even BE God themselves. So when you have a character like that, the organ music that represents them is not beautiful and glorious, but horrifying and unsettling.
Thinking of how Ganondorf plays the organ in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I too thought that immediately.
Interesting!
@@Techhunter_Talon also Davy Jones plays his theme with an organ
I highly suggest you listen to "broken vessel"
Its like a combination of the metal part of Grimm and the sad part of sealed vessel
I'd put nosk in with it on the scary and yet creepy scale
I don' think that that's a good description of Broken Vessel. It's not really metal or Grimm-like in any sense, it's a dejected and determined march using the vessel theme.
@@cobusvanderlinde6871 kinda like the jaws bit with the cello, making the sad reality of the vessels twist into a predator-esk battle
@@cobusvanderlinde6871 it probably was ngl
The interesting part about the metal sections is that in the game, they ONLY happen while Grimm uses his balloon attack, so you barely hear any of it but it makes his most hectic attack feel so much scarier! Amazing video again, I would love to see you compare Mantis Lords with Sisters of Battle.
I love this sooky theme. I actually listen to this song on loop when I do my homework because nothing is scarier than my homework and it psychs me up haha
lol
This OST definitely feels like a deadly performance. With audience in the background and this intence glorious music it's really like a deadly dance we share with Grimm. The dance of Flame and Shadow.
Wanted to suggest listening to Everybody's gone to the Rapture OST - Mourning tree or Carry me back to her arms. Jessica Curry - the composer of the OST - made a masterpiece, imo.
Anyway, thank you for your reaction, you're one of many youtubers, that really explains how the music works and what it does to make us feel сertain emotions! You're great!
Love this track so much!! I really like how you break down what is going on and being used in the tracks!
Thanks man!
I’m loving this hollow knight music reaction series
Would love to see an analysis of “City of Tears” next!
IRL: (stays as far as possible from any source of evil)
In Hollow knight: (becomes part of the Grimm troupe and treats everyone there like family)
When you know this battle is a dance, a spectacle, you can interpret the theme like a show and the metal moment is clearly a Climax
Christopher Larkin is a genius.His music is amazing.
I really liked your analysis of this , and tbh of all the Hollow Knight music you have done !
Hollow Knight has quite a few "scary" pieces so to speak.
I fully reccomend you the Nightmare King Grimm song , Soul Sanctum and for sth completely different i would reccomend Pure Vessel
All are amazing imo
or hive knight
6:08 i was waiting for your reaction to the choir part of this soundtrack and if you thought this was wait till you hear part 2 of the song Nightmare King Grimm
The whole "baroque being associated with horror and sinisterness" definitely fits grim bc he's not terrifying because he's evil but bc he's so alien and his motivations and goals incomprehensible to the characters and players. He shows up in town out of nowhere, gives you a child and a task to defeat his followers, and bows to you before he attacks you, and call it all a dance. Why he's doing any of this is beyond anyone's understanding and that definitely fits the kind of horror captured by baroque music.
Very happy to see you reacting to more Hollow Knight tracks! I can't recommend City of Tears enough; it's the song that accompanies you as you walk around the area of the same name. I and many other players really fell in love with the game in City of Tears, and the music is a huge part of that. It has a different feeling in a lot of ways from other Hollow Knight songs you've shown on this channel but still features Christopher Larkin's signature composition style in a beautiful way.
4:11 something I just noticed upon rewatching this. The stringed instrument in the background (unsure of range/name) at this part is actually playing the main melody to Nightmare King. Granted it keeps modulating higher, but the note pattern is the same. Hiding the litmotif of Nightmare King in the background of Grimm's theme like how the Nightmare King resides inside Grimm as it's vessel. Clever Christopher, clever.
I would have never guessed. Wow.
Amazing series, love how you analyse these tracks!
Hollow Knight has an amazing soundtrack, but is also an amazing game! Can we hope to ever see you do a playthrough on Twitch, discovering these tracks in the context they were meant to be discovered in. Would love a full playthrough with some interludes where you explain stuff on your keyboard or go more in depth about what you're hearing.
Keep up the good job, hope to see more Hollow Knight content, that soundtrack is simply amazing.
(If you need ideas for future Hollow Knight tracks, I'd suggest: White Palace, Hornet, Mantis Lords, Soul Sanctum and of course the amazing City of Tears!)
A playthrough on Twitch or YT would be fun but at the moment I simply don't have time. Some day!
Very interesting video, as always! This piece is really cool and makes me want to play air drums! This fits perfectly with Grimm’s pompous, theatrical and unique character. I like the organ tone which goes very well with the Metroidvania game! I also like the chorus part which accentuates his charisma. I get the feeling that Grimm himself is conducting his band. It’s so brilliant that this piece has intense and overbearing vibes, and yet has catchy and playful vibes. Thank you for this video, Davi!!
Oh yeah, this is definitely air drum inducing haha. Thank you Aya!
There's a reason for terror, disturbance and all that, dude! This fight is INSANE! And after you beat him on your 100th try, maybe, shit gets real and it gets 10x CRAZIER!
The organ gives a spooky vibe, while the brass when hitting first makes you think of medivial castles and (mostly) vampires. The circus like base of the theme brings out the show aspect.
So yeah, the usual "OH MY GOD ITS AWSOME"-stuff
David Vasc: talking about how SPOOOKY and ”DISTURBING“ the music is
Me: i thought he was just trying to make some Circus vibes:/
Lol ikr. I love it though. I think it's more romantic to me. I know, I know, that is not close to many. But I think of the whole edwardian era. Which is very classy and romantic to me.
2:10 while you're right about them both having sinister undertones, they are sinister for different reasons, the hollow knight (the boss with the sealed vessel theme) is unkown because as you fight him, it becomes more apparent that he isnt himself, and seems mad or regretful for what is happening and struggles during the fight, while you have to question what is happening. Grimm is sinister because his fight is unexpected, he suprises you with it when you expect another challenge like what is given earlier in the game. He also seems calm and respectful, even bowing to the player and rewarding a successful fight, creating this atmosphere of eerie collectedness.
I always think of this one as phase 1. Nightmare king is when it gets crazy !
"Dance with me, my friend. The crowd awaits. Show them you're worthy of a starring role."
Please do White Palace from Hollow Knight next! It's not a boss track, but god it's so beautiful. Easily one of the best tracks in the game, along with this and Sealed Vessel.
He'd have to play a buzzsaw in the background to get the full experience lol
bump
*buzzsaw sounds*
Or the pale court, is the upgraded version.
I KNEW this would be a good one. Grimm was such a fantastic part of the game and his theme ROCKS (literally), its hard to believe it gets even more metal in the Nightmare King version. Larkin is phenomenal, and thanks so much for the video! :)
I will make a comment suggesting Pale Court on every video until you do it; it is such a masterpiece and it's a shame it doesn't appear ingame. Also Nightmare King Grimm is an obvious recommendation after this one.
Came for the song. Stayed for the breakdown. Very entertaining keep it up
If you plan to do more HK themes, I recommend Hornet’s theme (called Hornet) and Radiance’s theme (called Radiance), both are great and I’d like to see you break them down :)
I second the Hornet recommendation! it's one of my favorite tracks in the game
So happy you covered this! Grimm and NKG are by far my favorite fights of the game. Another two that are fantastic that I recommend are the Radiance and Soul Master themes.
I sincerely recommend you to listen to the "Sisters of Battle" theme, it is a rearranged theme from another spectacular track (Mantis Lords) adapted for a more epic and glorious context which, in my opinion, puts it a few inches above the original track.
Your videos well and truly have made me come to appreciate Christopher Larkin's sheer talent and genius. Mad props to you for breaking his work down an teaching us so much greatness about his stuff!!! Really loving the Hollow Knight content, I've already loved the soundtrack so much before, but you just brought a whole new level to actually *understanding* the greatness of the music
Yay, so exciting! Hope you liked the track :) Thank you for the amazing video!
Thank you for suggesting it :)
The man in the video really went in wearing HIVEBLOOD
Excellent reaction. I really enjoy this piece from HK. If you plan in reacting to more HK music, I cannot highly recommend enough Soul Sanctum, Pale Court, White Palace, and Haunted Foes. By far some of my favorites
Thank god someone else is talking about pale court. I don’t even know how I would begin to describe how that track makes me feel
My guy looks so shocked and confused I love it
I'm so glad you are doing Hollow Knight now! It's soundtrack is such a gem. Some tracks I'd recommend:
Broken Vessel
Nightmare King Grimm
City of Tears
Greenpath
Pure Vessel
Soul Sanctum
Your analysis of HK music (and others) made me realize there was even more complexity here than I knew. Something this game does really well is create and mix leitmotifs, so look out for those and you can get a gleen into the story without even having had played the game!
I’m so ducking happy he’s reviewing our beloved fandoms beautiful music along with GRIMM it brings me so much joyyyyy🥰
I love your expressions whenever a song decides to go full ham. It's a delight to watch and listen to!
Christopher Larkin is a really amazing composer. I can't wait to hear his Silksong soundtracks xD
I love that moment in reactions when they just go speechless. That jump in genre is very impressive and you gave it the appropriate reaction it deserved
Honestly, every part of the Hollow Knight OST is actually a masterpiece.
Every one of the boss fights have music that's perfectly evocative of the fight and the story behind it, and every zone you explore has music that sounds exactly like the place you're exploring.
A mysterious ancient cavern, an overgrown grove, and the literal crumbling edge of the kingdom, and so on.
10/10, perfection. But all the songs do contain a thread of despair or hints of loss... because the entire game covers a dying and forgotten kingdom consumed by madness.
That was awesome! Everyone was waiting for this video! Grimm has another theme, called Nightmare King, btw.
You've gotta listen to Soul Sanctum from HK. Easily one of my favorite pieces in hollow knight and a pretty underrated song in the soundtrack
YES
I'm really happy to see Davi cover this one. Grimm's theme is easily one of my favorites. I love that it starts out baroque and refined like how Grimm acts most of the time, then that metal transition hits kind of like how Grimm freaks out if you hit him when he bows to you
I loved your reaction to the guitar lol.
You should check out Mantis Lords, very popular track. If these boss tracks are too short you could also do it alongside the Gods and Nightmares version of the track (mantis lords + sisters of battle).
Personally though, Soul Sanctum would be an interesting track to look at.
You playing along with the captions made me crack up. Subbed. Love your dissection of music.
I'd recommend listening to White Lady or Kindom's Edge from Hollow Knight, as you've listened to some of the more dramatic music, but these more calming songs are just as stunning.
He’s called the nightmare king for a reason
There's another track from this DLC called Pale Court, it was never used in the game but I've been told it's the only song in the OST that's been orchestrally composed! It's so pretty(forgive my wording if I said that incorrectly I'm not a music person)
But my favorite track has to be Enter Hallownest, and funnily enough, that one wasn't used either😅
Great video, as always. I really enjoy seeing someone with a music background break down these tracks and bring my attention to elements I hadn't noticed before. Hollow Knight is such a great game with amazing music/sound design. Grimm is a fantastic boss, and as others have mentioned he has another, harder form called "Nightmare King" with an entirely separate track. Would love to see you check that one out some time!
I recommend “the rain formerly known as purple” from Risk of Rain 2, its not really lore base, but just a good song in general
Chromatic mode feels like going Super Saiyan for musicians
I recommend Pure Vessel! Easily my favourite boss theme, and absolutely the most meaningful track in the game, in my opinion.
I think it's the calmest and most solemn boss battle music I've ever heard. When you think they couldn't possibly squeeze any more emotion out of the Hollow Knight, you get the gut punch of seeing it as it was before its corruption. One of my favorite fights in the game.
I loved this video just like the other Hollow knight reactions
Looking forward to hear your reaction about City of tears soundtrack
I’m loving this series. If you do mantis lords I may explode from happiness
1:42 I love it so much when I hear that kind of pattern, I'm a big fan of the use of instrumental staccatos when this is done too (The attacks he talked about at 7:02)
Nightmare King is a masterpiece, I really suggest you to hear it, one of the best tracks in the game
I’m so glad you did a video on this song. It’s not only my favorite in hollow knight, but maybe my single favorite OST song from gaming.
Yeah this one is a banger! It starts good but when it really kicks in it just elevates this fight to a whole other level. Btw, are you planning on checking out risk of rain 2 some time? Great video, hope you keep up the awesome analyses!
Thanks for bringing the song back to my attention.. Sitting here: Goosebumps all over, coordinating the invisible orchestra and then hitting the multistep ascend to the metal part. Pure bliss!
Really happy to see you get excited about good old Master Larkin's work ;)
Desde que conheci o canal, sempre pensei "nossa... o sotaque dele parece de um brasileiro falando inglês..." só hoje entendi o porquê. Curiosamente conheci o seu trabalho pelo Matthew Griffin e como um fã de Hollow Knight e alguém que admira ver um trabalho bem feito, o seu é espetacular. Sucesso, meu conterrâneo!
OMG! I've never payed the required attention to this track, that Metal vibe is awesome! The Knightmare King Grimm and Sisters Of Battle are my favorite themes, but this theme now is close to them!
Some of my favourite tracks of hollow knight, probably one of the things that made Grimm my favourite Boss fight ! Can you beleive I had goosebumps during the whole song ? The harmonics, the whole orchestra ! It's just incredible !
In a way it's logic to have this disturbing chords so different for the game's ambiance, Grimm troup aren't from the same world, they don't play with the same rules. When Hollow Knight is Light vs Darkness, a life of insects, Hallowness very dull and earthy, Dreams are bright and gold, but Grimm ? Grimm is Fire. Red and Dark, and actually kind of a bat, so basically thematically sooo different (he has this vampire aesthetics as well).
Then you have "Dream" version >:) (shouldn't it be called Nightmare btw ? )
I haven't played the DLC, and holy crap, baroque symphonic metal Hollow Knight? Badass!
Thank you. Such a good video. Next Time please listen to Nightmare King. This track is from the same dlc and you should hear it right after this one. Also in my oppinion it is even better ;)
Grimm's theme is one of the best ones and my hands down favorite. From the organ, to the choir during the intense part. I LOVE IT
Am I the only one that's focusing more on the gameplay and judging it
i absolutely adore these videos, the hk song analyses are lots of fun to watch. if you were ever to analyze another good hk song that has plenty of organs, I recommend the soul sanctum or the soul master theme :)
You don't ever see it recommended because it's an OST for an unreleased game (HK Silksong - HK sequel) but breaking down 'Lace' would be awesome. Here's some incentives:
1. 'Lace' is currently #2 most viewed HK ost on youtube only losing to GRIMM + NK GRIMM combo ost. Not bad for a sample ost.
2. HK fanbase is VERY hungry for any hints including ones you can find in the ost. Especially for an unreleased game, your predictions/speculations can be very interesting.
3. It sounds very different from original HK ost.
4. All of the original HK ost was made (almost) solely by Christopher Larkin. For the sequel they used actual orchestra and real instruments.
Hopefully you'll consider doing this one. Thanks.
I think Bonebottom would be more interesting personally.
Everyone else: Damn this is fire!
DaviVascc: OH SH*T THIS IS TERRIFYING
If you are looking for other Hollow Knight soundtracks, some I'd reccomend are:
-Hive Knight
-Hornet
-Mantis Lords
-Dung Defender
-False Knight
oh hell yeah i waited for more hollow knight! thank you its so much fun watching these videos
As a hollow knight fan, I love these analyses! though the gameplay footage gives me the OCD I never had. Aside from that, I think it would be really cool if you checked out the sisters of battle track and the gods and glory track.
bro when the metal part came in I got so hyped I had to stand up and pace around my room
seriously, I love this track so much. (slight spoilers for the character grimm!)
grimm is the master of a traveling troupe, they all have a very gothic and almost circus like theme. grimm particularly is quite a charming character. he calls the fight a dance, something to entertain the audience. in the beginning he even bows to you (but if you attack him mid bow like the guy in the video did he immediately gets angry and screams, going into a harder attack phase). I think the baroqueness of the song really fits with the gothic circus vibe, and the adventurous, playful, and heroic notes are there because grimm isn't necessarily a bad guy, and this fight is, like he said, a dance. your suppose to have fun! although many people don't because grimm is one of the very much harder bosses and his second form is notoriously difficult
I am stunned, your description are so accurate I sometime can't belive you did not play the game or seen a video good job
Was waiting for this one! As always GREAT break-down man!