Brilliant soundtrack. This piece in particular is my favorite, it's hauntingly beautiful and brings the entire atmosphere of The Court together. Darkest Dungeon is one of the few games that I purchased the soundtrack for, it goes beyond just a game and falls into the category of art with it's fantastic graphics, atmosphere, voice talent, and especially music. Great work, Mr. Chatwood. I hope to see more in the future!
Come to think of it, _very_ true! Unlike bats, sunlight apparently really is too hot for the vermin and garlic seems to be rather effective as mosquito repellent, overwhelming the creatures senses. Makes one wonder why people more commonly associate vampires with bats when mosquitoes have more in common with the myths.
People associate vampires with bats cause they're a creature of the night. We believe beings like vampires only strike during dark and that's what bats do. Mosquitoes can bite even in the sun, so they don't exactly count.
@@Lord_Numpty Because they were a part of the original vampire mythos to begin with. Back in the Middle/Dark Ages people were actually afraid that vampires existed and they associated certain conditions with vampirism. One such disease was rabies, a disease transmitted by biting, no less. It's also the reason why vampires are afraid of water, since hydrophobia is a common symptom of rabies. Bats bite people and give them rabies, which meant that it made them vampires.
@@yourewallsareveryconvenien8292 There are actually 3 species of bat that really do drink blood but ,even those only drink cow blood and they're honestly more cute than scary.
Love how the background instruments are reminiscent of buzzing flies. Stuff like this and Final Combat's heartbeat-like drum rhythm show without question that you're in a class far above the average video game track
Protip! That thing can only Submerge from Ranks 2 or 3. Have a push or a pull skill ready as soon as you see Lurking Fear and it will never be able to Apex Predator you.
I love the fact that they went the extra mile and printed out labels with blood drops for their wine bottles. Shows real commitment to the whole "we like drinking blood" thing.
I would have loved to have shouted "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!?" when I killed that asshole but in truth it came out more like a shrill "HOLY SHIT I DID IT" with one dead, two at death's door and three Afflicted at the moment the killing blow landed .__.
@Magni56 meanwhile thw crocodile dickhead kills my first hood, my best crusader, and my only hollow leaving me with the fool, who cant do anything in the first position. And yes i use mods
This soundtrack is perfect for the courtyard. Sounds like the maddening whine of insects, yet somehow more refined, more powerful and gives the ominous feeling of being hunted by murderers.
Most (though not all) enemies in the courtyard have an attack called "The thirst." If this hits, there's a chance your character will be infected with the Crimson Curse, a unique disease similar to vampirism that is nigh-impossible to cure. Being infected with it works like a normal disease, so it's based on disease resistance. Being infected with the Crimson Curse removes all other diseases, and you cannot get any other diseases on a cursed hero. That being said, if a character with it goes too long without drinking "The Blood", they will die without a deathblow check. The curse will be cured for all infected heroes once a courtyard boss is defeated, and there is a boss that appears only when you have too many cursed heroes in your party that may drop a cure. In addition, once all courtyard bosses are defeated, the sanitarium develops a method to cure it like a normal disease.
This one is really different than all the other Battle OST, this one sounds like theres something REALLY wrong about to happen and you can't stop it. AMAZING
Everyone talks about Wayne June and his voice, but Stuart's atmospheric musicianship really makes it all come together. Without a great soundtrack backing up Wayne's baritone voice, this game wouldn't have been so successful. Almost all of Stuart's tracks give me chills as they meander to their crescendo.
And unlike the Ancestor's nihilistic droning (no offence to Wayne June, but there's only so much of the character's pretentiousness I can stand before turning his voice off. It spilt into DD2 before I gave up on that quite frankly lousy sequel), it's pretty bloody hard to get sick of Stuart's music.
A lot of turn-based games I play I play with the sound on low and music off while I listen to a podcast. Darkest Dungeon is one of the few games in which I just can't do that. Your music is phenomenal and fits the game perfectly.
I will be posting this music and the two other new cues on my website stuartchatwood dot com for you to download for FREE! If you bought the soundtrack on STEAM or via KICKSTARTER, you should be receiving an email from RED HOOK to download the three new cues. If you bought the soundtrack on Amazon or iTunes then head over to my website tomorrow to download for FREE!
Even the citizens of the hamlet can hear their echoing screams, coming from that bloodsoaked swamp. They're crying out, seeking that sweet liquor made from corrupted flesh. They have been freed from the trapping of their mortality, only to be locked away within their very own perverted minds, crazed by the taste of that tempting fluid. What little humanity they had left is now long gone. They have become a part... of the Darkest Dungeon
Stuart you _really_ have outdone yourself with this one. Captures the feeling so well. I hope you continue to get more work with games and other media!
What a master piece. So glad to see you come back for for DD 2. Music, narration, sound design and animation blended so well together in the first one. You can do it again!
I don't even play Darkest Dungeon (My male-friend does and he is a big nerd) He introduced me to this soundtrack since he knows I like Game OSTs and when I heard this, I have to admit *it's amazing* O.O
That singer that rolls in after the initial part feels like a fleeting hope that this conflict may be resolved swiftly. Then the drums hit you with reality. This is a lasting nightmare. One we must see through to the end.
Hi Stuart, I normally just leave a like instead of commenting, but when I heard this piece, I really wanted to mention just how much I enjoy your work for Darkest Dungeon. I'm blown away with how well your music captures the atmosphere of the game's different areas, especially in the Crimson Court. The violins imitating the sound of mosquitos was a stroke of genius. Darkest Dungeon is a game with a lot of great elements, you've got the art, the narration, the tense gameplay, but your music really pulls it all together for me. In a lot of ways it's the soul of the game. I couldn't help pick up the soundtrack in the bundle on steam, looking forward to hearing more of your work in the future. Keep it up!
Sam - thanks! I look forward to continuing to work with Red Hook. Tyler and Chris have great taste and vision and are both gamers and exquisite connoisseurs of culture.
Horror movies have never scared me. That wasn't a boast or anything. It's just, when I close my eyes and listen to this and my imagination wanders, I can truly experience fear. It's exhilarating, I must say. Chills raking up and down my spine. I kind of like it.
I love how this song encapsulates the entire feel of the Court: the insect-like buzzing whine of the wings in the violins, the elements of grandeur and nobility and high society within the Court, and the foreboding danger of the monsters underneath that thirst for your blood.
Bombadilo42 I wasn't sure what the gamers would think of this cue but my goal is to make music I like and try and be as critical of myself as humanly possible.
I know everybody's said it already, but managing to work the mosquito-like droning into this while keeping it a delight to listen to really demonstrates a lot of skill.
This soundtrack is by far one of the best I've ever heard for a video game. The perfect dose of epicness in a global atmosphere of terror and horror. The never-stopping violins as the mosquitoes and the bugs never stop harassing you. The low but still quite perceivable vocals translating the nobelty through this mass of monstruosity. Damn.. As soon as I heard it for the first time, I stopped everything to search it on TH-cam. Wonderful job Stuart !
I love how the cello makes for the rhythm just as much as the percussion (if not even more so) by striking only one note for almost the entirety of the piece. It's really creative, and I'm really impressed! Stuart, you are indeed a talented dude
I want to look in the eyes of that guy who made crocodilian so powerful (cuz I felt like I was fighting stronger Ancestor with lvl 0-2 soldiers and no trinkets).
That's pretty accurate. It's almost literally Ancestor 2(With the darkness rifts) only here we've got self-healing and self-cleansing of Blight and Bleed along with the damage.
I really like how this track uses strings to simulate mosquito whines and using percussion rhythms to mimic heart rate. Its a very clever battle track.
There's a reason why you're one of my favorite composers, Stuart! I grew up with your soundtracks for Prince of Persia, and I'm beyond happy to listen one of your works again. I wish you did soundtracks for more video games; they make for excellent background music while writing! Keep up the good work!
Your tracks a so memerabale I can remember most of the beats and motifs even after I stopped playing including all the hit sounds and other parts of DD
@@StuartChatwood tell him not to get mad if other people start using mosquito vampires in the future. this needs to become the new norm for vampires (what constitutes the "norm" for vampires has actually been redefined many times in pop culture over the centuries, btw).
Howdy, Mr. Chatwood! Remember me? I’m the guy who’s running a campaign using the Hamlet as a setting, with some creative liberties, of course. Anyway, since you evidently showed some interest, and I feel like talking about it, I’m writing this comment. Before we talk about the story, though, we have to talk about the characters. Player number 1 is playing a wizard named Gage Alric. Specifically, Abjuration, or in non tabletop words, he’s playing a defensive wizard. His backstory is that he got trained by a Lich, Amortis, who sent him to the Hamlet to take care of something. Player number 2 is playing a rogue named Genevieve Gardener. Her older brother, Jack, was a serial killer in a town called Westhaven. Due to her learning about this, she got roped into Jack’s schemes, before killing him years later. She came to the Hamlet ideally seeking redemption, but she knows it was actually to have a place to die. The party’s NPC friend is named Styx, a soul inside of a rock, inside of a suit of armor. He’s a cleric, and part of an old religious organization called The Order of the Flame. This brings us to the last session that happened, in which the Party embarked to kill the Baron. After befriending a Wizened Shrew and fighting through the Courtyard, they came face to face with the Baron. Given the stat block I was using, this fight ended up being actually threatening, especially considering there was nowhere to hide. Regardless of this, the party had brought the Baron and his game’s participants to dire straits, which had given the Baron the ability to use *The Thirst.* Given the fact that the Baron was at 7 hp, I decided to have him use it. So, I roll to attack Genevieve. 19 to hit. “Okay”, I thought, thinking this wouldn’t do all that much. So, I roll for damage, and I roll max on the die. So, Genevieve takes 14 points of damage, which reduced her to 0 hp. With this occurring, Gage evaluated the situation, and makes... well, those of you who play tabletop games, you know what spell you take at level 5. Gage tells the Baron, “Given your status, I doubt much has been given to you recently. I, however, shall grant you this small mercy. *Burn.*” Gage casts Fireball, the Baron fails his dexterity save, and he takes like 30 points of fire damage. This kills him, burning away nothing but the tongue in the Baron’s chest. I would elaborate further, but I’m tired of writing. Anyway, this is a great piece, keep at it Mr. Chatwood.
All the reminiscent sound of violins buzzing in the background give such a frightening feeling to the overall piece... the crescendos increasing the tension... Phew... You truly did something amazing !
+Stuart Chatwood This theme basically feels like the theme Florida will be after Hurricane Irma; Nothing but swamp and the decaying ruins of civilization
Stuart Chatwood In fact pretty much the thing that made me buy the game when watching a few Let's Play videos. Seriously has that epic feeling like something you'd hear in a trailer for a Zack Snyder film. Love the industrial flourishes in that one too.
Funnily enough, ruins was always my least favorite. Before this, I had a special place in my heart for the Warrens theme. And the warrens in general, actually. Shame they so easy compared to the other dungeons, they were badass.
Warrens theme is also amazing. Didn't mean to slight any of the other music in the game, was posting from a phone at the time! Make no mistake the music in this game is absolutely masterful. Perfect fusion of modern sound design and classical tension. As an electronic music composer myself, it's been extremely influential in some of my latest work.
Dear sweet merciful Christ I can’t get enough of how MENACING the violins get over the course of this track. The crescendo is the aural equivalent of witnessing a swarm of dog sized mosquitoes shanking a man to death with nought but relentless buzzing smothering his screams. Awesome.
Most games I just kinda tune out the music, but with your work good sir I can’t help but move to the good work done here, GOODNESS I can’t get over how great this is AH!!!!!
B. Sz. Thanks. Town in Chaos is another of my favourites. I was very lucky also to hook up with Red Hook. The art, narration, sound Fx and game play were all inspiring. Great game.
I have to say, the premise for the Courtyard's horrors went far different than what I expected, but I can't say the same for the music. I *_KNEW_* it was gonna be a fantastic tune that'd make my hair stand on end from sheer adrenaline and cortisol, eager but fearful of the vampires I'd be tasked with doing battle against. Excellent as always, Stuart my man, massive cheers once again!~♪
Want to know how to beat a crocodilian with relative ease? Leper or Hellion in first position. Flagellant in second position. Jester in third position. Vestal in fourth position. Use whatever build you want from there as long as you are already a competent player in this game, but always make sure to have health and stress healing available and to bleed that crocodilian to death!
ever notice how vampires never close their mouths when they eat? I mean imagine if you saw someone with chicken soup running down their face like this.
Stuart Chatwood you are at the moment one of my favourite composers...you haunted my days back then with the Dahaka music from Prince of Persia and you still deliver. My Dnd and rpg nights are filled with your music. It inspires me trully.Don't know what connections you have but your music and fantasy must be spread to the gaming industry or somewhere else cause we need more.Congratulations!Cheers!
It just makes me happy seeing the video game industry grow, knowing that we have such talented people on board. Video games are the ultimate art as they are all of them combined.
I'm listening to this while I go hunt for alien nests in factorio. The size and unsettlingness of the... things... spawned from those nests just so happens to make the music fit.
Never played this. Just looking for horrific backgrounds. And yet... I feel like something bad is going to happen. And I feel happy that I felt this after such a long time. Weird.
DD is one of the best games I've played in the last few years (spent like 200+ hours playing it) and the music is just amazing! Mournweald and cove encounters are my personal favorites :) And this one makes me feel like "just a bit further and you will finally get rid of that annoying curse". Great job!
I Gotta say, this soundtrack and the Dark Souls games as well as Bloodborne are generally the only games I never turn the soundtrack off in. I've even used music from the Darkest Dungeon OST to set the tone for my tabletop roleplaying games. Mr. Chatwood, the fact that you can build such atmosphere with music is appreciative beyond words. You're a colossus of music in my book.
I like the music especially with the corresponding illustration. But when I was working in my summer garden I was mad about the fact that the makers of the game could warn that is has 4D effects!
The Cove, Town in Chaos and this one are my favourites....er, if you're not including Final Battle, The Hamlet and a Brief Respite...haha. I like this soundtrack a lot.
One of the most beautifully haunting themes ever composed, such a brilliant piece of work. It does make me wish, however, that this were the actual boss theme of the Countess herself, not just the basic theme of the Courtyard area. Especially the transition halfway through, adding those drums, makes it almost too perfect for her fight, changing from phase one to phase two, showcasing what a frenzied beast she becomes.
So haunting, yet so beautiful. It's like every cursed soul at the Crimson Court is singing their oratory - a very cruel one at that. Such a masterpiece❤ Thank you so much for creating an amazing piece of music❤
Flashbacks of when my Crimson Cursed Vestal took an auto turn and used Dazzling Light on a Crocodilian for critical 8 damage. I was almost impressed, except for the fact my Jester and Houndmaster were almost on Death's Door from bleeding. Priorities for Lights sake, woman.
I'm glad I helped support this project and your work man. Been playing this non-stop since it came out and everything has been fantastic. I just wanna thank you and the rest of the team for your hard work. I love the music, the talent and love you guys put into this. It's really rare nowadays to find something like this and seeing what it represents in the industry.
This really sounds ominous and threatening. Something about the strings used in the background just hints at things creeping around, just out of torchlight.
"*Crocodylinae Simuliidae*, an incredibly dangerous specimen. Requires further study. A prime example of the potential of the blood scourge. The blood is power, we must just focus its indiscriminate rage" -Reaserch Notes
Brilliant soundtrack. This piece in particular is my favorite, it's hauntingly beautiful and brings the entire atmosphere of The Court together. Darkest Dungeon is one of the few games that I purchased the soundtrack for, it goes beyond just a game and falls into the category of art with it's fantastic graphics, atmosphere, voice talent, and especially music. Great work, Mr. Chatwood. I hope to see more in the future!
Thanks for the kind words.
Honestly, I'd say the same exact thing about Bloodborne, which is quite similar to Darkest Dungeon in many aspects.
Mosquitoes the true symbol of vampirism unlike the stereotypical bat
Very true....
Come to think of it, _very_ true! Unlike bats, sunlight apparently really is too hot for the vermin and garlic seems to be rather effective as mosquito repellent, overwhelming the creatures senses. Makes one wonder why people more commonly associate vampires with bats when mosquitoes have more in common with the myths.
People associate vampires with bats cause they're a creature of the night. We believe beings like vampires only strike during dark and that's what bats do. Mosquitoes can bite even in the sun, so they don't exactly count.
@@Lord_Numpty Because they were a part of the original vampire mythos to begin with. Back in the Middle/Dark Ages people were actually afraid that vampires existed and they associated certain conditions with vampirism. One such disease was rabies, a disease transmitted by biting, no less. It's also the reason why vampires are afraid of water, since hydrophobia is a common symptom of rabies. Bats bite people and give them rabies, which meant that it made them vampires.
Or that fucking mosquito flying in your room that always avoids your wrath and sucks your blood when you are asleep.
Depicting vampires as mosquitos instead of bats is so fucking GENIUS. Gives a fresh take on a tired trope and makes them surprisingly creepier.
Ikr? I hope it becomes the norm for future vampires.
I hope any bloodsucking creatures becomes the new norm for future vampires because bats and with "Love vampires" story is so goddamn old now...
@@yourewallsareveryconvenien8292
There are actually 3 species of bat that really do drink blood but ,even those only drink cow blood and they're honestly more cute than scary.
And since bats are one of the main predators of mosquitoes, it makes me want a story featuring a vampire hunting werebat.
@@philiproe1661 Batman was an inquisitor from the holy city all along...
"Littering gold. Trinkets and baubles. Paid for in blood"
No shit Ancestor, I literally just gave a vial of blood to a dude for this
_Glittering_ gold
@@benthomason3307 thank you.
Love how the background instruments are reminiscent of buzzing flies. Stuff like this and Final Combat's heartbeat-like drum rhythm show without question that you're in a class far above the average video game track
Alice - You are too kind. Love your comments!
Skeeters are probably more apt considering what they transform into
"A Hideous Mutation! Unnatural, and abhorrent."
*APEX PREDATOR intensifies*
Thats time when you know you will be extremely lucky when even 1 your hero will survive XDDD
Protip! That thing can only Submerge from Ranks 2 or 3.
Have a push or a pull skill ready as soon as you see Lurking Fear and it will never be able to Apex Predator you.
not more hideous than leper and space meth
i love the way he says the first bit lol
this song perfectly fits the dual nature of the courtyard: nobility with an undertone of utter savagery.
Ian Krishnan Doyle thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I agree
As the song goes on it seems as if there savagery is more obvious over time
Bassically
The perfect theme for Strahd Von Zarovich
Flowerbud, Curse of Strahd!
I love the fact that they went the extra mile and printed out labels with blood drops for their wine bottles. Shows real commitment to the whole "we like drinking blood" thing.
vampire to do list
1) deposit blood in wine bottle
2) set printing press to print blood labels
3) finally get a goddamn drink
*massive laughs in the background everytime your party take a hit*
I would have loved to have shouted "WHO'S LAUGHING NOW!?" when I killed that asshole but in truth it came out more like a shrill "HOLY SHIT I DID IT" with one dead, two at death's door and three Afflicted at the moment the killing blow landed .__.
There should be a mod that plays laughter every time ine of your guys gets crit (fake laughs like in 90s comedy shows).
@Magni56 meanwhile thw crocodile dickhead kills my first hood, my best crusader, and my only hollow leaving me with the fool, who cant do anything in the first position. And yes i use mods
Massive ? Why not the opposite ?
@@impossibleexperiments scooby soo ones?
INTERIOR CROCODILE ALLIGATOR
Fuck that thing has ruined multiple days for me
*APEX BREADATOR*
I DRIVE A BLOODSUCKER APEX PREDATOR
@@cyboygaming1925 One Hit. Four cimson curse infection cases.
apex predictor my ass a hellion and highway man tore through that scaly lizard in 5 rounds man didn't even get to use the move more than twice
This soundtrack is perfect for the courtyard. Sounds like the maddening whine of insects, yet somehow more refined, more powerful and gives the ominous feeling of being hunted by murderers.
Doge Wow thanks for listening
Most (though not all) enemies in the courtyard have an attack called "The thirst." If this hits, there's a chance your character will be infected with the Crimson Curse, a unique disease similar to vampirism that is nigh-impossible to cure. Being infected with it works like a normal disease, so it's based on disease resistance. Being infected with the Crimson Curse removes all other diseases, and you cannot get any other diseases on a cursed hero. That being said, if a character with it goes too long without drinking "The Blood", they will die without a deathblow check. The curse will be cured for all infected heroes once a courtyard boss is defeated, and there is a boss that appears only when you have too many cursed heroes in your party that may drop a cure. In addition, once all courtyard bosses are defeated, the sanitarium develops a method to cure it like a normal disease.
Thanks for sharing this insight.
Hope is not yet lost! I thank you greatly good sir!
Wow. 100,000 plays already. Thanks for listening.
You mean 500.000 plays 🎉
its me ..and everytime im like "it's not good enough to buy it" but then i hear it again and again. aah screw u - u got me.
@@H1Smurf Thanks for supporting my music.
@@StuartChatwood you made this? I didn’t expect you to be human! This is pan-dimensional. Sooo good.
This one is really different than all the other Battle OST, this one sounds like theres something REALLY wrong about to happen and you can't stop it. AMAZING
Mate Pretty much summed up the song mate.
well you cant beat the curse of the blood
Everyone talks about Wayne June and his voice, but Stuart's atmospheric musicianship really makes it all come together. Without a great soundtrack backing up Wayne's baritone voice, this game wouldn't have been so successful. Almost all of Stuart's tracks give me chills as they meander to their crescendo.
Romewarr thanks for sharing your thoughts.
And unlike the Ancestor's nihilistic droning (no offence to Wayne June, but there's only so much of the character's pretentiousness I can stand before turning his voice off. It spilt into DD2 before I gave up on that quite frankly lousy sequel), it's pretty bloody hard to get sick of Stuart's music.
The "ding" sound the Crocodilian makes as it winds up the attack that's going to put my Occultist on death's door haunts my sleep.
Do you see the horror beneath? If so you may be suffering from eldritch madness
A lot of turn-based games I play I play with the sound on low and music off while I listen to a podcast.
Darkest Dungeon is one of the few games in which I just can't do that. Your music is phenomenal and fits the game perfectly.
Mike van Veen - reading comments like this put a big smile on my face. Glad you enjoyed the music!
You've Fucked Yourself: The Theme
The sound of a full party wipe
Your music is essential part of the game and its atmosphere. Great work Stuart!
Good boy Mr. Pickles !
It has a strange elegance compared to the other tracks in the game, which definitely fits the Court's theme very well
Excellent work as always
*APEX PREDATOR*
*LURKING FEAR MAN*
S U B M E R G E
*THE THIRST*
Would be hilarious if someone mashed this up with the Interior Crocodile Alligator track! ^_^
The perfect hunter.
I love how your soundtracks get more intense and horrifying as time goes on. I beg you, never stop making music.
Never stopping!
Love how these "noble vampires" are eldritch, mosquito horrors!
I will be posting this music and the two other new cues on my website stuartchatwood dot com for you to download for FREE! If you bought the soundtrack on STEAM or via KICKSTARTER, you should be receiving an email from RED HOOK to download the three new cues. If you bought the soundtrack on Amazon or iTunes then head over to my website tomorrow to download for FREE!
that's great! Do you planed posting on this site music of The Art Decay, if that's will be?
I've bought the OST via Steam, and haven't recieved the e-mail yet.When should I be expecting the e-mail to arrive, due to the demand?
I have asked the developers...if you don't hear anything by Monday then head over to my site for the tracks. I'll be posting them this weekend.
Have you tried re-downloading the soundtrack from Steam? Let me know...
Hey! Double-checked it and it's there now! Thanks for the support, and stay being the musical prowess you are! Much love!
They made the violins sound like flies buzzing on purpose.
more like mosquito buzzing
Wow really? Nobody has noticed that! Well done! This totally isn't extremely obvious!
Point of clarification: mosquitoes ARE a type of fly.
@@DirigibleTomato Don't be a dick
If vampires were invented by H.P. Lovecraft.
One dislike :(
Did someone hit a wrong button or did another composer come and visit...haha.
Stuart Chatwood Those are the people who suffered painful flashbacks of getting infected by the Crimson Curse. It’s not on you.
Stuart Chadwood
Now 20 dislikes: Necromancer, Hag, Swine, Flesh, Shambler, Brigand Powder, Drowned Crew, Shieker, Collector, Siren, Prophet, Antenat and 8 maggots
Nah. They loved it so much that they flipped the screen upside-down just to like it again.
Rumors told the buying soundtrack was better.
Bees: Pollinate plants and produce honey
Spiders: Eat bad insects
Flies and Roaches: Eat filth and keep the place (Relatively) clean
Mosquitos:
Even the citizens of the hamlet can hear their echoing screams, coming from that bloodsoaked swamp. They're crying out, seeking that sweet liquor made from corrupted flesh. They have been freed from the trapping of their mortality, only to be locked away within their very own perverted minds, crazed by the taste of that tempting fluid. What little humanity they had left is now long gone. They have become a part... of the Darkest Dungeon
Stuart you _really_ have outdone yourself with this one. Captures the feeling so well. I hope you continue to get more work with games and other media!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Much appreciated.
What a master piece. So glad to see you come back for for DD 2. Music, narration, sound design and animation blended so well together in the first one. You can do it again!
44 people couldn't defeat the Crocodilian.
make that 51
I don't even play Darkest Dungeon (My male-friend does and he is a big nerd) He introduced me to this soundtrack since he knows I like Game OSTs and when I heard this, I have to admit *it's amazing* O.O
I love hearing this. Welcome aboard. Check out some of the other pieces. It's also streaming on Spotify etc or my website.
Awesome and terrifying at the same time. Very nice job, Stuart.
Infectious Frostbite thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
only 325 views? Your work is EXTREMELY underappreciated
325 is not a lot but it was uploaded and made public only 2 hours ago. Thanks for support the music!
50K AND COUNTING. Congratulations!
Justu Postear this has been my fastest to 50k
still amazing in 2024. *I plotted to rid myself of this lurking threat in a grand display of sadistic sports*
That singer that rolls in after the initial part feels like a fleeting hope that this conflict may be resolved swiftly.
Then the drums hit you with reality.
This is a lasting nightmare.
One we must see through to the end.
Hi Stuart,
I normally just leave a like instead of commenting, but when I heard this piece, I really wanted to mention just how much I enjoy your work for Darkest Dungeon. I'm blown away with how well your music captures the atmosphere of the game's different areas, especially in the Crimson Court. The violins imitating the sound of mosquitos was a stroke of genius. Darkest Dungeon is a game with a lot of great elements, you've got the art, the narration, the tense gameplay, but your music really pulls it all together for me. In a lot of ways it's the soul of the game. I couldn't help pick up the soundtrack in the bundle on steam, looking forward to hearing more of your work in the future. Keep it up!
Sam - thanks! I look forward to continuing to work with Red Hook. Tyler and Chris have great taste and vision and are both gamers and exquisite connoisseurs of culture.
Horror movies have never scared me. That wasn't a boast or anything. It's just, when I close my eyes and listen to this and my imagination wanders, I can truly experience fear. It's exhilarating, I must say. Chills raking up and down my spine. I kind of like it.
I love how this song encapsulates the entire feel of the Court: the insect-like buzzing whine of the wings in the violins, the elements of grandeur and nobility and high society within the Court, and the foreboding danger of the monsters underneath that thirst for your blood.
Peptuck thanks for the nice comments...
According to these comments, one might say this track is a real "crowd pleaser"... Captures the vibe of those bloodsuckers really well!
Bombadilo42 I wasn't sure what the gamers would think of this cue but my goal is to make music I like and try and be as critical of myself as humanly possible.
Love it, just as good as my favorite "Town in Chaos".
Just from listening I can sense the threat and eerie of the courtyard. It really sets the mood. Amazingly done.
It really does show the danger and the dual nature of the courtyard
2:45 Masterpiece income
I know everybody's said it already, but managing to work the mosquito-like droning into this while keeping it a delight to listen to really demonstrates a lot of skill.
Thanks for the kind words.
The vague leitmotifs of the previous dungeons with its own flavor of nobility and horror really make this song shine.
Happy Rabid Duck thanks for the insightful comment.
Darkest dungeon 2 really really needs a region like this
This soundtrack is by far one of the best I've ever heard for a video game. The perfect dose of epicness in a global atmosphere of terror and horror. The never-stopping violins as the mosquitoes and the bugs never stop harassing you. The low but still quite perceivable vocals translating the nobelty through this mass of monstruosity.
Damn.. As soon as I heard it for the first time, I stopped everything to search it on TH-cam. Wonderful job Stuart !
As soon as the track started I got chills. The strings sound so much like insect wings
Crimson Court is literally what will happen if you will merge Slaanesh, Khorne and Nurgle cults together
I love how the cello makes for the rhythm just as much as the percussion (if not even more so) by striking only one note for almost the entirety of the piece. It's really creative, and I'm really impressed! Stuart, you are indeed a talented dude
Theme of Crocodilian party-wipes.
yikes...by now I think we all realize how hard this game can be...
I want to look in the eyes of that guy who made crocodilian so powerful (cuz I felt like I was fighting stronger Ancestor with lvl 0-2 soldiers and no trinkets).
yikes...I haven't made it to the crocodile yet...
That's pretty accurate. It's almost literally Ancestor 2(With the darkness rifts) only here we've got self-healing and self-cleansing of Blight and Bleed along with the damage.
@Thanquol Everyone encountered the croc on their first run.
"The Countess arrived! Anomalous in aspect and bent on exacting terrible revenge from beyond of bounds of the decency!"
This is even better than Town in Chaos. The tension and the fear really come out, all while the drums keep the epic going and the pace high
The strings*
Silly me
I really like how this track uses strings to simulate mosquito whines and using percussion rhythms to mimic heart rate. Its a very clever battle track.
*RED,**YELLOW.BLUE.**...KEYS MAN!* *FEEL THE PAIN OF HOPELENESS*
I love how Stuart keeps staying active in the comment section :)
House Vesper too much you think? Just trying to acknowledge all the people that take the time to stop by and listen.
Stuart Chatwood Not at all! I actually think we need more people like you who would actually take the time to communicate to fans.
There's a reason why you're one of my favorite composers, Stuart! I grew up with your soundtracks for Prince of Persia, and I'm beyond happy to listen one of your works again. I wish you did soundtracks for more video games; they make for excellent background music while writing!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the support. I plan on doing more games in the future. Good luck with your writing.
Stuart Chatwood Glad to hear it! I'll be keeping an eye out, then. Thank you very much, it means a lot.
Stuart Chatwood the next Prince of Persia? ;)
haha...I'd love to but I think Ubisoft have gone "Hollywood" on us.
Your tracks a so memerabale I can remember most of the beats and motifs even after I stopped playing including all the hit sounds and other parts of DD
whoever thought to make the vampires of this game mosquito people instead of bat people is a genius who's not getting paid enough.
That would be Chris Bourassa, the creator of the game.
@@StuartChatwood tell him not to get mad if other people start using mosquito vampires in the future. this needs to become the new norm for vampires (what constitutes the "norm" for vampires has actually been redefined many times in pop culture over the centuries, btw).
Howdy, Mr. Chatwood! Remember me? I’m the guy who’s running a campaign using the Hamlet as a setting, with some creative liberties, of course.
Anyway, since you evidently showed some interest, and I feel like talking about it, I’m writing this comment.
Before we talk about the story, though, we have to talk about the characters.
Player number 1 is playing a wizard named Gage Alric. Specifically, Abjuration, or in non tabletop words, he’s playing a defensive wizard. His backstory is that he got trained by a Lich, Amortis, who sent him to the Hamlet to take care of something.
Player number 2 is playing a rogue named Genevieve Gardener. Her older brother, Jack, was a serial killer in a town called Westhaven. Due to her learning about this, she got roped into Jack’s schemes, before killing him years later. She came to the Hamlet ideally seeking redemption, but she knows it was actually to have a place to die.
The party’s NPC friend is named Styx, a soul inside of a rock, inside of a suit of armor. He’s a cleric, and part of an old religious organization called The Order of the Flame.
This brings us to the last session that happened, in which the Party embarked to kill the Baron. After befriending a Wizened Shrew and fighting through the Courtyard, they came face to face with the Baron. Given the stat block I was using, this fight ended up being actually threatening, especially considering there was nowhere to hide. Regardless of this, the party had brought the Baron and his game’s participants to dire straits, which had given the Baron the ability to use *The Thirst.* Given the fact that the Baron was at 7 hp, I decided to have him use it. So, I roll to attack Genevieve. 19 to hit. “Okay”, I thought, thinking this wouldn’t do all that much. So, I roll for damage, and I roll max on the die. So, Genevieve takes 14 points of damage, which reduced her to 0 hp. With this occurring, Gage evaluated the situation, and makes... well, those of you who play tabletop games, you know what spell you take at level 5. Gage tells the Baron, “Given your status, I doubt much has been given to you recently. I, however, shall grant you this small mercy.
*Burn.*”
Gage casts Fireball, the Baron fails his dexterity save, and he takes like 30 points of fire damage. This kills him, burning away nothing but the tongue in the Baron’s chest.
I would elaborate further, but I’m tired of writing. Anyway, this is a great piece, keep at it Mr. Chatwood.
This is a wonderful piece of music. The violins are perfect, but even all the things in the background are. I especially love the vocals.
Fal. Tos. Thanks for listening.
Really hoping this returns in some form for darkest dungeon 2, similar for what you did with the warrens track
All the reminiscent sound of violins buzzing in the background give such a frightening feeling to the overall piece... the crescendos increasing the tension... Phew... You truly did something amazing !
*Lvl 5 dungeon run going great*
Mosquito Boi's: Allow us to introduce ourselves"
*adds to blood donation playlist*
+Stuart Chatwood This theme basically feels like the theme Florida will be after Hurricane Irma; Nothing but swamp and the decaying ruins of civilization
I hope everyone stays safe in Florida...Thanks for listening.
I love how you can hear the mosquitoes buzzing about represented by those high strings! Superb use of music to convey imagery.
My favorite is still the Ruins battle music though, followed closely by Return To The Warrens (what a slamming beat on that one!)
Thanks. I like that cue as well.
Stuart Chatwood In fact pretty much the thing that made me buy the game when watching a few Let's Play videos. Seriously has that epic feeling like something you'd hear in a trailer for a Zack Snyder film. Love the industrial flourishes in that one too.
Chris from Red Hook was very supportive of the industrial direction for some of the tracks.
Funnily enough, ruins was always my least favorite.
Before this, I had a special place in my heart for the Warrens theme. And the warrens in general, actually. Shame they so easy compared to the other dungeons, they were badass.
Warrens theme is also amazing. Didn't mean to slight any of the other music in the game, was posting from a phone at the time!
Make no mistake the music in this game is absolutely masterful. Perfect fusion of modern sound design and classical tension. As an electronic music composer myself, it's been extremely influential in some of my latest work.
Dear sweet merciful Christ I can’t get enough of how MENACING the violins get over the course of this track.
The crescendo is the aural equivalent of witnessing a swarm of dog sized mosquitoes shanking a man to death with nought but relentless buzzing smothering his screams.
Awesome.
Mosquitoes play this as their hype song before they swarm my bedroom at night. 10/10 would never sleep again.
I was looking for this yesterday, but couldn't find it. Glad to see that it is finally uploaded
Most games I just kinda tune out the music, but with your work good sir I can’t help but move to the good work done here, GOODNESS I can’t get over how great this is AH!!!!!
I think Red Hook and the Darkest Dungeon is really lucky with you sir. This piece is as good as the Town in Chaos soundtrack. High quality!
B. Sz. Thanks. Town in Chaos is another of my favourites. I was very lucky also to hook up with Red Hook. The art, narration, sound Fx and game play were all inspiring. Great game.
I have to say, the premise for the Courtyard's horrors went far different than what I expected, but I can't say the same for the music. I *_KNEW_* it was gonna be a fantastic tune that'd make my hair stand on end from sheer adrenaline and cortisol, eager but fearful of the vampires I'd be tasked with doing battle against.
Excellent as always, Stuart my man, massive cheers once again!~♪
Want to know how to beat a crocodilian with relative ease?
Leper or Hellion in first position.
Flagellant in second position.
Jester in third position.
Vestal in fourth position.
Use whatever build you want from there as long as you are already a competent player in this game, but always make sure to have health and stress healing available and to bleed that crocodilian to death!
ever notice how vampires never close their mouths when they eat? I mean imagine if you saw someone with chicken soup running down their face like this.
Stuart Chatwood you are at the moment one of my favourite composers...you haunted my days back then with the Dahaka music from Prince of Persia and you still deliver. My Dnd and rpg nights are filled with your music. It inspires me trully.Don't know what connections you have but your music and fantasy must be spread to the gaming industry or somewhere else cause we need more.Congratulations!Cheers!
That beggining....absolutely terror and panic in that....
It's..... perfect
Nice! Thanks for the comment.
It just makes me happy seeing the video game industry grow, knowing that we have such talented people on board.
Video games are the ultimate art as they are all of them combined.
I'm listening to this while I go hunt for alien nests in factorio. The size and unsettlingness of the... things... spawned from those nests just so happens to make the music fit.
Factorio - Cool game. Thanks for dropping by and sharing a comment.
This is amazing. I'd say this is right up alongside the Brigand Incursion and the Siren boss battle as the best music in the game.
Never played this. Just looking for horrific backgrounds. And yet...
I feel like something bad is going to happen.
And I feel happy that I felt this after such a long time. Weird.
DD is one of the best games I've played in the last few years (spent like 200+ hours playing it) and the music is just amazing! Mournweald and cove encounters are my personal favorites :) And this one makes me feel like "just a bit further and you will finally get rid of that annoying curse". Great job!
Alejandro Castro Adrianzén Thanks for listening.
*EXECUTED WITH IMPUNITY.THIS IS HOW LIFE IS TAKEN*
"The corpulent braggart could never eat his fill... Let him dine on sharpened steel tonight."
I Gotta say, this soundtrack and the Dark Souls games as well as Bloodborne are generally the only games I never turn the soundtrack off in. I've even used music from the Darkest Dungeon OST to set the tone for my tabletop roleplaying games. Mr. Chatwood, the fact that you can build such atmosphere with music is appreciative beyond words. You're a colossus of music in my book.
Rayjenkins thanks for sharing your thoughts and listening.
Push on to the task's end!
I like the music especially with the corresponding illustration. But when I was working in my summer garden I was mad about the fact that the makers of the game could warn that is has 4D effects!
Sergoliss 4D wow.
Sergoliss thanks for listening
Thank you for the music. I really like the Cove battle soundtrack, it is my favourite. And this new Bloodletting theme is really good.
The Cove, Town in Chaos and this one are my favourites....er, if you're not including Final Battle, The Hamlet and a Brief Respite...haha. I like this soundtrack a lot.
One of the most beautifully haunting themes ever composed, such a brilliant piece of work. It does make me wish, however, that this were the actual boss theme of the Countess herself, not just the basic theme of the Courtyard area. Especially the transition halfway through, adding those drums, makes it almost too perfect for her fight, changing from phase one to phase two, showcasing what a frenzied beast she becomes.
TheShadowCookie thanks for the kind words. They inspire me.
A brilliant confluence of skill and purpose!
You are a God, I can't think of a better soundtrack-aesthetics combo in a game.
Thanks for listening...
I allways come back to this soundtrack. Truly amazing, love those mosquito violins.
Chatwood, you made another masterpiece here. never have i been so pumped for fights than i have in the courtyard JUST because of this music.
So haunting, yet so beautiful. It's like every cursed soul at the Crimson Court is singing their oratory - a very cruel one at that. Such a masterpiece❤ Thank you so much for creating an amazing piece of music❤
Thanks for your support.
Flashbacks of when my Crimson Cursed Vestal took an auto turn and used Dazzling Light on a Crocodilian for critical 8 damage.
I was almost impressed, except for the fact my Jester and Houndmaster were almost on Death's Door from bleeding. Priorities for Lights sake, woman.
Really Waited...LOL thanks. What a creepy but thrilling ost
Karyuen J thanks for waiting!
I'm glad I helped support this project and your work man. Been playing this non-stop since it came out and everything has been fantastic. I just wanna thank you and the rest of the team for your hard work. I love the music, the talent and love you guys put into this. It's really rare nowadays to find something like this and seeing what it represents in the industry.
Thanks! Very proud to be part of this incredible team.
This really sounds ominous and threatening.
Something about the strings used in the background just hints at things creeping around, just out of torchlight.
Darkest Dungeon has some of the best music of all video games. This track is particularly exceptional.
mkxxiv thanks for sharing your comments. I'm glad you have enjoyed the music.
"*Crocodylinae Simuliidae*, an incredibly dangerous specimen. Requires further study. A prime example of the potential of the blood scourge. The blood is power, we must just focus its indiscriminate rage"
-Reaserch Notes