June 2022 Feature Release - The Gateway Edition

So just like that we find that a new month is upon us which of course means that we’ll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we’re asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. We’re really looking forward to hearing your thoughts on our chosen releases so don’t be shy.

This month's feature release for The Gateway, nominated by me (Shadowdoom9 (Andi)), is 2011's Call of Duty: Black Ops - Zombies Soundtrack, composed by Treyarch Sound. I'll explain the backstory a little more in my review, but I remember enjoying the soundtrack long ago before developing my own metal interest. The songs range from the groovy female-fronted metal-ish alt-rock of The Pretty Reckless and Halestorm to what might've been my first encounter with (melodic) metalcore in one of the more popular songs. Fast forward to a month before today when, after a recent revisit to a few of those songs, I've decided it would be time to check out that album again after all those years, and see if you and any of the other MA members are up for that as well, after a couple other soundtrack album discussions recently.

https://metal.academy/releases/33374

I did my review, here's its summary:

My brother is a pro-gamer (though never really joining any E-gaming tournaments) and has played dozens of different computer games. COD: Black Ops was one of those games from 10 years ago. Back then he and I also enjoyed the soundtrack. Going further into the backstory, as an MMORPG gamer myself, I find that multiplayer activities are terrible time-wasters when the other players can't co-operate. That's why I prefer going solo in these games, and why it was also fun watching my brother play Call of Duty Zombies Mode (when he lets me watch) with his player kicking undead a** for as long as he can survive. The soundtrack for this mode in World at War and Black Ops is quite fun to listen to at times. Throughout the 17 tracks of the original version, it's all mostly electro-industrial interludes with only a few actual metal songs scattered around, which are the real treats of the soundtrack, especially "115", the best part of the entire soundtrack, and my aforementioned first (melodic) metalcore encounter. Blazing riffs and drumming, with vocal alternation between screams and cleans, make that song a memorable metalcore one. The tracks all flow and spread well without ever sounding too forced in most of the interludes. Treyarch Sound made the right move of releasing the soundtrack for people to hear anywhere else besides the game. Call of Duty Zombies players should definitely check this out, and if you're there for the metal songs, you would get the most out of that side from the deluxe version with the 3 bonus tracks. Enjoy this soundtrack for battling the undead....

3.5/5

Recommended tracks: "Lullaby of a Deadman", "The One", "Beauty of Annihilation", "Voice in Your Head", "115", "Undone", "Abracadavre", "Pareidolia", "Coming Home"

For fans of (the Call of Duty games mostly, but we're referring to bands): The Pretty Reckless, Motionless in White, Mick Gordon's DOOM soundtracks

I have to admit that this release is an interesting choice for a feature release for The Gateway as there's really only two of the seventeen tracks that I consider to fall under the subgenres included under The Gateway. In fact, I'm not even sure that this release qualifies for metal status at all given that only there's only three tracks that are obviously metal & one that's kinda borderline. Of the tracks that I do consider to be metal, one is traditional heavy metal ("Lullaby of a Dead Man"), one is alternative metal ("Beauty of Annihilation") & one is melodic metalcore ("115"). "The One" is more of an alternative rock track that pushes out into alternative metal territory as it builds through the latter half. Other than that we have the usual mixed bag that is the modern video game soundtrack with the rest of the tracklisting covering disparate subgenres like ambient, electronica, chiptune, techno, psytrance & progressive rock. In truth there's a lot more electronic music here than there is rock/metal so I'm inclined to suggest that this shouldn't be regarded as a metal release. The quality also travels the full spectrum from amazingly atmospheric (see gorgeous ambient piece "Voice In Your Head" & closing instrumental prog rock guitar shredder "Undone" for example) to disposable rubbish (see dire chiptune inclusions "Zombies Don't Surf" & "Temple").

Overall I'd suggest that I get enjoyment out of about half of the tracklisting but the other material is simply too far from my comfort zone to allow me a positive overall experience. The female vocals are pretty cheesy but do come up with some nice melodies & I do quite dig some of the less bleepy/quirky electronic stuff but I often find that these video game soundtracks sound very artificial & generic, particularly in their use of dime-a-dozen software synths that come across as lacking in sophistication. The ambient pieces are where this release is most consistent & I do enjoy four of the five rock/metal tunes so this isn't a horrible experience by any stretch but I can't say that it ever really threatened to have me returning for repeat visits in the future.

For fans of metal-related video game soundtrack artists like Mick Gordon, Heaven Pierce Her & Machinae Supremacy.

3/5