Summary
Disturbing music is a perplexing form of art because it’s both impressive and downright terrifying at the exact same time. It’s tricky to frighten people just with noise, but when done effectively, music can become one of the most disturbing forms of art. When it comes to video games, soundtracks are usually more joyful and upbeat, yet there are so many titles out there that challenge this convention.
It’s almost at the point now where video game music has surpassed the creativity of film soundtracks, and that’s especially true when it comes to disturbing music. These video games feature some of the most haunting, bleak, and isolated music that gamers will ever hear, and their notes will echo in the ears of those who hear them over many sleepless nights.
Trigger warnings ahead for some of the titles of these songs. Proceed with caution.
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for The Bible tells me so”; these are words echoed in this haunting vocal song fromThe Binding of Isaac, which has had many renditions in subsequent sequels. It’s a disturbing song as it’s theorized (and later made more obvious) that it’s probably the childlike voice of Isaac himself singing the vocals.
A disturbing game in every sense,The Binding of Isaac’sthemesare represented fully here. The distorted vocals are accompanied by a distant piano with a waning phaser-like effect that makes it even creepier. “Jesus Loves Me” is a classic example of a disturbing video game composition, and its separate renditions make it even more strangely disturbed.
“School Pulse” evokes a rush of adrenaline when it plays inOutlast 2throughout thegame’s school segments. It features a thudding synthesizer pulse that vibrates every couple of seconds while a constant shimmering noise shuffles in the background. It’s the ultimate chase sequence music that will send shivers down the spines of any gamer.
It speaks volumes that this simple pulse music is effectively disturbing enough to evoke intense feelings of anxiety which couple so well with a chase sequence in a horror game. Even listening to the track outside of gameplay will make the listener want to constantly check their back, or burst into a run.
Nailing its intenselydark and gloomy atmosphere,Thief: Deadly Shadowsfeatured a number of disturbing tracks, but it’s certainly “Shalebridge Cradle” that takes the cake. This is mostly a dark, ambient drone piece, but it’s got several distorted noises in the background which appear to be voices.
There’s also a slight rising of a string note, which couples with the reverberating voices to create an imminent sense of dread. The strange, distant noises only get more intense, and even weirder, as the song progresses. Eventually, a clear whisper can be heard amidst the hammering drones, and it’s incredibly haunting, to say the least.
Opening with some disturbing creature noises (which sound like a mix between crocodiles and the growl of a lion) is “Subway Trouble”, a disturbing song fromSilent Hill 3’ssoundtrack. The song quickly changes into a repetitive chime of bells that grows more and more disjointed and distorted as it progresses.
There are haunting strings and a jarring alarm siren on top of the bells, which all combine to create this disturbing work of art. It builds up into a blaring crescendo which will stay ringing in gamers' ears before falling off into a quieter hum. Composed by the legendary Akira Yamaoka, the soundtracks to all the originalSilent Hillgames are entirely disturbing, but exceedingly excellent all the same.
Listening to the wholeShadow Mansoundtrack is a deeply disturbing experience, but there are a few songs that stand out in particular, and “Lavaducts” is one of them. The track starts off with echoing laughter which contrasts with the breathing of machinery, and the hissing and puffing of smoke.
This then turns into a more sludge-like sound as it becomes even more disturbing, and a series of screams are heard, followed by a woman crying. There is no tune here, it’s just anamalgamation of disturbing soundsand voices that combine to create this disturbingly gruesome and unsettling piece of music.
Isolation, but at the same time, thefeeling of being followed. This is the best way to describe “The Sewer Passage” from the originalSilent Hill.This disturbing song starts with a simple, repeating hum which then evolves into this waning sound which somehow sounds like metal crying.
It’s an extremely unconventional piece of music, but then again, so is the wholeSilent Hillsoundtrack. However, this is genuinely one of the most disturbing experiences in any game, and the song alone will shake gamers to the core. It’s a subtle form of disturbing, but that’s sometimes the most effective.
“Kill Yourself” is an experimental, noise-rock-influenced, disturbing journey into the depths of hell and back. This is just distorted drones with distorted voices that occasionally say words like “kill yourself” or “I am sick”, and it’s an overall unpleasant and seriously disturbing listen.
However, it’s also an interesting listen, as it’s not often that such an experimental form of music makes its way into a video game. It’s achieved effectively and fits well with the overall game ofCry of Fear, but gamers should absolutely prepare themselves before they press play on this one.
If there was ever a video game song that represented endless, bleak nothingness, this would be it. “Ziggurat Vertigo” is an ambient composition of nihilism that creates a lasting impression of doom. Featured inQuake 64in a secret area, “Ziggurat Vertigo” is the sound of a planet dying in a distant universe.
This is pure bleakness at its most disturbing. It’s just ambient drones with haunting, sharp sudden notes that occasionally burst from nowhere, but it creates one of the most daunting ambient atmospheres in music. “Ziggurat Vertigo” is a song tosave for the end of time.
Shadow Man’s"Playrooms" starts off so innocently, with bells and chimes from a children’s nursery and samples of a squeaky toy, but things swiftly take a dark and drastic turn. The sound of a vacuum, or some sort of sucking utensil is turned on, which is then followed by the squeal of a child, and a blood splattering effect… yeah, this one’s pretty messed up.
The grinding, or sucking, sound continues as other objects can be heard splattering amidst rising maniachal laughter, which gradually starts to sound more and more likesomeone is eating something. The song then switches into a more tuneful buildup before reverting to the childlike nursery sound font. It’s a disturbing journey and should be avoided by any sensitive listeners.
Scarring. Disturbing. Ominous. Horrifying. These are just some of the words to describe the sound of “Blood for Sex” fromLISA: The Painful. This is the song that plays as the end credits role, and it’s a hell of a song to leave as the last moment that gamers will hear after finishing the game.
To describe this song would be an injustice. It’s got a whining, almost-human-but-not-quite vocal quality that zones in and out against a backdrop of clattering synths and rising alarms. However, this is a song that should be listened to and experienced. Turn the lights off, put some headphones on, and get lost in a deeply, horrifically disturbing journey like no other. This may be the most disturbing piece of video game music ever made.
