Which Games Have the Heaviest Soundtracks?

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Heavy metal is among the most popular genres of music worldwide. Developed in the late 1960s, the genre was the favourite of around 20% of UK music listeners in 2018, overtaken recently by rock and pop.

The genre was made famous by iconic bands such as Black Sabbath—which is widely considered to have invented it—Metallica, Judas Priest, and Slipknot. Pantera, Iron Maiden, and Megadeath are some of the most listened to amongst metal heads.

Considering its popularity, it is no surprise that music from the genre has made its way into multiple games. Some are icons in the gaming industry, while others belong to a niche that only metalheads can genuinely enjoy.

Below are the games with the heaviest soundtracks that take full advantage of the intense guitar chords and dense bass unique to the genre.

Doom

Published by Bethesda Softworks in 2016, Doom is one of the most iconic first-person shooters (FPS) of the era. The game was released on PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, and, more recently, the Nintendo Switch.

Based on the franchise that began in the 1990s, the game takes you on an adventure as a space marine who must defend a Mars mining facility. However, you don’t fight aliens or unhappy locals who want you to leave.

The main enemy you’ll be facing at the Union Aerospace Corporation facility is demonic forces from hell that want one thing—your death. To do this, you’ll need to wield massive guns capable of blowing a hole through the toughest that the underworld offers.

While doing this, you’ll be treated to almost endless heavy metal tunes put together by Mick Gordon—an Australian composer who carefully selected sounds any metalhead will love. The game’s main title was even recorded using a nine-string guitar that was sold to a member of Meshugga—a popular Swedish heavy metal band—after the recording was completed.

Splatterhouse

Released in 1989, Splatterhouse is an arcade game that offers gameplay precisely as the name would lead you to expect. The beat-‘em-up style of the game will have you playing as Rick, who is trapped inside a mansion.

While trying to get out, many demented villains will attempt to block your way. The only way to get past them is to splatter them all over the walls as you beat, shoot, and hack your way through the levels.

Going hand in hand with the gruesome 2D visuals and slash-them-all gameplay is a gnarly metal soundtrack that adds to the overall experience in a way only those fond of the genre will truly appreciate. Considering the game’s age, these backing tracks compensate for the now-dated graphics.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengance

Any gamer will admit that Metal Gear Solid is a great franchise that is hard to stop playing. Metal Gear Rising: Revengance, released in 2013, is no exception to this.

The game, which has you trying to take down a private military company, is all about action but also has increments of stealth. In your attempt to stop the company from destabilizing any more peaceful countries, your sword becomes your top weapon as you take out the enemy systematically.

No mission of vengeance (or revengance in this case) would be complete without a killer soundtrack spurring you and your digital character on. Thankfully, the usual stealthy and quiet soundtrack of MGS games was replaced in this one for action-packed metal that gets your blood pumping.

Composed by Jamie Christopherson—who also worked on movies like The Crow: Wicked Prayer—the music will pump you up for the action of the campaign mode. Some of the music you’ll encounter even has the voice of Logan Mader—a previous member of Machine Head.

Ozzy Osbourne

Considering he is the lead singer of Black Sabbath, you’d be hard pressed to find a metalhead who hasn’t heard of Ozzy Osbourne. Aside from his crazy antics and wacky family, he is known for iconic songs like “Paranoid,” “Crazy Train,” and “War Pigs.”

It is not just music that has immortalized the singing sensation. NetENT, one of the most prominent casino game developers, has also used him as the centre of their Ozzy Osbourne online slot game.

Offering great ways to win big sums of money, the slot was released in 2019 and features all the icons you’d expect to see associated with the singer. These include the legend himself, skulls, silver crosses, and the regular royal symbols—but with a metal twist.

While playing the slot, you’ll be treated to an incredible metal soundtrack featuring some of Ozzy’s most memorable songs. The best part is the game is easily accessible via many of the online sites reviewed by Casinos.

Twisted Metal Franchise

With eight title games and two spin-off titles in the franchise, Twisted Metal is one of the most memorable demolition derby game franchises ever—second only to Burnout. However, it’s not just the carnage of crashing into everything you can and firing weapons endlessly that makes it so appealing.

Playing a story where you are part of a tournament (Twisted Metal), you aim to be the last man standing among the smouldering wreckage of the competition. You’ll need to employ guns, rockets, mines, your car, and even nuclear weapons to make the enemy eat your dust.

While doing this, you’ll be treated to the hardcore soundtrack of metal tunes being blasted alongside the bangs and explosions of you claiming victory. This helps get you fired up and ready to take on even more enemies as they come.

The game’s first iteration was released in 1995 and was available on PlayStation and PC. Twisted Metal III, however, was exclusive to PlayStation and was even released as part of the Sony Greatest Hits group of games.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff Chief editor

Bernard Van Isacker is the Chief Editor of Side-Line Magazine. With a career spanning more than two decades, Van Isacker has established himself as a respected figure in the darkwave scene.

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