GW dropped the Angels of Death soundtrack from composer Jonathan Hartman and things are really taking off on iTunes. Here’s a big congrats to the team.
In case you missed it, Warhammer Community announced their new 40k-themed orchestrated soundtrack by Jonathan Hartman yesteday. This is the perfect ensemble to play in the background while you play, or also get you hyped while you paint! With just hours after releasing the album is crushing it on iTunes!
40k Angels of Death Soundtrack Crushes iTunes!
Warhammer 40,000: Angels of Death – The Original Score is a 39-minute feast of orchestral music that captures the gothic feel of the 41st Millennium. Want the full track listing? Oh, alright then. Just for you. Beware of spoilers in the track titles…
Here’s a sample of one of the songs out of the album, The Black Rage.
As of this writing, Angels of Death has only been out for about 24 hours. According to Popvortex, it is already the #2 most popular soundtrack on iTunes only being beaten out by Hamilton from 2015. Making #2 in a day is a pretty huge deal as it has crushed both Guardians of the Galaxy soundtracks, and even the kids’ favorite Frozen 2.
Chances are it has plenty of legroom to go with the new shows on the way as well!
A Word From the Creator, Jonathan Hartman
Now that we’ve seen just how popular this piece has gotten in such a short amount of time, here’s an inside look from the mastermind behind the work of art.
Composing the original score for Angels of Death was the first time my personal hobby and professional career overlapped. This has been creatively inspiring, fulfilling, and surprising.
Did this score need to represent all Space Marines, all of Warhammer 40,000? Early on I realised that was too large a task, and the focus had to be on this story and these characters, so carefully crafted by the Warhammer Storyforge team. Part of it still has an epic quality, a sense of massive scale, created by an orchestra and full choir, with all the expected Gothic elements.
…Another part of my approach has been to treat the Warhammer setting as if it’s real – more like I’m scoring a historical event, something with real stakes and gravitas. How would you score the fall of Rome? Or the Moon landing? Or when Horus betrays the Emperor? Somehow when I ask myself these types of creative questions, I’m able to get to the sound faster, to get to the way this music should feel.
That’s the most important thing about music and storytelling – that it makes you feel something. As a lifelong fan of Warhammer, I hope that all of the fans in our hobby feel as excited about the new media as we do making it.
Warhammer Is About To Get Even More Popular
With the soundtrack being so popular, it’s only reasonable to think that Warhammer is about to get even more popular. People on iTunes may see how popular it is and give it a listen, then go down the addicting rabbit hole of lore in the grimdark universe!
Once again, we’d like to extend a big congratulations to Jonathan Hartman and GW for putting together such an awesome piece! You can download the piece on iTunes or Black Library if you’re interested!
What do you think about the new musical take on 40k? Have you listened to all the songs on the soundtrack? Which one is your favorite?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
