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dnalorsblog: My 5 roleplaying albums – A look ahead to the 2024 podwichtel
I just listened to the podwichtel post from Steamtinkerers Klönschnack. They were asked by the Gruftschrecken ‘What are your five music albums that can inspire roleplaying?’ and recorded a great, inspiring episode. Moritz from the Seifenkisten-Blog has now added his own mustard. In good old troll tradition, I now throw in my 5 albums that can inspire role-playing. For my non-German readers: during the Podwichtel, German role-playing podcasts ask other role-playing podcasts questions that they have to answer in an episode, preferably around Christmas time.
Demon The Unexpected Guest (1982)
My first album is really old school, good old metal from the early 80s. A kind of concept album that follows a story, the story of a demon summoning. Well, that’s not so surprising, since the band’s name is Dämon (demon). As an old metalhead, I love the driving guitar riffs, the fat sound, the melodies and the lyrics are ingenious, too. Each song on the album brings a different facet of an incantation into play. My favourite songs are Don’t break the Circle and Deliver Us From Evil.
Don’t break the circle
Don’t break the circle
Don’t break the circle
Don’t break the circle
Concentrate
I’m your contact link across the great divide
Many voices in my ear, hold on
I think there’s something coming through from the other side
It’s for all those who believe
The chain is stronger if the lifeline is unbroken
So beware the presence of the Unexpected Guest
Demon: Don’t break the Circle
Ayreon Into the Electic Casle (1998)
I bought the second album I want to present based on a recommendation in Rock Hard magazine. It got 10 out of 10 points, so it could only be good. Yes, it is. And it’s a concept album again. Arjen Lucassen brought everyone who was anyone in the scene into his studio for his third album (Sharon den Adel, Fish, Robert Westerholt…). A mysterious being (whose story is told in the following double album) kidnaps eight people from different places and times. To be released, they have to reach the electric castle. Unfortunately, one character after another crosses over on the way there. Basically, a DDC adventure almost writes itself.
My favourite songs are Amazing Flight, Across the Rainbow Bridge, Valley of the Queens and, of course, The Castle Hall. Man, did I shake my imaginary mat on that last one!
[Forever of the Stars (Peter Daltrey)]
At last! You enter the Electric Castle! Here, in this vast hall, where
Even shadows fear the light. Here, you must confront your past
If you have killed, beware the Gathering of Spirits
For they do fish for men. Here, the disembodied Astral World
Becomes flesh once more. I pity the men of swords
For here, blood runs cold…
[Barbarian (Jay van Feggelen)]
Cries from the grave resound in my ears…
They hail from beyond my darkest fears…
Faces of the past are etched in my brain…
The women I raped, the men I’ve slain!
Shades of the dead are sliding on the wall!
Demons dance in the castle hall…
Ayreaon: Castle Hall
HIM Razorblade Romance (2000)
Now it’s getting gothic. Or at least goth-pop. The album has a very special place in my heart. That’s when I fell in love with my wife and the album was often playing in my room in the evenings when we snuggled up together. For vampires or other urban-gothic-fantasy role-playing games with vampires, this is the right soundtrack.
Steppenwolf The Second (1968)
Back to the past, from the late 90s and the year of the big toilet into the 60s. In 1969, Easy Rider came out, a film that is rightly considered a cult and is the distillate of the hippie era. The film’s soundtrack included Magic Carpet Ride, which was on the B-side of the Steppenwolf album released the previous year. If you don’t know the 4 ½ minute song: that wouldn’t be a gap in your education, that’s an educational Grand Canyon. The album is something for headphones, time and a glass or two. Then the ideas for a travel adventure will come almost by themselves.
Gnome Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome (2024)
While we’re being old school, here’s a record that’s brand new but comes across as very old school. Stoner Rock, Krautrock. Raw, unfiltered, BASS! I have two videos for you here. The first is, of course, the link to the album
and here is the official music video for the first song, Old Soul
Watch the video. Don’t you want to roll some gnomes and throw them into a funnel or directly onto a campaign? Don’t you want to rewrite the video directly as an adventure and then play it? Doesn’t it scream ALRIK or some other OSR system (I urgently need to roll my dice again)?
Have fun listening!
