Editorials
[Reaction] I Beat Silent Hill: Downpour And Here’s What I Thought Of The Sound And Music
The other night, I beat Silent Hill: Downpour. For those of you who are sitting back and scratching your head wondering, “Didn’t this game come out a few months ago?”, you would be right. But here’s what happened. I bought Silent Hill: Downpour and managed to squeeze in a few hours. Then, the following week, I bought Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City, brought it home, popped it into my Xbox and BAM! Dead Xbox.
So, for a few months, I was without an Xbox 360 and was suffering every moment of this long and unexpected video game exile. It got to the point where I couldn’t take it anymore. I caved, bought an Xbox, and dived immediately into the world of…..Minecraft. Yeah, I had to face some creepers to get my hands used to the 360 controller once again. And after building a badass world with TJ (and a little bit with Adam, even though he likes to destroy other people’s creations), I got my mitts all set again. I was ready to enter that foggy world once again!
I remembered enough of the story to feel comfortable continuing on without restarting. This was also compounded by the fact that I knew I’d be playing the game several times regardless if it was good or bad (I have every achievement in Homecoming), so I’d get a fresh view of the beginning several times over.
Now, one of the things that had me worried and apprehensive was the music and sound. After all, it was the first time that Akira Yamaoka wasn’t at the audio helm. Instead, we have Dexter composer Daniel Licht taking over as composer. As a huge fan of the franchise, the music and sound was something that I was paying very close attention to as I made my way through the game. And, I must say, I was beyond satisfied. Licht not only nailed it, he knocked it out of the park.
Running through the town, the ambient background music did something to me that I hadn’t felt since SH3: it frightened me. I actually felt uneasy and nervous as I walked the streets, enemies hiding behind a blanket of mist, the threat of thunder, lightning, and rain always looming. Like Lovecraftian tentacles, the music wrapped itself around me, making my skin crawl, the hairs on my arms raising as goosebumps the size of mountains dotted my arms.
Then there were the little winks and nods to the history of the sound and music. For instance, picking up an item brings about the same sound that is used in SH2. Then, at the radio station, DJ Bobby Ricks puts on two tracks from the SH1 soundtrack. Whether or not this was Licht’s decision is not known to me. In any case, it shows an appreciation for Yamaoka’s work but an acknowledgement that Licht is now the star.
Also, not since SH2 have I heard music in this franchise that is as emotional and gorgeous in the fear and terror it provides. Yes, the soundtrack to SH3 had some fantastic cues but it was, in my opinion, the beginning of the downward slope of the franchise soundtracks. Slowly fading were the terrifying industrial passages of the SH1 OST and the same with the beautifully haunting SH2 OST, replaced by more drum driven tracks with strong vocal presence. Do I still love the soundtracks from SH3 onward? Yes, absolutely. But, for me, the sublime mystery lessened with each soundtrack. Licht brought back that phantasmagorical emotion that I have been so desperately craving.
In my review of the soundtrack, I was convinced that the music, on its own, stood up to the test of Silent Hill. But experiencing it in the game was something else. I can truly say that, in the end, the music and sound of Silent Hill: Downpour was one of the highlights of the game.
Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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