The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Year: 2006
Type: Original Soundtrack (OST)
Composer(s): Jeremy Soule
Number of tracks: 26
Noblivion
For once, I don't want to be too preachy, because I'm not alone in my love for the fourth part of The Elder Scrolls. For many, it was the role-playing game of the 00s and for me personally, it was a revelation. To this day, I can still remember how I played the game, the original CD of which ended up in my drive absolutely legally and whose appearance had nothing whatsoever to do with a friend's internet access. Said friend, who had recently become a father, had introduced the game to my brother and me during one of our frequent LAN parties. What was it about? I had no idea. The Elder Scrolls? Never heard of it.
Full of anticipation for multiplayer action, I installed Oblivion and opened the program. A short startup screen appeared, logos popped up and then ... At this point I would like to say that I was struck by the fantastic main theme, that I froze in awe in front of the PC and listened to this glorious melody. But in truth, I had the sound off and was eagerly searching for the multiplayer button. As I couldn't find it, I finally started a new game and was annoyed by the stuttering after just a few seconds. My computer wasn't up to the technical demands, which is why my euphoria was limited. So I quickly switched it off again and opened Counter-Strike again.
Of course there was a happy ending in the end. And of course I gave TES IV one more chance. However, this should not be a unique selling point of Oblivion ; after all, in those days, installing a game on your home PC meant playing it through. We had nothing better to do. One playthrough, two add-ons, various mods and hundreds of hours later, I knew Tamriel like the back of my hand. I had the perfect order for all the quests, knew where to get which item and how, had leveled every skill to the max and finally even had 113% chameleon passive, which made me an invisible omnipotence. And during all those happy hours, this music was playing.
Composed by Jeremy Soule, it is probably remembered by many gamers and is only challenged in the Olympus of video game scores by its successor Skyrim - also by Soule. So things could have gone worse for the US composer. However, since he was accused of sexual abuse in 2019, he has fallen out of favor and, as far as I can see, has withdrawn from the public eye. Read my review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for my thoughts on this.
26 tracks, over half of which are outstanding, indicate a bit of nostalgia - and I stand by that. The OST for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion was my happy place for a long time. Be it the aforementioned main theme Reign of the Septims, which promises epicness in Soule's unmistakable style. As with Morrowind , it represents a journey. This time, however, it is not an island covered in ashes, but a fantasy realm with magic, wondrous creatures and enchanting places.
The trumpets herald the empire and the reign of the Septim family that gave the piece its name. Their rulership is proclaimed in a befitting manner before gentle tones are heard. Cautious, deliberate. Breathing deeply. Then the threat emerges, haunting us players in the form of demons from the Daedra dimension of Oblivion. Things get hectic. But the rain is followed by sunshine, calm and peace return. "Everything will be alright", the orchestra seems to want to tell us, before the track slowly ebbs away in an almost corny manner. A stylistic element that Soule uses in each of his main themes in the Elder Scrolls-series.
In general, the score can be divided into three categories: Combat, Atmo and Ambience. While the former is self-explanatory, the distinction between the latter two requires some explanation. By ambient tracks, I mean pieces like Winds from the Depths or Ancient Sorrow, which have little musical density. Instead - and especially because they are mostly used in caves and crypts - these tracks remain in the background, having a distant melody at most and, like Tension, Unmarked Stone or Deep Waters , serve to build up tension. Less spectacular and intended more as a filler, they breathe a lot of atmosphere into the underground passages. On their own, however, there is very little left of their effect.
The atmospheric tracks work much better. They are the ones that create the Oblivion-like fantasy atmosphere. We hear them when we wander through the cities or they accompany us on our forays through the woods. Examples: Through the Valleys and Glory of Cyrodiil, which are reminiscent of the German role-playing game counterpart Gothic 3, released at the same time, and imitate the chirping of birds with their flutes. There is also Harvest Dawn and Alls Well with their meditative fantasy sounds, as well as King and Country, whose bright chimes bring back memories of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
My personal highlights in this category are Watchman’s Ease, Glory of Cyrodiil and Auriel’s Ascension. All three pieces have an undeniable similarity, but each has a different dominant instrument. In Watchman’s Ease the strings fly over the scenery, whereas in Glory of Cyrodiil the harp and wind instruments play a larger part. And Auriel’s Ascension concentrates classically on the piano. As in almost all the pieces, the various instruments harmonize masterfully with one another, each given space to add its own (fragrant) note. Super cheesy, super beautiful.
The album concludes with the aforementioned battle tracks. All with a different focus: sometimes more heroic (March of the Marauders, Fall of the Hammer, Daedra in Flight), sometimes more fatalistic (Death Knell, Defending the Gate) and sometimes more chaotic (Bloody Blades, Churl’s Revenge). All of them bear a resemblance to Soule's other works, and even if they are an improvement on Morrowind , I find this specific type of song more captivating in games like Company of Heroes or Supreme Commander - or even Skyrim.
Yes, it's nagging, but at a high level. However, thanks to nostalgia, I don't care anyway, because I love this score. The game may be outdated, the mechanics unsophisticated, the bugs countless. The music is often repetitive and the lack of cool pieces beyond the fantasy standard stuff might hurt - but that doesn't bother me. I had no benchmark at the time, no expectations. Each of the aforementioned tracks brings to mind a moment in Oblivion , a quest or a character. Jeremy Soule's work always takes me back to the distant year 2006, to a stale cellar with me in front of a roaring PC and the thought that this is the best game of all time.
Nostalgia warning
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Reign of the Septims | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 02 | Through the Valleys | Jeremy Soule | |
| 03 | Death Knell | Jeremy Soule | |
| 04 | Harvest Dawn | Jeremy Soule | |
| 05 | Wind from the Depths | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 06 | King and Country | Jeremy Soule | |
| 07 | Fall of the Hammer | Jeremy Soule | |
| 08 | Wings of Kynareth | Jeremy Soule | |
| 09 | Alls Well | Jeremy Soule | |
| 10 | Tension | Jeremy Soule | |
| 11 | March of the Marauders | Jeremy Soule | |
| 12 | Watchman's Ease | Jeremy Soule | |
| 13 | Glory of Cyrodiil | Jeremy Soule | |
| 14 | Defending the Gate | Jeremy Soule | |
| 15 | Bloody Blades | Jeremy Soule | |
| 16 | Minstrel's Lament | Jeremy Soule | |
| 17 | Ancient Sorrow | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 18 | Auriel's Ascension | Jeremy Soule | |
| 19 | Daedra in Flight | Jeremy Soule | |
| 20 | Unmarked Stone | Jeremy Soule |  |
| 21 | Bloodlust | Jeremy Soule | |
| 22 | Sunrise of Flutes | Jeremy Soule | |
| 23 | Churl's Revenge | Jeremy Soule | |
| 24 | Deep Waters | Jeremy Soule | |
| 25 | Dusk at the Market | Jeremy Soule | |
| 26 | Peace of Akatosh | Jeremy Soule | |
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