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Wonderfully wide world

This is the music review of
Morrowind (2017) | Summerset (2018) | Elsweyr (2019) | Greymoor (2020) | Blackwood (2021) | High Isle (2022) | Necrom (2023) | Gold Road (2024).

When talking about the music of the Elder Scrolls series, there is no getting around the name Jeremy Soule. His music, which we have listened to in every game since The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, is inextricably linked to the series and is one of the best that the genre has to offer the western role-playing world.

This makes it all the more tragic that he will in all likelihood no longer be part of the sixth installment (whenever that is due to be released). This is probably because of the allegations against him of sexually assaulting female colleagues; or Bethesda simply wants to give the franchise a new, musical breeze. Either way, it's always a shame for me when a face that has so impressively shaped the style of a brand has to go.

The separation of Soule and The Elder Scrolls already took place in 2014 with The Elder Scrolls Online (called ESO). Brad Derrick composed the accompanying soundtrack and did the same for all subsequent expansions. Perhaps someone still remembers one of my first reviews of the addon Elsweyr, in which I accused the score and its composer of irrelevance a good three years ago. Probably a bit harsh, since it was the background sound of an MMORPG spin-off, but since I try to look at the music separately from the actual game, I have to be fair.

Fortunately, I can attest more creativity and variety to the score for the main game The Elder Scrolls Online - which admittedly shouldn't be difficult compared to a monothematic expansion. Like Soule's works, Derrick is oriented towards a mixture of wide, sustained orchestral pieces that give the mind's eye space to wander and relax (Winged Twilight, Courage of Ordinary Mortals, Bruma Against the Jeralls).

At the same time, he also strikes the powerful notes typical of the Elder Scrolls when iron and steel meet fireballs and monster skins in the fantasy world (Weapons Drawn, Oath of Malacath, Onslaught at the Gates). The dominant instrument here are the drums, which set the pace and call for battle. This is contrasted by the strings and vocals, which create a dreamy fantasy feeling à la Neverwinter Nights 2 thanks to the piano chimes in the quiet pieces.

He rarely reaches the class of Soule, which is a shame on the one hand, but on the other may just be due to my nostalgic glorification. So it's all the nicer that occasionally Derrick appeals to this when he quotes the previous episodes of the series and we hear, for example, the motif from Watchmen’s Ease (The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion) in Greenheart, Nerevar Rising from Morrowind in Tides of the Abecean Sea or the well-known theme from Skyrim in For Blood, for Glory, for Honor.

In the latter, the composer also gives the theme a slightly different spin, which to my ears makes it sound more like a piece from Oblivion than from Skyrim . More like a departure and less like a reverent pause. Experts are welcome to listen to it and let me know whether that's just my impression.

In general, I find it difficult to say anything negative about the all-round solid score. I like the use of strings (Omens in the Clouds, Anequina Beckons), the vocals, the percussion and the underlying tenor. Actually, an orchestral soundtrack like this has to do a lot wrong for it not to appeal to me. That's why I'm giving it a clear recommendation, despite the modest score, because for me it's not a soule score after all.

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No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	For Blood, for Glory, for Honor	Jeremy Soule	5
02	Moons of Evening Star	Brad Derrick	3
03	The Three Banners: Fanfare	Brad Derrick	3
04	Omens in the Clouds	Brad Derrick	3
05	Echoes of Aldmeris	Brad Derrick	2
06	Weapons Drawn	Brad Derrick	5
07	Yearning for Moonshadow	Brad Derrick	3
08	Lowering the Banners (Sundown)	Brad Derrick	3
09	Dawn Gleams on Cyrodiil	Brad Derrick	3
10	Rubble and Smoke	Brad Derrick	2
11	Comrades in Arms	Brad Derrick	4
12	Y’ffre in Every Leaf	Brad Derrick	3
13	North from Riften	Brad Derrick	3
14	Moth, Butterfly, and Torchbug	Brad Derrick	2
15	Elegy for the Remans	Brad Derrick	2
16	Oath of Malacath	Brad Derrick	4
17	Whispers of the Ancestors	Brad Derrick	4
18	Vestige of Hope	Brad Derrick	3
19	Sands of the Alik'r	Brad Derrick	3
20	Winged Twilight	Brad Derrick	2
21	Imperial Legion	Brad Derrick	4
22	Auridon Sunrise	Brad Derrick	3
23	They Did Not Die in Vain	Brad Derrick	3
24	Greenheart	Brad Derrick	4
25	Tamriel Beleagured	Brad Derrick	3
26	To Dance with Daedra	Brad Derrick	3
27	The Towers Cast Long Shadows	Brad Derrick	4
28	Horizons of Cyrodiil	Brad Derrick	4
29	The Legacy of Lorkhan	Brad Derrick	3
30	Arkay Watches	Brad Derrick	3
31	Courage of Ordinary Mortals	Brad Derrick	4
32	The Heart of Nirn	Rik Schaffer	2
33	Soaring on Eagle’s Wings	Brad Derrick	3
34	Stendarr’s Mercy	Brad Derrick	3
35	Order of the Ancestor Moth	Brad Derrick	2
36	Onslaught at the Gates	Brad Derrick	4
37	Alas, the Dragon Shall Break	Brad Derrick	3
38	The Keep Has Fallen	Brad Derrick	3
39	Bruma Against the Jeralls	Brad Derrick	4
40	We Honor the Slain	Brad Derrick	3
41	Ruins of the Ayleids	Brad Derrick	4
42	Anequina Beckons	Brad Derrick	3
43	Northpoint Nocturne	Rik Schaffer	3
44	Memories of Yokuda Lost	Brad Derrick	3
45	Peril Upon the Sands	Brad Derrick	4
46	Tides of the Abecean Sea	Brad Derrick	4
47	Beauty of Dawn	Malukah	4

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Morrowind

MMORPG stands for game as a service, which in the best case means years of content floods and for this page a bunch of OSTs for the various expansions of The Elder Scrolls Online. It all started in 2017 with The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind, transporting us to the island of the same name, which we already know from The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind , home to the dark elves known as the Dunmer. As with the main game, series composer Jeremy Soule is not involved, but Brad Derrick is. Unfortunately, he rarely achieved the qualities of his colleague, but I don't want to be too harsh. After all, the games in the main series are considered milestones in video game history and therefore benefit from a lot of nostalgia.

In TESO: Morrowind , Derrick's kinship with Jeremy Soule's work doesn't stay behind the ash heap for long. As in the fantastic Nerevar Rising , we are greeted in A Land of War and Poetry (feat. Jeremy Soule) by a deliberate drumbeat. Instead of the expected melody that promises us a lovely landscape, however, the track takes a different path in line with its title. The violin, which, accompanied by the percussion, almost seizes the theme, is more reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed IV: Blackflag before returning to the old TESO-nature with powerful horns. It is only towards the end that we come full circle to Soule's work with a faster and more dominant reworking of the theme. Such quotes and references to the past will be heard from time to time in the other DLCs, especially in the expansions that take us to areas familiar from Oblivion and the like.

The rest of the score for TESO: Morrowind, however, is an original creation that places the theme of adventure and exploration of a fantasy world in the foreground - what a surprise! Derrick creates this feeling with long drawn-out strings, which fly thoughtfully and movingly over the scenery in waves and praise an acoustic paradise in Magnus Smiles on Suran, Vvardenfell Vista, Ascadian Idyll, Shadow of Baar Dau and Azura’s Coast. This beauty, however, is called into question by agitated (Omens Prophecy, Schemes of the Anticipations) or darkly threatening pieces (The House of Troubles (feat. Jeremy Soule), Ancestral Tomb). The initially warlike Currents of the Odai is probably also one of them, whose opening reminds me a little of Warcraft III.

Finally, Reverie of the Netchimen, which comes across as mystically magical and whose string melody somehow makes me think of mash-ups of 'old Disney classics like Mary Poppins meets Anno'. And right at the end, Grazelands Dawn (feat. Jeremy Soule), which comes across as an upbeat quote from Soule's The Road Most Travelled, but quickly loses its lightness and falls somewhere between melancholy, cheerfulness and a sense of new beginnings. All in all, a nice addition/interpretation of the Dunmer realm that (would have) worked even without the references to The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	A Land of War and Poetry (feat. Jeremy Soule)	Brad Derrick	4
02	Magnus Smiles on Suran	Brad Derrick	4
03	Vvardenfell Vista	Brad Derrick	3
04	Ascadian Idyll	Brad Derrick	3
05	Shadow of Baar Dau	Brad Derrick	3
06	Azura's Coast	Brad Derrick	4
07	The House of Troubles (feat. Jeremy Soule)	Brad Derrick	2
08	Omens Prophecy	Brad Derrick	3
09	Reverie of the Netchimen	Brad Derrick	4
10	Schemes of the Anticipations	Brad Derrick	3
11	Currents of the Odai	Brad Derrick	4
12	Ancestral Tomb	Brad Derrick	3
13	Telvanni Towers	Brad Derrick	3
14	Grazelands Dawn (feat. Jeremy Soule)	Brad Derrick	4

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Summerset

With Summerset, the second expansion takes us to the home of the High Elves. So far, we have only been able to visit them in the very first offshoot of the series, Arena, long before Jeremy Soule put his stamp on The Elder Scrolls with his well-known pieces.

When we build a new chapter, we put a lot of work into making the world sound really dynamic and alive. And we go to great lengths to make everything sound the way you think it should.

Composer Brad Derrick

This is how composer Brad Derrick describes the process in an interview with elderscrollsonline.com when a new part of the world of Tamriel is made playable with an expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online and it is up to him to provide the musical accompaniment for the whole thing. Consequently, the 14-track score sounds quite predictable. It's about the elves, so we tweak the vocals a bit, make it sound more spherical - surprise, surprise.

In the interview mentioned above, Derrick says that he added his own brass section for this album, which no longer accompanies the orchestra as a small accessory, but rather 'brightens up' the musical mood. This can also be heard directly in the main theme Even Paradise Has Shadows , which makes the Elder Scrolls-Theme (Nerevar Rising) seem less bombastic and more ethereal thanks to the brass section. The composer himself says:

Mechanically, this is not difficult, as the Elder Scrolls-theme is fundamentally simple. It's wonderfully malleable, so you can make it big and dramatic or soft and gentle. For me, it's like a Rubik's cube for music. I embed it in another piece of music and turn it back or from top to bottom. Real music nerds might recognize it, but even if you're not, you'll get it subconsciously.

Composer Brad Derrick on Even Paradise Has Shadows

While no, you don't have to be a music nerd to recognize the subtleties of the composition, it certainly helps to develop an interest in it. The score doesn't offer anything highly new or varied but, as is so often the case with expansions, merely represents another facet of the known.

Of course, it's not all just cheerful tree-hugging: with tracks such as From Abysses Below and Beyond and The Glory of Certainty much-needed drama is added to the cuddle course. And if you like it more rocking, you'll even find some electric guitar action in the cover Three Hearts Afire by Malukah and 2wei. Apart from that, however, the album is a little too lacking in accents for me. I'd rather recommend the soundtrack to SpellForce 2: Shadow Wars, whose Dun Mora strikes the same elven chord, but does so much more sensitively.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Even Paradise Has Shadows	Brad Derrick; Jeremy Soule	4
02	Sun-Blessed Alinor	Brad Derrick	3
03	Gryphons Soar in the Sun	Brad Derrick	3
04	Dusk Song of the High Elves	Brad Derrick	3
05	Here Be Wonders	Brad Derrick	3
06	Masque of Reveries	Brad Derrick	4
07	Isles of the Starry Dream	Brad Derrick	3
08	From Abysses Below and Beyond	Brad Derrick	4
09	Spires Rise to the Sky	Brad Derrick	4
10	Starlight on Eton Nir	Brad Derrick	4
11	The Lullaby of Praxis	Brad Derrick	3
12	The Glory of Certainty	Brad Derrick	4
13	Past Defines the Future	Brad Derrick	4
14	Three Hearts Afire	Malukah; 2wei	4

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Elsweyr

Please note: This was one of my first reviews. So please don't be surprised if the text doesn't seem to fit into the overall context and I'm talking about things here that I've already discussed in the article on the main game.

I haven't played The Elder Scrolls Online, let alone the third DLC Elsweyr. Judging by the cover and name, the game takes you to Elsweyr, the continent of Tamriel, where the feline Khajit are at home. And apparently it's quite oriental, mystical and very esoteric there.

At least that's the impression I get from the nine-track score. Brad Derrick is responsible for it - a composer I don't know yet, but who won't manage to emerge from insignificance for me with this composition either. About the music: the themes are extremely drawn out, very sustained and consist almost exclusively of female singers accompanied by strings. Sure, a powerful cello can make a big difference, but nothing here sticks in the ear. I could search for 'oriental' and 'cello' and find 100 songs that sound exactly like this. Battlestar Galactica clearly shows what you can get out of these instruments. And Assassin’s Creed Origins, which follows the same theme, demonstrates much more variance and individuality.

Of course, I am comparing an MMORPG background music with a story-driven open-world epic. But at its core, that's exactly what The Elder Scrolls Online wants to be. I can't say anything about the gameplay. The score, however, falls short of expectations. The only bright spot: Skyrim-theme (here A Clash of Fang and Flame), naturally as a cello version. However, this is quickly stifled by Prince of Persia-like rhythms and then returns as a transposed version in a minor key. Not pretty, but fortunately rare.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
1	A Clash of Fang and Flame	Brad Derrick	4
2	In the Shadow of Kaalgrontiid	Brad Derrick	3
3	The Two-Moons Dance	Brad Derrick	3
4	Riddle and Shadow	Brad Derrick	2
5	Purr of the Hunter	Brad Derrick	3
6	Secrets of Azurah	Brad Derrick	2
7	A Desert Born in Twilight	Brad Derrick	3
8	Waning Memories	Brad Derrick	3
9	Khenarthi's Breath	Brad Derrick	3

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Greymoor

After the previous expansions to The Elder Scrolls Online transported us to the ashy Morrowind, the subtropical Elsweyr and the summery Summerset Isles, we land in Greymoor in the west of the Nordic Skyrim. We already know this from the last installment of the series of the same name, and the story is similar - at least if you have played the DLC Dawnguard . There, as here, a bloodsucking menace threatens Tamriel and must be defeated by the MMO's tens of thousands of players.

Unlike the story, however, the soundtrack does not follow in the footsteps of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Instead of a magical fantasy furor, Brad Derrick's composition is cloaked in a minor key that masks any euphoria or enthusiasm: dominantly gloomy strings, plaintive vocals and a constant feeling of sadness weigh on the composition, which is of course due to the thematic premise.

Meanwhile, the 15-piece score conveys this regret excellently and the music is of the usual high standard. However, the depri-dullness can get on your nerves at some point, especially when there is no emotional connection to what you are hearing. Even more 'exciting' tracks such as Skyrim’s Dark Secret or Thirst in the Deep don't help, although they do add some movement to the strolling of the OST, which wanders through the fog-shrouded alleyways with its head down. I like the horror in the A Plague Tale-series better, for example.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Blackreach Rising	Brad Derrick	4
02	A World without Light	Brad Derrick	3
03	Shivering Dread	Brad Derrick	2
04	That First Drop of Blood	Brad Derrick	3
05	Mists of Morthal	Brad Derrick	3
06	Mourning in the West	Brad Derrick	3
07	Wrath of the High King	Brad Derrick	3
08	The Dwemer’s Lament	Brad Derrick	4
09	Lost in Greymoor Keep	Brad Derrick	3
10	Terror by Torchlight	Brad Derrick	3
11	The Frozen Hearth	Brad Derrick	4
12	The Sea of Ghosts	Brad Derrick	3
13	Skyrim’s Dark Secret	Brad Derrick	4
14	Thirst in the Deep	Brad Derrick	4
15	A Wolf Among the Pines	Brad Derrick	4

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Blackwood

In 2021, it was the turn of Blackwood, the region between Cyrodiil and the Black Marsh. This is not only the home of the lizard-like Argonians, but also the setting for the main story. In this story, players had to fight against the machinations of the Daedric Prince Mehrunes Dagon and uncover a conspiracy 800 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Musically, this is accompanied by twelve tracks of the usual high quality.

Brad Derrick may not be on top form, but the score is definitely not a snore-fest like Elsweyr . The main menu theme, Through Gates of Flame skilfully adapts Nerevar Rising as usual, while Moss on the Cobblestone is both dramatic and conspiratorial in keeping with the story. In general, the combination of fantasy and mysticism reminds me in places of the score for the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – which wasn't so bad, by the way.

Back to the Blackwood-score and the question: what's it good for? As is so often the case: plenty, if you like it - which I do. Zenithar’s Anvil is a heroic departure, A White Stallion Rampant is thoughtful emotional chaos, while Memories of the Marsh brings back memories of Inon Zur's contemplative exploration accompaniment for Fallout IV . Anguish Beyond the Veil even has some horror flair, but predictably doesn't reach the class of dedicated thrillers like Dead Space or the The Dark Pictures-series. Overall, a clear recommendation from me!

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Through Gates of Flame	Brad Derrick	4
02	Diamond and Root	Brad Derrick	4
03	Moss on the Cobblestones	Brad Derrick	4
04	Blackfin Triumphant	Brad Derrick	4
05	Fields of Nibenay	Brad Derrick	4
06	Death in the Shallows	Brad Derrick	4
07	Anguish Beyond the Veil	Brad Derrick	3
08	Zenithar’s Anvil	Brad Derrick	5
09	A White Stallion Rampant	Brad Derrick	4
10	The Ivory Aegis	Brad Derrick	3
11	Memories of the Marsh	Brad Derrick	4
12	Deadlands Suite	Brad Derrick	4

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High Isle

Contrary to expectations, this expansion does not take you to Jamaica, but to the High Isle. This is a new region, an archipelago to be precise, which, unlike the locations of the previous add-ons, has never been mentioned in the Elder Scrolls-series before. However, the island is not completely foreign, as it is located slightly above Summerset, the home of the High Elves - hence the name makes sense.

Accordingly, this score is similar to that of the second add-on Summerset, the el(e)ven tracks continue seamlessly where 2018 left off: spherical sounds with soft vocals, soulful strings and wind instruments as well as some action now and again. With the exception of the album's long duration of over an hour, nothing comes as a surprise here.

So it's fitting that my favorite from High Isle das Main Theme Virtue, Betrayal, and the True Way . Not only does it build on the Elder Scrolls-motif as usual, but its title also reveals its core components: Ballad, Pirates of the Caribbean-esque action, heroic pathos. We've all heard it before, but that doesn't make it bad.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Virtue, Betrayal, and the True Way	Brad Derrick	5
02	Sailing Into Gonfalon Bay	Brad Derrick	4
03	Dawn at Castle Navire	Brad Derrick	4
04	All Flags, Sails Full	Brad Derrick	3
05	Oak, Albatross, and Iron	Brad Derrick	3
06	Bendu Olo’s Shadow	Brad Derrick	3
07	Through Sunflower Fields	Brad Derrick	3
08	Trekking Skulltooth Coast	Brad Derrick	3
09	Alone in the Green	Brad Derrick	3
10	Flashing Blades, Banners Unfurled	Brad Derrick	4
11	Beneath the Skin of the World	Brad Derrick	2

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Necrom

Since the 2019 addon Elsweyr , there had been no new playable class in The Elder Scrolls Online . This is set to change with the 2024 expansion Necrom . However, the name and cover may cause confusion, because even though everything points to an appearance of the bone summoner, the necromancer was already introduced in the above-mentioned Khajiit chapter. Instead, there is another mage class, the Arcanist, who merrily reads tomes and uses plenty of runes to rampage.

While the number of character classes has been increased, the number of tracks has been reduced to nine. At the same time, the total duration of the album has been increased to almost 1.5 hours compared to the previous addons. The result are tracks with a length of up to 15 minutes. If you know me, you will be aware: no me gusta. There are exceptions, of course, but it's rare that a composer can captivate listeners with a piece lasting three to five average pop songs.

In terms of content, the album would also fit in very well with the typical fantasy horror offshoot, as the score is generally quite dark and menacing. This begins with the theme song Shadow Over Morrowind, which transports the beautiful Elder Scrolls-theme into the minor key and causes neck hair to move with its dissonances. Other pieces such as The Cephaliarch’s Domain or The Colour of All Knowledge are spookily creepy, while From Ald Isra to Tel Dreloth and City of Shadow and Ash convey more of a hopeful spirit of optimism. A Sanguine Symphony and A Battered Past, a Furious Future are typical TESO-action fare again.

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	Shadow Over Morrowind	Brad Derrick	3
02	From Ald Isra to Tel Dreloth	Brad Derrick	3
03	The Cephaliarch's Domain	Brad Derrick	3
04	A Sanguine Symphony	Brad Derrick	4
05	Down the Padomaic Crest	Brad Derrick	3
06	The Colour of All Knowledge	Brad Derrick	2
07	A Battered Past, a Furious Future	Brad Derrick	4
08	City of Shadow and Ash	Brad Derrick	3
09	Beneath Telvanni Towers	Brad Derrick	1

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Gold Road

With just eight tracks, the album for the latest Gold Road-addon is supposedly the shortest. This is compensated for by the enormous length of up to twelve and a half minutes, but if this trend continues, seven addons in there will only be the hour-long main theme left.

Fortunately, this is not a bad thing for The Elder Scrolls Online, as it is based on the great Nerevar Rising from Morrowind, as already mentioned several times. A Legacy of Blood, Glory, and Honor is like Reign of the Septims (Oblivion) on coke and rewinds through all the emotions as a best-of before the score releases us into the West Weald. The marketing team at ZeniMax Online Studios will be happy to tell you what that is:

Venture into the West Weald, home to the wealthy Colovian Imperials and the city of Skingrad. Encounter a bountiful region first seen in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, now beset by Daedric incursions and the encroaching jungles of Valenwood.

Promotional text on www.elderscrollsonline.com

This also explains the musical proximity to the fourth installment. So we can expect nothing really new in terms of content or music. Consequently, this score is a little weaker for me. It's okay, but not really remarkable. What a pity!

No.	Title	Artist(s)	Ratings
01	A Legacy of Blood, Glory, and Honor	Brad Derrick	4
02	Beneath Autumn Leaves	Brad Derrick	3
03	Ithelia, the Prince of Paths	Brad Derrick	2
04	From the Strid to the Highlands	Brad Derrick	3
05	Dancing Knives, Shimmering Spells	Brad Derrick	3
06	Fractured Recollections	Brad Derrick	2
07	Land of Grapes and Blades	Brad Derrick	4
08	Ulfsild's Legacy	Brad Derrick	3