Diablo Tristram Theme - That 12 String Guitar Approach is Heavy | Composer reaction

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#diablo #ostreaction #reactions

[@thenjry]

The Diablo 1/2 soundtracks are the holy bible of how to make a dark atmosphere for a game. Absolute genius!

[@user-wg2pp1xj8t]

Agreed! I will give Diablo 4 some benefit for trying, but it really isn't the same. :/

[@thehoerscorral8565]

@@user-wg2pp1xj8t Yeah, I muted D4 almost instantly during our initial campaign run like I did with D3 and my friend said "No dude they nailed the atmosphere it's so much better than 3 you have to hear the atsmosphere ambience and music" and after a few hours I had to mute it again, I just had to say it to him, "Just because it's better than 3 doesn't mean it's good..."

[@logankerlee]

Absolutely agreed! They set the bar early on in the mid 90s!

[@Krescentwolf]

D3 and D4 just never managed to recapture the dark unsettling feeling of the original and D2. D3 went full WoW with its art and animation. And D4 just... feels gray and tries to cover that up with excess gore. That dark uncertainty from the first two games just can't be beat.

[@MaaZeus]

They were all great but what especially stuck with my mind were Tristram, obviously, and the desert town in the Act 2 of Diablo 2. *edit* Lut Gholein, that was the name of the town!

[@GeminiWoods]

Hearing this song is like seeing an old friend. There is so much nostalgia behind this song for me... Stay awhile and listen.

[@livedandletdie]

The Nostalgia hits so hard, that I'm Sylvester Stallone in that one scene where Dolph Lundgren punched him in Rocky IV and sent Sylvester Stallone to the ICU for 9 days.

[@UmaROMC]

Thank goodness you've returned! Much has changed since you lived here, my friend...

[@DeagleLas]

Tristam theme has trascended the game. It's so great! Thank you for checking this one out!

[@VortechBand]

Stay a while and listen

[@nocturneprividyenie2391]

The *BEST* tune ever made for a town in a role-playing game, maybe even in video game history.

[@rahbeat9785]

1000%

[@LunaticThinker]

It is hard to argue otherwise, but not impossible

[@alexbodnya1286]

Finally, yes! The most iconic videogame OST in my honest opinion. It brings me in the times when I was a child and played this game on old ass PC, at my mom's job.

[@kyles6813]

It is up there, Mario, Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Diablo. I count as my big 4. Also as for the question of when it was released it was released in 1996. Not bad for 27 years old ^^ Also it is post 16 bit. It was a pc game but also had a Ps1 port. As for what type of game it is, an Arpg in a Medieval Dark Gothic horror setting. Matt Uelmen was the composer and player in the Tristram Theme

[@Emilio1985]

One of the most recognizable computer game tracks. Absolute banger.

[@SpaceRampage]

The last ~3 minutes (including the oboe) have been added for Diablo 2's version of the theme. The original Diablo 1 track loops before that.

[@Tmpp88]

Unironically one of the most iconic tracks in video games. Atmospheric masterpiece!

[@blankenstein1649]

the tristram theme is classic! glad to see it on here.

[@CharlieNoodles]

One of the best scores of any game ever. When the player arrives in the town of Tristram they find a once bustling town whose inhabitants have been betrayed. Their hope for their future has been shattered and only a few remain either unwilling or unable to move on. The town serves the player as a place to rest in between combat. To restore their mind and body before they head once more into the catacombs. This song perfectly captures the sense of melancholy and dread that permeates the town and serves to remind the player that while they are in Tristram they can rest but they are never at ease.

[@mnmumul]

The rest of the 1996 Diablo soundtrack is ABSOLUTELY worth a listen. If I remember right, there are only 4 more tracks, and they are all just as haunting and well made. Very appropriate for Halloween.

[@Stiggandr1]

This game and starcraft are my childhood. This game literally gave me nightmares in the best way. LOVE this song. So much nostalgia.

[@PierLuc111]

That year 2000 nostalgia hits HARD. Always loved the franchise , but this is by far the absolute iconic one.

[@VF19SExcalibur]

It actually was 97, I played the PSX port that came in 98' religiously everyday with my cousins, fond memories.

[@PierLuc111]

​@@VF19SExcaliburmixed myself with D2

[@Hikari_Sakurai]

When Blizzard was the GOAT... what a shame what the greedy corpos did to that studio.

[@LadyDoomsinger]

@@Hikari_Sakurai Honestly, I think they were probably always greedy corpos - it's just when you're a smaller, less influential, less wealthy studio customer goodwill actually means something - Power does not corrupt; it just reveals who you are when you have the freedom to be who you want to be.

[@gorauma]

@@LadyDoomsinger Nah it's all Bobby Kotick and his corrupt influence.

[@lucasmarquesdecamargos4298]

I sense a soul in search of answers

[@Groove_Gamer]

I replayed Diablo again recently and it's still great, Tristram theme still gives me goosebumps the moment you hear that first strum and I heard it plenty in Diablo II as well a game I played for thousands of hours though for that game the Rogue Encampment and Harrogath themes are drilled into my very soul having spent so many hours in each town.

[@bobroberts2581]

3:00 for much needed reference, almost every body playing Diablo and Diablo 2 was playing at a deck with two free standing stereo speakers on either side of them. Playing the game late at night really made these tracks hit so much harder.

[@Loki-]

This music speaks straight to my soul

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

this song shows how 90s were.... i bet many black metal artist were inspired by this song. its so ominous

[@kevinoneil5120]

This song is the soundtrack to my soul. I have it written that this song is to be played on a loop at my wake. Thank you for taking the time to listen to it! ❤

[@nukem8128]

Never met you... but I'll be there to stay awhile and listen

[@zacappleton474]

First Diablo came out in 1997. Soundtrack to many a long night. :-)

[@Aivri]

One of my all time favourite OSTs. This is atmospheric guitar 101.

[@EckhardKain]

YES! One of my favorite pieces of music ever. Regarding playing that on a 12-string, Matt Uelmen, the composer, is a fantastic musician as well.

[@bastiknolle5155]

This theme gives me goosebumps, every time.

[@Grooveworthy]

Yup. I get a little emotional with this soundtrack

[@Muddobber99]

Played this game as a kid. This music still wanders back into my head every now and then.

[@fatjonseatingadventures5429]

heavy as hell is the reason diablo 1/2 were so great. It felt very dark from the music to the game.

[@HoldinContempt]

also one of the reasons Diablo 3 was so trash. Apart from the bad story, bad game mechanics and the always online bullshit and the predatory monetization the Worst thing about it that made me stop buying blizzard games was how bad the music was. The tracks were uninspired and sounded nothing like the haunting loneliness of the first two games. Later I discovered there was a hostile takeover of blizzard by activision and they forced out all of the artists who made the games we grew up loving and thats when I knew the company was dead.

[@BenjaminPonsDelrey]

@@HoldinContempt You should check Diablo 4 ost, the music is closer to what diablo 2 had to offer (Gale Valley, Highlands, Oasis are good example)

[@Ltdcloud]

This theme is a text book example on how a musical theme can help tell the game's story and world. Just look at the comments, everyone has the music imprinted in their core memories of this game. Great stuff!

[@PazuChill]

This track is unbelievable. The whole soundtracks for D1 and D2 are atmospheric masterpieces, but this one in particular has got to be one of the best single tracks ever written for anything.

[@kobarsos82]

By far the most iconic song from games in the 90s. I still remember buying this and playing it for the first time at around 1995-1996. Insane feeling. Gameplay quality through the roof for the time. This particular song will always be remembered, you listened to this right in the beginning but also each time you returned to town to sell stuff and talk to npcs. A great way to take a small break with lovely music, before heading again into the dark sinister dungeons full of nasty evil denizens waiting for you down there. You have no idea how much darker, eerie and nightmarish the other songs were, down in the darkest dungeons, including the sound effects. This was in fact a very "light" track compared to the rest of the amazing ost. An all-time classic for sure!

[@adamkenway7308]

Wow, you played Diablo 2 years before it released! 😂

[@kobarsos82]

can be forgetful on the details, but I did buy it when it got released still have the box.@@adamkenway7308 It matters little m8.

[@nemangame]

Diablo 1 was released in late 1996 if i recall correctly. To this day it is one of my most favorite games for it's atmosphere and setting, told through the music and the enviroment. The thing i like the most about it is that this is the song that plays while you are in Tristram, a small town that is your only safe haven. The town folks are seeing demons and other monsters at night, some people just go missing sometimes, and most of the evil beings come from the old cathedral on the outskirts of the town. The whole game is you venturing deeper and deeper beneath the cathedral through a huge maze, down to the catacombs, then down to the caves and then even further to hell itself to confront Diablo

[@phoenixlich]

Oh getting into some classic Blizzard games! I REALLY hope he listens to some Starcraft 1 & 2 music, especially the main Terran themes since I believe Geebz likes rock & roll

[@adreanmarantz2103]

doo de doo de doot. doot. doo doooooo. thanks. Time to go play Heroes of the Storm so I can hear that...

[@LuLzezRoflcopter]

I think the eeriness of the chords having major and minor notes within it, the chord naturally sounds like it’s bouncing back and forth as it’s like the chord itself can’t decide if it’s major or minor. Adding the left right effect is emphasizing that unstable eeriness. A beautifully done hellish sound

[@BlastCorpse]

Matt Uelmen made a lot of good music throughout his career, but "Tristram" was an absolute masterpiece! 🤘🏼💜

[@scottybeats5328]

that Theme is forever etched into my soul, every second of it.

[@sehrgrossesglied5000]

After 25 years still gives me goosebumps lol nice one , thanks for visiting this Geebz

[@RomulessI]

The music and atmosphere of this game really brought you into the story. Man encountering Diablo himself the first time was crazy. Game is one of the greatest artistic masterpieces of all time.

[@rpg_haven]

Both 8- and 16-bit games were released all throughout the 90s, thanks to handhelds like the Game Boy, which lagged a generation or two behind consoles. The PlayStation popularized CD-quality sound, and that released all the way back in '94. But other consoles, like the Nintendo 64 (which came out in 1996), still used MIDI. So the eras aren't cut and dry. Being a disc-based PC game, Diablo has high quality sound. I'm not sure why the chat thought it doesn't sound good. It sounds great to me.

[@notchjohnson2540]

The track is just oozing mystique and atmosphere like nothing else. Immersive as ever, even 28 years later 😈

[@gonwyte8534]

That entire soundtrack for botb Diablo 1 and Diablo 2 is brilliant, G's.

[@max.lindgren]

Definitely one of the best game-OSTs of all time imo. Brings me back :)

[@elevown]

One of the most iconic well known pieces of game music :)

[@Fuzzycat16]

I almost get emotional listening to Diablo's theme. Gamers are truly blessed with amazing composers and musicians.

[@JeffMeyers-zm2lh]

This game came out January 1997. This plays repeatedly when in the town of Tristram. Music changes when you enter the catacombs at the church and subsequent lower levels as you make your way to hell to battle Diablo.

[@exodus3461]

Thanks for covering this! One of my absolute favorite games as a kid. The music brings back so many memories.

[@desert7868]

I'm sure it got answered, but as the name implies, the Tristram Theme is the song that plays when your in the town of Tristram. Tristram is the main hub of Diablo 1 which means you hear the first few minutes of the song during every play session. Diablo has one of the greatest videogame OST's of the 90's. Right up there with Frank Klepacki and the Command and Conquer games. which i dont think you have done any video's on. recommend starting with Hell March.

[@flamerollerx01]

You may want to check out the Warcraft 2 sound track as well. I used to go to sleep with it playing off the original PC CD in a boombox when I was a child. Absolutely wonderful old midi music, if you remember what midi is.

[@julien2231]

Wow geebz finally!!! I have beeb requesting this ever since you started doing videogames ost!!! Love that theme so much!!!❤❤

[@GuitarFlat]

This is great! I enjoyed getting a a breakdown on what is going on musically. The Tristram theme is a big piece of the soundtrack of my life, and I think I'm only now realizing it. Hearing it now brings back so many childhood memories of playing Diablo 1, being lost as to what to do, and spending time in Tristram trying to figure it all out.

[@Mr.Genesis]

Absolute Timeless track.

[@rahbeat9785]

the entire ost of Diablo 2 is an underrated sound-design Masterpiece

[@VoidMaker407]

Been watching you for a while and this is one of fav games this was dope to watch!!

[@tyraelhermosa]

Such a beautiful theme. Thanks for covering it :)

[@thefelix420420]

diablo 1 is part of my childhood its such a blast to watch people reacting to it.

[@smittmasterflex]

My early 20s I spent HOURS playing this and StarCraft. If only I had that sort of time to play with now! 😂 My husband and I can barely find time to play Diablo 4. This soundtrack gets popped on to this day.

[@Badomen_5150]

diablo 1 and 2 have great atmosphere and lore.

[@RandyLott]

By far my favorite tracks are Bloor Moor (Wilderness) and Rogue Encampment (Rogue). Instrumentation is incredible.

[@VonSnootingham]

This track is so iconic and recognizable that when they announced Diablo 3, all they had to do was bring out a guitarist on stage in the dark at Blizzcon and have him do that first strum. The entire crown went wild.

[@emmanuelguerrero3071]

Fantastic piece. Glad you enjoyed this one! The Oboe segment is almost my favorite part.

[@_hezumi_7346]

Ah, sweet childhood... So many good memories...

[@Sonofhroft]

Those sounds. Can heare it infinite 😌

[@JungleScene]

what I love about this song is that it perfectly captures the feeling of dread that is persistent in diablo 1 and 2. This is an all time great video game song.

[@aesbj9228]

Dread. Oh yes that word captures it so well, that's exactly what it captures. And now that made me remember what it was like going down to face the Butcher lol.

[@Th3BadThing]

​@aesbj9228 Indeed, it quickly reminds me of the first time I played the demo and went into the church for the first time as a scared young kid and dread is absolutely the word I'd use too.

[@mykelvan]

Shivers….. this is one of my fav game music

[@segothgalont23]

Good stuff, thanks for the musical insight.

[@MarshmellowFluff]

This one track is synonymous with my childhood. Lovely memories.

[@Wachswahn]

Dang... As soon as the first note rings, I get instant goosebumps. Back then I sat on the edge of my seat, not daring to enter the dungeon just because of the eerie atmosphere this masterpiece of art gave me. It's this first strum that throws me always right back into the past. Love it.

[@Beuwen_The_Dragon]

Diablo and Diablo 2, Isometric exploration and fantasy combat role playing. They are games I can return to and play to this day.

[@livedandletdie]

THE NOSTALGIA HITS HARD!

[@ninRAIDER]

The original Diablo game was the very first ARPG (Action Role-playing Game) ever made to my knowledge. It was simple but amazingly effective. The music played a huge role in creating the ambiance of dread and foreboding that made this an all time classic in the horror genre as well.

[@JP47471]

This song and elder scrolls oblivion theme are untouchable

[@chickenmonkey6526]

Classic theme, one of the greats. Nice review!

[@aVerySillyBilly]

Never played a Diablo, but this is a great tune!

[@andyd8370]

MY MAN! The entire soundtrack to this game series is phenomenal, and this one started it all!

[@typhereus]

The last few minutes they added in the diablo 2 version is insane.

[@kobarsos82]

It was an isometric action rpg. More of a hack n slash style. The first of its kind in many ways. Many other games followed the same formula. It was mindblowingly good because of the music and sound effects honestly, for a 90s game.

[@silentsnooper3307]

Tristram theme is... one of the most nostalgic inducing themes for me. Love it!

[@rahbeat9785]

This song is a Trip. no matter how many times i listen to it, i can't seem to remember all the different parts beforehand. it affects my brain like a psychedelic Prog-rock ride. it's so surreal

[@tonyblitz1]

One of the most loopable songs of all time.

[@derBenIsPlaying]

I got goosebumps from just listening, Tristram was just the place I always wanted to go in and get out again as fast as possible, just because the unnerving music and the fact that its a beloved town gone destroyed.

[@principals16842]

Ah, classic Diablo. I remember playing it a lot when it came out. But I can't hear the theme at 1:59 without thinking of an old PSA from the '70s (available on this site) designed to keep kids away from dangerous items in the home: "Mr. Yuk is mean! / Mr. Yuk is green!"

[@nemobla1]

back when the statement "Blizzard Quality" was something they could be proud of. Oh how the mighty have fallen. I started playing Diablo when i was about 7-8(?), and this has been my favorite game music theme ever since. Nothing tops it imo, it really sets the mood for dark horror but with some peace of mind from the city Tristram when you first enter the game

[@sebastiank.3894]

Love this game. Love this soundtrack.

[@Mortyrian]

Great games great music. Definitely a highlight of my childhood. Diablo 1 was late 1996 and Diablo 2 was mid 2000. You should definitely try Diablo 2.

[@streife8539]

finaly the diablo tristram theme :) gj watch the live band version super good

[@satortenet]

Oh man... this brought some deep ancient memories! Those were the times! I can almost hear the "..I sense I soul in search of answers" line. Back then I even tried to learn how to play this by ear on my 6 string nylon guitar, which I failed miserably, of course.

[@scar445]

"stay a while, and listen"

[@roystoyscomics1361]

Diablo is an Action/RPG (Role-playing game). It involved 16 different levels that you could explore. One if the things that made it unique was the random generation of the dungeons. So each time you played it the layout would be different. While the bosses would be the same the minions and lieutenants would vary. Their attributes would also be random and the treasure likewise randomized.

[@booberry6715]

I spent an untold number of hours listening to that music as a young man in his mid 20's. I swear, I can name that tune in 2 notes. LOL!

[@maxmustsleep]

Absolutely love this! The mood it sets is breathtaking and really haunting even today

[@aesbj9228]

Since way back then, I still haven't heard any soundtrack that's more atmospheric than this. It just fits the game so well.

[@TheDarthpsi]

Diablo gave me the chills as a kid, this music played great part in it, and yes the Oboe at the end took me back to Final Fantasy Vibes (only missing the harp). I think this music is part of the gaming gold that we used to have in the late 90s and early 2000s, and it seems no music like this can be created anymore in modern games for some reason. Unfortunately the composer has passed away and left us with this gem for perpetuity.

[@iwanttocomplain]

I never heard the last bit because you don’t usually spend long enough in the village to hear it. Here’s what I thought. Yes heavy flamenco influences. It makes you think of conquistadors and ancient minstrels. But there’s a lot of cascading and tumbling arpeggios. Which gives the feeling of tumbling down an empty cavern. Which is what you ate more or less doing in the game as you descend the levels until you reach the bottom and fight Diablo. So very nice almost visualising if the essence of what the game has you doing.

[@iwanttocomplain]

The dungeon theme is also very intense but more or less a-melodic

[@brendynblackfyre]

very nostalgic, didn't expect to hear this here.

[@Atrahasis7]

The music always reminded me back in the day of two parts, the first is sunset is closing in on Tristam the town, the second is when night falls and terrors start to emerge, it does sound very prog rock, very Gryphon at parts. I feel like fantasy always works so much better when the humans are facing monsters but are not jumping around like crazy. Action rpgs have become too fast even from soft later games, and i feel like the preserved a bit of the tension and slow movement in DES and Dark Souls 1.

[@j.r.huffnstuff3549]

This and Diablo 2's wilderness are two of my favorite pieces of music.

[@UnFrSaKn]

Glad I checked your main page after listening to your FFXVI reaction. Since I’m currently playing it. Pleasantly surprised to see you react to Diablo. I’ve put more hours into D2 than any other video game so the music is burned into my brain. I will agree that another all time best soundtrack is Symphony of the Night. Pretty much any soundtrack. It’s also a late 90s game. 1997.

[@PRC533]

All we need at the beginning of this is Deckard Cain saying "Stay awhile and listen"

[@DavidBentley23]

I love that town

[@evemaniac]

I wake up to that tune every day.. it perfectly frames the bane of my existance.

[@Dhalin]

@8:55 here is where the song transitions from Diablo 1 to Diablo 2. The entirety of Diablo 1 is set in a town called Tristram (and this theme is the theme that plays while you're in town talking to townspeople, shopping, etc). Without telling too much of the game's story, the entire game takes place in a dungeon underneath a very cursed medieval town. Then, in Diablo 2, early in the game you revisit Tristram during that game's story, and the town has been destroyed, all the buildings are rubble, and on fire and the townspeople are mostly dead and the town is filled with demons. When you first enter Tristram in Diablo 2, the first part plays, but it quickly morphs into the version you hear at 8:55. Probably one of the more wrenching moments of the game, if you played the first. You're greeted with a blast from the past and then it morphs into this sad theme as all the townspeople and the buildings (which they took care to place in a very similar shape and layout as to the town in the first game) are all gone. Even the drunken guy sitting against the log is seen dead, arrows in his charred skeletal corpse, even the kid with the peg leg is seen laying face-down in the dirt.

[@Dhalin]

I also think you owe it to yourself to check out the first dungeon theme of Diablo 1 too. I forget what it's called. Diablo 1 did not have very many music tracks, I think only what, 4-5 tracks? The first dungeon theme though is awesome.

[@clkwr]

Such iconic game music, a great example of how to do dark/gothic without being cartoonish, or going for full on grimdark.

[@rahbeat9785]

Big true

[@lionpawsl1357]

I wonder if sountracks used to be more memorable back in the day , or i was just more impressionable being young. I do remember the soundtracks for supergiant games fairly well - Hades, transistor, etc. other games: Ragnarok online soundtrack, Valkyrie profile soundtrack... i've played hundreds of games since then, very few titles stick. This one is rich in nostalgic value, but i think it would be memorable even now.

[@nikolasweischner3560]

I never noticed the Led Zepp comparison. Def right.

[@kurosakii89]

one of the best tracks in gaming to this day for sure.