REND is the official soundtrack to the debut game from Frostkeep Studios by composer Neal Acree. Rend is a team-based survival game set in the fabled universe of Nordic myth. This epic fantasy world is a harsh domain where the strong ascend as gods.
Building the musical identity of the world from the ground up was a daunting task but I found inspiration in unexpected places. As the players start out in the afterlife with nothing and have to craft survival tools with the elements around them I found myself reaching for older and less refined sounding instruments like the Hardanger fiddle, Hurdy Gurdy, Viola Da Gamba and Nyckelharpa. The resonant qualities of these instruments gave the feeling of ancient machines built out of wood and string.
My favorite part about working on this soundtrack was getting to collaborate with Einar Selvik of the Norwegian folk band Wardruna. Einar not only provided some incredibly powerful vocals for a few of the songs but also set them to old Norse poetry. I had the privilege of working with quite a few incredible soloists on Rend, most if not all of whom had never worked on a video game score (at least not when I originally recorded them a couple years ago).
Over the two or so years I worked on this score the scope changed quite a bit. While the initial focus had been smaller, more crude sounding pieces, the world of the game continued to grow into a lush, beautiful and quite varied landscape. This led to the idea of adding the City of Prague Philharmonic as well as more celtic influenced instruments and Bulgarian choir. In the end this score isn't about one place or one cultural influence. It borrows from cultures around the world and gives them an otherworldly setting.
Rend is a very special score for me. One that gave me the opportunity to experiment in ways I hadn't before and to work with some really amazing musicians. I hope you enjoy this soundtrack and let it take you on a journey through the worlds of your imagination.
