Soundtrack to team-based survival game Rend available now

Physical releases also available on CD and vinyl.

Music label Materia Collective has announced the release of the Rend soundtrack, available now from major digital outlets as well as on CD and vinyl.

Developed and published by Frostkeep Studios, Rend is a team-based survival game inspired by Norse mythology.

The soundtrack to Rend, by award-winning composer Neal Acree, can now be purchased from Bandcamp, Google Play, or iTunes, and available to stream from digital services such as Apple Music, Deezer, and Spotify.

“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,” explained Acree via a press release. “The resonant qualities of these instruments gave the feeling of ancient machines built out of wood and string.”

Noting that his favourite part of working on the Rend soundtrack was getting to collaborate with Norwegian musician Einar Selvik of black metal band Gorgoroth and folk project Wardruna, Acree said: “Einar not only provided some incredibly powerful vocals for a few of the songs but also set them to old Norse poetry.”

Although Rend is inspired by Norse mythology, Acree was careful to include other European influences as well as using Celtic instruments in order to create something different that’s unique to the game.

“We were also able to record the City of Prague Philharmonic as well as more Celtic-influenced instruments and Bulgarian choir,” he said. “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.”

The Rend soundtrack CD comes on a single disc in a four-panel digipak that includes a booklet containing liner notes, photos, lyrics, credits, and more. This edition is expected to ship in August.

The Rend soundtrack vinyl, on the other hand, has also been pressed on 12″ discs as a 2xLP release. The vinyl discs come in a Rune Blue hand-poured colouring, housed in a gatefold jacket with a glossy finish and debossed Rend logo on the front.

This vinyl release comes with colour sleeves, liner notes, and is expected to ship in October.