The very much anticipated next installment of the popular Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be accompanied by a massive 47-track soundtrack featuring over 120 minutes of music by Danish composer, Jesper Kyd, Sarah Schachner who has previous experience in scoring Assassin’s Creed through 2017's Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Norwegian folk and extreme metal musician, Einar Selvik.
Einar Selvik comes from the ranks of the great black metal band, Gorgoroth, and is also known for his work with the folk/world act, Wardruna. His input brings a lot of character and authenticity to the game's historical setting, and becomes a perfect match to both its backdrop and context.
"Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is such a massive game and it has been such a pleasure to be part of the musical team that set out to fill that enormous space with sounds that could potentially bring the player even more into the theme and time of the game," Selvik says about his contribution to the game's soundtrack. "This compilation album is a good introduction to the musical landscapes of the game and gives a taste of the atmosphere of the game itself!"
The moody Vigahugr—Lust for Battle offers a strong taste of Selvik's perceptive songwriting style and delivery, and matches the game's old world and atmosphere in all respects.
Aldo Sampaio, audio director on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, comments on the music: "The official game soundtrack of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a true testament to the amazing talents of our composers. It is a slice of this massive game to establish the notion of 'being Norse in the foreign land of what is soon to become the formation of England'. The clash of cultures of Norse and Anglo-Saxon instrumentation coupled with the modern analog synth elements that are synonymous with the Assassin’s creed franchise, provides a unique and awe-inspiring experience. I am deeply honoured and proud to be able to collaborate with Jesper, Sarah and Einar and ultimately hope the fans love this soundtrack as much as I do."
Lakeshore Records’ Brian McNelis adds: "Lakeshore Records have long been fans of both Ubisoft Games and specifically the incredible Assassins Creed franchise as one of the very best and most beloved video game series. We could not be more excited to be partnering with these talented game developers and composers. Jesper, Sarah and Einar are three of the most talented musicians and composers working today and they have made truly exceptional contributions to this latest installment. Assassins Creed Valhalla sets a new high bar for the flagship series and we are looking forward to this epic adventure together."
The Assassin’s Creed Valhalla game comes out on November 10th, 2020, and Lakeshore Records in conjunction with Ubisoft will release the 47-track album digitally on November 13th, 2020.
Artist photo by Daria Endresen