Customer Reviews

Conan: Age Of Conan - Hyborian Adventures

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I started playing this game, I didn't expect that one of my favorite things about it would be it's music. But I'm here to tell you that the high quality music produced in this album is pleasing to the ear with or without the game it was created for. For anyone that is a fan of instrumental, orchestra style music supplemented with vocals at times, you will enjoy this music no matter if you have played the video game or not.

The entire album is very eclectic, stirring and powerful. The instrumentals are great, as well as the vocals. I now have this CD in my car. This was the best $9 I've spent in a while.

Download it, turn up the volume, and enjoy.

I hope word of this music gets outside of the gaming genre, because the artists and composers deserve to have their work truly appreciated by many.

I began playing this game and loved it from the start. I have the collector's edition and the music was hauntingly beautiful. I played the CD non-stop but did not have the titles to each piece of music. I ordered the MP3 version online and put it on my MP3 player. I listen to the music at work. If you liked the other Conan albums and music you will love this one even if you do not play the game.

Basil Poledouris's music for the 1982 film "Conan the Barbarian" is a masterpiece, an incredible panorama of the world of Cimmeria: the primitive power of beating war drums, the pagan world of orgiastic dances and chanting voices, and the noble themes of heroism and valor. It truly has not yet had an equal in terms of its power and beauty (Howard Shore's excellent score to "The Lord of the Rings" comes very, very close...but personally I think "Conan" still tops it.)

Poledouris took a different direction to his score to "Conan the Destoyer", however, slightly altering some themes and motifs and creating a soundtrack that I found inferior to the original. "Destroyer" was the last Conan music by Poledouris, all the way back in 1984, and so I (and perhaps many people) despaired that no further "Conan" music would be heard. Further, I felt that no one else but Poledouris COULD write "Conan" music properly.

I was wrong. Knut Avenstroup Haugen has done it.

Haugen's score "Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures" is a great achievement: he makes the musical world of Conan his own, while at the same time staying true to the atmosphere created by Poledouris. You could mix tracks of the the two albums together and, with the exception of the difference in sound quality, still feel that they represent one whole. "Hyborian Adventures" is "Conan the Barbarian" in a fresh, new adventure.

I cannot say how happy I am to have found this music. Thank you, Knut Avenstroup Haugen!

P.S. I don't play the Conan game, but I do use this soundtrack in the background when I play Warhammer Online. Works perfectly!

I first heard of Knut Avenstroup Haugen when I purchased my Age of Conan - Collector's Edition which came with a hard copy of the games soundtrack. I'll admit, I was extremely doubtful that anyone could come close to matching Basil Poledouris' original Conan film scores. Luckily, I'm more than happy to admit Haugen, in his very own style, has done it. This score is without a doubt simply amazing on nearly every level. Be it the abundance of instruments/vocals used in each song or the brilliant composition, Age of Conan delivers. Here are my thoughts and track ratings on Knut Avenstroup Haugen's Age of Conan - Hyborian Adventures;


1. The Dreaming - Ere The World Crumbles 8/10 (Heavy female vocal track)
2. The Sands Of Forgetfulness - Tortage Beach 9/10 (Melancholic oboe and strings)
3. The Damp Barachan Nights 9/10 (Similar to Track 2 but mostly strings)
4. The Awakening - Hyborian Adventures 10/10 (Unforgettable title track. Bombastic drums, horns and vocals totally befitting of Conan.)
5. The Arrival - Cimmerian Welcome 9/10 (Drums and strings)
6. Nighttime Journey Through The Eiglophian Mountains 8/10 (Female vocals and drums)
7. The Vista Of Mount Crom 8/10 (Uplifting flute, string and horn track)
8. The Lure Of Atali 8/10 (More melancholic female vocals and strings)
9. Phalanx Of Conquest 9/10 (Epic sounding battle music)
10. Field Of The Dead 8/10 (Solemn female vocals and strings)
11. Echoes Of Atlantis 8/10 (Uplifting male vocals, flute and strings)
12. Hamlets Of Aquilonia 9/10 (Peaceful oboe track)
13. Behold! Tarantia - Royal City 9/10 (Sweeping and epic)
14. Hymn For King Conan 8/10 (Male vocal and string track)
15. Awash In The Golden Fields Of Poitain 9/10 (Happy yet sad sounding strings)
16. Foundations Of The Temple - Mitra 10/10 (Solemn male vocal dirge)
17. Akhet - Portal to Stygia 5/10 (Middle Eastern sounding drums, strings and male vocals, which get annoying rather quickly.)
18. Beyond The Pyramid - Sunrise In Khopshelf Province 8/10 (Melodic oboe, strings and horns)
19. The Purple Lotus Swamp 8/10 (Wind, strings and drums)
20. Kheshatta - City Of Mages 9/10 (Great track, vocals are mildly annoying but the rest of the instruments make up for it.)
21. The Black Ring Citadel - Final Memory 10/10 (Brilliant track in every aspect)
22. Stygia 10/10 (Epic track on every level)
23. Cimmeria 10/10 (Another epic track befitting of Conan)
24. Aquilonia 10/10 (See tracks 22 & 23!)
25. The Dreaming Anew - Memories of Cimmeria (Solemn female vocals)
26. Destroy All Monsters - Turbonegro 2/10 (Bland indie rock, completely unnecessary and out of place on this score)
27. We're Gonna Drop The Atom Bomb - Turbonegro 2/10 (See track 26)
28. Do You Do You Dig Destruction - Turbonegro 2/10 (See track 26)
29. Day Of Wrath 9/10 (Bold male vocal and drum track. It actually sounds almost exactly like the main theme from Clive Barker's Undying PC Game)
30. The Wild Lands of Zelata 8/10 (Beautiful and moving)
31. Night Of The Serpent 9/10 (Dark and foreboding)
32. Lacherish Plains 10/10 (Another dark but beautiful track)
33. Shadows of Acheron 10/10 (Excellent, foreboding strings and vocals)
34. Rise Of A Champion 10/10 (Epic Conan)
35. Herald Of Crom 10/10 (Epic Conan continued)
36. Death's Embrace 9/10 (Solemn ending)


Despite the glaring inclusion of the three unnecessary rock tracks by Turbonegro, this album is virtually flawless. If you love epic sounding and varied fantasy themed scores, then this album is for you. Haugen beautifully incorporates vocals, drums, flutes, strings and horns in nearly every track making this album a truly enjoyable listening experience. The Age of Conan video game didn't stick with me, this soundtrack however most definitely did. You'd be hard pressed to find a more adeptly composed and memorable score, especially for a video game. At just $8.99, Crom would surely think you a fool if you didn't purchase it. I can't recommend it enough.

Age of Conan, as a video game is fantastic. I thoroughly enjoy the ambient sounds and the soundtrack in the game, each track representing the flavor of the area you are exploring. I found myself quite often humming the theme or just stopping to listen to it while playing. After purchasing the soundtrack, I can honestly say that the music from this game could stand on its own. It perfectly captures the world of Conan, and features some haunting vocals and powerful, building orchestral sequences. If you enjoy the music from any of the conan movies, you will love this soundtrack.

This CD is everything I wanted in Music. I practice with my sword and axe while using this CD for my Viking reenactment. I also use this CD for Dungeons and Dragons while playing to set mood for Players.

Sweeping and grand, to intimate and peaceful. All in all a pleasure. Best when pieces hold a strong melodic line and also when using ethnic/regional instruments. Gives a nice period feel.

Looking forward to further releases. I hope someone tags Knut for a movie soundtrack or ten.

Liked the insturmentals a lot, and the vocalists voice was really pretty. Some of the songs sound similar, and the whole thing is pretty long. A couple of tracks are quite moving, while others are just ok, but overall, I really liked this soundtrack, and its great to listen to in the background while your gaming.

The soundtrack to the game itself was great, although I didn't care for the bonus tracks from Turbonegro. But to review the soundtrack itself was a great one, it was a fantastic blend of classical styles and the vocals captured the era of the mythical Hyborian age in a magical way that really added to the music, which was beautifully composed and a nice companion piece to any Conan fan's musical library. Highly recommended!