Undertale is an unnecessarily controversial game. With an at-times vocal community, the game has harbored a lot of resentment, but still stands as an incredible game with a memorable soundtrack whose two-year anniversary approaches! The chiptune soundtrack transports us to the days of 8-bit music, with a visual palette that immediately draws some comparisons to the likes of Earthbound and other similar RPG titles. Undertale’s soundtrack is exemplary and showcases Toby Fox’s prowess as a “Renaissance Man,” as he navigates a number of very distinct styles throughout the game. The soundtrack is long, and as such I chose eleven songs to review that were given priority based on their significance to the story—to represent characters or setting—or ability in establishing an atmosphere. Warning: this review will have spoilers!
1) Home establishes our setting in Toriel’s home, and serves as the embodiment of innocence in this game. The game cycles around the theme of good-evil dipoles, with the trademark Pacifist and Genocide routes serving as the most common for veterans of the game. Here, Toriel asks the player to refrain from leaving her home, offering the promise of home-cooked meals and freedom from the broader complexities and dangers of the world outside. Musically, the piece opens with a soothing classical guitar with a simple picking pattern, as a melody line soon joins. The piece flirts with the tempo in rubato, as we slow down and gradually fade to a close. “Home” effectively establishes the setting, epitomizes the theme of innocence and offers a heartbreaking solo line in the guitar’s upper register. It’s a simple, yet highly effective piece and a great way to end the first act of the game. (7/10)
2) Snowy is the theme of our first setting outside of Toriel’s home, and opens with a single piano establishing a very clear motif with sequencing between two chords. Violin enters as we continue with this motif, with a countermelody in the piccolo. As these drop out, we reach our B section, with a new melody in the piano, albeit with the same harmonic structure. We decrescendo to a close in the solo piano. This piece conjures up imagery of a winter landscape through the use of the undecorated solo piano, although this may a result of my personal bias having played through the game in its entirety multiple times. Nevertheless, the ability of Snowy to establish a very clear theme within seconds while adding a bit of variation through orchestration and a different melody keeps the piece moving. The largest issue with this piece however is its ability to establish momentum or enough variation to keep it interesting, particularly when this is a longer section of the game. There are a number of memorable pieces here to break up the monotony—“Dogsong” and “Snowdin Town” in particular—but above all else, “Snowy” suffers from a lack of embellishments without a strong enough harmonic structure to pique my interest. (5/10)
3) Bonetrousle introduces us to the first use of leitmotif in this piece. Leitmofits—moments in music that associate each character or moment with a particular instrument and/or theme—have been around for centuries, from Berlioz’s use of idée fixe in Symphonie Fantastique to Wagner’s use of leitmotifs in his Ring Cycle. The use of leitmotif has faded to a large degree from the Western miscellany of classical music and from soundtracks, but is arguably the most distinct element in Toby Fox’s soundtrack here. “Bonetrousle” features Papyrus’ theme with an accompaniment, using a theme and layering that embodies the absurdist nature of the character. This piece is remarkable for its ability to effectively weave together the bits and pieces of music we’ve heard from every interaction with Papyrus so far while truly capturing the essence of his character. (9/10)
4) Spear of Justice again adopts the use of leitmotif (as many of these pieces will), this time for Undyne. The piece opens with Undyne’s theme from our few interactions with her so far with a dramatic accompaniment in triple meter, sequencing through the theme in a few keys before swelling and diminishing to a second theme in the original key. We’re treating to some brass in the melody before the second theme returns, exchanging the melody with the trumpet as the song continues. The song quiets to a new theme, blurring the line between duple and triple meter as we’re treated to a variation on the melody line so far in a middle voice before the song’s abrupt end. This piece captures the essence of Undyne’s laughably intense and extreme character. Like “Bonetrousle,” the use of leitmotif here returns in the game when we see more of Undyne, but the accompaniment to Undyne’s theme in this piece is a perfect addition and meshes well. (9/10)
5) Hotel is an unorthodox choice for a significant piece on the album, but this one I chose because it’s among my favorites and represents Toby Fox’s ability to create masterful songs in a variety of musical styles. This piece meshes the Latin flair from bossa nova with the guitar and double bass with the suave atmosphere of the smooth jazz one would expect to hear in a hotel lobby as they await check-in. “Hotel” is a delight, with some rich, voluminous chords and an easily digestible melody in the xylophone and piano. (10/10)
6) Another Medium establishes our setting in the Hotlands, and serves as an intense piece, a delineation from the soundtrack to date. The piece is entirely electronic—no artificial chamber instruments—and opens with a cascading pattern quickly joined by a simple bass pattern. Our melody joins in this down-tempo section as layers are added, erupting into a more intense new phrase with a new melody line. Tasteful countermelody is laid upon it as we see a piercing soprano section above the rest of the ensemble. The third section introduces some motifs we’ve seen before in a piano-like pattern, with a chord progression which will return in “Undertale” and “His Them” later (IV – V – I6 – vi). The piece finally ends with a gradual fade from the bass and soprano voices. This piece accurately captures the essence of the Hotlands—albeit tough to ascertain as this is a shorter section of the game (or one broken up more often than other pieces establishing setting). The intense electropop nature of the song and the constant feeling of tension works perfectly as your character nears the end of the game as the difficulty ramps up considerably. (9/10)
7) Death by Glamour is Mettaton’s theme, arguably one of the game’s most well-known pieces, opening with a solo piano. A fugue-like pattern joins as a second piano is layered underneath in a polyrhythmic pattern, joined by a bass drum. As the pianos and bass drum continue, a sole violin joins in a melody that harkens back to a deconstructed melody from “CORE” (as this is the conclusion of that section of the game). We’re treated to an electronic pattern in the upper voices as more and more layers are added in, with the piece failing to have any clear melody at one point here. The cacophony of voices in the first minute is masterful at establishing tension while also serving as reminiscent of a house song (or dance? Excuse me, my EDM knowledge is lackluster at best!). Our second section gives us a much clearer melody as several instruments outline the melodic and harmonic pattern here in unison while the synth drums continue. We’re then treated to a section directly drawn from “It’s Showtime,” the theme from Mettaton’s show, which we’ve seen numerous times by now. Rather than an up-tempo, gameshow-ish version, we’re treated to some disco embellishments in the high voices in synth and soulful bass pattern—this time with a “bass guitar,” rather than a synth pad (as real as chiptune can be). The final piece of the song returns to our main melodic idea as the song comes to its close. This piece is a venture in adopting separate leitmotifs we associate with Mettaton, incorporating each into their own distinct section, but keeping the EDM-feel to the piece which is a true reflection of the character. The transitions are seamless and this piece is easily digestible and a refreshing divergence from the rest of the soundtrack. (10/10)
8) Undertale plays once we reach Asgore’s house and is fascinating, as it’s meant to be a reflection of the parallels and differences between Toriel and Asgore. Like “Home,” “Undertale” opens with a single guitar to establish the key motif. Bass pad joins in giving us a somber harmonic pattern (IV – I6 – IV – V – vi). IV – I6 – IV as a pattern is the embodiment of innocence harmonically for me, and while that may be unfair and biased due to my association with varying chord progressions and the context in which I was exposed to them, this chord progression fits here perfect and offers a lot of room for swelling and growth, particularly as new layers are added to the piece. We begin with guitar, add synth bass, add a piano in the melody above and eventually add a countermelody in the strings. A phrase with piano embellishments leads us into the addition of synth snare drum as the song continues building with some sorrowful string chords. The second theme in the piece opens with a synth ocarina I believe, as synth flute joins to establish the rhythm. A swell leads us to this next section slightly different (IV – V – I6 – vi), still maintaining that I6 which is so integral to the tone of this piece. This section continues with a march-like drum pattern leading us back to original theme, this time in music box with similar embellishments from the ensemble. An abrupt key change maintains the momentum as this piece continues its march forward, again with decorations in the piano and strings. As the ensemble drops out, we’re left with the first theme in music box to end the piece. This piece is among my favorites in the game, particularly due to a harmonic pattern I appreciate and which never gets tired for my taste, as well as variation in techniques and theme to help propel the work. (10/10)
9) ASGORE opens with the titular character’s leitmotif, “Bergentrückung” (“King of the Mountain”) before deviating and adding a moving bass pattern which will continue throughout. A new chord progression gives us a melody line in the synth brass as we move to a new section which incorporates and deconstructs the “Bergentrückung” leitmotif as we hit our synth brass melody line again. We hit a new theme as the rhythm becomes more building, giving us our melody line solely accompanied by percussion. A synth choir of bass voices joins to further accentuate the rhythmic pops. The ensemble cuts as the theme continues, this time with a broader ensemble, more layered, with a slightly modified chord progression and harmony a partial above the melody. This section drives the piece forward as we exit to a single melody line which leads us back into our first theme, this time driven by synth brass again, with a modified chord progression, crafted in a way to build tension. We’re joined by embellishments which repeat the melody line in a round pattern. The ensemble cuts as we hit a third theme and an abrupt key change. The bass pattern serves as its own voice here, incredibly fluid, the most fascinating thing in this section. The full ensemble with percussion join, united in rhythm as the piece closes. “ASGORE” is a piece that has only grown on me with each listen. The sections are each distinct enough to make an interesting piece, with the piece encapsulating the dramatic nature of the player’s fight with Asgore perfectly. (8/10)
Photo Credit: Lauren Jones via Pinterest
10) Your Best Nightmare serves as one of Flowey’s themes and is arguably the most alien of the pieces on the soundtrack. Each phrase is in a group of 3 measures, which is already disorienting to most listeners. The harmonies are layered in a way to build a sense of “gloom and doom” throughout the main theme, while the rhythm is dramatic and crafted in a way to appear arrhythmic. We then journey through six distinct sections, each representing one of the children who fell into the underground at one point. We’re introduced to the theme for these children, which is playful, reminiscent of the music and visual palette from a game like Warioware. The first variation is similar, with this theme accompanied by a harmonic pattern of 16th notes. Our main theme returns, more nightmarish, as the rhythm becomes even more disjointed in the melody line, with strange harmonies in the upper voices in what sounds like a Theremin. We hit our second variation with a walking fretless bass pattern, while our third variation adds harmony to our melody line with dramatic levels of reverb. Our main theme returns, with sequencing to build a sense of anticipation, as the rhythm in the melody becomes even more alien. The fourth variation opens again with high levels of variation, with a bassline outlining the chords and the melody and harmony in a more marcato rhythm. Our fifth and final variation opens with a percussive bass pattern outlining the chords, while our melody and harmony are even more marcato. Our main theme for Flowey returns again, this time with no variation or additional embellishments as the piece reaches its close. This is a dramatic spin on the typically classical style of theme and variation, with Fox varying the styles with each character—interestingly, the main theme becomes more and more alien as the second theme for the children becomes more detached upon each variation. It’s a fascinating way the piece adds suspense, as the song is perpetually building anticipation and a sense of dread as it continues. This is one of my favorite, albeit an unorthodox choice, but represents a very clever take on classical elements that fits the feel one would expect from a final boss. (9/10)
11) His Theme is our final theme for Asriel in the final boss on the True Pacifist route. We learn here that the “Undertale” theme isn’t meant to represent Asgore, but is actually meant to represent Asriel! This isn’t a shocking development, but a pretty clever nod that rewards replays of the game. This piece opens with the main theme from “Undertale” in music box, accompanied by piano. Strings join in a percussive pattern as the piano adds the bassline. Like “Undertale,” a march-like pattern in the drums with constant triplets adds a layer that keeps the piece moving forward until we finally reach our close with a decrescendo. This is among the final pieces in the game, but is a really interesting way to weave together our “Undertale” motif with an interesting accompaniment that varies dramatically from the first time we hear this theme. (8/10)
Overall Thoughts:
As it’s fairly laborious to review 101 songs, I did my best in picking out songs that I remember from my few playthroughs of the game. With the game’s 2-year anniversary coming out I wanted a chance to relisten to commemorate this game, particularly with the brilliance of its soundtrack; Toby Fox was able to create a memorable soundtrack that masterfully adopts elements from a miscellany of genres, particularly co-opting elements from classical music and crafting this as a modern piece of classical or experimental music. The use of leitmotif is a welcome element that only strengthens the weight of each piece.
kbwellsblog.wordpress.com 