Music

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ WATCHMEN Soundtrack Released on Spotify

by Matthew Hart
Nov 6 2019 • 10:34 AM

HBO’s Watchmen universe is dark, gritty, surreal, and sometimes, even kind of comedic. But it takes more than mysterious characters and narrative twists and turns to pull viewers into the show. It takes a soundtrack that sets the tone, and if you want that soundtrack to become the auditory backdrop for your own life, now you can. Vigilantes and mask-wearers, may we present to you the Watchmen TV series soundtrack, expertly crafted by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails (NIИ).

The soundtrack, dubbed Watchmen Volume 1, features 15 tracks from the show, which amounts to about 37 minutes of tense, sometimes adrenaline-inducing industrial rock music. The tracks, which have names such as “Orphans of Krypton” and “Müeller Time,” are mostly sans dialogue, although some songs, like “Garryowen,” do contain some (extremely creepy) conversational bites from the show.

It’s no surprise the haunting soundtrack is so good, considering Reznor and Ross’ background in scoring. The duo, both current members of NIИ, have graced numerous films with their scores, including The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl, and even Bird Box. And while the Watchmen series soundtrack has a similar feel to the ones in those films, it still stands out as especially ominous, which makes sense considering the show’s content. Tracks like “Never Surrender” would be good for getting ready to go out for a run or a ride aboard the Owlship though.

For anybody whose boat is not floated by the suspenseful tingling of Reznor and Ross’ score, there’s another “HBO official soundtrack” for the series on Spotify, which is made up of a bunch of music ostensibly taken from the 2009 film. Songs such as Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin'” and Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” fill up that list.

What do you think of Reznor and Ross’ score for the HBO Watchmen series? Slap on your masks and give us your real, hidden thoughts in the comments!

Images: HBO