Elden Ring fans have been theorizing what the title, contents, and style would be for a contemporary album that revolved around Malenia, Blade of Miquella. Elden Ring's most infamous boss has garnered significant criticism since release, but that does not stop the community from embracing an excellent opportunity to approach the controversial Goddess of Rot with a more light-hearted tone.
FromSoftware titles are either famous for or marred by their difficulty, depending on your perspective. Being granted the means to construct a character conjured from personal specifications, intricate locations which turn out to be puzzle pieces of an interconnecting region, and confrontations against gods that require the memory of a deity to master are all staples of what fall under the moniker of Soulsborne. Although boasting less immediate recognition than the aforementioned aspects, the accompanying soundtracks for these games have found a niche but adoring collection of fans across the years.
Due to an image uploaded to Reddit by u/bluerobefella, music aficionados and other fans alike got the chance to exhibit their branding prowess. It captures Malenia during her transitional cutscene, as the Scarlet Rot blooms once again, to send her into the second phase of the fight. Focusing on her newly grown wings and the surrounding butterflies, the screenshot has an "Advisory" disclaimer added in the bottom left-hand corner, similar to how contemporary albums with explicit content would signal the presence of such material.
With the caption "Name the album," the user invited the comments to indulge, and they did not disappoint. "Rotten to the Core" and "I Am, Malenia" were some of the most acclaimed suggestions, but merely titling the album did not go far enough for others, who went on to offer proposals for tracks, including "Blade of Miquella" and "Scarlet Rock." A few more approached the task with comedy in mind, submitting recommendations such as "Miquellife Crisis," in contrast to the prior rap and metal-inspired offerings. It is worth noting that FromSoftware is no stranger to inviting other styles to celebrate its scores, with an upcoming Elden Ring concert that will infuse jazz with the often apocalyptic choirs of the Lands Between.
FromSoftware titles Bloodborne and Dark Souls 3 both have expansions that include highly regarded music, with the themes of Ludwig, Lady Maria, and Slave Knight Gael being a few amidst a sea of tracks often reacted to and dissected by content creators and music producers online. This trend continued with Elden Ring, as the main theme was remixed by Alex Moukala, a composer who often analyzes video game music, in fifteen different styles, including Darksynth, Baroque, and Reggae.
Elden Ring is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.