AT

'S
Bobby Prince

GATE
 CONTENTS
1. INFO
2. STRUCTURE &
pg.3

DURATION
pg.4

4. TONE COLOUR
pg.5

3. DYNAMIC & PITCH

5. TEXTURE
pg.6

pg.7
 About the song
Bobby Prince's first heavy metal composition for Doom was At Doom's Gate,
which also happens to be the first piece of level music you'll hear because it
plays in E1M1: Hangar. The title's wordplay implies that you are on the verge of
both the game and the doomsday scenario. "At Doom' Gate" can be heard in the
Sega 32X version of Doom in the Main menu (replacing Introduction, although it
is still on the game's ROM), during the demo rotation, on MAP01: Hangar, and on
MAP10: Containment Area (replacing The Demons From Adrian's Pen song, which
is missing).

The song is available in two versions. The first is used in the scenes mentioned
above, whereas the second is in the game's ROM but is never used and lacks
percussive effects. According to pre-release ROMs, this appears to be an earlier
setup that was eventually replaced by the one used in the final game but was
never removed from the game's source files.
 STRUCTURE &
DURATION
The game theme is in strophic form (AAAA) and mainly consists of a heavy guitar
followed by a bass. The music itself follows a significant chord and is high-
pitched. As long as dynamics are concerned, they are mostly MF (Mento Forte).

In its 1:41 minutes, "At Doom's Gate" has a lot of recurring elements and different
compositions. The song's tempo is Ostinato (a repeated pattern/phrase). Many
aspects of the design are influenced, with the overall time signature being 4/4,
sprinkled with various short and long notes.

The structure itself consists of predominantly an irregular beat and a 4/4 time
signature. Accompanied by a repeating tune in the first 15 seconds. Soon
enough, the song enters a crescendo and starts its repeating verse.

At around the halfway mark of the song, it soon enters a repeating pattern of
the opening.
 Tone Colour
The game's theme is heavy metal, and the melody is played on a metal guitar.
The metallic solo on the guitar keeps the song in time. The Drum kit is another
instrument that is used. The drum kit (rhythmic accompaniment) repeats a
heavy 4/4 beat.

The drums accompany the guitar (harmonic accompaniment) with a loud solo.
Along with the drumkit, Percussion 2 contributes; some instruments include a
cowbell and crash cymbal.

The song is usually heavy metal, with multiple instruments playing at forte (f) or
fortissimo (f) (ff). The tone colour employs a limited number of dynamics or
devices for the theme.

A heavy, heavy beat establishes the overall tone with a timbre (well-pronounced
sound). The song also uniquely employs harmony.

A heavy, heavy beat establishes the overall tone with a timbre (well-pronounced
sound). The song also uses harmony in a unique way that distinguishes it from
many other themes.
 DYNAMICS & Pitch
The song's overall dynamics are forte(f)-fortissimo(ff) (loud and louder). The
guitar is one of the instruments featured in Fortissimo. A variety of factors,
including distortion, influence the overall dynamics.

The apparatus Distortion follows a pattern after each repeating verse. Except
when using the previously mentioned distortion, the guitar plays at f.

On the other hand, the drums remain at mf (mento forte) - f. This keeps the
overall dynamic range at a moderate level. It lacks variety, which distinguishes it
from other works in the genre.

The song's pitch contrast is relatively medium. The overall rise is moderate and
occasionally lower. This has an effect on the pitch's broad range, narrowing it.

(Pitch that has a very narrow range, and a constant value)

 Texture
All instruments have their rhythm, allowing harmony to develop in the song.
Many agencies employ techniques and recurring styles, allowing distinct
patterns to emerge. "At Doom's Gate" has a lot of recurring factors and different
compositions in its 1:41 minutes.

Percussion instruments lack variety and rely on two tried-and-true tools, a

cowbell and a drumkit. These two chosen instruments allow for a layered
feeling; in one part of the song, the cowbell replacers the hi-hat in the standard
4/4 rock beat, providing a sprinkler variety.

The guitar employs a variety of patterns, providing a healthy amount of type

within the piece. An example could be the guitar solo at the end of every verse—
the guitar's harmonic accomplice to the song.

These components set the stage for the song and are the fundamental building
blocks of the piece, and they all provide some importance to the music.