Reality Check coverSHADOWGATE
Music Composed by Rich Douglas
List Price $14.95

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Composer's website

Originally released in 1987, SHADOWGATE was one of the first point-and-click adventure games that debuted on the Apple Macintosh. The game was infamous for its difficulty - it challenged gamers far and wide with its cryptic puzzles, secret passages, and countless ways to die. Even if one were to vanquish its enemies and find the safest paths to cross, death still lurks within the form of a torch. If the torch runs out, the gamer stumbles to his death. A rare thing at the time, the game had around 11 minutes of music composed by Hiroyuki Masuno and has been known to be hypnotic. The game quickly garnered a cult following and spawned two sequels.

In 2012, original game designer Dave Marsh reacquired the rights and remade the game. Two years later SHADOWGATE was released and was met with critical acclaim.

Fans of the original and remake are in for a treat. Howlin’ Wolf Records is proud to present composer Rich Douglas’ SHADOWGATE. Not only does Douglas expand upon Hiroyuki Masuno’s themes, he manages to create a whole new musical world for SHADOWGATE. Like the remake, the score is bigger, better, and epic in scope. Rather than have music repeat itself as many games do, Douglas took the ‘adaptive’ dynamic warp music approach. He relied heavily on themes and motifs, strings, brass, and choir to blend seamlessly throughout the game.

With liner notes by Zach Tow, SHADOWGATE features a 12-page full color booklet with artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. For a very limited time, orders placed on the Howlin’ Wolf Records website will include an additional insert booklet autographed by composer Rich Douglas.

Fans of adventure music, light up a torch because the journey through SHADOWGATE is dark and perilous!

Shadowgate presentation

Click on highlighted tracks below to hear excerpts from select score cues.

Album Running Time: 01:08:59

01. Cut Scene Suite (8:58) 14. Shadowgate Theme Reprise (1:48)
02. Shadowgate Theme (2:23) 15. Journey's End (vocals by Jilian Aversa) (2:45)
03. Lakmir's Blight (3:55) 16. Lakmir's Blight (early demo) (1:56)
04. Beyond the Threshold (3:27)
17. Castle Halls (early demo) (2:47)
05. Battlements (3:00) 18. Subterranean Cavern (early demo) (1:25)
06. The Third Tower (3:58) 19. Dragon's Den (early demo) (2:04)
07. Of Mirrors and Madmen (5:32) 20. Your Adventure Ends Here (alternate: strings and piano) (2:00)
08. Elemental Powers (3:20) 21. Shadowgate Theme Reprise (alternate: no choir) (1:23)
09. The Binding of Dwarves (3:16) 22. The Summoning (alternate: more heroic) (4:54)
10. Deep Calls Unto Deep (3:05) 23. Of Mirrors and Madmen Variations (early demo) (1:37)
11. Your Adventure Ends Here (2:00) 24. Talimar's Folly (early demo) (3:09)
12. The Staff of Ages (1:58) 25. Torch Running Out (0:39)
13. The Summoning (4:52) 26. Journey's End (just orchestra) (2:48)