The Void Playlist – 10 albums perfect for Game of Thrones

Winter has come: 10 albums perfect for Game of Thrones

During the Easter break we celebrate one of the greatest stories told. It involves appalling betrayals, resilient faith and even a resurrection. That’s right, folks. Game of Thrones returns.

To help get you in the mood for all its doom and despair, here are 10 chilling albums to remind us that winter has finally come. And just in time for spring…

The Cure – Pornography

First, let’s set the scene with a bit of Pornography. Not the type that reflects all that necessary full frontal nudity, but some dark and desolate sounds to echo the bleak and brutal world of Westeros and beyond. If you’ve ever dismissed The Cure as nothing more than drab panto, this early album should quickly change your mind. Let the slaughtering commence.

Thrones-esque track: Cold

Bjork – Vespertine

What’s that you hear? The sound of a lost Wildling negotiating the unfamiliar depths of a winter-clad landscape somewhere far beyond The Wall? If you’re listening to the dreamy and dramatic Vespertine with a sense of childlike wonder, then quite possibly. And the eerie choir that accompanies it confirms those dawn-aged forest freaks are far from dead and gone.

Thrones-esque track: Hidden Place

Portishead – Third

Something for the things that march to a very different beat. Portishead’s sinister and (dare I say) best album is full of menacing moments to send the imagination into overdrive. You might well be hibernating from whatever’s lurking outside your door, but there’s no escaping the vocals that haunt from beyond the grave. The night is dark and full of terrors indeed.

Thrones-esque track: We Carry On

Sigur Ros – Takk…

Remember when the Heavens opened to shine down on You-Know-Nothing-Jon-Snow snogging Fierce-But-Hot-Ygritte in front of miles of majestic mountains while the breeze blew through their well-conditioned hair after climbing a 700-foot vertical wall of solid ice with a piece of rope and some bear trap shoes? Well, this is what that plausible moment sounds like.

Thrones-esque track: Glosoli

Richard Dawson – Peasant

With all these Warriors and Witches and Walkers hogging the limelight, it’s easy to forget that ordinary folk must inhabit the north too. This grim collection of hymns is the type of thing you can imagine them singing along to around the fire, perhaps while sharing some warm ale and a freshly roasted squirrel. Naturally, their throats would be slit halfway through the third song.

Thrones-esque track: Ogre

Woodkid – The Golden Age

From cruel tactics to gruesome combats, the most harrowing aspect of Game of Thrones is its portrayal of war. There’s nothing quite like a blade in the back to remind you that losses will always be suffered, actions come with consequences and justice rarely prevails. The Golden Age is an epic tribute to all the unsung heroes charging onto a doomed battlefield.

Thrones-esque track: Run Boy Run

Sexwitch – Sexwitch

Bonkers and oddly orgasmic, this spellbinding side project from Natasha Khan (aka Bat for Lashes) has Melisandre written all over it. Much like the Red Priestess herself, it takes a little while to get used to. By the end, not even the upsetting screams of an innocent child being burned at that stake will deter you from wanting more. Perfect music for exorcisms.

Thrones-esque track: Ha Howa Ha Howa

Talvin Singh – OK

Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, some little bitch of a Targaryen girl has managed to tame the wild Dothraki, gain the obedient Unsullied, liberate thousands of slaves, hatch three fire breathing dragons and unite them to create one mammoth bitch of an army. Time to kick off the shoes, put on some exotic vibes and enjoy a well-deserved scalding bath.

Thrones-esque track: Butterfly

Placebo – Without You I’m Nothing

Every adventure needs a little romance. The most broody and robust belongs to those troubling blue-eyed Lannister Twins. Who cares if they once shared a womb, grew up to become despicable humans and raised a monster of a son. Their story of deranged love is the show’s most genuine, complex and heartfelt. Such a shame one is probably going to kill the other.

Thrones-esque track: Without You I’m Nothing

Muse – Black Holes and Revelations

Let’s face it. A band like Muse was always going to make a list like this. Their outlandish rock is the perfect soundtrack for all the mayhem yet to come. So, brace yourself. Blood will be poured. Snow will fall on King’s Landing. The Night King will (finally) march south. Here’s to anyone that valiantly steps in his way… and to all those who dare play this thrilling game. Bring. It. On.

Thrones-esque track: Knights of Cydonia

Ready for winter? Follow our GoT playlist.