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The "official unofficial" Wasteland soundtrack

by Antony Johnston

Music is an important part of my writing and creative process. I know many creative people who can't concentrate with music playing, but I'm the opposite; listening to music helps me to focus, to 'zone out' the rest of the world while I concentrate on my work. I listen to music for hours every day, and have done for as long as I can remember. The invention of the Sony Walkman was one of the happiest days of my life, and of course I now don't go anywhere without my iPod.

What you may not realise, unless you have the same rather eclectic (he means "bizarre" - Ed) taste as me, is that music is also an integral part of Wasteland. From the very conception of the story to references in both the writing and illustration, music runs through the series' heart.

With that in mind I've compiled a CD's worth of material into a 'Wasteland playlist' which does a pretty good job of showcasing the book's musical touchstones. Some of these songs are illustrative of the story, some were part of the original inspiration, some are just very cool songs that impart the 'feel' of Wasteland... And two of them (Theme From Wasteland and its Reprise) are songs from the official soundtrack, which you can see more of here. Enjoy.

The Wasteland playlist


  • Download a PDF of the CD inlay

  • Theme From Wasteland - Ruin Runner (direct link)
  • Psychonaut Lib. III - Fields Of The Nephilim (iTunes store)
  • 4th Of July - Soundgarden (iTunes store)
  • Sonne - Rammstein (iTunes store)
  • Pray Nightfall - Paradise Lost (iTunes store)
  • Stars - Lacuna Coil (iTunes store)
  • Release - Anathema
  • When The Levee Breaks - Rosetta Stone
  • Like Gods Of The Sun - My Dying Bride (iTunes store - UK only)
  • As Time Goes By - Girls Under Glass
  • Dawnrazor - Fields Of The Nephilim (iTunes store)
  • Take Me Down - Paradise Lost
  • Theme From Wasteland (Reprise) - Ruin Runner (direct link)

    Non-iTunes tracks

    Songs without links are not available on the iTMS, sorry. Here are Amazon links to the CDs containing those tracks:

  • A Fine Day To Exit by Anathema (contains Release)
  • Minddiver by Girls Under Glass (contains As Time Goes By)
  • One Second by Paradise Lost (contains Take Me Down)

    Finally, When The Levee Breaks is Rosetta Stone's cover of the classic Led Zeppelin arrangement, from their debut album An Eye For The Main Chance. It's not on iTunes, and it's not on any of the Amazon sites. Which is a crime, frankly, and means you'll have to check auctions and second-hand sellers to find it. Well, I couldn't make it too easy for you...