The Top 5 Best Fan Covers of Tomb Raider Music

Tomb Raider is (unfortunately) known for five things: Lara, her set of twins on her chest, and her set of twins in her holsters. Today, we’re here to make that six; that is, with proof that a little-appreciated aspect of the series has earned itself a fanbase of its own. That’s right, we’re talking about music.

As part of our 5 Things features, we’re going to give you The Top 5 Best Fan Covers of Tomb Raider Music. As we count down to the top spot, we’ll be giving you the sublime moments of each fan rendition — moments that will have you stop, look (at the minute mark), and listen (again, and more carefully). So, without further ado, here are the best fan covers of Tomb Raider music on the Internet:

5. Lacrimosa (Mozart’s Requiem) – as performed by Jh8812 via YouTube: Granted, Lacrimosa isn’t exactly identifiably Tomb Raider, but last year’s teaser for Tomb Raider Underworld — which has thus far garnered more than a million views on GameTrailers alone — had everyone talking. It was enough that Lara (!) blew up her own house to have us scratching our heads, but the irony and intrigue of it all was amplified by the solemn yet foreboding music of Mozart’s Requiem. In his blog, Troels Folmann, music supervisor for Underworld, shared that “Blur (the team behind the teaser) originally used Mozart’s Lacrimosa [only] as a temporary piece,” but when he heard it, he ordered them not to change a single note.

Now, what makes Jh8812‘s rendition of Lacrimosa so special? It’s evident how passionate he is about playing the piece, and it effortlessly captures the twisted, tragic fate of Lara’s home being burned to ashes. Of course, being that the demo was posted in 2007, it’s highly unlikely that Jh8812 played this with Underworld in mind; it still stands, however — all things considered — that it’s a sublimely melancholic piece that encapsulates the tragedy that is Tomb Raider Underworld (no pun intended). Sublime moment: 00:31.

4. Vertigo (Tomb Raider II) – as performed by sosogood via YouTube: Originally composed by old-school Tomb Raider music man Nathan McCree, Vertigo served as the title theme of Tomb Raider II. There’s nothing much to say about the original (YouTubified here), apart from the fact that it sets the mood for Lara’s Chinese expedition to unearth the dagger of Xian, an endeavor that pits her against the maniacal Marco Bartoli.

The McCree piece was covered by sosogood in 2007, and while it doesn’t retain the synthetic yet relaxing sound of the original, the piano rendition kept the solemn feel in tact, as if to set to the player on a journey much like that of Lara’s lone world-trekking. There’s something about piano covers that makes a piece more relaxing, and sosogood’s Vertigo is a standing testimony to that. Sublime moment: 00:35.

3. Pandora’s Box (Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life) as performed by CalikoKat via YouTube: Composed by the Alan Silvestri himself, Pandora’s Box (original orchestration here) was set to the dramatic scene of Lara and Terry’s confrontation in the cave where Pandora’s box was kept hidden from man. She wanted to go and leave it be, he wanted to go with it and not leave anything behind. It was the ultimate dilemma for Lara in the film: Choosing between the man she loved (or loves) or the assurance that the human race will be kept safe from the plagues and illnesses Pandora can unleash. She chose the latter. She had to kill Terry Sheridan.

Pandora’s Box was a dramatic and climactic piece as it was presented in the film (performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, no less). CalikoKat, however, made a more subtle and melancholic cover of it. It’s evident too that he is quite the classical piano expert, what with the complicated music sheet propped open for reference. Enviable, that skill. Sublime moment: 01:56.

2. Classical Mansion Music (Tomb Raider II) as performed by sondrolo via YouTube: One of the cheap thrills of training in Lara’s mansion in Tomb Raider II was playing the music in what looked to be the ball room of our heroine’s humble abode. It was classical, fast-paced music that served as an adrenaline booster while doing the rounds in the mansion, and it served as a mood-setter in the otherwise lonely, creepy (Winston was there) place.

In what seems to be the only remotely lively entry in our list, sondrolo achieves a feat that would have most Tomb Raider fans’ jaw drop. It’s a masterful rendition of the original with nary a hint of reference or any sheet for guiding the performance. It’s sublime at any given point, especially considering the breathless (if only fingers could breathe), skillful strokes of the piano keys. Sublime moment: Every moment.

1. Title Theme (Tomb Raider) as performed by Touhomus via YouTube: Also composed by Nathan McCree, this served as the title theme for the original Tomb Raider in 1996. Characterized by the use of harp and chants similar to that of the Gregorians’, the piece gives a meditative vibe that depicts the solemn moments of Lara’s discovery of long-forgotten places. It’s the epitome of Tomb Raider music in that it captures the spirit of the original and what it’s all about.

Touhomus‘ cover of this piece tops our list, hands-down, for its authenticity. It’s such a masterful and skillful rendition of the original that it’s difficult to set it apart from the actual piece itself. At certain moments, one could swear it was Nathan McCree playing. That’s how good it is. And that’s why it wins our list of The Top 5 Best Fan Covers of Tomb Raider Music. Sublime moment: Every moment.

And that’s that. The Top 5 Best Fan Covers of Tomb Raider Music. Stay tuned for the next installment of 5 Things!