The Game of Thrones live concert experience has been crossing the country over the last month, bringing the Seven Kingdoms to a city near you. In addition to its shock-inducing plot twists unforgiving treatment of its characters, an integral part of the award-winning HBO show’s thematic brilliance is its score. One tune that comes up on various occasions throughout the arc of the show is “Rains of Castamere,” the theme of the fictional “House Lannister,” one of the families vying for power in the fictional land of Westeros. The song plays over the many diabolical acts masterminded by members of the family (i.e. The Red Wedding), providing a thematically ominous backdrop for the carnage.
The song, which has been recorded by various artists including The National, is a hair-raising climax in the Live Concert Experience. Recently, during the tour’s stop at The Forum in Los Angeles, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian lent his signature unhinged vocals to the “Rains of Castmere,” bringing the melancholy feel of the song to a new levels of foreboding. Check it out below, courtesy of YouTube user David Lopez:
The demonically mischievous vocals of the “Chop Suey” singer alongside an orchestra, outlandish production, and towering video clips from the show are a match made in heaven, and you can be sure we’ll be watching this video at least a few more times at Live For Live Music HQ today.
The Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience will head to San Jose, CA today, before making their way to Seattle, WA on Friday, Vancouver, BC on Saturday, and Portland, OR on Sunday to round out its North American tour. To grab tickets to one of the remaining performances, head here. Don’t miss out, there’s only a few more chances to take a musical trip to the magical world of Game of Thrones!
[h/t – Vice]