Soundtrack Analysis (Faith: the Unholy Trinity).

Soundtrack Analysis (Faith: the Unholy Trinity)

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN: December 2022

DISCLAIMER: I do not own or claim to own the soundtracks provided on this post. All credits go to the composing artist(s), and to the development team of Faith: The Unholy Trinity. I am not a psychiatric professional. I do have a degree and spent years studying the intersection between the mental health and correctional systems, but I am not a clinician or an individual with a lot of clinical knowledge. I am also not an expert on cults, but have done research to the best of my ability (and in accordance with a years-long fixation on the functionality of cult structures). I am also not an audio engineer.

CONTENT WARNINGS: Minor Discussions of Religious Abuse, Cult Practices

Hi Faith fandom! I forgot I had the soundtrack courtesy of Steam and I made some interesting discoveries! So I figured I'd share them here too, since:

With that said, I'll toss my findings below the cut! I'll try to include the relevant audio files as well, though I'm not too sure how that all works here so I'll just...

I also hit a track limit... so I made sure to include the vital discoveries and include all mentioned titles!

There will be spoilers for Chapter 3, so reader discretion is advised.

I'll start us off with the titular discoveries.

The true ending (re: exorcising Amy, leaving with either Lisa or Father Garcia) theme is called It's Okay. The track is also something of a lullaby/harmony! There's a lot of callbacks happening in the track. Track below:

Gary's boss fight music is a remixed Revolutionary Etude, which was (allegedly) originally composed by Chopin around the time that Russia invaded Warsaw during the Polish uprisings. Track below:

Tiffany's boss theme is titled I am Beyond, very fitting considering her whole characterization stems from trying to surpass Amy (and perhaps even Gary) to earn the reverence she believes she's owed. Track below:

Side note: I am Beyond is easily my favorite soundtrack from the game. It's so unnerving.

And finally, the theme that plays when John is in the psychiatric ward (when the floating demonic face (belonging to Miriam) in Gary's Labyrinth captures him) is titled Not Here... which is just painful. Poor John. Track below:

Not relating to titles, but in the track that plays when fighting Super Miriam (re: Gary/Astaroth and Malphas possessing her corpse and spirit), you can hear Astaroth and Malphas being chanted in the background. The track's name is, fittingly, Super Miriam.

Similarly, in (what I assume is) the cult's theme, there is Latin chanting. If it weren't for my auditory processing issues, I'd provide what's being said. Alas, a bitch can't hear well enough to make it out. The track's name is Gary.

This next note is a bit more analytical, but Airdorf uses two compositions from Erik Satie's Trios Gnossiennes (more specifically, the first and the third; though not in order. The third is played before the first). I can't attach them here, sadly. I can, however, provide a bit of historical insight into the Trios Gnossiennes.

The track that plays in Chapter 2, during John's time at the church and cornfield, is Gnossiennes 3. The track that plays in Chapter 3, during John's time both outside of the clinic and the apartments, is Gnossiennes 1.

The Trios Gnossiennes were composed in the late 1800s and were entirely experimental compositions. We're talking no time signatures and a few other technical reworkings that couldn't classify them within existing compositional categories. In fact, Satie made up the term Gnossienne entirely.

Some scholars allege that the term drew inspiration from Satie's involvement in gnosis, or the (widely Hellenistic) belief that there's spiritual knowledge into humanity's real nature as divine. Within the Hellenistic era, gnosis was often used in reference to the occult, or "mystery cults" according to research.

Early symbols for gnosticism include a lion-faced, serpentine deity (potentially: Demiurge)... which is also of note considering Gary's demonic namesake, Astaroth, is often depicted as a serpentine (though more dragon-esque) deity.

On the other hand, some scholars attribute the word to the Cretan knossos (alt. gnossus), linking the published Trios Gnossiennes to the myth of Theseus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur (perhaps respectively? though it's not clear). While I'm failing to draw the parallels between the cornfield/church and the Minotaur, I can say that if the Gnossiennes are respectively attributed... The Theseus imagery for John is just... perfect. The whole concept of John's diminishing faith and the question of how much faith a man can lose before he is no longer faithful is... UGH. So good. And a very big question asked throughout Chapter 3.

To add onto this imagery... There's two very interesting track combinations that I feel could be expanded on!

First off, Gary's boss theme (re: Astaroth) and Malphas' theme are... strikingly similar in their composition. Same general vibe, with a weaving kind of interaction. There are parts that the two songs harmonize with one another, and then parts where they clash.

I've attempted to overlay the two tracks to illustrate this, though please note I am not an audio mixer ^^; Track below:

I think any symbolism here can be attributed to the fact that Gary (Astaroth) and his cult can summon Malphas to Earth. This, and the actual demonology surrounding Astaroth and Malphas.

Both Astaroth and Malphas are pretty significant figures. Both are said to be great leaders in Hell (Astaroth being a Grand Duke, Malphas being a "mighty Great President") who commanded legions of demons as a second in command to Satan.

From the research I conducted, it seems like they're almost one in the same? Astaroth is the more popular second in command, though Malphas makes his appearances in The Lesser Key of Solomon seemingly in Astaroth's place (re: the similarities within their roles).

Maybe this could signify some sort of rivalry? A battle for power while united under a common goal (re: The Second Death and the Profane Sabbath)? This could explain why Gary's demise is him being consumed (considering that Malphas is known for accepting sacrifices then deceiving the conjurer).

And secondly, the Unholy Trinity.

The Mother (The Clinic Demon), The Daughter (Tiffany), and the Unholy Spirit (Miriam/Miriam's Carved Face). These are the three demons needed to break the seals of the Crucible.

Respectively, their themes are: Mommy, I am Beyond, and Not Here.

Unfortunately, this one seems like a bit more of a stretch when overlaid in comparison to Astaroth and Malphas. Though I did find when removing Mommy from the lineup, there are a few sections where I am Beyond and Not Here do almost align... Though this one could be more coincidence than an intended effect.

Just for reference, though, I did include the trimmed and overlaid audio below:

To explain this mix, I removed the portions of I am Beyond that are a bit more... technical? The train-like sounds. I removed those and left the more unique (for a lack of better wording) sound bytes to mesh with Not Here. Again, maybe coincidence (or my ears deceiving me) or maybe not!