Opera Singer Reacts: Messmer the Impaler OST || Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree OST 

"Mongrel intruder. Thou'rt Tarnished, it seemeth. Mother, wouldst thou truly Lordship sanction, in one so bereft of light? Yet...my purpose standeth unchanged. Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. In the embrace of Messmer's flame." -Messmer, the Impaler

the way you caught the radagon motifs instantly is great

The amount of ACCURATE things you pick up on that is true to the lore just from the music. It’s insane how music can genuinely paint a picture of something with just emotion.

Messmer is a highly tragic figure, villainous in deeds, but more a victim of his Mother, Marika, and her unbridled wrath towards those who wronged her, he is merely just her weapon, her vessel, and he hates her for it. the DLC basically unravels the God and Demigods of the setting, all born flawed, and as their power and godliness grew, the flaw grew as well.

The Lonely Demigod, Lord of the Land of Shadow.

11:11 is so accurate lmao, you're so good at getting lore near accurate by just listening to the music its incredible

You really hit the nail on the head saying he has nothing left and feels betrayed. Without spoiling that's exactly what's going on.

He's my favorite boss of this dlc and his theme is so intense . I really hoped you will listen this track .

The end of Messmer's theme (8:12) feels like, "You're a villain who never got a chance to be anything else. You're cursed and everyone one hates you, so forget it. Now you'll fight for yourself and no one else. You're done holding back, and if you're gonna die a villain, you're gonna go out as the biggest badass the world's ever seen."

Messmer gets references to the main theme i think first because he seems to be the first son of Radagon, and second is that he should have been the most heroic of all demi gods. But he was duped by his mother into commiting atrocities, and then abandonned, left behind. And even then, he remains loyal. He lost everything, he is hated, and yet he remains noble.

Don't want to spoil lore or anything, but your observations are spot on!

Messmer is probably the most well designed boss in the dlc. His fight feels very fair and he’s one of those bosses the more you fight him, the more you just learn how his fight works. He reminds me of Lady Maria or Sister Freide in the way he moves around the arena and the flow of his attacks. His theme is amazing though. I love how it sounds very similar to the actual main theme of the game in the first phase. Messmer is just what every Fromsoft boss should try to be. Definitely up there with Gael, Ludwig, Artorias, and Gehrman as one of the best bosses Fromsoft has ever made

Those stripped of the Grace of Gold shall all meet death. In the embrace of Messmer's flame. Me learning his moveset still: And your sister is the blade of Miquella, yeah I know...

Radagon motifs all up and down this theme 💀

It’s actually insane how he broke it down musically & pretty much summarized messmer’s character perfectly.😂

I know you'll LOVE "The Promised Consort" it is such a diverse track

7:46 that's literally part of Radagons Theme, is incredible how you absolutely killed it with how you can know the lore and everything, how you nailed that Messer is related to all the red heads, specially Radagon, how a song can tell a story by just listening to it

The dramatic end of the song really gives off the vibe of him coming to the realization that we, the Tarnished, have slain all of his forces throughout his castle, we've slain his most trusted knight, Rellana, and we've even killed his flame golems, on top of finally realizing that he has truly been abandoned by his mother. Nobody is coming to rescue him, there is nobody left, we killed them all. He truly is alone, desperately clinging to what he once held dear. His own mother who disowned him.

10:00 I'd assume it's to indicate Messmer's decent into self-doubt & tragic degradation. He was afflicted like his siblings from birth. He was given a scarseal by Marika to keep it in check yet he destroys it to use his curse against you in a last ditch effort, similar to Lady Maria. Only when he's beaten does he verbally curse Marika for using him as a vessel to do her bidding of cleansing the Shadow Realm, only to abandon him.

This lore is so tragic too. One of the best demigods alongside Morgott. You really feel for him

By far Messmer is the best boss in the dlc. His ost, lore and boss fight are all unmatched

The chromatic descending notes/chords in the end section are so strong. They shouldnt fit, but they do, and they give a real sense of "falling" down, never being able to get up again. Like Messmer in exactly that moment, after he unleashed something he could never bury again.

Man i love how accurate you are to the things that are transmitted only with the themes. I love your videos, surely one of my favorites content creators around music and the souls series. Thank you for your videos

I can't expressed how deeply impressed and happy I am from you noticing Radagon's motifs scattered here and there in the song. I was probably on my umpteenth attempt on him when I realized "wow this song really reminds me of another, but I can't put my finger on it"

The amount of thematic and character respective accuracies you are able to infer from the dynamics, texture, and expression of the piece is truly notable. Above all of your descriptions surrounding the context of the piece, however, the insight you provide which I agree with and love the most is the use of the word "desperate" when describing the finale of the piece: Messmer's final stand. Being born the imperfect and curse ridden child of the perceived "perfect" god of the falsely claimed "perfect" order, Messmer is taught to loath his innate impurities, his self consuming fire and inner-abyssal serpent. Out of fear of her own child, Queen Marika chose to pluck out both of his eyes and implant a false prothetic in his right socket, that of which was imbued with holy properties capable of suppressing Messmers natal curse. Further along in Messmer's life, Marika sought an opportunity to purge the world of her most ancient enemy by using her accursed son to lead a genocide massed as a holy crusade. While not being stated, it can be inferred that while Messmer was ordered to spearhead this genocide in private by his mother, influenced to undertake this mission to win the much sought after approval of his mother, Marika, to keep face, publicly denounced this crusade. Not just using her loathed son as a tool for war, but also effectively ostracizing Messmer from his home. Making him appear as a cruel monster to the public that either loathed him for his innate curse, or never knew of his existence due to his mother wish to keep her impure son from her subjects to save face. Regardless, Messmer would carry out his mothers ruthless crusade, and nearly wipeout an entire population for the approval of his monstrous mother, only to be secreted away by his mother in The Land of Shadow, never to be seen again. Left in this obscured limbo, Messmer would have nothing to accompany him other than the festering doubts and anger regarding his mothers ultimate betrayal for an unknown amount of time; Messmer could've been stuck in the Land of Shadow for hundreds of years before the tarnished puts him to the sword. Moreover, to add the final bit of misfortune to Messmer's already tragic story, at the end of his life, he encounters the player up in his lightless chamber at the height of his shadowy fortress, which to him is now more akin to a prison. Viewing the guidance of grace within the tarnishes eyes conveys to him that this creature, a being which is just as much as imperfect as him if not more so, is the chosen consort of his mother, the one to succeed his father as the next Elden Lord. He understands this truth while knowing his own experiences: all the torment and neglect he's shown through his life because of his impurities which he had no power over. Soon, after he is overpowered by the player, much like lady Maria from bloodborn, Messmer is forced to resort to the very curse which haunted him his whole life as a final well of power, and as perfectly stated in the video, desperation is one of the only things Messmer has left, and soon he doesn't even have that. Messmer's life is a tragedy, and he is forced to take on the role of the Devil in the story so his mother can maintain the image of God. At least that's how I see it.

Messmer and Midra carried the DLC for me, exceptional bosses and OST’s

Fun fact: both Lady Maria and Messmer, possess the key item required , in order to progress in the main quest of their respective DLCs. If a boss will have its face attached to another Fromsoftware DLC title, you know the rule.

Mesmer's theme is a cool spin on the Radagon theme to make something intertwined, but new and fresh.

"If that is like a Whopper, than this is a Double Quarter Pounder with cheese" - MarcoMeatballs

The beginning drums match up so well to his introduction cut scene when he says his lines, it was really impactful when I first played. Feels almost tragic, lore wise he is taking this massive weight from his mother waging a whole war on her behalf and the fact he's been essentially abandoned by her because she fears him and what he is has a tragedy to it.

The way you describe messmer at the begining (backed into a corner, what have i done, etc) is EXACTLY how the maliketh theme makes me feel

I think scadutree avatar's ost is really underrated. You should hear it

Messmer was actually the first born of Marika, before she ever even ascended to godhood and the connection to Radagon and all the redheads would be that Marika and Radagon are the same person and Messmer was like an older brother to Radahn. All Messmer ever wanted was to be Marika's hero, he took up the crusade against the tower dwelling people who basically genocided Marika's (and therefore Messmer's) people and when the Golden Order forsook him because the crusade was getting to violent and bloody and it was making them look bad, he kept going and took all the people's hate onto himself. The boss fight is what really sends him over the edge. Years of being disconnected from his mother when she was trapped within the Erdtree just to see the Tarnished, someone nameless and lightless, stride in. He had made his peace with the fact he sacrificed his place by his mothers side for their shared revenge. But we were able to be by her side, without scorn and he saw injustice in that. He pulled out the seal Marika had planted within his eyesocket and let the Base Serpent consume him entirely, only realising as he fades away that the seal was the last effigy of his mothers love and he threw it aside. Truly, one of the most tragic characters FromSoft has made.

Another person who was analyzing this piece came to the conclusion, that the restrainedness in the first part is messmer holding something back more so than being backed into a corner, also having lots of uncertainty, tragedy and a sense of duty that must be fulfilled at all cost.

Its truly impressive how you glean the subtext and lore just by analysing the songs themselves with knowing very little about the actual game scenes itself. You did it with Bayle and Midra so well too. Really speaks to how remarkable this music is

Awesome analysis as always, I've been binge watching these

Messmer is probably my favorite DLC fight, the music, the combat, the lore everything is perfect. This is one of those fights where I wish he actually had a full 2nd health bar because it was so epic

i like how you can really tell a part of the story with just the music alone. messmer was abandoned by his mother, his ost screams abandonment i think. man i love messmer.

literally how do you keep getting it so on point

Spot on with the lore, just from the soundscape! That's impressive.

One of my favorite tracks in the DLC, made you feel like you were truly dueling with a fiercesome Demi-god, very fitting for Messmer! If you haven't listened to it already I think you are going to love "The Promised Consort" such an amazing track and a beautiful call back to an amazing character! Second phase is absolutely breathtaking as well ❤ Edit, a little spoilers of who Messmer is down here(or at least how I perceive him) so stop here if you don't want to spoil yourself: your analysis of second phase was very close to what is going on in the context of the fight, although it's less fire raining down and more of his other defining aspect, serpents, but he does indeed get desperate and let loose something truly blasphemous, IMO I think even though Marika is his mother their dynamic is meant to be a mirror of Rennala and Radagon, with a mix of Godfrey post-banishment, to explain Messmer was essentially Marika's weapon in the Shadow Realm(not too surprising considering how she treats her other children), her people were persecuted and tortured by a group called the Hornsent(people with aspects of the crucible, it's why Marika hates Omens so much), so in turn Marika had Messmer launch a Crusade on them, which after Marika closed off the Shadow Realm and in turn her son Messmer from the Lands Between, became an all out war with Messmer and his army torching anyone and everyone who stood against them. I think the sadness from this theme comes from Messmer's love of his mother despite her abandonment of him, culminating into him letting loose his TRUE power in phase 2 to wipe out who he perceives as yet another enemy of hers(us), with his whole "O Mother, forgive me" speech, just like Malenia we are essentially to first person to have Messmer meet his match which is the desperation feeling of the theme especially phase 2

I've been awaiting this reaction! I love your reactions and detailed takes on music!!!

A child of Marika, a son who wanted to make his mother proud, abandoned, forgotten, and forced to die alone. The lost demigod lord of the realm of shadow.

I shouldn't be at this point, but I still get shocked just how much story you correctly deduce from the music. It really speaks to your incredible understanding and just general talent (and the amazing composers too). I'm sure many other people will give far more comprehensive and concise lore times so I'll just briefly talk about how I think about the motifs. The final battle theme is split up in the dlc. In the base game the final boss is that final climatic moment and we see the main progenitors of the world's current state and era all together in the Erdtree. Their actions made so evidently apparent. But in the dlc, we learn more of each characters motivation and this is shown in the music as well. In the beautiful shaman village, we hear the harp (i think?) from the beginning of Elden Beast's theme as we come across Marika's empty home village, where all her people are long gone. They were abused and tortured by the hornsent which led to their genocide (which marika instructed messmer to do), does this justify the original sin? No, not really, Marika starts to regret it herself but it does reveal the reason she went in the direction they did. Even Elden Beasts motivation gets revealed in the dlc although its kind of haunting. The greater wills guidance is long outdated and all the fingers and Elden Beast themselves are lost and rely on the guidance they once had, even if its now inaccurate. We see the branches these decisions make and the root reasons of why, the law of regression and causality as Elden Ring would say. It all plays into one of the games biggest themes about change and order and that no one person or one big decision will fix the world. It is our burden to provide light and warmth to each other, this is what defines Ranni's ending as they expunge the all the cosmic holiness away from everyone and make the world innately 'colder' and relies on the people to make their world. This is also the critical flaw of Miquella's plan, they attempted to remedy the original sin and those subjugated in any order by providing light and care to everyone equally and they sacrifice everything for it, but in the end they fail and join the cycle like Marika did in the attempt to fix the world in one great act. Anyways after that ramble I can't wait for you to get to the Promised Consort, its my favourite theme in souls and its from my favourite boss although I have no clue how you'll react to the music. Great video, hope you have a good day!

As always, you are spot on! Messmer is the son of Marika/Radagon. So this is where the link to the main theme lies, that also plays during Radagons fight! He also got abandoned by his mother in the shadow realm, as a cursed demigod, which makes him probably the most tragic of Elden Rings demigods. Keep up the good work, marco!

"Those stripped of the grace of gold shall all meet death, in the embrace of messmers flame" ive heard this shit so many times ill never forget it

its kind of amazing how much effort is put into these soundtracks to be able to tell a story with it that most people wont be able to discern. Like, the fact you can be as accurate as you are by just listening to the music is nuts. I played in band in highschool but ive never studied musical theory or history. I would never be able to pick up on these more specific story beats just by listening to the music alone. MOST people are not going to know or care about how these pieces contribute to the story of these characters and yet the composers do it anyways and clearly its successful considering you more or less have the story down. the music itself is telling us things about these characters we simply wouldnt be able to gather by simply reading dialogue or item descriptions. Lore theorists should really start commissioning help from people who understand musical theory to be able to draw even more out of these characters. At this point in fromsofts career it seems imperative.

I would describe this song as cataclysmic. Like the heroes of the journey are facing their final battle and its going bad in every possible way.

I like that you caught the empty space at the beginning of phase 2, it's amazing how so many parts of a boss can be conveyed through music.

It's so refreshing when you guess a whole boss's thematic from the ost track, , you mentioned Mesmer sounding like an accessory, which in-lore he really is just a tool for Marika

Your ability to accurately pick out what's going on and how it pairs with the boss without knowing/playing the DLC at the time, is both a testament to how well they are making the music and how great and vast your musical knowledge is, which astounds me, well done.

I absolutely adore the nods to Radagon’s theme in Messmer’s song, the usage of leitmotifs in the DLC is nothing short of amazing. My favorite boss in the game by a mile, everything about him is top notch and it’s all just enhanced with his fantastic song. The final minute of the 2nd phase is just pure bliss, I love the way the brass is set up giving the illusion that it’s eternally descending on pitch, awesome boss.

Man coming back and watching this after beating the DLC and watching some lore, you're fucking awsome at telling story queues or figuring out the lore through song. Along with making me realize how much more thought fromsoft puts into music tieing into lore beats or themes of the characters

I always get amazed on how you get to read important aspects of the characters just by listening to their soundtracks

As someone with adhd I've always get obsessed with ost of tv series and most importantly videogames but never had anyone to talk about it. I've never had any musical theoretical education, but still, I've always noticed emotional and narrative connections between the music, the characters and the story, but I've never been able to express that with anyone. I just knew that music makes me feel something. That makes me appreciate these videos so much, because it not only helps me to materialize what music makes me feel, it also makes me think that someone feels the same too. Love your work (:

So impressive how you nailed the character! I hope to grow this familiar with music theory

the second half feels like "let´s go tumble down the infernal staircase to hell together, You and I, for there is no hope for either of us, enjoy the ride and hold on tight!"

You're good at what you do.

The music confirms it; Radagon, you ARE the father!

Its amazing how can you tell the lore of a character based on the OST. At 5:04, it sounds somber because in the game where you first meet Messmer, he speaks without emotion, in third person perspective, just like he was reading a mantra script from Marika, for like a thousands of time when he was waging the holy war for Marika against the Hornsent. In a second half, there was a pause because of the transition into his serpent phase, where he broke the Marika's seal and felt more liberating to be his true self. It wasnt heroic, it was tragic moment of the abandoned demi-god, who is depicted as the sin / shadow aspect of Marika (compare to Radagon - the light / golden order aspect of Marika). This is probably why the OST is intertwined with Radagon's motif.

What I love most about this DLC is how it reveals just how human these Gods and Demi-Gods really are. All powerful, worshipped by thousands, everlasting, but dealing with the same struggles as everyone else. Ultimately leading to their demise. Marika’s lust for revenge leading to her death, Messmer’s hatred towards his mother Marika while trying to be obedient but eventually tossing everything aside refusing to be used anymore. Who would think that a Man could pity a God.

I love how well you coin the characters. It would be cool to see you react to the fight afterwards, and see how accurate you were.

always great to see marco perfectly guess everything about the boss just from hearing the music

By just one single linstening, you covered almost everything about Messmer . You are truly talentued 👏

I love Messmer's lore and story. He is broken, but that part of him that remains unbroken.... the true Abyssal Serpent tangled within his soul... it slithers through and makes itself known. "I AM Messmer" it says. And in the end he is liberated from the expectations and the vitriol of having to be a pawn in Marika's game. He is the scapegoat villain... the tragedy... the man who could have been a leader for all turned into a force of destruction and evisceration... The desperation of being placed in this situation and the fatigue of perpetually being in it with seemingly no escape. The indignation of a mongrel intruder being a tarnished... The realization of who he is... what he is... what he has lost... and the fact that there is nothing left for him to lose anymore.... only pained freedom and acceptance from this point on. It is one of my favorite pieces of lore in all of Elden Ring.

It’s always so impressive how on point you are as far as lore goes

It's genuinely impressive how you managed to precisely dial in on so many aspects of Messmer as a character just from the score. Nice video!

You are always so accurate with the lore and its amazing how music alone is able to tell a story. What a beautiful track. As intense as it is, its also so sad and lonely... At the very end, messmer truly had nothing left and died alone

i have been watching marco’s videos for quite a while now, and im honestly really starting to get fond of this yt channel and the dude himself, he just feels like an intelligent content creator and guy in general, which is great!

Thank you for making these! I had no idea how much characterization you could fit into just the soundtrack before watching your videos. Really gives me a new appreciation for the music!

really loving your emotional perspective

The transition to phase 2 with the chorus and Messmers voice lines gave me the best chills ever. Probably my favorite moment in the entirety of Elden Ring and the DLC combined. Just... *chefs kiss*

And what’s so amazing is that everything you’ve said was spot on that’s so wild

Radagon theme inverted may be due to this dimension being the realm of shadow. Messmer is part of the dark shadow of the golden order that Marika wanted to conceal from history. Considering what we now know of her children almost every single of them was cursed in some ways save perhaps those born of Rennala who werent born messed up but became so afterward. Out of all the child Marika and her two consorts had only godwynn was born witheout a defect.

"Mother... *Marika...* A *curse* upon thee..."

If Messmer is indeed a broken individual who is backed into a corner, it actually kind of lines up with the theory that, Messmer is a victim of his Mother's (Marika) crusade. Marika began her age by basically extinguishing anything that opposed the Erdtree. In the Realm of Shadow, Messmer was tasked with destroying livelihoods and cultures that existed before the Erdtree. Perhaps he feels guilty in a way.

I love Messmer, his music is great, one can feel his feelings through his music, he is an abandoned son, he can only follow the path that his mother gave him, follow the will of the mother who abandoned him, do the will of his mother is the only path he knows in life

"Direct thy maledictions, thine ire, and thy grief towards me alone."

Messmer is my most favourite boss and lore-wise character

You know the boss is great if he repeats the last line of his dialogue every time you die 😀

''Soon, Tarnished. Wilt thou be taken in the jaws of the abyssal serpent, shorn of light.'' By the way, great analysis of the OST bc you actually hit a lot of points of Messmer's character

Outstanding boss, and difficulty outstanding atmosphere and arena, outstanding lore and story, badass cutscenes and visual design, and of course - a piece of music that imo is one of from’s best

You are spot on. What a great analysis

You are stunned by the music? I'm stunned how you described Messmer just by hearing the music. But indeed I got a feeling that this DLC OST are, somehow, more detailed and clearer about what's happening in the fights. Love how this OST got the forbidden vibe and in phase this forbid is released. Love the video!

i think my favorite thing that exemplifies the feeling of overwhelming despair in the phase 2 theme is his line if he kills you in phase 2. "O lightless creature. Embrace thine oblivion, as shall I."

For me this theme was struggling, like it couldn't decide between whether it was dangerous or tragic. And that pretty much describes Messmer as a character. He is both. He's done monstrous things, but arguably all of it was completely justified. And his rewards for the completely selfless acts he acted out on behalf of Marika for which he took complete responsibility, were abandonment. He is absolutely at wit's end. Once again a phenomenal breakdown.

I'm excited to see your analysis of "Radahn Consort of Miquella" ost! Absolute masterpiece!

On top of what is usualy said about messmer and his ost there is also the constant, lurking unknown danger connected to the abyssal serpent

Fromsoft really pops off when it comes to their DLC music. A large number of my favourite tracks are DLC ones. The composers need a raise for sure

Hey Marco. I'm glad I stopped by to check out another one of your reactions, because you and I share similar feelings on this soundtrack. Two small notes that stand out to me as someone that loves the lore and the music: 1. Messmer was sent on a crusade that he was never meant to return from, and never meant to end. He has been a general, a conqueror, for hundreds of years. In phase 1, we hear these consistent underlying drums (Timpani or Bass Drum, not sure) driving at the bottom. A tone I've heard in other pieces to indicate a march, the beat Messmer's army pushes on towards, to an end that will never be found. 2. In phase 2, that caesura is such a small, brilliant detail that slots neatly into the dialogue he shares at the time. In between, we learn that Messmer is possessed by the Abyssal Serpent, a being that seeks to reduce all to nothing. It is during this transition that Messmer decides that a world completely devoured is better than a world ruled by a Tarnished . It's only when we first see the Abyssal Serpent, when we see him allow himself to be taken by it, that the caesura happens, only once. For a brief, terrifying moment, we stare into the Abyss, and it responds with only the silence of the void. What follows is the active corruption of Messmer, as we hear brief moments of his phase 1 theme twisted, even devoured by this animalistic chaos that represents the Abyssal Serpent devouring his soul from the inside, only brief moments of the man behind it breaking through the noise.

Messmer's theme definitely is one of my favorites in the DLC and his whole fight and design, too. He really got that f'ed up Radagon theme going. Also wanna recommend Metyr's theme because it's one of the more unique themes from the DLC.

I am very new to your channel and appreciate your videos. The way you describe original sound tracks is very much the way I look at paintings and drawings (I am a visual artist for a living), and it is so cool to see that approach within the context of music. Amazing work!!

Bro about to pass out on Consort and Miquella's themes. Also Shaman Village theme...

I love the lore Marco digs up just by listening to these themes. He’s almost always completely on point. And he confirms unwritten lore that others find in different elements of the game. Well done to FromSoftware for making such a coherent yet subtle narrative.

Ah, finally, Messmer, now my favorite Elden Ring character. It's amazing how much you was able to tell about him just from music alone. Everything you said is so spot on.

Messmer just needed a hug

If you ever noticed. All the demigods who are born under Radagon have a slight musical undertone of Radagon's theme in his final fight. Almost like it's telling you who is pulling the strings or influencing their actions and motives

I was waiting for this Marco!! 🤩😎🗿

This is my second favorite ost from dlc, after dancing lion. Man I love 2nd phase ost so much 😎

6:50 Never noticed how it sounds like the Elden Beast OST