Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" will appear on the soundtrack for "Gears of War: E-Day" and score the game's new multiplayer trailer, NME reported. Publisher Xbox Game Studios says the metal classic will also be available in-game as one of four main menu soundtrack options, in an instrumental version, alongside a set of "Ride the Lightning"-themed weapon skins available to pre-order.
"Gears of War: E-Day" launches Oct. 6, with an open beta starting Aug. 6. The prequel to 2006's original "Gears of War" introduces an evolved version of the series' Horde mode called Horde Siege: "Set across the biggest multiplayer maps ever seen in the series, Horde Siege sets three squads of four out on their own individual missions," according to a blog post from the developers, resulting in what they call wildly unpredictable battles. Composer Adam Lastiwka of developer the Coalition scored the game, having already released a reworked cover of Gary Jules's "Mad World" for the initial reveal trailer and an original track, "Emergence," earlier this year.
The game's creative director, Matt Searcy, said the story centers on the bond between franchise characters Marcus and Dom before the events of the original trilogy. "We're telling the origin story of Marcus and Dom and their bond," he said, describing a Sera still at peace, with neither character carrying a decade of war against the Locust behind him yet.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is doing double duty this year: Metallica also appears on the Madden NFL 2027 soundtrack, playing alongside Lamb of God's "Into Oblivion" and Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" on an eclectic tracklist that also includes YUNGBLUD, Quicksand and Trivium, part of a broader wave of video game soundtracks leaning into heavier acts this year, also covered in Paramore, Avicii and the White Stripes turn up on the soundtrack to Madden NFL 27.
The sync also lands during a busy year for Ozzy Osbourne's legacy in particular, with his widow, Sharon Osbourne, weighing a possible return of the couple's namesake festival, as covered in Sharon Osbourne says the metal festival Ozzfest 2027 is under discussion.
The facts
- For Whom the Bell Tolls features on the Gears of War: E-Day soundtrack
- Metallica's music also plays under the game's new multiplayer trailer
- Gears of War: E-Day launches October 6, with a beta from August 6
- Composer Adam Lastiwka scored the game for developer The Coalition
- Metallica also appears on the Madden NFL 2027 soundtrack
- Lamb of God and Ozzy Osbourne are on that same Madden soundtrack
- For Whom the Bell Tolls is the Metallica track on both lists
How this checks out
Developing
Reported by 2 independent outlets
A few outlets have it so far, short of the bar we set for confirmed.
Cited sources 2
Every outlet that reported this, linked to what it published. Equal credits, in alphabetical order.