Running from Evil

"Running from Evil" is the music track used in the first and the fifteenth level of Doom II and is composed by Bobby Prince. In the game's files, the song is given the names "d_runnin" and "d_runni2". The "runnin" and "runni2" parts refer to the "Running" in the song's name.

Music Qualities
"Running from Evil" is in the key of E minor, but uses a lot of chromatic notes. Its tempo is approximately 102BPM and is three minutes and 47 seconds long.

Instrumentation
The instrumentation of "Running from Evil" is not very complex, only using a Fingered Bass, Drums, Electric Guitar (during the solo), and a Jazz/Rotary hybrid Organ type instrument.

Harmonic Rhythm and Chord Progression
The Harmonic Rhythm of Running from Evil is quite slow, at one chord change per bar, yet the Chord Progression follows quite a complex pattern. Starting of at E minor ♭5 (or E diminished), with the top voice (B♭), rising up chromatically every bar, to E minor, then C major /E, then after a quick stab of C# diminished / E, then E minor, this progression repeats once again. The next section is hard to describe, the bass follows the same pattern, but due to the organ playing a progression of E minor, C major/E, C# diminished/E, then stabs of C major/E and E minor. The chord qualities themselves are obscured.

There are two bridges in the song, the first one transposes the previous progression up 5 semitones to the relative key of A minor, but the second bridge features a different, chromatically descending progression. Starting at G minor, then D major / F#, D diminsihed / F, then C major / E.