I heard the news. I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. Without Ryan, without you and your music, Death Stranding would not have been born. Your music will live forever in this world and in me. Thank you. Rest in peace.
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 29, 2022
Low Roar Ryan Karazija (1982-2022) pic.twitter.com/buzBwtBHvr
Low Roar front man and Death Stranding contributor Ryan Karazija passes away at 40
The band rose to prominence after being featured heavily in Death Stranding
Low Roar founder and lead singer Ryan Karazija, known for his large contributions to the Death Stranding soundtrack, has passed away.
A statement on the band’s social media platforms reads: “Ryan Karazija, front man and driving force behind Low Roar, has died at age 40.
“His beautiful music and lyrics, sung in his haunting voice have touched the lives of so many people all over the world, and will continue to do so.
“He was a kind and beautiful soul and our worlds are shattered by the loss of him. May we honour his memory through his art and hold him forever in his songs.
“The sixth Low Roar record was already underway and will be completed and released when it is ready. Please respect his family’s privacy at this incredibly difficult time.”
Death Stranding director Hideo has commented on Karazija’s passing.
“I can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it. Without Ryan, without you and your music, Death Stranding would not have been born.”
Low Roar shot to popularity with fans of gaming after being featured in the 2016 trailer for Hideo Kojima‘s Death Stranding.
Their song, “I’ll Keep Coming” scored the first trailer featuring Norman Reedus on a desolate beach. Karazija told VG247 in 2020 that Sony wouldn’t even let the band know what the song was going to be used for.
“Sony contacted us in an obscure email offering us a certain amount of money to use the song ‘I’ll Keep Coming’, and they were not willing to tell us what they’re going to use the song for,” Karazija told VG247. “At that time we were in a gutter so we accepted it. And it turned out it was for Death Stranding.”
Kojima, who discovered the band while on a trip in their native Reykjavík, featured the band heavily in Death Stranding. On the Deat Stranding OST, the band is featured 18 times, with the other four songs being from Silent Poets, Chvrches and Apocalyptica.