Two Steps from Hell

Two Steps from Hell

Official logo
Company type	Private
Industry	Production music
Founded	14 February 2006 (2006-02-14)
Founders	Thomas Bergersen Nick Phoenix
Fate	De facto dissolution 8 April 2024 (2024-04-08)
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California , United States
Products	Trailer music Commercial music E-books Merchandise
Website	twostepsfromhell.com

Two Steps from Hell was a Los Angeles-based American company specializing in production music, established in 2006 by composers Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix. Their expertise lay in crafting trailer music demos for the film advertising sector, collaborating with Extreme Music for licensing purposes. The founders emerged as prominent contributors within the industry, providing soundtrack material for thousands of movie trailers and television advertisements.

Their distinctive sound fused orchestral and choral components with contemporary production techniques, commonly described as "epic music." They rose to fame by supplying compositions to major film series including Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek, and Twilight. As their compositions attracted a broader audience, demand grew for public releases, leading to their initial commercial albums: Invincible (2010) and Archangel (2011), which compiled popular demo tracks, followed by SkyWorld (2012), consisting entirely of new material.

As commercial acclaim increased, they performed their inaugural concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2013. By the mid-2010s, evolving market trends prompted a shift towards public album releases featuring a wider variety of compositions rather than solely trailer demos. Their albums achieved strong positions on U.S. charts; thirteen reached the top ten on the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums chart, including three that topped it: Battlecry (2015), Unleashed (2017), and Myth (2022). Additionally, Battlecry appeared on the Billboard 200. During the 2020s, they broadened their reach by embarking on concert tours across Europe.

In 2024, Bergersen and Phoenix declared the formal conclusion of Two Steps from Hell to focus on individual musical pursuits.

History

Two Steps from Hell was launched in early 2006 by Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix with the goal of composing original scores specifically for film trailers. Over time, the pair produced music featured in more than 1,000 major motion picture trailers.

The name originated from Bergersen’s inspiration drawn from a Norwegian nightclub named "Two Steps From Heaven," aiming for a memorable brand that aligned with the philosophy "All PR is good PR."

Although achieving industry success early on, their music was not made available to the public until May 2010 with the commercial release of Invincible, which nearly attained Gold certification. By January 2017, Two Steps from Hell had issued 10 public albums alongside 20 demonstration albums, encompassing close to 1,000 distinct tracks.

Following Invincible, Bergersen debuted his solo project with the album Illusions. The company subsequently released compilation albums such as Archangel and Halloween, then followed up with SkyWorld, primarily composed of fresh tracks. Later releases included compilations like Classics Volume One and Miracles.

Nick Phoenix embarked on his solo career with the 2013 release of Speed of Sound. Bergersen continued with his second solo effort, Sun, issued in September 2014 and supported by preview singles as well as a limited deluxe edition featuring bonus content.

In July 2014, Two Steps from Hell diversified into multimedia by launching the e-book Colin Frake on Fire Mountain, a novel authored by Phoenix that included an original score and illustrations. Its sequel, Colin Frake: Asclepius, was published in April 2017.

The 2015 album Battlecry showcased entirely new compositions and achieved significant commercial success, reaching number 183 on the US Billboard 200 chart. This release was followed by both compilation and original albums: Classics Volume Two (2015), along with new works such as Vanquish (2016), Unleashed (2017), and Dragon (2019).

Beginning in 2020, Bergersen started releasing the multi-part album series titled Humanity, which combines newly composed pieces with reimagined earlier tracks.

Steven Gilmore has been the principal graphic designer responsible for most album artwork and the company’s logo, maintaining consistent branding throughout releases. Additional artistic contributions have come from Paul Zeaiter and Jesper Krijgsman on select projects. Bergersen personally crafted artwork for his solo album Sun.

The company has established a substantial digital footprint, boasting millions of YouTube subscribers and accumulating over 100 million views on signature tracks like "Victory," underscoring its influential presence in the market.

In April 2024, founders Bergersen and Phoenix announced their decision to dissolve Two Steps from Hell as a collaborative entity to pursue independent musical careers.

Main appearances

The company's compositions have been utilized in trailers for prominent films such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Star Trek, The Dark Knight, Inception, The Avengers, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Interstellar, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Aquaman. The piece "Everlasting" was featured in the documentary "Planet Earth".

Within the realm of video games, their music appears in titles including Might & Magic Heroes VII, Resident Evil 6, Mass Effect 2 and 3, PlanetSide 2, Killzone 3, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Elder Scrolls Online, and notably in e-sports events for League of Legends. Other games featuring their work include The Witcher 3, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, and Uncharted 4.

Television series that have incorporated their tracks include Breaking Bad, Doctor Who, Game of Thrones, Sherlock, Homeland, and The Walking Dead. Their music was also part of major events like the 2012 London Olympics. Selections from albums such as "Archangel" and "Burn" have appeared on programs like Britain's Got Talent and specials including Top Gear. Moreover, "Norwegian Pirate" was used as the principal theme for TBS's sports game show Sports Danshi Grand Prix, a revival of the former Pro Sportsman No.1.

Concerts

On June 14, 2013, Two Steps from Hell performed a live concert at the Disney Hall in Los Angeles, showcasing well-known pieces including "Heart of Courage," "Protectors of the Earth," alongside selections from Bergersen's album Illusions.

Their second live performance took place on April 20, 2018, under the Film Music Prague Festival's organization. This event featured Praga Sinfonietta led by conductor Petr Pololáník, Kühns mixed choir, and vocalists Merethe Soltvedt and Kamila Nývltová. Founders Thomas Bergersen and Nick Phoenix made guest appearances on several pieces.

A European tour scheduled for 2020 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group resumed touring on June 15, 2022, beginning in Brussels, accompanied by the Odesa Opera Orchestra and ReChoir. Bergersen and Phoenix joined on stage for multiple songs.

Studio albums

The main publicly available collections released by the group:

Title	Year	Description	Highest US chart rankings
			200	CLS	CLX	HEA	IND
Invincible	2010	Initial compilation of favored tracks sourced from private demos, with a few new additions.	—	—	—	—	—
Archangel	2011	Second compilation gathering popular pieces from private demo collections.	—	36	—	28	—
Halloween	2012	A themed horror compilation drawn from private demos.	—	—	—	—	—
SkyWorld		First fully public release consisting predominantly of new compositions mixed with some older tracks.	—	10	9	19	—
Classics Volume One	2013	Third collection compiling favorite tracks from private demos.	—	10	9	23	—
Miracles	2014	'Dreamy' themed album assembled from private demo material.	—	3	2	9	—
Battlecry	2015	Second album comprising entirely new tracks made available to the public.	183	1	1	1	9
Classics Volume Two		Fourth compilation featuring popular demo tracks plus ten fresh compositions.	—	7	6	—	—
Vanquish	2016	Third album containing all new material released publicly.	—	9	8	5	34
Unleashed	2017	Fourth collection consisting solely of new tracks.	—	1	1	18	41
Dragon	2019	Fifth fully new track album released to the public.	—	2	2	12	29
Myth	2022	'Sixth album featuring entirely new compositions.	—| 17| 1| —| —|

Solo albums

These albums, created by individual artists, are part of the Two Steps collection but issued under their respective solo names:

Title	Year	Artist	Description	Highest US chart rankings
				200	CLS	CLX	HEA	IND
Illusions	2011	Bergersen	The initial solo studio album.	—	13	—	—	—
Speed of Sound	2013	Phoenix	First solo release featuring a mix of epic sci-fi electronica and orchestral compositions.	—	—	—	—	—
Sun	2014	Bergersen	Follow-up solo album to Illusions, marking the second release.	157	3	3	3	27
American Dream	2018		Debut symphonic suite.	—	6	6	—	—
Seven	2019		Second symphonic suite installment.	—	1	1	15	39
Humanity - Chapter I	2020		Third solo album; first chapter in a seven-part series; successor to Sun.	—	—	3	—	—
Humanity - Chapter II			Fourth solo album; second chapter in the ongoing series.	—	—	4	—	—
King of One	2021	Phoenix	Second solo album blending traditional and contemporary rock styles.	—	—	—	—	—
Humanity - Chapter III		Bergersen	Fifth solo release; third chapter in the Humanity series.						-	Humanity - Chapter IV	Bergersen	Sixth solo album; fourth installment in the series.			4			-	Wide World	2022	Phoenix	Third solo album; follows King of One, combining classic rock with orchestral influences.						-	Humanity - Chapter V	2023	Bergersen	Seventh solo album; fifth chapter in the ongoing series.			3			-	Underdog	2024	Phoenix	Fourth solo rock album; successor to Wide World.						-	Heart of the Ocean	Phoenix	Fifth solo release featuring epic orchestral pieces with new material.						-	Insurgent	Phoenix	Compilation release of demo albums including Insurgent, Mind Tracer, and Open Conspiracy.						-	A Christmas Carol	Bergersen	Third symphonic suite.						-	It Starts at Zero	' 2025	' Phoenix	' Sixth solo album presenting entirely new tracks.	'	'	'	'	'
Dawnstar		' 2025	' Phoenix	' Seventh solo album consisting of all new compositions.	'	'	'	'	'
Humanity - Chapter VI	' TBA	' Bergersen	' Eighth solo album; sixth chapter in the series. Scheduled for future release.	Not yet released.
Humanity - Chapter VII	' TBA	' Bergersen	' Ninth solo album; seventh chapter planned for future launch.
Creatures of the Forest	' TBA	' Bergersen	' Further details to be announced. Upcoming release.

The symbol "—" denotes albums that either did not enter charts or lack available ranking information.

Anthology series

This series consists of demo albums that were once private but have since been commercially released, containing leftover tracks not found on other studio albums:

Title	Year	Description	Highest chart positions
			CLS	CLX
Battlecry Anthology	2017	Alternative versions of all Battlecry tracks that had not been commercially released before.	15	12
Nero Anthology		Most unreleased tracks from the Nero back catalog made available commercially.	15	12
Heaven Anthology		Previously unavailable tracks from the Two Steps From Hell back catalog released commercially.	6	4
Power of Darkness Anthology		Majority of unreleased tracks from the Power of Darkness back catalog issued commercially.	10	9
Illumina Anthology	2018	Remaining unreleased material from the Illumina back catalog offered commercially.	23	15
Legend Anthology	2019	Most unreleased tracks from the Legend back catalog made commercially accessible.	19	—
Dreams & Imaginations Anthology	2020	Majority of unreleased material from the Dreams & Imaginations back catalog released commercially.	—	—
A "—" signifies releases that either did not chart, have unknown chart positions, or were not issued in that region.

Soundtracks

Albums in which the group created original scores for external media projects:

Title	Year	Description	Highest chart rankings
			CLS	CLX
Colin Frake on Fire Mountain	2014	Score album accompanying the e-book titled identically.	22	10

Live albums

Collections featuring recordings captured during live performances:

Title	Year	Description	Highest chart placements
			CLS	CLX
Live – An Epic Music Experience	2022	Recordings captured during their 2022 concert tour across Europe.	—	5
A "—" indicates either no charting or unavailable chart information.

Albums Released Solely in Japan

The following albums have been issued exclusively within the Japan market:

Title	Year	Description
Legacy	2015	A compilation featuring well-known tracks drawn from all publicly released albums up to its release.
Impossible	2018	A curated collection of popular pieces from public albums issued after Legacy.

Albums Exclusive to Mobile Devices

These albums were made accessible only through mobile device platforms:

Title	Year	Description
Demon's Dance	2012	Compilation of tracks originating from private demo albums; available solely via the group's discontinued mobile application.
Two Steps from Hell: Ringtones	2016	Edited selection of popular tracks tailored for use as ringtones; offered exclusively on Google Play, now no longer available.

Primary Catalog

The group's demo albums are distributed exclusively to clients within the film and advertising sectors for licensing purposes. Numerous tracks initially featured on these demos have been subsequently released for public purchase on the commercial albums listed above.

Title	Year	Description
Volume One	2006	Debut album presenting a variety of musical styles.
Shadows and Nightmares		Album focused on horror themes and includes a library of sound effects.
Dynasty	2007	Epic-themed album.
All Drums Go to Hell		Album centered on percussion instruments.
Pathogen		Science-fantasy and metal genre album, composed by Phoenix.
Nemesis		Epic genre album composed by Bergersen.
Dreams & Imaginations	2008	New-age themed album.
Legend		Epic genre album featuring some compositions by Troels Folmann.
Ashes		Album with horror motifs.
The Devil Wears Nada	2009	Lighthearted and humorous collection.
Power of Darkness	2010	Epic-themed album.
All Drones Go to Hell		New-age drones and soundscapes; alternatively titled Mystical Beginnings.
Illumina		New-age genre album.
Balls to the Wall	2011	Percussion-focused album featuring contributions by Alex Pfeffer.
Nero		Epic genre album including pieces by Alex Pfeffer.
Two Steps from Heaven	2012	Inspirational, emotional, and adventurous album by Bergersen.
Burn		Dubstep remixes composed by Bergersen.
Cyanide	2013	Percussion-centered album.
Crime Lab		Electronic music collection.
Open Conspiracy	2014	Hybrid electronic album with some tracks by Hitesh Ceon and Nick Kaelar.
Amaria		New-age and drama themed album by Bergersen.
Too Big to Fail		Sound effects library and trailer toolkit.
Empire	2015	Primarily consists of tracks from Classics Volume Two, composed by Phoenix.
Stronger Faster Braver		Energetic, motivational compositions designed for extreme sports, composed by Phoenix.
Hammerfist	2017	Percussion album composed by Bergersen.
Trapstar	2018	Experimental hip-hop genre album composed by Phoenix.
Greatest Hits Remastered	2020	Compilation of remastered popular tracks taken from earlier public releases.
Catch Me		Vocal music compositions by Bergersen.
Landscapes		style=text-align:left;>Atmospheric drone compositions by Bergersen.
"Mind Tracer"		2020	<style=text-align:left;>Synthesizer and string arrangements created by Phoenix and Hitesh Ceon.</style>
"Neon Nights"		2020	<style=text-align:left;>Electronic and synthwave styles crafted by Bergersen and Øivind Rosvold.</style>
"Daybreak"		2020	<style=text-align:left;>Epic and dramatic compositions by Bergersen.</style>
"Insurgent"	2021	<style=text-align:left;>Electronic hybrid album developed by Phoenix and Hitesh Ceon.</style>
"Maze of Dreams"	2023	<style=text-align:left;>Epic and dramatic works composed by Phoenix.</style>

Albums by External Composers

A number of albums issued under the Two Steps from Hell brand are entirely the work of external composers and do not belong to the main discography of the group:

Title	Year	Description
Sinners	2010	An electronic rock album crafted by Aleksandar Dimitrijevic.
Faction	2011	Features dark drones and atmospheric soundscapes, composed by Brad Rue.
Solaris	2013	An epic, futuristic-themed album created by Alex Pfeffer.
Orion		An epic hybrid-style album composed by Michał Cielecki.
Quarantine	2014	A sci-fi electronica collection composed by Brad Rue.
Chaos Theory	2020	An epic and dramatic hybrid album composed by Alex Pfeffer.

These externally produced projects broaden Two Steps from Hell's repertoire, highlighting a variety of musical styles and enhancing its prominence in the trailer music industry.

Official Commercial Singles

These singles are available for purchase individually, either not included on any public album or initially released as advance tracks. Unless otherwise specified, all tracks were composed by Bergersen:

Title	Year	Details
"A Place in Heaven"	2011	Advance singles from Illusions.
"Ocean Princess"
"Starvation"
"Promise"
"<3"		Produced to support Red Cross relief efforts after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami; later appeared as "Heart" on Two Steps from Heaven and Miracles.
"The Hero in Your Heart"	2013	Charity single for Red Cross aid following Typhoon Haiyan; features vocals by Merethe Soltvedt. Subsequently included on Catch Me.
"Autumn Love"	2014	A heartfelt piano-driven composition.
"That's A Wrap"		Orchestral piece created within ten days using Bergersen’s own sample library.
"Into Darkness"		A blend of neo-orchestral and EDM elements with vocals performed by Bergersen.
"Final Frontier"		Taken from Sun.
"Stay"		Advance singles from Miracles.
"Miracles"
"Children of the Sun"	2015	Original vocal rendition of "None Shall Live," with lyrics by Merethe Soltvedt.
"Christmas Medley"		An orchestral compilation of Christmas tunes, also known as Two Steps From Xmas.
"Threnody for Europe"	2016	Musical commentary on European unrest.
"You Are Light"	2018	An ethereal vocal piece featuring Felicia Farerre; later featured on Catch Me.
"Imagine"		Airy vocal track with Sonna; included in Catch Me.
"In Orbit"		Epic rock vocal track featuring Cinda M.; part of the Catch Me album.
"Brightest Smile"		Ethereal vocal number with Natalie Major; included on Catch Me.
"Catch Me"	2019	Epic pop vocal track featuring Sonna; title song of the Catch Me album.
"Next to You"		Ethereal vocal piece with Sonna; also on Catch Me.
"Little Star"		Ethereal vocal song featuring Audrey Karrasch; part of Humanity: Chapter III.
"So Small"	2020	Advance single from Humanity, later included on Chapter IV.
"The Stars Are Coming Home"		Advance release from Humanity, featured on Chapter II. Vocals by Audrey Callahan.
"Love Suite"	2021	Pre-release singles from Humanity: Chapter III.
"Red"
Wings for Ukraine	rowspan=2 2022	rowspan=2 Charitable single supporting UNICEF during the Russian invasion of Ukraine; subsequently part of the EP Humanity: Songs for Ukraine.
"Shield of Love"

Non-commercial singles

These tracks were not part of any official album releases nor initially made available for purchase, instead being shared through official social media platforms. Unless otherwise indicated, all compositions are by Bergersen:

Title	Year	Description
"Bird A Short Lived Life"	2002	Demo recordings utilizing EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra.
"Celebration"
"Underneath the Sea"
"Finding the Treasure"	2003
"Percussion"
"Welcome to Inkareth"
"Rise With the Angels"		Demo pieces produced with Vienna Symphonic Library.
"Evolutionary Progress"	2004
"Itineris Spiritus"	2005	Demo created using EastWest/Quantum Leap Symphonic Choirs, dedicated to Bergersen's late friend Ryan Miglierina.
"Thomas J. Bergersen's first L96 mix"	2007	Demo utilizing Samplicity IR-Library 2: "L96".
"Soaring Over Hollywood"	2009	Demo tracks featuring EastWest/Quantum Leap Hollywood Strings.
"Just Another Happy Ending"
"Tower of Mischief"	2011	Early release from Two Steps from Heaven, later included on Nero.
"My Freedom"		Originally considered for Illusions, featured on both Nero and Miracles. Lyrics by Merethe Soltvedt.
"Benedictus"		Preview track from Sun, subsequently appearing on Two Steps from Heaven.
"Where Are You"		Pop-trance composition with acoustic influences; lyrics written by Bergersen.
"My Soul, Not Yours"	2012	An experimental dubstep piece, later reworked as "Not Your Soul" on Burn.
"Hymn to Life"		Released in celebration of Bergersen's birthday; performed under the title "Hymnus Vitae Dedicatus".
"To Die on Halloween"		Preview from Halloween, composed and performed by Phoenix.
"Sun"	2013	Preview tracks from the album Sun.
"Cry"
"Colin and Petunia"	2014	Preview piece from Colin Frake on Fire Mountain, later renamed "Colin Frake".
"Freedom Ship"	2015	Preview from Battlecry, composed by Phoenix.
"Neverdark"		Preview track from Classics Volume Two, composed by Phoenix.
"Dear Mr. Alien"	2018	Inspired by a censored news broadcast; later included on Humanity: Chapter IV.
"One Million Voices"	2019	Released in honor of reaching one million Facebook followers; preview from Humanity: Chapter IV.

E-books

Two Steps from Hell broadened their creative portfolio by introducing a collection of e-books authored by founder Nick Phoenix. This initiative comprises a planned five-part series of science fiction and fantasy novels entitled Colin Frake. The narrative unfolds in the imaginary realm of Reanne, centering on the young hero Colin Frake. Each volume is accompanied by an orchestral soundtrack produced by the company and illustrations crafted by artist Otto Björnik.

Title	Year	Publisher	Pages	Notes
Colin Frake on Fire Mountain	2014	BookBaby	400	Contains 46 illustrations; soundtrack issued separately in 2014.
Colin Frake: Asclepius	2017		218	Includes 38 illustrations; soundtrack not released independently. Purchase includes both first and second books.
Colin Frake: Sumava	2022	TBA	TBA	Third installment confirmed; release forthcoming.
Colin Frake 4	TBA			Scheduled fourth volume.
Colin Frake 5				Planned fifth volume.

Mobile app

On June 5, 2012, Two Steps from Hell revealed the debut of an official mobile app for both iOS and Android platforms, which became available three weeks afterward. This application offered users updates, special offers, videos, photos, albums, and notably included 19 exclusive demo tracks featured in the limited digital collection Demon's Dance. Industry analysts recognized the app as an innovative method for audience engagement within the trailer music sector. The app has since been discontinued.