That's where music comes in. Hollywood studios and amateur filmographers alike have long since portrayed combat in film. Most times the scenes of battle have been accompanied with situationally-fitting music to heighten the mood and help immerse the viewing audience in the visuals. Sometimes it's classically orchestrated and denotes a climatic assault. Other times it's fast-paced electronica meant to stress to the listener that it's a highly-tenuous attack against a large amount of enemies. Of course, there are many ways to present a musical theme when in combat not limited to these two examples. Some make use of a tragic sound, while others make it a high-strung rock rhythm meant to get you in a "kick ass and chew bubble gum" mood.
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| And sometimes, the music itself kicks ass and chews bubble gum. |
Now, notice carefully how I said "(Epic) Battle Music." While some songs out there are fully capable of use in a combat setting (be it a tavern brawl or a full-scale battle), I decided to stick with just musical pieces (that is, music that doesn't technically fit the modern "definition" of a song with lyrics). Also, a welcome surprise to some of you who still have a negative disposition towards video game music: it's not all video game music on this list.
So sit back, grab something to eat, and listen along if you wish to choose (each entrant has a YouTube link to the piece in question). Enjoy reading!
(Epic) Battle Music
Nobuo Uematsu
Final Fantasy VIII (PlayStation)
*heartbeat sound*
*heartbeat sound*
*heartbeat sound*
*heartbeat sound*
Fans of Final Fantasy VIII will immediately recognize this track. Aside from the obvious fact that it's the only piece on the soundtrack that begins with a cluster of heartbeats, it matches the original scene it's played with quite well. Every time I hear this piece, I see an amphibious assault occurring on the shores of Dollet (amongst other amphibious assaults) - and while it's obviously not on the scale of June 6, 1944, it still gets the job done. If anything, the music did the trick.
This track starts the list off well by launching an attack against your opinions of "war music" - and maybe that's why it leads us off at number 10.
Kristopher Carter
Batman Begins (Animation)
For those of you who didn't pay attention to cartoons during the turn of the millennium, Batman Beyond is viewed by many as a cool continuation of the Batman legacy. Set in 2039 where an aged Bruce Wayne reluctantly passes the mantle onto teenager Terry McGinnis who now fights against the crime in Neo-Gotham.
The soundtrack to Batman Beyond felt to be almost industrial-sounding (what, with the show being all cyberpunk in nature due to its future setting), which made to be quite interesting. Most of the composers responsible for the show's music had worked on other Batman-related animations in the past (notably Batman: The Animated Series).
Starting off with a pseudo-klaxon before jumping into the heavy stuff, "Batman Chases Inque" pounds the listener to a constant display of almost-aggressive guitar riffs. Listening to this track takes me back to the days back when it was on Kids' WB (and back when cartoons were simply better than they were now). I can still picture Batman in pursuit of freelance industrial saboteur Inque.
A nice piece that gets the job done in a
Koji Kondo
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (Super Nintendo)
Anyone who's played Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island will probably remember this track with great fondness - especially if they were familiar with Naval Piranha. I remember how that was the first time I faced the giant carnivorous plant. I'm just thinking, "Crap; boss fight time. Let's get..." and then I trailed off. Why? Out of the water comes this slowly-emerging plant of death. Combine that intimidating appearance with those tense guitars, and you get an experience that probably freaked out the less-than-ten me (and perhaps you, too) like crazy. I swear, that bass did not help me sleep any better that night.
I've said before that Koji Kondo is a genius. I'm sure many video game music enthusiasts would agree to some degree. Rather than go all classic Mario-style with the boss music, he goes ahead and makes it all rock band-esque and assigns a keyboard lead.
Now the only thing that would make this song more of an awesome ass-kicking piece would be for a rock band to perform an excellent live cover of this. I'm sure that the fast line in the bass would be near-impossible to do (going that fast for that long... that's gonna take lots of endurance training), but if this were to happen, then oh, maaaaaaaaaaaaaan...!
Harry Gregson-Williams
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PlayStation 3)
Movie music enthusiasts are probably familiar with the name Harry Gregson-Williams. The British music composer has worked on a number of projects, from The Chronicles of Narnia movies to Enemy of the State. Video game music enthusiasts know Gregson-Williams from his diverse work within the Metal Gear franchise as he's worked on virtually every game since Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty to great aural effect.
When game reviewers looked at the soundtrack to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, they marveled at how the game's music rivaled that of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. Part of that has to do with Gregson-Williams' involvement with the series, and part of it has to do with the fact that video games are slowly transcending into more than just interactive toys. (We'll leave that topic for another day.) Regardless of the reasons, we know that the soundtrack of Guns of the Patriots possesses the quality music you'd expect from something good, and maaaan, is it good.
"Desperate Chase" plays as Old Snake, Big Mama, and the members of resistance group Paradise Lost escape from a surprise assault from U.S. private military contractor Raven Sword. The action in this part of the game takes place largely on wheels (you're riding on a bike with Big Mama as the driver), and the numerous roadblocks and obstacles set up by Raven Sword (along with the equally-numerous amount of soldiers firing at you) call for a frantic, stressing piece to play in the background.
Let me warn you right now that this track will get your adrenaline pumping - particularly if you're driving. Playing this will ostensibly increase your speed to unsafe levels, so caution is highly advised if you're in motion when this is on. Drive responsibly.
Koutarou Nakagawa
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion (Anime)
Somewhere along the line, I knew I had to use something involving an acoustic guitar. It's not because I love the sound of them, but rather because I was ordered to. Frakkin' Geass. =P
Anyway, the soundtrack of the Japanese anime Code Geass is one of elegance, cunning, tactics, control, victory, loss, and suffering. While there were other parts of the series' soundtrack that actually had the sounds of battle written in the notes, I chose "Nightmare" for the versatility it displayed.
"Nightmare" is a relatively short track (it's the only one on this list barely going over one minutes), it proves that good battle pieces don't have to be all long-winded. Starting off with an aurally bombarding entrance, it performs with a tone that seems to either say to the listener "dramatic victory kill" or "explosive introduction." The strings, guitar, and the Spanish flair the piece sounds off with seems to accentuate a bloody elegance to whatever situation it appears in.
Want to fight with style and flair? Is your flamenco competition needing an aggressive song for whatever reason? Do you want to announce to the world that you mean business? Use this track. It ought to fit the bill perfectly.
Junichi Nakatsuru
Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War (PlayStation 2)
The Ace Combat series of arcade-style flight simulating games has had a longstanding trait of possessing a much-fitting soundtrack for each game. Combining a bit of the electronica that most people misattribute to video game soundtracks and the orchestra sound you'd expect to hear from a dramatic scene in a Hollywood film, the music department behind the series knows how to make any mission come alive with that feeling of fast-paced war.
"Reprisal" does this in a somewhat unorthodox way by combining the noble fanfare typical of classical orchestra (namely the brass) with the rebellious heroism belted out by a rock band. The resulting sound this piece creates resonates with the visuals so well that it could be confused for some action-packed sequence you've heard in the movies. Many fans of the series (myself included) have agreed that this is one of the most amazing pieces from Ace Combat 5's soundtrack. One person took that opinion even further:
"Add this song to anything and it will be the most epic experience you can possibly have. You can even play this while taking a shit and it'll be the most epic shit you ever took in your life."Surprisingly, "Ownage2themax3" was right. Don't ask me how I know. *awkward cough*
- YouTube user "Ownage2themax3" (in regards to how epic "Reprisal" is)
Anyway, "Reprisal" is heard in a mission where your squadron is deployed to circumvent a chemical weapons outbreak in a populated city. Using modified counter-chemical bombs, you're tasked with both neutralizing the toxic outbreak and locating the terrorists responsible for this attack.
This piece just makes heroes out of all of us, no matter the situation. It's been field-tested and proven to make the most ordinary activities... epic (for lack of a better word). The sound of "Reprisal" itself makes it a pretty fun listen, too. If you're a movie maker looking for some kind of action-y music piece where your hero(es) finally get(s) a chance to prove themselves worthy, try this one.
Kenichiro Fukui
Einhänder (PlayStation)
Quick history lesson:
Einhänder is a side-scrolling shooter that was created by Squaresoft (yes, it was made that long ago) at a time when Squaresoft was more famous for their RPGs (cases in point: the Chrono and Final Fantasy franchises). While it had a somewhat limited release in the United States and didn't reach the high pedestals its RPG brothers made, Einhänder nevertheless became a popular game. Original copies of the game are rare (with "unopened" U.S. versions currently running triple digits on average on eBay) and used copies are all but non-existent in non-online stores that sell used PlayStation games.
Anyway, the soundtrack to this Squaresoft shooter has become a favorite amongst the players who've played it. Most of the soundtrack is just fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping techno that matches the fast-paced, adrenaline pumping stages and enemies you have to shoot your way through.
To date, "Shudder" has been one of my favorite music pieces ever used in video game boss fights. The track itself gets your adrenaline flowing even more than the stage music does, because it throws fast-paced tension at you and nothing else. Midway through, some rapped lyrics show up at a pace that I can't decipher (some have tried, and I think they're relatively close), but it just adds to the tension in a way that makes you yell some form of "DIE ALREADY YOU [insert expletive(s) of your choice here]!!!"
Out-of-game, this track still has some good use - particularly with those "one vs. many" moments where the "one" kicks the collective butts of the "many." If you need a bit of an adrenaline jolt, then this is the track to blare.
Bear McCreary
Battlestar Galactica (Television)
I've said before that this particular piece was my personal favorite from Battlestar Galactica. It probably will be for all eternity (or if Bear McCreary makes an even more epic battle piece).
Anyway, digressing here. "Prelude to War" opens up nice and softly with a tense set of drums and a few instruments that just keep adding tension. Then the strings jump in and keep adding more and more tension while aided by some other ethnic instruments (I say "ethnic instruments" because I still cannot identify them) and a large group of drums that just crave bloodshed.
In the series, this piece was used to great effect in the second season. "Prelude to War" definitely did its job in raising the tension between Galactica and Pegasus - and even more so between Commander Adama and Admiral Cain. While their military standoffs only became military standoffs, the music still reminds us of how bad things could've turned out if the two did decide to wage an all-out war.
Awesome music for your battle scenarios. Even with only a piano, it still gets the job done.
David Arkenstone
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)
In World of Warcraft lore, the divine Argent Crusade creates and hosts the Argent Tournament, a competition designed to find the best warriors and casters of Azeroth to fight Arthas the Lich King and his Scourge armies. As can be expected in a fantasy game, a good portion of this competition is held coliseum-style, where groups of players face multiple challenges in order to prepare themselves for the inevitable assault on Icecrown Citadel, the home of the Lich King. While performing these tasks, six tracks will play at random to help set the mood. All six of these pieces give you that "I'm a gladiator; let's slay some [insert species of your enemy here] ass!" kind of feeling, but one stood out in particular.
"Argent Coliseum 2" earns a spot on this list due to its versatility - not only is it great for gladiator introductions and pre-/post-combat conversations with the crowd and/or contestant(s), but it's perfect background music for fighting other champions on horseback, the Argent Crusade's own champions, devious agents of the Lich King, or just about any opponent in any challenge you're facing.
(Author's Note: If most of this looked familiar, then maybe you should look at this entry for a bit...)
Part of the reason why I'm so drawn to this piece is its rather odd time signature and beat flow. (Music theorists: bear with my inexperience.) While most other music pieces use a traditional 4/4 rhythm, "Argent Coliseum 2" uses something that I have yet to identify. Try counting the beats - it goes "one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three" and then throws us off by placing a "one-two" pattern at the end before repeating itself. If anyone can identify that for me by figuring out the time signature, I'd appreciate it.
Well, all I can say is that this gets me to fight. I hear this track and I'm instantly transported to an arena, ready to wage war and prove myself worthy of becoming a champion.
The Track Team
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Animation)
Some of you reading this are probably cheering in surprise over this number one choice. Those of you who aren't probably haven't experienced Avatar: The Last Airbender as we have. Not only was it an excellent animated show (probably one of the last good ones on Nickelodeon for that matter), but it featured work that frankly rivaled most Hollywood studios. The music is a prime example of this (and everything else I've talked about above).
The top selection for this little list of mine earned its spot because it captures an emotion not usually seen in most battles: tragedy. While the fight "Last Agni Kai" played in had the word "epic" written all over it (because let's face it - fire + comet that intensifies said fire + awesome firebenders (one of them spawning amazing blue flames) = EPIC), it had an underlying tone of depression infused in it.
Actually, no. While you could sense it when listening to the music, "depression" hardly sounded like the word that fit the underlying message of the strings. Instead, I think it captured the underlying tragedy of the fight itself - which is a far more superior feeling to convey aurally.
During the course of the finale (hell, any episode after "The Boiling Rock," really) one could see that Azula was mentally slipping. Getting backstabbed by close friends can drive even the most powerful people to the jagged cliffs of instability.
Even before the fiery Agni Kai with Zuko (pun wholly intended), Azula was basically flailing on the tightrope of sanity - just mere milliseconds from falling off. As the duel started and progressed, it was apparent that she was on the losing side. It seemed like she knew she was losing, too (which, remembering her perfectionist streak, must've been killing her inside).
While I was mentally cheering for Zuko to win, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Azula. True - she was one of the most malicious villainesses I've ever seen - but regardless, you couldn't help but feel at least a tiny bubble of empathy bubble up after the end of the whole duel. Not only did she fail in defeating Zuko, but she also realized that she was officially powerless in the end.
"Last Agni Kai" plays with a mournful set of string instruments constantly backed by a solemn set of booming drums - both of which highlight the tragedy of a brother and sister fighting each other in a battle which would highlight their country's future. I remember thinking that had things gone differently, this fight may not even have happened.
An amazing feel to an amazing battle.
Well, I certainly hope you enjoyed aurally waging war with me. I'll see you all tomorrow.
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