I really enjoy all the God of War soundtracks; they all bring a slew of epic songs to the table that's practically unmatched by anything else out there. One of my personal favorites in the entire series is Typhon Mountain from God of War II.

All of the songs on the God of War soundtracks are epic of course, and Typhon Mountain is no different. One of the things God of War II specifically introduces to the series are the titans, and I feel that Typhon Mountain does a great job at showcasing the kind of gargantuan presence they create. Right from the start, the notes in Typhon Mountain sound big. You have deep, reverberating beats played from some heavy brass instruments and drums; these are big instruments for big creatures, and the titans deserve no less. It’s a great intro for such sizable characters, and this intro transitions nicely by adding some vocals and smaller horns into the mix. It all gels nicely to give off that ancient Greek vibe that helps define the rest of the soundtrack.

Shortly after the first minute, there’s a distinct, yet brief melody that takes control for a few gripping seconds. I love the basic rhythm of this short string of notes. The trumpets here may not be as big as what’s used at the beginning of the song, but they’re able to pierce through all the other drum beats and cymbal crashes to stand out all on their own. It’s a slightly different, yet equally epic take on what the titans represent, and hints at more to come. The song then backs off in intensity a little bit (or at least as much as a God of War song ever backs off), and starts building up for its climax. Using mostly the big drums and horns it started off with, it ramps up to an even greater moment. Right around the two minute mark almost everything else stops and the trumpets return, even louder than before, to execute their melody once more. This is my favorite part of the entire song, and serves as a nice exclamation on what kind of a sight the titans really must be. It’s almost like the song is stopping in its tracks, looking up at Typhon himself and exclaiming “Damn, you’re big!” It’s easy to get complacent in a God of War game when everything is so consistently ridiculous, but I love that little moments like these exist in the soundtrack (and elsewhere) to remind us just how spectacular the games’ sights and sounds really are. Typhon Mountain serves as a great showcase for the kind of experience you can expect in the God of War franchise, and is one of my favorite songs from a series known for having great music.

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