By Ben Apatoff
The God of War III soundtrack is a Roadrunner showcase featuring six new songs from some of the label's biggest names (OPETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, DREAM THEATER, TRIVIUM) and new bands getting that infamous Roadrunner push (TAKING DAWN, MUTINY WITHIN.) Anyone who buys the game gets a voucher code to download the EP online, and anyone crazy enough to be a MIKE PORTNOY completist will surely blow $100 on the game–but don't say I didn't warn you.
For the most part, God of War sticks to a formula, heavy, ingratiating intros and verses tagged with whiny, singsong choruses. Killswitch's "My Obsession" is a decent little curio that'll remind you of their forgettable last album, and Dream Theater's instrumetal (sic) "Raw Dog," allegedly the band's first song for a non-DT release, shows a band that has some potential when they ditch their singer. Opeth sounds out of place with "Throat of Winter," an acoustic mini-epic that hopefully soundtracks a winter sequence. It deserves a spot on an Opeth rarities disc. Otherwise, neo-thrash newbies Taking Dawn and Mutiny Within fall flat, and Trivium sound like they're asleep on "Shattering the Skies Above." So why does a mostly-lame EP get a 2.5 average rating? Context, kids. Anyone blowing shit up on a monitor shouldn't distract themselves by picking out time signature changes, dissecting lyrics or headbanging uncontrollably. All you need are a good riff here, a chorus there and plenty of solos to soundtrack an afternoon of CG havoc-wreaking, and God of War is fine background music for such a day.
Rating: 2.5 Red Planets out of 5
