Brrrrr . . .it's finally winter. Winter is a time for hot chocolate, for ice skating and snowball fights. It is also the time for staying in from the cold and watching movies, safe and warm under blankets. One of these films that I watched recently, happens to have an amazing soundtrack. I do plan to do a "best soundtracks" installment of this blog, but for now, I would like to spotlight an epic movie with an epic soundtrack . .I'll give you a hint:

"Spartan's! What is your profession?"

300, released in 2007 and produced by Frank Miller, is an amazingly beautiful, epic, fun and exciting, gory film. It has some of the best memorable one-liners of action films, in general, such as " . . .than we shall fight in the shade" and "come back with your shield or on it." On top of all of this, the film's soundtrack is incredible.

Tyler Bates was the composer on this film. There was controversy around this work, claiming that Bates copied previous work from films such as Titus or Troy. However, I am not here to attempt to defend or accuse that this was the case. I am here to say that however he did it, he did it!

The soundtrack is unusual--it stands out amongst it soundtrack peers, based in ancient times and provides the landscapes for gruesome battle sequences and noble death scenes of kings and emperors. The soundtrack has all the normal violins of your average score, however it also has the heavy guitar and drums of a rock album. Unlike a lot of other soundtracks, the songs are good individually. Most albums such as these, tell a story just like the film, and you cannot really take any song by itself. It is just like you can't really pick a scene from a film and just watch it on its own. You watch the WHOLE movie.

This soundtrack tells the story of the film, however you can take each song separately and enjoy it on its own. "Fever Dream" for example, is practically a rock ballad, good for running and working out.

"The Hot Gates" is another powerful song. Sure, you can see 6-packed Spartans assembling themselves before battle, but otherwise, the song is beautiful.

Not all the songs are so strong. "Xerxes' Tent" is a mystical and sensual song. Many of the songs on this album have a mellow undertone. "Message for the Queen" is your typical song of sadness and loss, meant to pluck at your heart strings when a war hero or favored character has died. But, it still stands on its own as beautiful.

Overall, the album is a winner. It is great for background music when reading, studying or cooking. But, it is also good for working out and getting pumped it. I have made many playlists for friends and for myself and taken a song from this soundtrack and embedded it somewhere between Nine Inch Nails and Adele.

I hope you all check it out, and remember . . THIS . . .IS . . .SPARTA!!