Awesome Music / Quake

aka: Quake IV

The Quake soundtracks are what happens when you ask Trent Reznor, Sonic Mayhem and Front Line Assembly to work on your game.

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Quake

Trent Reznor himself did the soundtrack for Quake. Given the game's Gothic Horror tones, the music is much darker than the games after but no less awesome for it.

Quake II

• Courtesy of Sonic Mayhem:
  • Operation Overlord, an instrumental mid-tempo demanding a rap over it about how awesome the Earth marines are and how screwed the Strogg will be.
  • The suffocating low-tempo March of the Stroggos.
  • The rocking Quad Machine, known for being the Attract Mode theme (and thus an unofficial Quake II main theme). It bears an uncanny resemblance to The Matrix soundtrack version of "Dragula" by Rob Zombie.
  • The extreme rocking of Descent Into Cerberon is an especially badass way to kick off the game. It says a lot that the numerous cover versions on YouTube are overwhelmingly equal to the original, at best.
  • From the Mission Packs, the vertiginous and changing ETF.
• Rob Zombie did the second half of the music in the Quake II intro, which is a whole load of awesome in itself.

Quake III: Arena^note Including the album Quake III Arena Noize

• Courtesy of both Frontline Assembly and Sonic Mayhem, also carried on to Live:
  • Frontline Assembly's "Deathmatch", the industrial bombardment you'll be hearing across many maps, and for good reason.
  • Sonic Mayhem's "Quad Damage" (also the main theme of Team Arena) and the theme of the final battle against Xaero. It takes a bit to start, once it starts it takes you through an Industrial Metal rollercoaster ride.
  • Sonic Mayhem's "Fraggot" ("Fuck U Up!" in the Quake III Arena Noize soundtrack), another track which starts slow then builds up until it explodes.
  • Sonic Mayhem's "Rocket Jump" ("Digital Distress" in the Quake III Arena Noize soundtrack), the calm and pulsating theme associated with the space maps thanks to Q3DM17 (The Longest Yard).
• Sonic Mayhem also released an album called Quake III Arena Noize featuring several tracks which apparently were made for the game but were never used nor included, such as:
  • "Swallowed", a theme raging with an urgency that wouldn't be out of place in many maps.
  • "Collapse", a very industrial sounding piece that starts as bass-and-drum, then explodes into a very robotic theme.
  • "Tribulation", a robotically rocking theme fitting of the Tier 4 levels ^note or a frenzied KT8D5 tram, particularly Q3TOURNEY4 (Vertical Vengeance) or Q3DM11 (Deva Station).
  • "Anti-Logic" is EXTREMELY kickass.

Quake IV

Soundtrack duties for this game were taken over by Clint Walsh, Zachary Quarles and Nine Inch Nails member Chris Vrenna, who also got to work on other Id games.

• The main theme, aptly named "Quake 4", starts in a low tone, and morphs into a somber industrial piece (that bass!) that keeps adding parts until everything stops, giving a pass to a robotic sequence that lasts for a few bars before returning to the somberness of the leitmotif. Very indicative of the emotional campaign ahead of you.
• "Contact", a fast-paced orchestral piece with an increasing intensity just in the few first bars, then keeping that intensity on during the rest of the track's duration. Fittingly, this track is played during the combat sequences, urging you to gun down the Strogg as quick as possible. It wouldn't sound out of place even in Unreal Tournament.
• "Convoy" sounds like you're watching a passing-by train hauling tons of mobile armor to the frontline. Notice how halfway through the track the mood changes from "somebody is going to get their ass kicked real hard" to "and maybe they're all going to die". Despite how proud and badass does it sound prolonged listening will probably make you shed a tear.
• "The Long Ride" is forever remembered for its use in the Stroggification scene, a sinister piece full of dark chords and instrumentation that wouldn't look out of place in a slasher movie.
• "Stroyent" starts off sinister and ominous and very suitable for the scene of a zombie falling out of a barrel and getting up slowly. However, the unofficial soundtrack version shifts into a more upbeat industrial dance track that might get one dancing to the rhythm.
• "Tram Ride", the urgent and fast-paced action piece for the tram riding level between the Tram Hub Station and the Data Processing Terminal.
• "Network Guardian - Part II" the Boss Battle theme against the gorilla-esque Network Guardian himself. A small piece that opens with a Scare Chord, representing the arrival of the gorilla itself, then goes all the way. A variation is also used in the final fight against the Makron, getting you psyched for the final showdown.