With Breath of the Wild’s soundtrack taking a more ambient approach than its predecessors, its fuller, epic tracks are few and far between. When they do come into play though, they contrast strongly with the piano that quietly chirps every now and then. This usually results in you feeling thrilled and craving for more once they’re gone.
A perfect example of one of these impactful tracks is the “Talus Battle Theme.” Who remembers the first time they heard that violin crescendo as the ground came to life, while the chorus of drums and trumpets warned you of danger, before you were quickly flattened by a rock? I sure do. My first was on the Great Plateau — like most people, I imagine — and it was genuinely exciting to encounter such an intimidating enemy so casually and early on in the game.
This feeling was partly thanks to that epic music, which suddenly breaks through the restrained background music and signals to you that something out of the ordinary is happening. It’s an underrated piece in my opinion, so I was delighted to find this cover by DSC Guitar Covers that expertly vitalizes the melody with a blend of electric and acoustic guitars.
The thing I genuinely love about this cover is that, within the first few seconds, you realize that DSC is using the two different types of guitars to emphasize the contrasting elements of the original piece. They play the more powerful, intense sections with heavy strums of an electric guitar and the quieter, more reserved ones with gentler plucks of an acoustic.
Naturally, that initial crescendo — which immediately puts you into fight mode in the game — starts on the electric guitar, while the quieter yet anxiety-inducing build-up plays on the acoustic. Guitar covers played solely on electric are often somewhat loud and exacerbating to me, so this mix of guitars in DSC’s cover is perfect in my opinion. Before the electric becomes overbearing, we take a breather with the acoustic, then the electric gets you pumped again, and so on. It’s a great balance.
Aside from all that, it’s suffice to say that DSC plays the theme skillfully on both the electric and acoustic guitars. I’m always impressed by how people can take a piece of music like the “Talus Battle Theme,” which has a whole variety of classical instruments, and maintain its essence in their covers. It’s a true talent and a loving tribute to the art that is music in video games.
