Belly of the Beast

Not to be confused with Into the Belly of the Beast.

Belly of the Beast
Album:	Halo 4: Original Soundtrack
Composer(s):	Neil Davidge
Length:	2:40
Previous:	Awakening
Next:	Requiem

Belly of the Beast is the second track in Halo 4: Original Soundtrack.

Overview

The track features a rhythmic melody by synth and piano, accompanied by heavy percussion. The melody becomes more intense and rises in pitch, creating a sense of urgency, eventually building up to a climatic ending.

Appearances

The track can be heard:

• In the campaign level Dawn, when John-117 exits the airlock from UNSC Forward Unto Dawn's interior to its missile launchers.
• In Episode 7, Chapter 3 of Spartan Ops, when Fireteam Crimson defends one of UNSC Infinity's hangar bay after the hangar doors failed to close. This version is somewhat lighter, only featuring the percussion and synth melody.
• In Episode 8 of Spartan Ops, Expendable, during the Halo: Infinity cinematic, when Gabriel Thorne and Gek 'Lhar fight each other, and the Infinity crew fight against the Promethean Knights.

Production notes

• The track was conceived as the background music in Awakening, the 2011 Halo 4 announcement trailer. Initially, composer Neil Davidge and fellow arranger/producer Andrew Morgan thought of multiple ideas, including a relentless rhythm building up in intensity, and a long rising bowed piano line with synth increasing in pitch. They eventually combined the two ideas to create the track.
• The name is based on the common phrase "belly of the beast", which was also the name of the seventh movement in the track Long Night of Solace in Halo: Reach's original soundtrack. Additionally, it was a part of the phrase "Into the Belly of the Beast", which was the second chapter title in the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign level The Truth and Reconciliation, and later a soundtrack in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack.