A Sunday night has arrived and that means the latest episode of HBO’s instant medieval fantasy hit series, Game of Thrones, adapted from the George R.R. Martin novel of the same name. This show has pretty much ruled my Sunday nights and for the past ten weeks I and a couple other writers for the site have done recaps and reviews of each episode. As great as the show has been the soundtrack to the show has been equally grand and epic in sound. Tonight’s season finale finally unleashes the finale music and, paired with the now recognizable “Main Title” music for the show, becomes the latest song to make “Song of the Day”.

I can’t pick the “Finale” by Ramin Djawadi without also including the “Main Title” music which the former is born from. Ramin Djawadi has taken the initial song, with its blending of medieval chamber sound with some Mediterrean stylings, and adds in an ominous and martial quality for the finale. It helps punctuate the season finale and how it ties up the loose ends of the premiere season’s prologue storylines and lays the foundation for what looks to be second season with the world of Game of Thrones fully at war with dangers not just from north of The Wall, but now a resurgent old royal line across the Narrow Sea.

The “Finale” doesn’t actually return to the “Main Title” motif until a third of the way through but certain notes and chords from that initial theme could be heard throughout until the finale reaches it’s final 30 seconds and the “Main Title” motif returns in a crescendo of brass, percussion and strings before finishing suddenly. It’s a testament to Ramin Djawadi that the score never dominates the show unless it’s in the intro title sequence and the end credits when the music won’t overcome the performances on the screen. Other composer might look at the opportunity to flex their musical muscle and just go full bore from beginning to end, but not this score.

It’s a good thing I bought the Game of Thrones soundtrack off of iTunes. It’s definitely joined the Conan the Barbarian and Lord of The Rings orchestral score as some of my favorites.