Alien vs Predator: Requiem
Brian Tyler
" Aliens and Predators vs bombastic music "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
Alien vs. Predator of director Paul W.S. Anderson was a pretty good idea, and luckily it turned into a surprisingly good movie too (the hints towards Aliens in the begin are awesome, and the final showdown shows the true love for Aliens biggest bitch of all). But sadly its sequel didn't continue on that path. The choice to go to earth was a very good one, but the continues onslaught of action and suspense didn't leave any room at all for an understanding of the characters (hell even Alien vs Predator could do that with Sanaa Lathan"s character and a Predator of all animals). No the real strength of Alien vs. Predator: Requiem were the special effects, and on that part the movie did pretty good. For the soundtrack the animals got supportive music from none other than Brian Tyler.
Now how do you expect your rousing Brian Tyler album to begin? Well no surprise there because it begins with a powerful and actually pretty exciting cue. "Alien vs. Predator - Requiem" doesn't beat around the bush and unleashes thrills that can match some of Horner's rousing ideas from the cue "Bishop's Countdown" (and I'm talking here about the music before Ripley says 'Punch it Bishop'). The same can be said about "Opening Titles", at least in the growling opening minute and the sinister latter piece. From "Decimation Proclamation" Brian Tyler's voice (and hints) take the upper hand, including the powerful non stop attack on the senses (though the whirling strings around the 4th minute does hint Elliot Goldenthal's Alien 3, and the same can be said about the over extensive end of this track which shares resemblance with Horner's end of "Bishop's Countdown"). And thank god for "Requiem Epilogue" delivering a powerful coda that will turn a few heads.
But sadly if the fourth track is already the final track used in the film, what on earth is still awaiting us? Well quite frankly all the action music that supports the non stop action movie. There are breathers for sure (parts of track 5, 7, the soft cue "Kelly Returns Home', 10 and even the not working romantic guitar music of "Special Delivery" and "Striptease") but mostly Tyler has to support the ongoing hunt with frenetic action writing, suspenseful growls and lots of dominating aggressive mood. "Taking Sides" is a winner on all those accounts but unleashes (for a brief second) a fanfare right out of James Horner's Aliens textbook, plus some continuing minutes that shows Tyler at least tried to follow in Horner's footsteps (and even Silvestri's steps considering he quotes the danger theme of Predator around 8.40 and 9.50). The same for Horner's action music of "Bishop's Countdown" in "Predicide" and Silvestri's / Horner's mystery music in "Coprocloakia" (which is actually pretty terrific to hear together).
And the hints towards Aliens and Predator continue in the remaining tracks, like Silvestri's mystery music in "Skinned and Hanged", and Silvestri's danger music in "Predator Arrival" and "Outnumbered". The lasts tracks are pretty eerie though and make for one of the worst ending album presentations of all. The absolute end of "Outnumbered" delivers a small Horner ode though, with some of the atonal attack music of 'Bishop's Countdown", a track which is surely stripped apart over the entire score.
Meaning, while I can not sit through 80 minutes of this orchestral bombast and eerie mystery, I still find it one of Tyler's cleverest scores in the genre. To be fair, Tyler wasn't given a lot of room to do anything else with it, and any composer would be happy if he could create something this ballsy. So only an album presentation could save this score from total reckoning. Yet sadly Varèse Sarabande believes highly in the fact everything today needs to be released, and in full. No more effective presentations anymore that can make or break an experience, especially if there isn't that much non action music to begin with. And given the fact Tyler really tries breaking the sound barrier with this one, I urge you to listen to it when you've barricaded every door of your house. But to be Alien (I mean frank), Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is a massive action score that has one amazing advantage, between literally 60 minutes of non stop balls to the walls music, Tyler unleashes direct statements of both Horner's and Silvestri's work, as a tribute for their work on these films. Sadly, he needed to put it into balls to the walls action music which is 60 to 80 minutes long.
Track Listing
1. Alien vs. Predator - Requiem (1.30)
2. Opening Titles (3.04)
3. Decimation Proclamation (7.40)
4. Requiem Epilogue (3.12) Excellent track
5. National Guard - Part 1 (5.45)
6. National Guard - Part 2 (2.56)
7. Taking Sides (13.04)
8. Predicide (1.31)
9. Kelly Returns Home (1.19)
10. Coprocloakia (5.32)
11. Power Struggle (4.02)
12. Skinned and Hanged (2.48)
13. Down to Earth (2.36)
14. Predator Arrival (3.37)
15. Special Delivery (2.32)
16. Alien Awakening (2.07)
17. Striptease (1.31)
18. Buddy's New Buddy (1.59)
19. Searching the Poolhouse (3.11)
20. Gutless and Autosurgiosis (2.43)
21. Outnumbered (4.38)
Total Length: 77.17
Now how do you expect your rousing Brian Tyler album to begin? Well no surprise there because it begins with a powerful and actually pretty exciting cue. "Alien vs. Predator - Requiem" doesn't beat around the bush and unleashes thrills that can match some of Horner's rousing ideas from the cue "Bishop's Countdown" (and I'm talking here about the music before Ripley says 'Punch it Bishop'). The same can be said about "Opening Titles", at least in the growling opening minute and the sinister latter piece. From "Decimation Proclamation" Brian Tyler's voice (and hints) take the upper hand, including the powerful non stop attack on the senses (though the whirling strings around the 4th minute does hint Elliot Goldenthal's Alien 3, and the same can be said about the over extensive end of this track which shares resemblance with Horner's end of "Bishop's Countdown"). And thank god for "Requiem Epilogue" delivering a powerful coda that will turn a few heads.
But sadly if the fourth track is already the final track used in the film, what on earth is still awaiting us? Well quite frankly all the action music that supports the non stop action movie. There are breathers for sure (parts of track 5, 7, the soft cue "Kelly Returns Home', 10 and even the not working romantic guitar music of "Special Delivery" and "Striptease") but mostly Tyler has to support the ongoing hunt with frenetic action writing, suspenseful growls and lots of dominating aggressive mood. "Taking Sides" is a winner on all those accounts but unleashes (for a brief second) a fanfare right out of James Horner's Aliens textbook, plus some continuing minutes that shows Tyler at least tried to follow in Horner's footsteps (and even Silvestri's steps considering he quotes the danger theme of Predator around 8.40 and 9.50). The same for Horner's action music of "Bishop's Countdown" in "Predicide" and Silvestri's / Horner's mystery music in "Coprocloakia" (which is actually pretty terrific to hear together).
And the hints towards Aliens and Predator continue in the remaining tracks, like Silvestri's mystery music in "Skinned and Hanged", and Silvestri's danger music in "Predator Arrival" and "Outnumbered". The lasts tracks are pretty eerie though and make for one of the worst ending album presentations of all. The absolute end of "Outnumbered" delivers a small Horner ode though, with some of the atonal attack music of 'Bishop's Countdown", a track which is surely stripped apart over the entire score.
Meaning, while I can not sit through 80 minutes of this orchestral bombast and eerie mystery, I still find it one of Tyler's cleverest scores in the genre. To be fair, Tyler wasn't given a lot of room to do anything else with it, and any composer would be happy if he could create something this ballsy. So only an album presentation could save this score from total reckoning. Yet sadly Varèse Sarabande believes highly in the fact everything today needs to be released, and in full. No more effective presentations anymore that can make or break an experience, especially if there isn't that much non action music to begin with. And given the fact Tyler really tries breaking the sound barrier with this one, I urge you to listen to it when you've barricaded every door of your house. But to be Alien (I mean frank), Alien vs. Predator: Requiem is a massive action score that has one amazing advantage, between literally 60 minutes of non stop balls to the walls music, Tyler unleashes direct statements of both Horner's and Silvestri's work, as a tribute for their work on these films. Sadly, he needed to put it into balls to the walls action music which is 60 to 80 minutes long.
Track Listing
1. Alien vs. Predator - Requiem (1.30)
2. Opening Titles (3.04)
3. Decimation Proclamation (7.40)
4. Requiem Epilogue (3.12) Excellent track
5. National Guard - Part 1 (5.45)
6. National Guard - Part 2 (2.56)
7. Taking Sides (13.04)
8. Predicide (1.31)
9. Kelly Returns Home (1.19)
10. Coprocloakia (5.32)
11. Power Struggle (4.02)
12. Skinned and Hanged (2.48)
13. Down to Earth (2.36)
14. Predator Arrival (3.37)
15. Special Delivery (2.32)
16. Alien Awakening (2.07)
17. Striptease (1.31)
18. Buddy's New Buddy (1.59)
19. Searching the Poolhouse (3.11)
20. Gutless and Autosurgiosis (2.43)
21. Outnumbered (4.38)
Total Length: 77.17