Predators
John Debney
" An ode to the original Predator "Written by Thomas Glorieux - Review of the regular release
The Predator franchise has never died once it entered the jungle in 1987. In that year John McTiernan used the idea of an extraterrestrial species that hunted its prey for sport. It turned out to be so successful that a sequel and spin offs kept the Predator franchise alive until this date. In 2010 Nimród Antal re introduced the people with the popular hunters, this time on the predators home planet itself. The movie turned out to deliver a fantastic first part and a predictable but acceptable second part. For the music, Antal went for Hollywood's own chameleon, namely composer John Debney.
Predator and Predator 2 were scored by Alan Silvestri, and Predator remained for a long time one of the most sought after albums before receiving its stellar CD premiere in 2003. Both the spin offs Alien vs Predator and Alien vs Predator: Requiem dismissed to use the style and sound of Silvestri's music, leaving room for the composer's own (or lack of) style. John Debney however saw it differently and greatly respected Silvestri's work for the Predator franchise. He decided to throw his own voice into the idea, whilst tying everything together with the music that made the jungle such a fantastic hunting ground.
Meaning Predators is a fantastic ode to the work of Alan Silvestri. One must only look to the movie to experience how incredibly similar it sounds to Silvestri's music. From the main jungle sound and rhythmic suspense to the usage of all the themes of Predator, John Debney gives you the chance to listen to Alan Silvestri's music without having to put it in your CD player. This might disappoint some fans who were dying to hear what John Debney could come up with, but for true fans of Silvestri's music, this is a remake that honors its original influence.
We open this CD with a rhythmic punch to the face, before hearing an old friend after about a minute. Silvestri's opening fanfare, the jungle percussion and the mysterious music, everything the way we remember it. That continues in "Single Shooter". Debney's new rhythmic action music colliding with the action theme of Silvestri's Predator score. The danger theme joins the party after that, opening "This is Hell" and showing a truly remarkable Debney composition entirely focusing on Silvestri's style and sound.
Frankly, in almost every track there's a Silvestri moment (even if the album cover forgets to mention it). "Cages / Trip Wire" shows you the danger theme highlighted by bells, followed by an amazing thrill ride briefly highlighting the main theme as we encounter a rhythmic action whopper of epic proportions, "Not of this Earth" goes even further by underscoring the disbelief with a powerful danger theme statement.
"Hound Attack" is definitely a track that goes beyond the known universe to state the hounds' own musical voice with an assortment of musical sounds (including the Tibetan long horns that create the effective squeals and screams). A choir highlights "Meet Mr. Black" after that.
But Predators kicks ass when Debney goes for an all out attack. "Predator Attack" is awesome when it combines the action theme with the main theme during an all bombastic assault, an electric guitar (just like in "Predator Attack") unearths Silvestri's major rhythm in "They See our Traps" all the while unearthly rhythms makes it all the more deadlier in "Smoke" (giving the danger theme a fanfare to reckon with). That danger theme returns when Hanzo does his own Billy maneuver in "Hanzo's Last Stand" all the while the electric guitar dances around the propulsive versions of the action theme, danger and main theme in the amazing "Edwin and Isabelle Captured".
The end doesn't beat around the bush either, leaving room for Silvestri's greatest Predator moments in a John Debney sound. Themes and choir reign once "Predator Fight / Royce Runs" enters our atmosphere, more electric guitar fuels the twist in "She's Paralyzed" while the climax awaits us in "Royce vs. Predator" (with a variation on the danger theme as ultimate prize). The main theme of Silvestri gets a couple of coolness beats in "Theme from Predator", ending this ode in the highest Predator fashion.
Truthfully, Predators is one of the most amazing tributes I have ever encountered in my life. While it would have been a lot easier for John Debney to do something totally original, he took the harder route by combining his own musical material and concentrating his attention instead on how to tie them together to Alan Silvestri's themes, ideas, rhythms and sounds of the original Predator. Predators by that becomes the reboot any Predator fan was waiting for. The movie's quite good as well, leaving you with a reboot score that quite frankly lasts a bit too long, but sounds Silvestri delicious nonetheless.
Tracklisting
1. Free Fall * (3.06)
2. Single Shooter * (2.08)
3. This is Hell * (4.10)
4. Cages / Trip-Wire (3.51) Excellent track
5. Not of this Earth (2.50)
6. Hound Attack (4.08)
7. We Run We Die (4.39)
8. Predator Attack * (1.46) Excellent track
9. Meet Mr. Black (1.15)
10. They See our Traps * (2.26)
11. Over Here (2.24)
12. Smoke * (2.38) Excellent track
13. Nikolai Blows * (2.10) Excellent track
14. Stans' Last Stand (1.49)
15. Hanzo's Last Stand * (3.08)
16. Leg Trap (2.22)
17. Take Me to the Ship (2.04)
18. Edwin and Isabelle Captured * (1.33) Excellent track
19. Predator Fight / Royce Runs (3.15)
20. Twisted Edwin / Royce Returns (3.25)
21. She's Paralyzed * (6.05)
22. Royce Vs. Predator (2.39) Excellent track
23. Let's Get Off This Planet (3.01)
24. Theme from ''Predator'' * (1.45) Excellent track
* contains the original theme from "Predator" composed by Alan Silvestri
Total Length: 68.37
Predator and Predator 2 were scored by Alan Silvestri, and Predator remained for a long time one of the most sought after albums before receiving its stellar CD premiere in 2003. Both the spin offs Alien vs Predator and Alien vs Predator: Requiem dismissed to use the style and sound of Silvestri's music, leaving room for the composer's own (or lack of) style. John Debney however saw it differently and greatly respected Silvestri's work for the Predator franchise. He decided to throw his own voice into the idea, whilst tying everything together with the music that made the jungle such a fantastic hunting ground.
Meaning Predators is a fantastic ode to the work of Alan Silvestri. One must only look to the movie to experience how incredibly similar it sounds to Silvestri's music. From the main jungle sound and rhythmic suspense to the usage of all the themes of Predator, John Debney gives you the chance to listen to Alan Silvestri's music without having to put it in your CD player. This might disappoint some fans who were dying to hear what John Debney could come up with, but for true fans of Silvestri's music, this is a remake that honors its original influence.
We open this CD with a rhythmic punch to the face, before hearing an old friend after about a minute. Silvestri's opening fanfare, the jungle percussion and the mysterious music, everything the way we remember it. That continues in "Single Shooter". Debney's new rhythmic action music colliding with the action theme of Silvestri's Predator score. The danger theme joins the party after that, opening "This is Hell" and showing a truly remarkable Debney composition entirely focusing on Silvestri's style and sound.
Frankly, in almost every track there's a Silvestri moment (even if the album cover forgets to mention it). "Cages / Trip Wire" shows you the danger theme highlighted by bells, followed by an amazing thrill ride briefly highlighting the main theme as we encounter a rhythmic action whopper of epic proportions, "Not of this Earth" goes even further by underscoring the disbelief with a powerful danger theme statement.
"Hound Attack" is definitely a track that goes beyond the known universe to state the hounds' own musical voice with an assortment of musical sounds (including the Tibetan long horns that create the effective squeals and screams). A choir highlights "Meet Mr. Black" after that.
But Predators kicks ass when Debney goes for an all out attack. "Predator Attack" is awesome when it combines the action theme with the main theme during an all bombastic assault, an electric guitar (just like in "Predator Attack") unearths Silvestri's major rhythm in "They See our Traps" all the while unearthly rhythms makes it all the more deadlier in "Smoke" (giving the danger theme a fanfare to reckon with). That danger theme returns when Hanzo does his own Billy maneuver in "Hanzo's Last Stand" all the while the electric guitar dances around the propulsive versions of the action theme, danger and main theme in the amazing "Edwin and Isabelle Captured".
The end doesn't beat around the bush either, leaving room for Silvestri's greatest Predator moments in a John Debney sound. Themes and choir reign once "Predator Fight / Royce Runs" enters our atmosphere, more electric guitar fuels the twist in "She's Paralyzed" while the climax awaits us in "Royce vs. Predator" (with a variation on the danger theme as ultimate prize). The main theme of Silvestri gets a couple of coolness beats in "Theme from Predator", ending this ode in the highest Predator fashion.
Truthfully, Predators is one of the most amazing tributes I have ever encountered in my life. While it would have been a lot easier for John Debney to do something totally original, he took the harder route by combining his own musical material and concentrating his attention instead on how to tie them together to Alan Silvestri's themes, ideas, rhythms and sounds of the original Predator. Predators by that becomes the reboot any Predator fan was waiting for. The movie's quite good as well, leaving you with a reboot score that quite frankly lasts a bit too long, but sounds Silvestri delicious nonetheless.
Tracklisting
1. Free Fall * (3.06)
2. Single Shooter * (2.08)
3. This is Hell * (4.10)
4. Cages / Trip-Wire (3.51) Excellent track
5. Not of this Earth (2.50)
6. Hound Attack (4.08)
7. We Run We Die (4.39)
8. Predator Attack * (1.46) Excellent track
9. Meet Mr. Black (1.15)
10. They See our Traps * (2.26)
11. Over Here (2.24)
12. Smoke * (2.38) Excellent track
13. Nikolai Blows * (2.10) Excellent track
14. Stans' Last Stand (1.49)
15. Hanzo's Last Stand * (3.08)
16. Leg Trap (2.22)
17. Take Me to the Ship (2.04)
18. Edwin and Isabelle Captured * (1.33) Excellent track
19. Predator Fight / Royce Runs (3.15)
20. Twisted Edwin / Royce Returns (3.25)
21. She's Paralyzed * (6.05)
22. Royce Vs. Predator (2.39) Excellent track
23. Let's Get Off This Planet (3.01)
24. Theme from ''Predator'' * (1.45) Excellent track
* contains the original theme from "Predator" composed by Alan Silvestri
Total Length: 68.37