Back in 1979, esteemed Composer Jerry Goldsmith crafted the sound of the now iconic Sci-Fi Horror film Alien. Memorable in every way possible, 1986’s Aliens found James Horner (known for work on 1997’s Titanic, among many others) taking the reigns for the music. Equally effective, each film in the Alien film since has featured a different composer, including 2024’s Alien: Romulus.
Initially released in theaters back in August, Alien: Romulus became one of the highest-grossing Sci-Fi films of 2024. With this in mind, one of the unsung elements in the film’s effect of terror has to be Benjamin Wallfisch’s score. Wallfisch, who has composed for everything from 2017’s Blade Runner 2049 to 2019’s It Chapter Two, is no stranger to creating tension. Also a part of the music team for other Horror/Sci-Fi films like 2016’s Lights Out and 2020’s The Invisible Man; for Alien: Romulus Wallfisch faced various challenges.
To start with, Alien: Romulus is set between the events of Alien and Aliens. With this, Wallfisch had to remember that the mood had to bring viewers back to the original atmosphere created by Director Ridley Scott, Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon, and Composer Jerry Goldsmith. A bit of a daunting task considering how astounding and menacing that original was, Wallfisch does a fine job of creating a soundscape that pushes and pulls at all the right moments.
In a slow build, like the film, the first forty minutes or so are a relatively subtle mix of sounds before sheer moments of urgency arise later on. Something Alien and soundtrack lovers will appreciate: now, in late 2024, there is a chance to own a physical format edition of Wallfisch’s Alien: Romulus soundtrack. Originally released digitally on August 16th, on November 15th, a limited edition vinyl pressing arrived thanks to Mutant, in partnership with Hollywood Records and 20th Century Studios.
Presented as a 2LP set (LP 1, a red color, LP 2, a smoked-gray color) on high-quality 140-gram wax, it includes the entire original motion picture score for a total of twenty tracks. Solidly put together, it also features liner notes by Director Fede Alvarez and original artwork by illustrator Kilian Eng, who continues his ongoing work for the Alien soundtrack series.
Overall, this is something Alien and soundtrack fans will want to get their hands on, and they can find it exclusively through Mutant’s Webstore at madebymutant.com. A Christmas gift bound to bring nail-biting joy, Cryptic Rock gives the limited edition color vinyl release of the Alien: Romulus soundtrack 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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