As he tends to do, Goldenthal over-intellectualizes the assignment, inserting a purely classical, operatic, and religious element into a film that was already really uncomfortable with its own balance of religion in its setting. The plot never called for that kind of elegance, even in its sacrificial finale, and Goldenthal thus overplays his hand. The composer's adagio and related neo-classical ideas for Alien 3 do, however, ironically offer the most easily listenable music from the franchise's original trilogy in their rather simplistic beauty. The horror music in the film shows that the composer was incapable of finding a completely effective middle ground between the concepts of horror and romanticism. He is constantly at war between the romantic and the chaotic, and the result is that neither element really works in context. Orchestral chaos can indeed be beautiful in execution, but it can also distract from the film and annoy you on album. Unless you're among the small group of film music collectors who live and die by Goldenthal's brilliance in style, and it is truly intelligent enough for any student of composition marvel at, you're still going to find a score like this to border on intolerability. In the film, both the horror and religious elements fail, with the chasing and stalking cues serving as obnoxious sound effects (you can literally hear the screeching movements of fleeing prey and the tapping of an alien's feet on the metal floor in the music) and the classically religious explosions of near-harmonic power in "Lento" and "Adagio" seeming equally out of place in a franchise that had exercised careful restraint up to this point. As always, there are individual moments that are exempt from this criticism. When Goldenthal drops the electronics for the frenetic high string burst in the latter half of "The Entrapment," you can't help but feel the chills that the rest of the ensemble must have felt while sitting in the room listening to that performance. There are also exceptions on the album as well. There is no doubt that "Adagio" is one of the most powerful creations of Goldenthal's career. Whether you find its over-dramatic style misplaced in the film or not, it's the one moment in Alien 3 when Goldenthal finally drops the bizarre performance effects and outright dissonance and produces a moment almost as strikingly awkward on its album as "Silver Screen Kiss" would be in Demolition Man.

The closing "Adagio" of Alien 3 summarizes the composer's rather grim, five-note theme for Ripley that is poorly explored earlier in the score. In fact, that theme is really the only recurring motif of importance aside from the three-note descending phrases of victory as the aliens are killed. Goldenthal's interludes for lament or romance are frightfully generic and do nothing to prepare the audience for the emotional payoff. On the other hand, the score for Alien 3 certainly has unique textures to appreciate, assuming you don't need pain pills to survive them. If you're a fan of Goldenthal's abundant non-conventional use of orchestral instruments, such as the pitch-defying whines of the brass, and you can actually sit through the relentless barrage of pounding, rock-inspired mayhem in the "Wreckage and Rape" cue, then Alien 3 is indeed a fascinating study. That technique with the wavering brass, heard throughout several of Goldenthal's scores, is somewhat of a symbol of the composer's break from the norm, and you can be assured that if it is a source of annoyance for you, then you'll probably not appreciate some of the other startling performance aspects in this recording. It should be mentioned, though, that composer Cliff Eidelman re-recorded several cues from all three original Alien films in 1996 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and among the more interesting variations was "Lento" from this score, with its longing theme performed without the wash of the background vocals that dilute its harmony. Overall, you're going to hear a group of devoted film score and Goldenthal collectors defend Alien 3 to the death, and to their credit, the score is, like many of the composer's efforts, an interesting listening experience no matter your inclination towards his style. While there are indeed some boring sequences of barely atmospheric haze heard throughout the suspense portions, few parts of the score will put you to sleep on a reasonably condensed album presentation. The original 1992 album arranged the various types of material from the score into mini-suites that contained (arguably superior) mixes different from those heard in the film, including some notable overlays emphasizing the religious elements even further. A limited, 2-CD set from La-La Land Records in 2018 offers 90 minutes from the film mix of the score as well as some alternate takes and a reassembly of the original album.

Two distinct observations result from La-La Land's 2018 album for Alien 3; first, all the score's accessible highlights were included on the first album, and the additional music, which strays towards stalking material that at times is nearly inaudible for up to half a minute, makes for an even more excruciatingly challenging listening experience. The film mix is far less palatable than that provided originally for the album. Alternate takes on both the closing adagio and the cremation sequence for the film mix are worthy additions, however, especially the former, "You Can Still Have a Life (Alternate)." Secondly, for a score that prides itself on the creativity of its instrumental textures, it features remarkably restricted sound quality in the film version of the mix. The orchestra sounds incredibly flat on the 2018 product's main presentation, suggesting that the dull and dry environment may have been Goldenthal's intent all along. Better spread of the unique effects and a touch of reverb would have aided greatly in enhancing the fantasy element for the film. On the album version of the mix, the solo boy vocals in "Lento" are a noteworthy addition. Comparing the second half of that cue to "The Cremation" on the film mix shows a significant degradation of sound on the latter. On the other hand, the solo trumpet tribute to Goldsmith's Alien score at the end of the closing cue sounds just as muted in all instances. Regardless of how it is mixed for the film, Goldenthal's approach towards the franchise will potentially detract from the viewing experience for some. Most people won't notice the awkward, overwrought musical stance, of course, though it's highly probable that others will find the majority of chasing and killing music in Alien 3 to be merely obnoxious experimentation in instrumental mutilation. Brilliance in concept doesn't always equal success in context. Appreciate cues like "Adagio" and "Lento" on either of the albums if you seek the engaging, albeit misplaced religious tones from the score at their finest, separate from their overblown effect in their scenes that are diminished by their striving for splendor. There seem to be endless ways to love or hate this score, and much of that determination will depend on your opinion of the Goldenthal's predictably brutal, textural experimentation within the film itself. Approach the expanded 2018 album with extreme caution, as its sound quality of its film mix presentation is very disappointing and the additional material will not convert anybody to this score's cause.  **   @Amazon.com: CD or Download