The composer was one of a minority of crew members to return for Predator 2, and the accompanying 1990 commercial album of the sequel score long represented his only music from the franchise to be readily available. The differences between the two scores are quite striking, though, with only a handful of passages from the first score, along with some thematic cameos, carrying over. The action material connects the two, and this is where Silvestri truly excels in the concept. But the generally militaristic attitude of the first score is replaced by a distinctly foreign sound with even more enhanced jungle aspects, an irony given the switch of locales on screen. Silvestri also took the opportunity to explore the horror and alien aspects of his basic template from the first score, resulting in an interesting listening experience but ultimately a less satisfying one. For die-hard enthusiasts of Silvestri's work for Predator, there are enough reprises of the familiar, ballsy action style from that score in the sequel to merit some interest. The composer really is at his best when he establishes ass-kicking percussive rhythms and uses brass muscularity to explore a motif on top of them, a characteristic of highlights from Back to the Future to The Mummy Returns. Here, such driving passages in "Tunnel Chase" and "El Scorpio" are noteworthy. The primary theme returns, though not frequently; its application in "Feds on the Case" clearly connecting the idea to the previous film's commandos before being reprised as a teaser in "Tunnel Chase" and enjoying several minutes of full reprise at the end of film. The wondrous space theme from Predator makes a few notable appearances, most importantly in the realization scene in "Danny Gets It," though it also factors late in "Swinging Rude Boys" and "Came So Close." The solemn solo trumpet theme of military honor is heard in "Rest in Pieces" (before being overtaken by truly hideous horror material). The actual killing motif for the Predator receives an important anticipatory statement in "Subway Predator." A number of other general motifs relating to the Predator main theme's fantasy interlude are interspersed well enough to ground this sequel score, but Silvestri doesn't make much of an attempt to overtly distinguish the Predator 2 score thematically. Perhaps an argument could be made that the style of perpetual ensemble stingers in this score are its calling card.

Rather than unleash an recognizable new theme for Predator 2, Silvestri repeatedly uses eerie fragments of the main theme and only really develops a solidly fresh, deeply choral idea (of paired notes) for the new Predator in "Truly Dead" and "Dem Bones" before a summary of the idea at the end of "End Title." The jungle atmosphere is truly this score's unique style. The use of an animalistic wailing effect over jungle drums is the most interesting new identity to extend out of the previous score, representing drug lords this time around. Here, it sounds almost like a baritone saxophone badly manipulated (as in John Debney's portion of Sin City) so that it emulates the twisted cry of an animal. In fact, it was a woodwind reed placed in a garden hose that created the effect. While its wails in "Main Title" seem random, you eventually start to hear Silvestri pulling them together into fragments of his main franchise theme, and twice in "End Title" (and most clearly and with cool results at 3:25 on the initial album or 3:45 on the expanded release), he actually states the full idea in this manner. That "End Title" suite of nearly nine minutes represents all the best that Silvestri has to offer in Predator 2, including two long statements of the prior score's main theme and extended treatment of the iconic percussive rhythm it accompanies. That said, this cue and several others still have major detriments. In two places during "End Title" on the original 1990 album, there are abrupt changes in gain levels or mix (2:13 and 2:22) that an editor apparently attempted to match up with the beats of the percussive rhythms. Elsewhere, the contents of Silvestri's horror and suspense sequences are dissatisfying. The creepy cues practically do not register, "First Carnage" barely audible. The latter half of "Rest in Pieces" uses oddly performed and mixed vocals that alternate in the stereo soundscape obnoxiously while dissonant strikes pound away. The synthetic and percussive techniques in "Swinging Rude Boys" are barely tolerable as well. Many of these issues were mitigated on the 2014 "Deluxe Edition" offered by Varèse Sarabande, a substantial expansion of material from the score. While much of the added running time consists of varying mixes of the same cues, there are several critical cues debuting here for the first time, including those with performances of existing themes. Sound quality is much improved as well. Overall, Predator 2 constantly shows more promise than it delivers upon, adequately achieving its goals but not approaching the iconic status of its predecessor, which easily remains a superior alternative.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download