Varèse Sarabande has announced three new 40th-anniversary vinyl reissues of James Horner’s soundtrack to James Cameron’s 1986 film Aliens. The releases are available for pre-order immediately and will hit shelves on November 13. This announcement, reported by Daily Dead, marks a specific physical media opportunity for fans of the franchise’s iconic score.
The album will be available in three distinct variants. The wide release is a 40th-Anniversary Edition LP on silver color vinyl. A Barnes & Noble exclusive version features “Alien Green” color vinyl. Finally, a Varèse Sarabande exclusive edition is pressed on “Xenomorph Glow” glow-in-the-dark vinyl. These specific colorways and exclusivity tiers define the current availability of the reissue.
The score was composed and conducted by Horner, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Aliens, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1979 Alien, follows Ellen Ripley, played by Sigourney Weaver, as the sole survivor of the original film’s encounter with the Xenomorph. This 1986 collaboration was the first between Cameron and Horner, who later reunited for Titanic and Avatar.
Production of Aliens was characterized by intense deadline pressure. Cameron’s meticulous approach created significant challenges for the production team, with edits, effects, and music cues finalized right up to the release date. Cinephilia & Beyond notes that Cameron’s hands-on oversight of every aspect of production was both a defining feature and a source of difficulty for those involved. The film ultimately became a critical and commercial success despite these production hurdles.
Additionally, an exclusive excerpt from Robert P. Ottone’s Amityville Awakens was featured. These items provide broader context for the current horror media landscape alongside the Aliens vinyl announcement.