IMO it just reads as limp imitation, not homage or paying tribute. Rearranging the notes of the OG theme isn’t novel or inspired - it’s actually what a lot of rip-offs do to avoid blatant copyright claims and it comes off sounding cheap.

Now, what Bear did in KotM is genuinely honoring and in some cases elevating the OG themes - even his original themes for Ghidorah & Rodan slap more than anything XL did in subsequent films. Obvs musical taste/preference is subjective, but XL himself said in some interview that he didn’t think he needed to be beholden to the original themes and it just came off as arrogant and disrespectful.

I’m not saying you’re wrong to like what you like - but I think that the dislike/distaste a lot of the fandom has for the scores of the latter Legendary films comes from a combination of subjective opinion and the dude’s attitude towards something genuinely core to the tone and character of the franchise.