John Carpenter’s Lost Themes III: horror master unearths fresh synthwave chills for us

Halloween director and synthwave inspiration John Carpenter serves up immersive chills on new album Lost Themes III: Alive After Death

By Dom Lawson
( Metal Hammer )
published
John Carpenter: Lost Themes III: Alive After Death
(Image: © Sacred Bones)

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Chuck a rusty blade over your shoulder and you’ll probably hit at least two people who have ripped off John Carpenter in recent times. The undisputed king of horror movie soundtracks has hit a late-career prolific streak, and Lost Themes III again shows how immersive and powerful his music can be, even when bereft of blood-drenched visual accompaniment. His increasingly intuitive comrades - son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies - help bring these devilishly simple musical ideas to life; the old master’s trademark blend of suppurating synths, macabre guitars and pulsing drum machines sounds as evocative and unnerving as it ever did. Cemetery and Dripping Blood are particularly stunning. It’s the sound of genius, lurking in the shadows.

Dom Lawson
Dom Lawson
Writer

Dom Lawson has been writing for Metal Hammer and Prog for over 14 years and is extremely fond of heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee and snooker. He also contributes to The Guardian, Classic Rock, Bravewords and Blabbermouth and has previously written for Kerrang! magazine in the mid-2000s.