John Carpenter to ring in 2021 with more ‘Lost Themes’
Horror master John Carpenter is enjoying a second career renaissance as a musician. Lost Themes III: Alive after Death will be out in 2021.
John Carpenter etched out a reputation in the ’70s and ’80s that went largely unrewarded in the ’90s and beyond. For a guy responsible for two of horror’s most well-known, well-loved films (Halloween and The Thing), his work was just as often misunderstood or met with tepid box-office receipts.
Thankfully, with the advent of the Internet, streaming and companies like Scream Factory keeping Carpenter’s work in greater circulation than ever, the discourse on the director’s impact on horror has elevated much of his work into mainstream acceptance.
The apex of the new Carpenter renaissance came not from a new movie, but his side-interest as a musician. When he released Lost Themes in 2015, fans went wild for the album of original material (firmly in the vein of his soundtrack work), and came out in droves for the ensuing tour. I sat three rows back for his performance at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA – a large venue that packed in the horror-loving crowd.
Lost Themes II followed in 2016, followed by Anthology – an album of updated film scores – a year later. By 2018, things came full circle when the horror master was enlisted to set an aural mood for David Gordon Green’s belated “sequel” to 1978’s Halloween. Carpenter’s retooling of his original score was arguably the best thing about that franchise reboot.
While the output of his surviving horror peers has either slowed down or declined, it’s refreshing to see Carpenter rejuvenated by the reappraisal of his films, and the scores that set the mood. He can also be heard delivering voice-over narration for the upcoming documentary, The Rise of the Synths.
Continuing his musical hot streak, Waxwork Records has announced Lost Themes III: Alive After Death will be released February 5, 2021. Daniel Davies and Cody Carpenter will once again join the horror and synth auteur for this collaboration, which promises to be another aural treat for fans.
Check out the lead single, “Weeping Ghost,” below.
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Let us know what you think of “Weeping Ghost” in the comments.