John Carpenter ‘Lost Themes III: Alive After Death’ Review

John Carpenter ‘Lost Themes III: Alive After Death Review’: Carpenter and family continue winning streak on fifth collaboration.

Filmmaker John Carpenter had become somewhat of a creative hermit in the 21st century: minus two theatrical films and some TV work, he was more inclined to indulge his passions for video gaming, the L.A. Lakers, and enjoy a rest well deserved after such a singular and storied career.

But all that changed back in 2015, when Carpenter, joined by son Cody and godson Daniel Davies released Lost Themes, an album featuring more of the stark, synth laden work that he pioneered back in the late 70’s, when he was one of the few directors to score their own films.

This was followed in short succession by Lost Themes II, along with Anthology, which featured new renditions of his classic soundtrack work from films like Assault on Precinct 13 and Escape From New York, several live performances, topping it all off with composing the score for David Gordon Greene’s 2018 film Halloween (itself a remake of Carpenter’s 1978 slasher classic).

Click here for my 2017 interview with John Carpenter

Carpenter and sons are back with Lost Themes III: Alive After Death Review (out Feb. 5th on Sacred Bones Records), and they continue to tinker with their influential sonic formula.

The album kicks off with the propulsive title track, beginning with a twinkling synth riff, slowly escalating with added electronic layers before kicking into overdrive with a stomping beat, melancholy guitar and dense atmospherics.

This sets the stage for Weeping Ghost, one of the album’s best tracks, immersed in dread and featuring a sinister wailing keyboard riff that conjures images of a malevolent, disembodied spirit (not unlike the haunting main theme from his 1987 film Prince of Darkness).

That song, along with the eerily percolating Cemetery, the glittery, pulsating Skeleton, and the chill-inducing, hypnotic The Dead Walk, see the trio also embrace dance elements of synthwave, fitting given that this subgenre was inspired by Carpenter himself. This serendipitous fusion makes for tracks that are just as suitable for hitting the dance floor (if we ever get to dance in public again) as they do for conjuring imaginary cinema for the mind’s eye (or ear, as it were).

That being said, Lost Themes III: Alive After Death isn’t afraid to craft quieter, less bombastic numbers too, from the sorrowful and spectral Dripping Blood to the celestial, choir-esque voicings of Dead Eyes.

The trio fuse all these disparate elements together for album closer Carpathian Darkness, which begins with very Halloween-esque piano stabs before introducing oceanic synths and guttural guitar riffing. The song builds slowly, ratcheting up the tension with heartbeat percussion and grandeur soundscapes.

“We begin with a theme, a bass line, a pad, something that sounds good and will lead us to the next layer,” Carpenter said in the album’s press release, adding “We then just keep adding on from there. We understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, how to communicate without words, and the process is easier now than it was in the beginning. We’ve matured.”

This is wholly evident on Lost Themes III: Alive After Death, an album steeped in confidence and building on their impressive sonic pedigree, while also building anticipation for their upcoming soundtrack work on Halloween Kills, and hopefully a new tour, if live music becomes a thing again.

Until then, close the blinds, crank up the music and give in to Carpenter and co.’s phantasmagorical aural cinema.