Sacred Bones Records, out now

A new album of lost themes.

One of the consequences of Halloween Kills shifting from its original October 2020 release date to October 2021 was the delay of a new soundtrack from director/composer John Carpenter, son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. To help mitigate the loss, the talented trio return this month with the third volume in their Lost Themes series.

The first album was released in 2015 and carried the tantalising premise that these were the soundtracks for films that had never been made. But instead of being title themes for movies that had stumbled just before production, these were f films of the imagination that didn’t exist in any medium beyond the album.

A second volume followed in 2017, sandwiched between tours of the trio performing sets of Carpenter’s actual soundtracks and selected Lost Themes. Whether another tour was planned before or after this release, we’ll never know – COVID put paid to any plans – but what is known is that is another refreshingly familiar set of ten tracks over 41 minutes.

John Carpenter’s scores are not just synthesised soundtracks, they’re an entire sub-genre, seemingly aped whenever a film wants to establish itself as being set in the 80s. Knowing its audience and the expectations of the fans, the tracks are exactly what you’d hope for. This isn’t the time for acoustic guitars or Carpenter to get ‘Unplugged’, just hypnotic and infectious ‘synthwave’ cuts, crying out for onscreen horror to accompany them.

Opening track Alive After Death (also the sub-title for the album) was released with a video by Boneface in early January 2021, and it’s a belter. Second track Weeping Ghost dropped last Halloween and Skeleton last June, while penultimate track The Dead Walk was a pre-Christmas treat.

Verdict: Hop back to the 80s and submerge yourself in the unmistakable and inimitable pounding synths of the electronica soundtrack king. When music is this good, why bother making the films? 10/10

Nick Joy

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