JOHN CARPENTER
Cathedral (Sacred Bones)
John Carpenter, composer and filmmaker of such cult classics as The Fog, Escape From New York and Assault On Precinct 13, returns with a soundtrack to a comic book creation. Inspired by a recurring nightmare Carpenter had about a haunted Los Angeles cathedral, one which reeks of evil and where demons loiter 24/7, it’s duly been turned into a crime/horror story by long-time creative foil Sandy King and Carpenter himself.
Though it doubtless helps to have both soundtrack and comic to hand, Carpenter’s soundscapes – created with son Cody Carpenter plus Daniel Davies – work well on their own. Lord Of The Underground borders industrial and goth, not unlike the Sisters Of Mercy; elsewhere, arrangements are moulded around dark, devilish church organ and synths which mirror the menace and emotion of Carpenter’s older aural creations. Cathedral shows that Carpenter is still very much the boss when it comes to spreading pitch-black darkness across all media.
words DAVID NOBAKHT
