John Carpenter – 7th Level Music

Review: John Carpenter – Lost Themes III: Alive After Death

Recorded and composed with his son, Cody Carpenter, and his godson, Daniel Davies, after releasing the first two Lost Themes albums, touring the country, and re-recording many of his classic movie themes, John Carpenter‘s Lost Themes III: Alive After Death sees the trio exploring more dark themes as well as futuristic ones as they run with full, confident strides.

The title track opens the album with trademark Carpenter synth beats and adds a sharp guitar solo as well. “Weeping Ghost,” the album’s first single, is as creepy as you hope it will be. The bass in it hits like a racing pulse you feel in your neck. “Dripping Blood,” meanwhile, isn’t as creepy as you initially imagine and is quite lovely. “Dead Eyes” is another slow, brooding track, and “Vampire’s Eyes” is appropriately hypnotizing. It starts with brooding synths and then opens its red satin-lined cape to throw out a sinister guitar solo from Davies.

“Cemetery” and “Skeleton” are sharp dark wave cuts blended with krautrock rhythms. “Turning the Bones” is perfect for exploring either a dark catacombs or a dimly lit science laboratory. I’m sure film makers everywhere are clamoring to be the first to buy the rights to use “The Dead Walk” in their upcoming zombie movie. It would also work in a science fiction film, a post-apocalyptic action movie, or the next anime craze. The closing track is “Carpathian Darkness,” which could be the name of a death metal band (and probably is somewhere), and it blends sad piano with even sadder synths and growling guitars that sound like a horrible beast awakening in that darkness.

I love how John Carpenter’s career path has led him to create these albums. Fans of his film work and of dark wave will find much to love here.

Keep your mind open.

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My top 25 live shows of 2016 – #’s 10-6

We’re in the top ten of the my favorite live shows of 2016.

#10 – The Flaming Lips at Middle Waves Fest in Ft. Wayne, Indiana September 17th

It was a triumphant return to Fort Wayne after nearly 30 years for them. The show was big, bright, and full of love. It was in the middle of the election season and just what we all needed at the time.

#9 – Earthless at the Empty Bottle in Chicago December 2nd

Earthless is easily one of the best live acts out there right now, and this was my first time seeing them in a small venue. I don’t know how the Empty Bottle was still standing by the time they were done because it was among the loudest and heaviest sets I’ve seen there.

#8 – John Carpenter at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit July 15th

“I got a movie and a concert,” my wife said after seeing a screening of Escape from New York and then John Carpenter, his son, his godson, and the rest of his band play a fantastic retrospective of his film score music. It was also in a huge gothic structure, so that made it all the better.

#7 – Screaming Females at the Brass Rail in Ft. Wayne, Indiana June 26th

I’d wanted to see them for a couple years, and seeing them an hour’s drive away with my best friend in a venue not much bigger than the bottom floor of my house was one of my favorite memories of 2016. They were even kind enough to let me interview in their tour van. They crushed it, leaving most of the crowd dumbstruck.

#6 – L7 at the Metro in Chicago August 6th

Another band I’d waited years, even decades, to see was L7 and their sold-out reunion tour show in Chicago was one of the best performances I’d seen from any band in years. They hadn’t lost a thing and showed pretenders how it’s done.

Good grief! If these shows were so good, who’s in the top five? Come back tomorrow and see!

Keep your mind open.

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John Carpenter – Lost Themes II

John Carpenter’s first Lost Themes album was a delight for fans of horror films, film scores, and progressive rock. Lost Themes II is another treat, as Carpenter, his son Cody, and his godson, Daniel Davies, return to bring us a record just as good as the first.

“Distant Dreams” could easily have been part of the Escape from New York soundtrack with its thumping bass. It’s an excellent live track as well. “White Pulse” has Carpenter and crew moving into industrial territory with heavy 50-gallon drum percussion and angelic synths.

I love the underlying menace of “Persia Rising.” The low-end keys bring to mind something crawling from a dark, wet tomb. I hope Carpenter was thinking of movies like Angel’s Revenge when he wrote “Angel’s Asylum,” because it would be a great song for any of those trashy 1980’s Angel movies. It’s a great mix of action themes, mystery themes, and even a little sci-fi thrown in for good measure.

“Hofner Dawn” and “Windy Death” are quiet, mellow affairs. “Hofner Dawn” borders on New Age with synths that evoke sunrise, while “Windy Death” is like the early winds that build into a tornado when the conditions are right. You know something bad is looming, but you don’t know when it will arrive.

It’s easy to think of “Dark Blues” as a lost cut from the Christine score, as it starts with a revving engine and a car driving away. The heavy rock guitar chords and the high-beam bright synths practically evoke Dean Cundey cinematography images in your head. The song also features some of Davies’ best guitar work on the album.

“Virtual Survivor” brings to mind someone trudging through a dystopian wasteland in search of a secret that will save humanity. Carpenter’s piano anchors the song while his son’s synths are perfect for a new sci-fi masterpiece.

It’s nice to hear one horror master acknowledge another horror legend, as Carpenter does on “Bela Lugosi.” The stabbing synths hit like a stake through the heart. The song has goth touches, of course, like the parts that sound like a child’s music box or others that remind you of a creepy circus sideshow. Think more “Black Cat” than “Dracula” and you’ll get the idea.

“Last Sunrise” oozes dread, even with the light piano chords throughout it. It would fit in well in the third act of that post-apocalyptic film I mentioned earlier. “Utopian Facade” is a nice follow-up to it. I can’t help but think it has some inspiration from his soundtrack for They Live, which is a film all about how our seemingly happy existence in the materialistic, consumer-driven economy is a facade. The Gary Numan-like synths blend well with the Vangelis-like electric piano. It’s a good ending to the record…unless you got the digital download that contains the bonus track of “Real Xeno.” It harkens back to his early horror work and seems to blend Halloween themes with In the Mouth of Madness ones. Synths buzz like horseflies while weird things whisper in the darkness…and wait until the drums and guitar step in to turn it into a song for a bad-ass antihero.

Lost Themes II is just as good as the first one, and better in some ways (a more natural flow to the tracks, it seems). It’s essential if you like Carpenter’s work.

Keep your mind open.

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Live: John Carpenter – July 15, 2016 – Detroit, MI

The Detroit Masonic Temple Theatre building is a massive, imposing place. It’s gorgeous, and this is the first thing we saw there.

We were there to see John Carpenter’s live film music retrospective, so this sign was a good one that the show would be outstanding.

Carpenter and his band (which includes his son, Cory, on keyboards and synthesizers, and his godson, Daniel Davies on lead guitar) have been on tour most of the summer and the Detroit date was one of the last three in the U.S. before embarking on a tour of Europe and the United Kingdom. I wasn’t going to miss this show, and I was delighted to see a screening of Escape from New York had been added to the bill since I bought the tickets. The screening was a hoot, with people hissing every time Snake Plissken was on screen, cheering for every major cast member, and laughing at Lee Van Cleef’s giant “futuristic” walkie-talkie.

Carpenter and crew opened with the Escape from New York theme and then gave us a great show combining film theme music and cuts from his two recent albums – Lost Themes and Lost Themes II.

The “Escape from New York” theme while recent 90-year birthday boy Harry Dean Stanton watches over us.

“Vortex” from Lost Themes was particularly good live, and the crowd went crazy for the theme to Assault on Precinct 13. Of course, they put a fog machine to good use for the theme from The Fog (one of the best ghost movies ever made).

John Carpenter in stage fog playing the theme from “The Fog.” What more could you want?

The crowd was having a ball (and many were hammered drunk) by this point. The theatre’s air conditioning was working at minimal levels, so everyone in the joint was sweaty and a bit rowdy. We would’ve been miserable had it not been for Carpenter and his band tearing it up through the theme to Big Trouble in Little China and nice cuts from Lost Themes II like “Distant Dream.” Davies, by the way, is a great guitarist.

The crowd went absolutely nuts when this happened.

The subliminal messages from They Live played on the screen, cutting into the film scenes shown throughout the theme. The movie, which is more prescient now than ever, and its theme struck a chord with the audience, and it was great to see the whole band wearing sunglasses in the spirit of Roddy Piper and Keith David.

Of course, they got a standing ovation for the Halloween theme.

I was also delighted to see and hear them play the themes from some of Carpenter’s lesser-seen works – In the Mouth of Madness (which I really need to see again) and the completely bonkers Prince of Darkness. They ended with Carpenter telling us, “Remember, as you go home, drive safe. Christine is out there!” before launching in to the Christine theme.

It was a great show, and one I’m glad I didn’t miss. Catch them if you can. It’s a must-see if you’re a fan of horror films, film scores, Carpenter’s work, or cinema.

Keep your mind open.

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John Carpenter to begin U.S. tour this June.

Director and composer John Carpenter will be performing music from his many excellent film scores and his great album Lost Themes throughout the United States beginning June 14th in Seattle, Washington. This is a rare opportunity to see Mr. Carpenter perform his music, as he only has eleven tour dates scheduled over the summer. Tickets start at $45 at some venues, and most are offering good (albeit pricey) VIP packages that include meet-and-greet events and special merchandise.

This is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime event, so don’t miss it. I have my tickets for his Detroit show in July. I didn’t opt for a VIP package since I’ve met Mr. Carpenter before, but I do hope to score one of the limited tour posters there.

Keep your mind open.

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Rewind Review: John Carpenter – Lost Themes (2015)

[Rewind Reviews are reviews of albums over a year old that I haven’t heard until now.]

You know a John Carpenter film score as soon as you hear it. His themes for Halloween, Escape from New York, and The Fog (among others) are unmistakable. He, his son, Cody Carpenter, and his godson, Daniel Davies, all got together without interference or input from any film studio and put together Lost Themes – an outstanding collection of instrumental music ideal for films never made.

The album’s opener, “Vortex,” is perfectly titled. Its mournful piano, synths beats, and electro bass pull you down into something dark and brooding. Don’t have this on your iPod during the zombie apocalypse. It will cause you to panic and make some stupid decision like opening that door to see what’s making that weird noise.

“Obsidian” is keyboard-heavy, or perhaps I should say the keyboards bring a heavy of paranoia to the room. They build to frantic pitches as prog-rock guitars snake around them, and then they drop out and become something you’d hear inside a theatre during a Dario Argento film. You can’t miss Carpenter’s love of Goblin (Argento’s frequent composers for his films) and their influence on him throughout this record.

“Fallen” is something from a sci-fi film Carpenter has rolling around in his head. The synths and bass are perfect for a spaceship landing sequence and the exploration of the creepy landscape outside the ship. “Domain” keeps up with the sci-fi groove and races at a pace best suited for a post-apocalyptic action film until it turns into a spaghetti western theme for a moment.

“Mystery” opens the second half of the album, plunging you into some frightening place where a masked killer the size of King Kong Bundy is stalking you and not one person is answering as you run down the street banging on every door. “Abyss” is strangely upbeat for the first half, with almost New Age piano and more progressive rock drumming, and oozing with menace in the second half. You could put this at the end credits of nearly any action or sci-fi film in the 1980’s.

“Wraith” conjures up images of its namesake as it moves around you like some ethereal creature. The synths on it are otherworldly and mix with bass that seems to come from an opening dimensional portal. “Purgatory” might be something you’d hear there as you stroll down dark halls and through madness-inducing mazes. The drumming on it is some of the heaviest on the record as the synths hiss at you.

The closer is “Night,” and it’s a horror doozy. It brings to mind gritty dark streets, trench coat-clad vampires, and hideous shapes lurking in shadows. The guitar work on it seems mistuned low, giving it a weird vocal-like effect. The synths invoke images of a setting sun that brings dread instead of wonder or amazement.

Carpenter has announced Lost Themes II will be out April 16th of this year. It’s already high on my must-own list, as this should be on yours.

Keep your mind open.