John Carpenter ventures into metal with new album/graphic novel ‘Cathedral’; hear "Lord of the Underground"

John Carpenter has announced Cathedral , which is both a graphic novel , out August 4 via Storm King Comics, and an album that will be out August 7 via Sacred Bones. Each song on the album corresponds to a chapter in the graphic novel.

The story for Cathedral was inspired by a dream which then inspired what turned out to be a metal record. “It was so cinematic and vivid,” Carpenter says. “I thought, ‘I have to score this.’ It’s kind of our first heavy metal album.”

Longtime collaborator Daniel Davies adds, “The story informed everything. John would describe a scene and say, ‘We need a heavy riff here.’ We didn’t set out to make a metal record, but it evolved that way.”

Carpenter says while they were designed to work in tandem, the Cathedral album — made by Davies and Cody Carpenter — also stands on its own. “That’s first and foremost,” he says. “It’s all about making the music work. This is somewhat different sounding stuff that we’ve done, but it’s done with the same desire in mind. In other words, put this thing on and imagine you’re watching a movie. That’s what we want you to do.”

You can hear the heavy riffage on “Lord of the Underground” — watch the visualizer below.

Cathedral: 1. Primeval 2. Identity 3. Inside Out 4. Abandoned Cathedral 5. Elevator 6. Elevator Two 7. Desolation in the Underworld 8. The Mapmaker 9. The Ferryman 10. Lord of the Underground 11. Death of the Mapmaker 12. Back to Ruins 13. Revenge 14. Resolution

_Originally reported by [Brooklyn Vegan](https://www.brooklynvegan.com/john-carpenter-goes-metal-on-new-album-graphic-novel-cathedral-hear-lord-of-the-underground/)._