Having secured his legacy as a leading cult horror visionary, John Carpenter’s solo albums occupy a comfortable but interesting niche. His third full-length, appropriately titled Lost Themes III: Alive After Death, continues the trends established by the albums before it. The musical style is comparable to his legendary film scores though presented with more rocked up instrumentation as well as through the lens of the contemporary synthwave movement that incidentally took inspiration from him in the first place.
While Alive After Death’s focus remains on creepy atmospheric ambiance, it may have the most noticeable usage on traditional rock instruments than any of his previous albums. The guitar work isn’t too flashy, mostly consisting of held out chords and simple harmonics, but it gives the compositions some extra weight. There’s also a noticeable sense of momentum as even the tracks without an overtly pulsating beat have a certain drive that makes for breezy listening. Of course, the synths are still the highest priority, providing the melodies, patches, and colorful textures in Carpenter’s signature fashion
There’s a seeming tug o’ war between danceability and menace over the course of the album, -which makes for some fun varied structures. “Weeping Ghost,” “Vampire’s Touch,” and “The Dead Walk” provide the perfect balance between the two with their stomping chords and piercing patches building alongside persistent rhythms while “Cemetery” puts in a dark slow burn. “Turning the Bones” and the closing “Carpathian Darkness” are among the album’s more atmospheric winners, the former having a pleasant dreaminess and the latter featuring some magnificently haunting guitar/synth interplay.
Overall, Alive After Death isn’t too drastically set apart from John Carpenter’s other Lost Themes but the tweaks it adds to the formula results in what may be the most accessible installment. The growing presence on driving beats and mean guitars is certainly palatable for more heavy rock-minded listeners such as myself, but they’re integrated in a way that services the synth work. An artist like Carpenter may be content to stay in his own lane without a need to prove anything, but it’s commendable how he’s still able to innovate even in such a modest setting. I sure hope my art could be this inspired if I make it to seventy-three.
