Published May 19, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT
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More than a decade since John Carpenter blessed the world with a horror movie, the filmmaker is coming back for another scare in the form of a graphic novel called Cathedral. However, there is more reason to anticipate this creepy comic from beyond the pages.
The horror maestro is releasing a heavy metal album to accompany the story of Cathedral, and the record's first track is now available.
Even before the song's eerie main synth riff hits, the hellaciously heavy, '80s hair band-style power chords already invoke feelings of John Carpenter's best movies, such as acclaimed horror classics like Halloween and The Thing. Even the name of the song, "Lord of the Underground," sounds like the title of a film that could have come from the man behind other favorites like Prince of Darkness and 1995's Village of the Damned.
Carpenter explained to Fangoria that the idea for the Cathedral album, being released under Sacred Bones Records, was to create music for readers to listen to as they experience the graphic novel of the same name, with each track uniquely crafted to match the tone and setting of its accompanying chapter. However, he also assures that the record stands firmly on its own, as intended.
"That’s first and foremost. 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."
Carpenter, who has also been known to compose the music for most of his own films, recorded Cathedral with his longtime collaborators, his son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies, whose father is Dave Davies of The Kinks. In addition to touring and recording several albums together, including the Lost Themes series, the trio's years working together also include scoring movies like David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy and the 2022 remake of Firestarter.
Davies also spoke to Fangoria, detailing how crucial the story of Carpenter's comic book was to crafting the album, which ended up surpassing his own expectations for it. He says, "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."
John Carpenter's Cathedral Was Bred From A Nightmare
Image via Storm King ComicsThe creative process from which the graphic novel Cathedral came together was also unique. John Carpenter claims the idea came to him in a dream.
A press release that announced the upcoming summer horror comic earlier in 2026 quoted the artist as saying, "I saw it in a dream: a nightmare landscape deep underground filled with monsters too weird and sinister to exist in daylight. I knew instantly I had to get these things out of my head and into everyone else’s brains."
The creatures filling Carpenter's subconscious informed a story about an abandoned cathedral in downtown Los Angeles that becomes a subject of interest for LAPD Lieutenant Christine Marks. Detectives Paul Hernandez and Steve Mayfield accompany her on an exploration of the unsettling site, under suspicion that its secrets are connected to the horrific murder of Marks' father.
Cathedral is the first graphic novel written by Carpenter, who has previously put his name on a few notable horror comic books, such as the annual anthology John Carpenter's Tales for Halloween. Several of his films have even inspired spin-off comics, such as the overlooked The Thing sequel, The Thing from Another World, and Boom! Studios' continuations of Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China, which would spawn a crossover.
Writing the story for Cathedral was also a family affair, as Carpenter's wife, Sandy King (who founded the graphic novel's publisher, Storm King Comics), served as his co-writer, alongside Sean Sobczak. The ominous artwork comes from illustrators Federico De Luca and Luis Guaragna and colorist Sian Mandrake, and Marshall Dillon handles the lettering.
Cathedral, the graphic novel, hits the shelves on Aug. 4, and the album comes out on Aug. 7. Both are now available for pre-order.
English (US) · 