John Carpenter has announced his new album, Lost Themes IV: Noir, a non-soundtrack release arriving May 3rd via Sacred Bones Records. To build anticipation, the filmmaker and composer has shared the lead single, “My Name Is Death,” and its accompanying music video. Stream it below.
The upcoming album reunites the horror master with his frequent collaborators, son Cody Carpenter and godson Daniel Davies. A follow-up to 2021’s Lost Themes III: Weeping Ghost, Noir promises to be unlike anything the trio has done before — a stylistic shift that enhances Carpenter’s signature atmospheric synth with a distinctly “noir” vibe.
The 10-track project is a tribute to the film noir genre, with songs inspired by some of Carpenter’s favorite films. Rather than recreating these old soundtracks, the album translates the haunting, dramatic orchestral scores of ’40s-era Hollywood pulp into Carpenter’s guitar-heavy synth soundscapes. “Some of the music is heavy guitar riffs, which is not in old noir films,” Davies noted in a release. “But somehow, it’s connected in an emotional way.”
See the artwork and full tracklist below. Pre-orders are ongoing.
The lead single from Lost Themes IV, “My Name Is Death,” sets the tone for the new album, with an appropriately black-and-white music video to match, courtesy of director Ambar Navarro. Watch it below.
It’s been almost a decade since Carpenter kickstarted his second career with his debut non-soundtrack album, Lost Themes, in 2015. During that time, the horror icon has kept busy in the studio, producing two more Lost Themes albums, as well as soundtracks for Halloween Kills (2021), Firestarter (2022), and Halloween Ends (2023) — all collaborations with his son and Davies.
Lost Themes IV Artwork:
Lost Themes IV Tracklist:
01. My Name Is Death
02. Machine Fear
03. Last Rites
04. The Burning Door
05. He Walks by Night
06. Beyond the Gallows
07. Kiss the Blood Off My Fingers
08. Guillotine
09. The Demon’s Shadow
10. Shadows Have a Thousand Eyes
