John Carpenter Goes Full Metal On New Single ‘The Ferryman’

Horror icon John Carpenter is stepping further into heavy music with the release of The Ferryman, the latest taste of his upcoming multimedia project, Cathedral.

The new John Carpenter instrumental arrives alongside an official visualiser and offers another glimpse into what Carpenter has described as his first true heavy metal album.

Best known for creating the unforgettable scores to films including Halloween, The Fog and Escape From New York, Carpenter has spent decades proving he’s just as influential behind a synthesiser as he is behind a camera.

Cathedral promises something heavier than fans might expect, inspired by a vivid dream Carpenter experienced in 2024, the project tells the story of an abandoned cathedral, a brutal murder and a supernatural force lurking beneath downtown Los Angeles.

“It was so cinematic and vivid,” Carpenter said of the dream. “I thought, ‘I have to score this.’ It’s kind of our first heavy metal album.”

Cathedral expands into multiple formats

Rather than existing solely as a record, Cathedral expands into multiple formats, the project includes Carpenter’s first ever graphic novel, due for release on August 4th, before the companion album arrives on August 7th.

Pre order ‘Cathedral’ here.

Joining Carpenter on the record are his longtime collaborator and son, Cody Carpenter, along with guitarist Daniel Davies, whose résumé includes work with Karma To Burn and CKY.

While Carpenter’s unmistakable synthesiser style remains at the heart of the music, Cathedral leans much harder into crushing guitar riffs and a darker, more aggressive sound than many of his previous standalone releases.

The Ferryman showcases that shift, blending ominous synth textures with metallic guitar work while maintaining the cinematic atmosphere that has defined Carpenter’s music for nearly five decades.

For fans of horror, film scores and heavy music alike, Cathedral looks set to blur the lines between album, soundtrack and graphic novel in classic John Carpenter fashion.

If The Ferryman is anything to go by, the master of cinematic terror has found another way to make audiences feel uneasy, this time with the volume turned all the way up.