John Carpenter Reveals Details of New Album and Graphic Novel, “Cathedral”

“Lord of the Underground” is out now.

John Carpenter Reveals Details of New Album and Graphic Novel, Cathedral

“Lord of the Underground” is out now.

Words: Will Schube

Photo: Sophie Gansard

May 19, 2026

John Carpenter has announced Cathedral, a new album out via Sacred Bones Records on August 7 that will be accompanied by his first-ever graphic novel, to be released on August 4 via Storm King Comics. Each song on the album corresponds with a chapter from the graphic novel, while the liner notes will help listeners and readers make their way through the story. “It was so cinematic and vivid, I thought, ‘I have to score this,’” Carpenter said about a dream that inspired the story. “It’s kind of our first heavy metal album.”

“The story informed everything,” added Daniel Davies, Carpenter’s godson, longtime musical collaborator, and a co-creator of the album alongside Carpenter’s son, Cody. “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.”

Check out first single “Lord of the Underground” below, and pre-order Cathedral here.