French synthwave icon Carpenter Brut has released the title track and brand new single, “Leather Temple,” which serves as the first taste of his abrasive, dark-textured third and final album in his ongoing ‘Leather’ trilogy, due out in 2026. This cinematic, heavy single is accompanied by an immersive video directed by Dehn Sora, introducing Midwichpolis, the post-apocalyptic heart of the forthcoming album, a brutal empire ruled by Iron Tusk. The song dives into a raw, rhythmic, and restless energy that perfectly captures the anger and uprising in the Midwich Slums, contrasting the heavy metal riffs with the pulsating neon synths beaming from the City of Light, distilling a saturated, unflinching ‘90s electro atmosphere.
Carpenter Brut has established himself as a leading figure on the international synthwave scene by blending electronic music, metal, and 1980s pop culture into a uniquely dark and energetic universe since 2012. Drawing inspiration from horror titans like John Carpenter and Dario Argento as much as from metal giants like Slayer and electronic innovators like Justice, the artist has built a highly stylized world at the crossroads of retro thrillers, futuristic dystopia, and glam metal. This new album follows the hugely acclaimed 2018 debut ‘Leather Teeth’, a celebratory take on ’80s glam rock, and the 2022 follow-up ‘Leather Terror’, a more malevolent slasher-horror affair telling the story of serial killer anti-hero Brett Halford.
The aural and visual spectacle will continue into Carpenter Brut’s live shows, with dates announced across Europe and the USA in March 2026, including a special standalone UK headline appearance at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire on March 22nd. The narrative of the new album plunges into the dark dichotomy of Midwichpolis, where the Temple, Iron Tusk’s black tower, looks down on the obscene luxury of the City of Light, hiding corruption from the poverty and fear plaguing the slums below. “Leather Temple” captures this unrelenting tension with distorted layers and sharp beats, forming the soundtrack to the latest, eagerly awaited chapter of this filmic concept.