Carpenter Brut Reveals Elon Musk–Inspired Villain on Upcoming Concept Album
Carpenter Brut, one of synthwave’s leading figures, has revealed that the antagonist of his upcoming concept album Leather Temple was partly inspired by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk.
In an interview with Metal Hammer, the French producer—real name Franck Hueso—explains that the album’s central villain, a character called Iron Tusk, reflects his concerns about extreme wealth and power being concentrated in the hands of a single individual.
Hueso admits that he once admired Musk and even purchased a Tesla because of that admiration. However, his opinion shifted dramatically after Musk entered politics, joining U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration in 2025 as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
“He was brilliant,” Hueso says. “I liked his ideas and his cars. But when he became political, I didn’t like it anymore. He’s the richest man in the world. What happens when one person owns everything and can decide everything?”
Disillusioned by Musk’s political alignment, Hueso says he ultimately sold his Tesla and replaced it with another car.
Leather Temple, set for release on February 27, will conclude Carpenter Brut’s Leather trilogy, following Leather Teeth (2018) and Leather Terror (2022). As with his previous work, the album draws heavily from 1980s aesthetics, but this time Hueso cites Blade Runner and Back to the Future Part II as major influences.
“It’s about a man similar to Biff Tannen in Back to the Future Part II, ruling over a city,” Hueso explains. “In Blade Runner, one of the first images is this huge illuminated temple. I imagined a futuristic city dominated by a massive temple—that became Iron Tusk’s world.”
Musically, Leather Temple will lean more toward electronic sounds than its predecessors, which blended synthwave with traditional heavy metal elements. Hueso says this shift was partly motivated by his view of the modern metal scene, where he believes vocals dominate too much of the music.
“When I listen to bands like Bring Me The Horizon or Architects, it’s powerful, but everything revolves around the vocals,” he says. “They’re great singers, but there’s not enough melodic instrumentation. To me, it feels almost like boy bands. I wanted to focus on keyboards and melodies with no vocals at all.”
For inspiration, Hueso looked back to the electronic pioneers of the 1990s, citing acts such as The Chemical Brothers and The Prodigy as key influences.
The full interview with Carpenter Brut appears in the latest issue of Metal Hammer, which also features previews of major heavy music releases scheduled for 2026, as well as an in-depth conversation with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine ahead of what is expected to be the band’s final album.
