Chosen by Monk
My latest choice is a truly powerful statement from a band who literally take things to the next level when it comes to their belief in, and commitment to, protecting and preserving our increasingly shrinking natural environment – the very Savage Lands from which they take their name!
The brainchild of guitarist Sylvain Demercastel and Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren, the project is actually a non-profit organism in its own right. Every penny of the royalties from the band’s first single, ‘The Last Howl’, went towards replanting 60,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest, protecting it from future development. However, their work is not done yet, and this latest single sees them teaming up with Heilung vocalist Kai Uwe Faust and artist Chloè Trujillo (wife of Metallica bassist Rob) to sound an ominous warning: the spirits of nature are reaching out to us…
In the accompanying video, Chloé channels the protective powers of an Obsidian stone to send Kai to warn of the doomsday scenario that’s unfolding right before our eyes. And, don’t mistake the derelict buildings or rusted heavy metal machinery that dot this deserted landscape for the work of AI: the video was shot on location in Salton Sea, the site of the biggest environmental disaster in California history.
That we tried to create an ocean just shows our own ignorance, says Demercastel. The Salton Sea is a very symbolic area. It was the perfect place for us to shoot this video. Sadly, there’s hardly a tree in sight.
We wanted this song to reflect our mounting frustration with the way the real estate heat wave is destroying Costa Rica’s ecosystem, says Sylvain. It’s got a bit more black ‘n’ roll to it, which plays into the title.
Kai bangs on his hand drum. Still, even when he’s screaming in the band’s face, the message falls on deaf ears. Black Bomb A’s Sebastian Poun strains his voice into a bat-like shriek before exploding on a room full of TVs, computers and other man-made creations that are supposed to make us happy. But ‘Black Rock Heart’ isn’t all doom and gloom. Just as Chloé’s clean singing cuts through those venomous shrieks like a salve, the song ends with a positive sign. The black arrow that falls from the sky is a final message for us to act on the benefit of our planet, before it’s too late.
That’s the reason why we started Savage Lands, says Sylvain. It’s up to us to do something.