Chosen by Monk

Despite the ongoing lockdown in many parts of the Überverse, we are still receiving a healthy bundle of submissions for our coveted ‘Video Of The Week’ title. Many of them are produced against the background of continuing quarantine conditions in some countries, while others reflect artists being able to return and flex their creative muscles once again.

It was actually quite a difficult choice this week, as we had a lot of videos which perfectly matched the songs, both in terms of style and delivery, as well as matching the thematics behind them. We whittled it down to a short list of six, with our chosen offering, by a whisker, coming from ÜK grindcore godfathers Napalm Death and their acerbic new single, ‘Amoral’, the second preview cut to be lifted from their forthcoming new album, ‘Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism’, due on 18 September through Century Media. Vocalist Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway checked in to ÜRHQ with the following comment about the song and its video:

“A good shout to work once again with Michael Panduro, as he really adapts his style video to video rather than just using a singular approach. We delight in a generous helping of the absurd, so for one thing, the footage of children seemingly at play but displaying signs of systemic obedience really propels Shane’s lyrical thrust of our default powerlessness within the pecking order. As sonics go, I think it’s post-punk as fuck and grooves massively and accordingly.”

  • Napalm Death are due to play three dates in Ireland in December – the Limelight in Belfast on Friday 11, the Voodoo Lounge in Dublin on Saturday 12 and Dolan’s Warehouse in Limerick on Sunday 13. These dates are obviously subject to any continuing restrictions on live events on both/either side of the Irish border.

Our next two videos have something in common, as they both draw their inspiration from the ‘Back To The Future’ videos. The first comes from Pennsylvania hardcore nutcases Don’t Sleep and their clip for ‘We Remain’, which sees the band using a fleet of DeLorean’s to transport themselves from 1985 to the present day, where they rail against “a pop-culture landscape that lives and dies by viral videos and non-stop scrolling”.

“All sci-fi rebels, freaks and geeks, saddle up because this is one of the catchiest songs on the whole album!” promises Don’t Sleep founder and vocalist Dave Smalley (whom some readers might recognize from his time in the likes of Dag Nasty and Down By Law). “This song is directly about rebellion and the things we face as a society. As the lyrics call out the ‘rebel scum outside your door,’ this song addresses the things that are dragging you down – sometimes it’s the quiet confrontation in your mind, or it is all the craziness in the world. I cannot wait to be singing this live and sticking the mic out for everyone to join in. For now, we can all sing along in our personal DeLorean!”

  • Don’t Sleep’s new album, ‘Turn The Tide’ is released on 4 September. You can get your copy, and loads of lovely hoodies, etc., HERE.

Our next clip comes from London cosmic punks Waco, with their new single ‘Learn To Live Again’, another taster for their forthcoming ‘Hope Rituals’ album, released this coming Friday (28 August). The accompanying video, which features a guest appearance from South London punks Werecats vocalist Pippa,  brilliantly turns the ‘Back To The Future III’ plot on its head, as a plucky time-travelling cowboy finds himself transplanted to 21st Century London.

“This is a Western-inspired disco rock song about self-belief,” comments front man Jak Hutchcraft. “We took as much inspiration from Sergio Leone as we did from Hot Chocolate. The lyrics tell a story of empowerment—a story about breaking the invisible, but very real, chains which hold us back. The road is long, and the journey is tough, but we must carry on. Let this be one of the many freedom songs that accompany us as we travel together.”

Across the course of the album campaign, and in keeping with their message of positive activism, the band have been donating all single profits to charity and have so far helped to raise hundreds of pounds for Mind – The Mental Health Charity, The Stephen Lawrence Trust, The George Floyd Memorial Fund and NHS Charities Together.

Our next clip is another movie homage, this time to the classic horror B-flicks of the Eighties and Nineties, such as the original (and far superior) ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’, as well as likes of Dario Argento’s schlock and Rob Zombie’s more recent extrapolations of the genre, as we traverse the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, where punk rockers The Bloody Hell filmed this clip for ‘Last Word’, the latest single to be lifted from their 2018 self-titled album. The band sent the following missive to ÜRHQ to explain the background to the clip:

“We filmed this music video at the wildly popular Riverbreeze Fear Farm located in Truro, NS, which is a rural family farm that is transformed into an amazing series of haunted houses and corn maze every October. We thought it was the perfect setting for this video so we reached out to the owners and to our delight, they loved the idea. They put so much detail and effort into the esthetic and atmosphere of a truly frightening, yet fun experience, and I feel we did a good job of capturing that vibe on this video while giving a nod to the horror classic of our childhood.” 

A total change in mood now for our next offering, which comes from a band making their second appearance in this feature in three weeks – US prog metallers Oceans Of Slumber, who have come totally out of left field with the sombre ‘To The Sea (A Tolling Of The Bells)’, the melancholic and reflective fourth single to be lifted from their forthcoming self-titled album. As it says in the opening title sequence,“this is a song about love and catastrophic loss. And living with that loss. Continuing on because of community. Because of purpose. A purpose to fulfill that loss which you suffered in other people. To enrich your surroundings. Losing someone so close that it shakes the very foundation of your existence. Loving someone despite that consequence.” The accompanying video is a simple studio-shot affair, which highlights Cammie Gilbert’s stunning vocal:

We move back across the north American border to Canada for our final offering, which comes from JJ Wilde, who invites us to express ourselves and dance around our living rooms, quite literally, with her tale of the ‘Bad Boy’ in her life. The songstress, who recently became the first female artist to have a debut single go No. 1 on all three Canadian rock radio formats, told us the background to the song:

“For me, this song is about trying to change the narrative that society has accepted about women. It is clear, especially in the music industry that women are viewed more like objects a lot of the time than actual humans — seen not heard type of thing. Well, I want that to change – what women “should and shouldn’t do”, what society deems acceptable, what women are shamed for. All of the above. We are beautiful creatures. And I don’t think we should feel ashamed to express that. This song is taking a stab at what men have always been free to talk about in songs — doing whatever they want with whoever they want — but from a woman’s perspective.”

Well, there you go. That’s your lot for this week. Hope you have enjoyed the new sights and sounds we have brought to you this week. Until next Sunday, keep ‘er lit, keep ‘er between the hedges and #StaySafe…

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