The first new material from Portland’s crust/punk heroes FROM ASHES RISE since their 2003-released Nightmares LP is finally available today, via the Rejoice The End/Rage Of Sanity 7″ out today via Southern Lord Records.
Here’s the rest of the official announcement:
In celebration of the release of the 7″, a brand new video for the track “Rejoice The End” has been created, as part of the Scion AV series. Visualized and directed by David Hall of Handshake Inc. (Brutal Truth, Today is the Day, Bastard Noise, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Rwake, etc.) the video can be viewed right now.
Formed in Nashville, Tennessee during the mid 1990s’ American crust punk surge, later relocating to their current home in Portland, Oregon, the band have unleashed three LPs and a plethora of split releases, EPs and more, amidst waves of heavy underground touring. The infectious, downtuned FROM ASHES RISE sound has become a staple in the scene, and alongside bands like Tragedy and His Hero Is Gone have helped pioneer what is defined as modern crust punk, the band remaining one of the most brutally-charged and hauntingly melodic forerunners of the scene.
David Hall, the director of the picture, commented for BrooklynVegan:
When Brad Boatright asked me if I’d like to make a video for ‘Rejoice the End,’ there was significant stokage and righteousness all up in my brain a little bit. Collaborate with the band on a video for a NEW From Ashes Rise song that was being released on Southern Lord? Hell yeah, just show me where to sign.
To be honest, after hearing the song and reading the lyrics, I was nervous because I honestly had know idea where to begin. Luckily Brad had some ideas, and the following advice: “it doesn’t have to mean anything necessarily, as long as it looks cool.” Well, that was music to my ears. Think of the video for Alice in Chains’ “Main in a Box” and the cover of the first Sabbath album. Stark. Black and White. Grainy. Hell yeah, again. It wasn’t much, but we had a rough plan.
So I went away for awhile armed with some sketches for scenes: a business man hastily shredding documents, a marlboro man speaking to a young woman, a mysterious figure wandering a rural area, children playing, suburban life, band shots, life in a city.
I shot for about four or five days. For the opening shot I strapped my tripod up with a seatbelt in the passenger seat of my car, pointed the camera out the window and hit record. That was the general philosophy for the rest of the production. I shot it all and tried to make meaning in the editing – a strict Eisensteinian approach, and I’m really happy with results – it feels like the most mature video I’ve ever made and working with Brad was a dream.
For me, and this has absolutely nothing to do with the intended meaning of the song, “Rejoice the End” is a note writ large from the trumpet of the angel gabriel. It is a song about courage. And a song about blood, and stars and never, ever giving up. I wanted to create a mood that emulates a prep rally at some uber keen American high-school: a chorus of screaming and frenzied epithets, screamed by the young at an ever approaching death.
Rejoice the End indeed.
