Right here, right now, we have a great example of why music videos can matter. This one checks all the boxes: Highly energetic performances by the band members (who seem to be having a hell of a time), expertly filmed and edited; a creative depiction of an incendiary event that’s central to the lyrical theme of the song; and of course the success of the video in introducing some very good music to people who might never have been aware of it (including this writer).

The song is “Cendres et Ruines” (“Ashes and Ruins”) by the German progressive death metal band Ayahuasca. The song was originally released on Ahayuasca‘s 2018 debut album Beneath the Mind. Obviously, a lot of time passed in between the release of the album and today’s unveiling of the video. In that time a lot has happened, not only in the wider world but also in the life of this band, including line-up changes. And thus, as the band say, the video marks the end of one volume in their life, in advance of something new to come. And not surprisingly, the video itself required a lot of time and effort by a lot of people to bring it to fruition (you’ll see the names of many of them at the end of the video). Continue reading »