In just a few hundred words, we'll present the video premiere for Death Angel's video for the song "Dethoned," that comes from the band's new album Killing Season, which came out February 26. But first, we present an essay about the video from director Robert Sexton. It's pretty interesting and features stories about Kirk Hammett's absinithe parties and naked chicks covered in blood. But if you have to see the Death Angel video right now, skip ahead and click "More."
From Hell:
I first met Death Angel while I was on tour playing bass with a band called Genocide. We were a punk/metal band from the New Jersey area. We were too metal for the punks and too punk for the metalheads in the NYC scene. Plus, we had developed a notorious reputation for violence, drinking and womanizing. GG Allin called our frontman, Bobby Ebz, "Crazy." Talk about the pot calling the kettle black... but I guess it’s some kind of endorsement. GG’s wearing our band’s T-shirt on one of his records. R.I.P. to both him and Ebz.
On a beautiful spring day, sometime in the late ‘80s, we found ourselves in a small town in Michigan. We opened up for Death Angel in a Masonic Hall at an all- ages show. They destroyed the place and their fans were utterly rabid. I'm sure Grand Haven, Michigan was never quite the same again. I know I wasn't; it was a hell of a show.
Smash Cut Years Later To:
Here we are at Kirk Hammett’s house in San Francisco. Kirk and his wife are throwing an absinthe party. I’m watching the evil green liquor stream down an ice sculpture of a nude woman (or, possibly, that’s just what I imagined I saw after liberally indulging in the volatile fuel). And that’s when I run into [Death Angel singer] Mark Osegueda again. Mark informed me that Death Angel were doing their new album. I asked to be put into the mix to direct the video. Amazing what happens when you’re sipping absinthe straight from the devil's ass.
When the record was almost finished, I met the guys at their recording studio in the Valley. (It's Dave Grohl's place and there’s Nirvana memorabilia all over the walls, the hallways, everywhere!) [bassist] Denis Pepa told me that Death Angel wanted to do more of a narrative video than a straightforward performance piece, and they liked what I had done in the past. My videos tend to be very story-driven. And, occasionally, they also involve naked girls. We all seemed to agree that one or two might be a good thing for the video, as long as it was done in “good taste” -- unlike the infamous video I directed for the Dwarves, ["FEFU"], featuring a small army of naked Suicide Girls covered in blood and gore, committing acts of ultra-violence.
Our set for “Dethroned” was a California wasteland, long after midnight, and it was the coldest night we’d had all year. Fortunately, our nude actors were troopers. Tonya Kaye (the reptilian demon-girl), Suzi Hale (“Pvt. Lilith”) and Scott Bailey (“Pvt. Adamski”) all deserve awards -- or at least a shot of brandy and a heating pad. I also owe many thanks to the dedicated Death Angel fans who came out and played the dead and dying soldiers on the battlefield. We couldn't have pulled it off without the extra effort everybody poured into this project, including the crew.
I'm excited about this video and I think that D.A. fans are going to go nuts for it. It's a great song. There are a lot of layers to the story and the visuals, and there’s something new to see every time you watch it. And Death Angel's performance decimates. Keep your eyes open for the “Unclean Edit” that’s bound to surface somewhere. And keep watching the skies.
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