Birdeatsbaby Post “Illuminate” Video; Hex Full-Length Coming Soon
Brighton, UK, avant, cello-infused heavy rockers Birdeatsbaby are set to make their full-length debut next year. They’ve got a new video up now for the second single to see release ahead of the album, which will be called HEX — they put it all-caps, I’m doing the same — and while I’ll readily admit to being a sucker for at least 90 percent of what might qualify as capital-‘h’ Heavy and also has a cello, it’s actually the post-metal chug of the guitar, the patience of the rhythm, and the standout vocal melody that grabbed me here. Mishkin sounds trained as a singer but “Illuminate” — the song with the video; keep up — isn’t overblown, and it is metal. Some of the melancholia and sheer Britishness of it calls to mind Crippled Black Phoenix, which is the same as saying they breathe air considering that band’s scope, but there’s a sense of accomplishment and sweep in the production, and the whole thing feels righteously professional in a way that is both emblematic of doom and outside it.
I haven’t heard all of HEX yet, if I will, and I don’t know an exact release date to give you one, but “Illuminate” and the prior single “Ribbons,” which does feel more theatrical with its nuance of guitar and drums behind Mishkin‘s vocal, speak well to me of what the full-length might itself portend in terms of the band’s style and methodology. There’s a bit of chug and thud that happens in “Ribbons” as it moves toward its halfway point, and in addition to sounding big on a tonal level, it’s broad enough to allow the vocals space to reach out emotionally and melodically. And there’s a scream there too you’re going to want to listen for, before it trips out and finishes ethereal. There’s some edge of that in “Illuminate” as well, but the song remains patient enough for the video to include ballet and modern dance without looking completely ridiculous, which whatever else they might accomplish on their debut or elsewhere, is no minor shakes as an achievement.
More to come? Shit, if I’m lucky. Until then, here’s “Illuminate,” with “Ribbons” down below and all the info I got:
Birdeatsbaby, “Illuminate” official video
Always known for rising to new challenges, the music video for Illuminate features contemporary dance, ballet and demonology, all performed by singer Mishkin and cellist Hana. Mirroring each other in a beautiful church hall the pair perform a shadow and light dance ritual over a giant sigil chalked into the floor. Musically, the song is a construct of ethereal vocals on a bed of cellos, guitars and complex yet subtle drum patterns. As the song builds, singer Mishkin screams the lyrical mantra as the music explodes into a heavy instrumental before coming in for the final chorus. “Even if I crawl as a lay under the weight of it all” was the song’s original title but it was shortened to Illuminate, as its meaning is about waiting for the pathway to appear while in a period of dark reflection.
Illuminate is the second release from their upcoming album, HEX, a dark progressive collection of occult themed songs. Building on the success of the band’s last album, The World Conspires, which saw critical acclaim from the likes of Prog Magazine and Orkus, the band now step further into heavier rock and metal territory. Moving away from the classical instruments that pioneered their earlier work, Birdeatsbaby’s sound is now comprised of Garry Mitchell’s aggressive guitar riffs, Anna Mylee’s progressive rhythms and Hana Piranha’s lush layers of cello and harp. This heavy concoction lays the foundation for lead singer, Mishkin Fitzgerald, who now adds metal screams and growls to the ever-expanding sound of Birdeatsbaby.
Production comes from award-winning Evan Rodaniche (of Cage9 fame), and video from photographer and videographer Scott Chalmers (Jamie Lenman, Saint Agnes).
Video / Photography: Scott Chalmers
Production: Evan Rodaniche
Makeup: Charlie Temperton
Vocal coaches: Mary Zema and Will Gardner (Black Peaks)
Choreography: Harry Casella
Candles: Useless Poison Designs
Sigil design: Third Bloom
Special FX: Oliver Hollingdale
This video was funded by our Patrons, thank you for your support: https://www.patreon.com/birdeatsbaby
Birdeatsbaby, “Ribbons” official video
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Tags: Birdeatsbaby, Birdeatsbaby Hex, Brighton, Hex, UK
