Vision Video - Dead Gods
Athens, Georgia-based post-punk outfit Vision Video has unleashed their latest single 'Dead Gods', itself is a scathing critique of those who use dogma and ideology to justify violence and authoritarianism. This is the latest taste of the band's forthcoming album 'Modern Horror', their third to date, which dives headlong into the viscera of atrocity that we see in our modern world.
Formed in 2020 by Dusty Gannon (synths and vocals), whose character videos featuring "Goth Dad" have won the hearts of hundreds of thousands of followers, and Emily Fredock (guitar and vocals), Vision Video creates accessible modern goth rock with a message. Intense and uncompromising, their music injects modern malaise into classic post-punk and new wave, bringing in a refreshing modern element while paying homage to artists like the Chameleons and the Cure.
'Dead Gods' is a sonically sneering song with huge ferocious guitars and dark, driving bass, the synthesizers creating an atmosphere of horror or the feeling of walking through a dangerously haunted cemetery. Dusty Gannon, whose vocals shift and sail through lines of bitter anger and acidic sarcasm, says, "this is a song that spits in the face of the rise in Christo-fascists and people who enable the proliferation of war in the name of religion."
Moving in a very different sonic direction, the band worked with Grammy Award-winning producer Ben Allen (Erasure, Animal Collective, Washed Out, Deerhunter), who recorded and mixed this album at Maze Studios in Atlanta. Mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Frank Arkwright (The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Primal Scream, Blur, Mogwai), this album features cover artwork by Ryan Dunn
"I wrote "Dead Gods" as a response to seeing the acidic vitriol of Christian Nationalism rise in this country, but also as a criticism of religious fanaticism worldwide. I've been an anti-war activist for some years now and through my experiences with that I've found that religion is often used as justification for the ugliness of war. 'Dead Gods' was written as a challenge to that mindset. I wanted it to be defiantly anthemic and serve as a musical conduit to put intense feelings of frustrations and fears into. We went in a much darker, heavier direction than we ever have before with this track to really impart those feelings," says Dusty Gannon.
"I have always loved the guitar work of Bauhaus and Killing Joke, so I wanted to pay homage to those really dissonant tones that they created, but still serve a hooky melody. I think Emily really made some incredible sounds with the synth-work on this track as well. She and Ben Allen crafted the patches from scratch with a Juno 106 and Jupiter 8, and they managed to make this incredibly haunting organ sound that was perfect for the track. The parts are very horror-inspired and are gorgeously written. Ryan did a great job at capturing the energy with the drums as well - he is an incredibly vigorous drummer, but also maintains a sense of control and skill that you rarely see in drummers."
This album 'Modern Horror' goes to much darker and acidic places than earlier releases, 'Modern Horror' leans into Gannon’s experiences as an anti-war Afghanistan veteran and former firefighter-paramedic to draw attention to the systematic disenfranchisement and seeming hopelessness of our current world circumstances. An unrelenting exposition on the real-world horrors facing all of us, this record warns against further war and brutality.
Presenting a larger, more refined sound than earlier Vision Video offerings, 'Modern Horror' maintains its grit under the nails. Charged with anger and frustration, it does not lose its sense of direction or its listenability. The guitar work is fierce and dissonant, but still melodic. Vocally and lyrically Gannon belts and cries out in a pleading, yet controlled manner. Emily Fredock, utilizing vintage synths, creates gorgeous and haunting melodies that remain in your head well after the record stops, while newcomer Ryan Houchens’ drumming gives new energy to the band with a keen sense of ferocity.
Vision Video's first two albums 'Inked in Red' (2021) and 'Haunted Hours' (2022) - both recorded and mixed by Tom Ashton of The March Violets - were met with critical praise, with Pitchfork calling their music "tailor-made for the sort of wallflower who sprints to the dancefloor the instant the DJ drops 'Age of Consent' or 'Primary' at Goth Night". Vision Video has made the covers of Auxiliary Magazine and Fangoria Magazine. To date, they've completed eight major tours in North America, the UK and Europe.
'Dead Gods' is available everywhere digitally, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. The 'Modern Horror' album will be released in physical format and digitally on October 22.
