San Diego-located alternative/art rock collective Sluka, led by musical mastermind and multi-talented Christopher Sluka, have returned with a grand new single and accompanying video that speaks to our tumultuous times.
"Vampire’s Ball" offers the lyrical perspective of us living in an unprecedented age of an as-of-now unstoppable viral pandemic, overt political corruption, the continual erosion of human and civil rights, and destruction of our planet.
The song is a rock ballad in equal parts, with quieter, thoughtful verses alternating with anthemic chorus sections.
The video for "Vampire’s Ball," which was directed by Eric Bishop, mirrors the track, starting with the cinematic panning across the empty highways and playgrounds of a society that is self-isolating due to the virus.
The clip then concentrates upon Christopher Sluka at the piano performing directly to the lens before switching to the stage with the whole band playing their instruments under the glow of fluorescent lights and contrasting shadows.
Brief images of desolate city streets and vacant basketball courts meet the eye, as the song rises to a rock crescendo and the video rolls footage towering metropolitan buildings and cookie-cutter suburban houses as seen from up high.
The last part of the epic number goes even deeper into societal turmoil, focusing on Black Lives Matters protests and the divide between the protesters and the police.
As Christopher Sluka puts it, “ [The video was] created entirely in San Diego during an extraordinary period in human history... Try... to find the beauty within the horrors of your wonderful life."
