Rock band The Afghan Whigs have released a new video for song “Lost in the Woods” off their first album in sixteen years, Due to the Beast.
Photo Credit: Sharon Alagna
Alternative rock band The Afghan Whigs have released a new video for “Lost in The Woods,” off their latest album Do to the Beast.
The video, directed by their long time collaborator Phil Harder, appropriately takes place in the woods, and shows haunting images of trees, leaves, and rivers. The video opens with deep piano chords and an image of an arm lying lifeless on a waterbed. As the camera passes over naked lifeless limbs, vocalist Greg Dulli sings, “I’ll have you know/I’ve come to see you die.”
The song picks up with the tapping beat of a cymbal coupled with Dulli singing in melody with the piano, “I went into the levy/dove into the water/dove into the water/unchaining my life,” as the camera follows a wolf stalking the woods.
As the chorus begins, we see the same bodies dancing through the woods in white dresses, followed by a creepy masked-figure, who begins to dance as well. The video ends as it began, tracing the lifeless bodies on the waterbed.
The Afghan Whigs formed in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1986, with the main members including vocalist and rhythm guitarist Greg Dulli, lead guitarist Rick McCollum, and bassist John Curley. The band formed under the influence of the grunge movement, but over time they added their love of R&B into their sound. With their influence ranging from The Temptations, to The Replacements, to Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the band added rock to the current grunge scene.
They self-released their first album, Big Top Halloween, in 1988, on their album Ultrasuede. Following their debut release, the band signed with Sub Pop in 1989, being the second band to sign with Sub Pop. They released their second album Up In It, which was recorded by Nirvana producer John Endino.
After a few more releases on Sub Pop, The Afghan Whigs style evolved into a more soulful, psychedelic sound. They left Sub Pop and went to major label Elektra Records, where they released LP Gentlemen in 1993. Their fifth album Black Love was released in 1996, which was praised for its dark, criminal lyrics by vocalist Greg Dulli. Black Love was a commercial disappointment, which led The Afghan Whigs to change labels again to Columbia records, on which they released their sixth album 1965.
In 2001, The Afghan Whigs issued a statement that they had decided to break up, citing their geological distance which kept them from recording as the reason. In 2006, the band reunited for a few performances, which they continued to do the next few years, including a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
The band finally released their latest album after sixteen years, Do to the Beast, in April of this year on Sub Pop.
In the words of Rock Sound, “Sixteen years is a bloody long time to be away, but somehow the Afghan Whigs have returned from their spell in the wilderness with charm and power undiminished.”
Afghan Whigs have recently announced a vinyl reissue of Gentlemen for Black Friday, and have announced new tour dates for this fall.
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