(Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat)

English trip-hop group Massive Attack has just released a music video for latest single “The Spoils.” The deeply abstract video is directed by John Hillcoat and stars Cate Blanchett. Hillcoat is most well-known for his work on films such as The Road, Lawless, and The Proposition, and Blanchett is known for being in Blue Jasmine and Carol.

“The Spoils” is part of a two-song release along with “Come Near Me (ft. Ghostpoet)”. The Ed Morris-directed video for “Come Near Me” featuring Arta Dobroshi was released earlier on July 29th. “The Spoils” features vocals from American singer-songwriter and Mazzy Star frontwoman Hope Sandoval, and her light, ambient voice fits perfectly with the dark, abstract clip.

The video features Blanchett’s head rotating against a black background as Sandoval’s lithe voice drifts over Massive Attack’s brooding production. The video starts with the award-winning actress undergoing simple hair or makeup changes, but soon her whole face is cast in plaster, and then it is revealed that Blanchett has transformed into a stone statue.

Both “The Spoils” and “Come Near Me” are written and produced by Massive Attack’s Grant “Daddy G” Marshall and collaborator Stew Jackson. The release is the follow up to January’s Ritual Spirit EP, which was written and produced by the band’s Robert “3D” Del Naja and featured the duo reuniting with vocalist Adrian “Tricky” Thaws.

Massive Attack had actually already previewed the two new songs, “Come Near Me”, “The Spoils”, along with third track “Dear Friend”, on Fantom, an iPhone application on which they previously previewed the four songs from the Ritual Spirit.

Check out the video for “The Spoils” here: