Guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter King Buzzo has released an unsettling new video for his song “I’m Glad I Could Help Out” featuring Trevor Dunn. King Buzzo is the stage name of Roger Osborne, who is a founding member of the Melvins, Fantômas, and Venomous Concept. Dunn is an accomplished composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist and is known for his work in the experimental project Mr. Bungle.
“I’m Glad I Could Help Out” is an angular and dark track. It begins with a haunting acoustic guitar chord that is repeatedly played. Dunn’s bass plucking is very prominent as well and adds to the richness of the melody. The bass is rumbling beneath the guitar, and both instruments sound like the strings have rusted away. There’s a metallic, almost grimy production that evokes eeriness. King Buzzo gruffly sings “You have to survive before you can do anything.” During the middle of the track, the tone shifts and there is a harmony between the rich, low chords of the bass and the more melodic finer strums of the guitar. Towards the end of the track, Dunn’s plucking becomes more rapid. In the last few seconds, King Buzzo’s guitar and Dunn’s bass are fixating on one single chord before the track abruptly ends.
The video for the track matches the sound. The video begins with a close shot of a guitar-strumming away and then quickly moves to harsh blue light. Then, the viewer is met with black and white shots of hands tied with rope and a mysterious mouth singing along to the song. It evokes the visualization of a nightmare or a scene in a David Lynch film. Multiple times in the video, there is a close-up shot of a spoon filled with rusty nails. This imagery can be unsettling, as it seems like a tool for discomfort.
Towards the middle of the video, we see the spoon go into the mysterious mouth. There are shots of blood, guts, a body rustling around in bed, and then at the very end, an eye blinking in time with the rhythm. The video and song come together to form something extremely cryptic and eerie.
“I’m Glad I Could Help Out” will be featured on King Buzzo’s upcoming album Gift of Sacrifice which was announced earlier this year. The 10-song album was supposed to be released on May 15 but is now set to release on August 14. King Buzzo explained that: “’I’m Glad I Could Help Out’ is the only song on the album that was done in a single take,” he further explains that “Trevor and I recorded this in one live session and I couldn’t have been happier with what the result was.”
King Buzzo has had a lot going on this year, back in January the musician worked with Void Manes to provide music for the La-La Land Gallery in New York City. On April 17, King Buzzo collaborated with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron on the track “Down The Middle” which included fellow Melvins member Steven McDonald.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat
Leave a Comment