Hard rock band Budderside can make a claim that very few other artists are able to make – being signed by one of the biggest names in rock ‘n roll history, the late Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead. The band’s vocalist Patrick Stone was a roadie for the legendary metal band for years, which lead to the signing. The band offer a modern take on the classic hard rock sound, bringing a fresh new take on the popular genre.
The band has a new album called Spiritual Violence that will be released on March 26, 2021. Today we have the premiere for a new song and video from the album, “Zen.” The song brings a razor-sharp, hard-edged but radio-ready guitar riff and Stone’s alt-rock crooner vocals. The sound is polished and it’s no surprise that the video comes with similarly high production values.
The video opens with a suspensful scene featuring Stone hiding from an unknown assaillant. It then flashes back to the band walking through Tokyo, brilliant lights, blaring sounds of the megacity and a beautiful, masked woman beckoning the singer. In a post-pandemic world, the mask wouldn’t be that bizarre but in a video that appears to take place before the global lockdowns, she seems a bit out of place. Stone heeds her beckon and the adventure begins, culminating in the musician’s brush with a strange, terrying, mystical creature.
“We went all the way to Tokyo to bring an authentic experience to our fans,” said Stone. “When I think of ‘Zen,’ I imagine monks, bonsai trees, waterfalls, and temples. While the song was written in a complete state of Zen, the video finds us being seduced by desire and lured into a den of evil, from which there is no escape. The nightmare of Kuchisake-onna, Kappa, Rokurokubi and Gashadokuro come to life before your very eyes. It reaches out to those who are unable to find Zen due to the demons that chase us always getting in the way and shows how we must find a way to escape them in order to find inner peace.”
The band recorded Spiritual Violence with producer Jay Baumgardner, a Grammy nominated producer known for his work with Bush and Papa Roach. Coming in at 10 tracks long, it features similarly melodic yet rocking tracks like “Zen,” along with appearances by Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies, former Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell (now of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons) and the Musyca Children’s Choir.
Press Photo Credit: Mathias Fau
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