Arab Strap Soundtracks a Violent Night on the Town in NSFW Video for “Here Comes Comus”

Famed Scottish duo Arab Strap has released a brooding and dark new single and video “Here Comes Comus!” The new track will appear on the band’s new album As Days Get Dark, set for release on Friday, March 5 via the Rock Action label.

The heavy “Here Comes Comus!” opens with an eerie guitar riff and drum rhythm before singer Aidan Moffat comes in with his low voice at an almost talking pace. Moffat’s lyrics tell the story of “nocturnal excess” through various acts of violence and decadence. The corresponding clip, directed by Bryan M. Ferguson, aligns itself visually with the song’s dark themes, depicting scenes of crime and debauchery throughout a city. The video does arrive with the disclaimer: “WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS VIOLENCE AND CONTENT WHICH SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND DISTURBING.” The band also released a non-video version of the track for those who want to skip the scripted clip.

Discussing the track, Moffatt explains he wanted to explore themes of excess through a god of nocturnal excess character, inspired by Comus, the god of festivity. “It’s a song about the god of nocturnal excess and my inability to ever refuse him,” says Aidan Moffat. “It takes place in a pub, a club, and city alleyways, all the places I’d hoped we’d be able to enjoy again by now – but it’s been so long since I’ve had a big night out that listening to it now seems almost nostalgic.”

For the video, Ferguson said he wanted to mirror the song’s debauchery by capturing the spirit of the  to depict its story, even to the point of making viewers uncomfortable. “When I first heard Aidan’s lyrics on the track, I really wanted the video to match not just the lyrics but the whole mythology of Comus being the rebellious god of festivity who pretty much represents anarchy and chaos,” Ferguson says. “I felt the video needed to explore these themes of overindulgence much like the protagonist. I wanted to make the viewer feel dirty and maybe even disgusted at their own enjoyment of the imagery.”

The much-anticipated As Days Get Dark record will mark the duo’s first full-length studio album in over 16 years. “Here Comes Comus!” follows the album’s lead single “Compersion Part 1.” Back in September, Arab Strap released their first song in 15 years “The Turning of Our Bones,” which was released as a vinyl single with the b-side track “The Jumper.”