Mötley Crüe have released their new single “Dogs of War” along with a visually stunning music video. The track marks the band’s first new music in five years, and first song with new guitarist John 5.

“Dogs of War” features John 5 prominently, as it contains some heavy acoustics and a enticing guitar solo. Lyrically, the song is one of rebellion, with lines like, “Don’t let the dogs of war/ Come knocking at your door/ As we’re crawling ‘cross the floor/ They’ll make your skin crawl/ They’ll make the stars fall/ Do they matter after all.”

The absurd yet bizarre music video, conceived by director Nick DenBoer along with input from the band, depicts the members of Mötley Crüe as computer-generated characters, with nods to their past influence throughout the clip. Among the more shocking moments is the detached upper body of John 5 flying out of a dumpster while shredding his guitar.

The lyrics of the song describe anti-war settings despite the music video literally taking place in an apocalypse. The iconic “dogs of war” are everywhere; so much so that they “make the stars fall”. There is this “black wolf” who seems to be the hero of the song despite also being a canine. It’s somewhat ambiguous, and there’s a lot to come back to. “Dogs of War” was produced by Bob Rock, who had previously worked on Mötley Crüe’s classic 1989 album Dr. Feelgood.

Fans can catch Mötley Crüe at a number of festivals and one-off shows this year, including Welcome to Rockville, Louder Than Life and Aftershock.