Using royalties from their first-ever single, Savage Lands recently protected 60,000 square feet of Costa Rican rainforest from getting chopped down. But on their new single, “Black Rock Heart”, these angry metalheads are warning us that if we don’t listen up, the world as we know it might not be around much longer.
Just listening to “Black Rock Heart” helps support Savage Lands. 100% of the song’s royalties fund the musician-run non-profit’s preservation efforts in Costa Rica. Donations can also be made at THIS LOCATION.
Savage Land‘s first single was a fitting tribute to the endangered howler monkey. But even though it’s still plenty heavy, “Black Rock Heart” aims at more spiritual concerns. The video begins with an ominous warning: the spirits of nature are reaching out to us… Of course, who else could represent these magical beings but visionary artist Chloé Trujillo and Heilung‘s chief of ceremonies Kai Uwe Faust.
Channeling the protective powers of an Obsidian stone, Chloé sends Kai to warn of the doomsday scenario that’s unfolding right before our eyes. Don’t mistake the derelict buildings or rusted heavy metal machinery that dot this deserted landscape for the work of AI. Savage Lands shot this video on location in Salton Sea, which is the site of the biggest environmental disaster in California history.
“That we tried to create an ocean just shows our own ignorance,” says guitarist Sylvain Demercastel, who co-founded Savage Lands alongside Megadeth drummer Dirk Verbeuren. “The Salton Sea is a very symbolic area. It was the perfect place for us to shoot this video. Sadly, there’s hardly a tree in sight”.
Kai bangs on his hand drum. Still, even when he’s screaming in the band’s face, the message falls on deaf ears. Black Bomb A‘s Sebastian Poun strains his voice into a bat-like shriek before exploding on a room full of TVs, computers, and other man-made creations that are supposed to make us happy.
“We wanted this song to reflect our mounting frustration with the way the real estate heat wave is destroying Costa Rica’s ecosystem”, says Sylvain. “Black Rock Heart” does sound angrier and more aggressive than what we’ve previously heard from Savage Lands. Sylvain shoots off a guitar solo that howls away like a flare gun, but the riff is a wicked stroke of downpicking that’s only sharpened by the low end’s blackened groove. “It’s got a bit more black ‘n’ roll to it, which plays into the title”.
But “Black Rock Heart” isn’t all doom and gloom. Just as Chloé‘s clean singing cuts through those venomous shrieks like a salve, the song ends with a positive sign. The black arrow that falls from the sky is a final message for us to act for the benefit of our planet before it’s too late.
“That’s the reason why we started Savage Lands”, says Sylvain. “It’s up to us to do something”.
Savage Lands are planting their eco-friendly flag at Hellfest! They’ll play the main stage on Friday, June 28, with help from some very special guests.
