New York City quartet Signals of Bedlam have been pumping out hypnotic progressive/alt rock gems for roughly a decade. Comprised of vocalist Cero Cartera, bassist Chika Obiora, guitarist Tom Hoy, and drummer Rich Abidor, the quartet were drawn together by their “affinity for noise” (as Hoy puts it) and impeccable ability to marry aggressive theatrics with contemplative transitions. That blend of dexterity and passion resulted in two stellar LPs: 2013’s No Gods, No Monsters and 2016’s Escaping Velocity.
On February 26th, Signals of Bedlam are set to outdo themselves once again when their follow-up full-length, Liar’s Intuition, is unleashed. Luckily, fans won’t have to wait until then to hear (and see) new material, as Signals of Bedlam have revealed the music video for the LP’s fourth track, “Red Sunflower.” Unsurprisingly, it’s an awesome preview of what to expect.
The band describes the track as a “group favorite” and “the most collectively challenging to realize.” Cartera elaborates:
Each of us has a unique take on art, politics, religion, etc., and this has been an integral part of our creative process. We debate, deconstruct, challenge, and fight to the death (metaphorically) because we often have conflicting opinions. However, those conflicts have given us some of our favorite songs. Here, we have the story of a journey to find, at great personal risk, what was once easily within reach. It’s a reflection of the behavior that led to this state.
Without a doubt, "Red Sunflower" sees them firing on all cylinders, with dynamic rhythms, multilayered destructive guitarwork, and powerfully emotive vocals colliding into an irresistible fusion reminiscent of Leprous, Caligula’s Horse, System of a Down, and Haken.
The video was done in collaboration with Long Island director Tom Flynn, who’s previously worked with Lamb of God, Moontooth, and Covet (among others). They’d planned to film it last spring, but as you’d guess, COVID-19 got in the way; fortunately, they were able to get it all done within the subsequent few months, with the help of Amazon for the props and wardrobe. Set around “a future Earth on which humanity has ravaged its resources”—as Cartera explains—it looks like a more narrative-focused continuation of their last Liar’s Intuition video, “Pendulum in Swing” (also directed by Flynn). Specifically, its depiction of scientists doing agricultural experimentations in forests and deserts on Mars—“hence the red sunflowers”—is ripe with psychedelic oddities. In fact, it resembles the trippy look of recent Nicholas Cage movies Mandy and Color Out of Space, so its visuals match the alluring vibrancy of the music.
As for Liar’s Intuition (which sees the return of producer Frank Mitaritonna), Signals in Bedlam see it as a “return to familiar territory” that’s also “a bold step forward, into darker and moodier territory.” Cartera also reveals that it was “written in a time when truths that were once considered immutable, like equality and justice, suddenly came into question. On the surface, it looks like a natural result of opposing forces clashing, but when you peel back the layers, you start to see that this collective confusion, ‘The Great Confounding,’ is the product of deliberate deception.” Hoy adds that they spent “at least a year of twice-weekly sessions” to create it, resulting in “the first record that . . . we wrote fully collaboratively.”
Let us know what you think of “Red Sunflower” in the comments section below, and be sure to pre-save the single now for when it releases this Friday! Of course, you can also preorder Liar’s Intuition here.
