MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE: Behind the Grey snaps fans out of technology’s trance in ‘Death Groove’
Walking in to a darkened warehouse in Moosic on a cold November day, the red and orange glow of standing lights illuminate a shadowy circle of people stuck in a trance, staring off like mindless zombies. Thankfully, as the cameras start rolling, it becomes clear that this isn’t some cult ritual, but a music video shoot for Scranton metal band Behind the Grey.
The group has gathered some of their biggest fans, best friends, and family members to serve as extras in the video, though they’re not jumping around and cheering as each member of the band enters the circle and performs their parts. It’s not for lack of enthusiasm for the band’s new single, “Death Groove,” but a statement about how we miss so much by staring at screens all day.
“We all need to spend less time on our phones and enjoy the human interaction that’s in front of us. It’s sad to say, but it seems like no one can genuinely enjoy any experiences anymore without having a screen in front of their faces. Technology is a wonderful, yet not so wonderful thing at times,” vocalist Dom Vito told NEPA Scene.
The song, which premiered exclusively on NEPA Scene last week, was inspired by humanity’s “current dependency we all carry with technology and how it’s tearing us apart as far as having personal relationships go.”
“It’s something each and every one of us are guilty of, whether we want to admit it or not,” Vito continued.
Behind the Grey needed an empty warehouse to bring this concept to life, and guitarist Will Perna knew just the place – Jack Williams Wholesale Warehouse, where he works during the day. Because nothing is that easy for an independent band, he spent many hours moving stacks of heavy tires from one side of the room to the other so they wouldn’t appear in any shots. The harsh automatic florescent lights hanging from the ceiling also had to be removed so the eerie red lighting could take effect.
“We worked with Stephen Reuther with Reuther Productions – excellent guy to work with. He seemed to have a shared vision of what we wanted out of this video, so it really made things run smoothly. The crew he had with him was also a huge help, very knowledgeable group of guys,” Vito said after the day-long shoot.
“The extras were all extremely cooperative and a lot of fun to work with. Everyone made new friends that day. It was a blast.”
On social media, the band often posts “because of you, we survive,” so it was important for them to include fans in their very first music video.
“The saying that a band is nothing without their fans may be cliché, but it is certainly the truth. We are constantly looking for ways to give back to everyone who supports us. It means the world to us,” Vito emphasized.
“It was an unforgettable experience to say the least. We can’t begin to thank all of our fans enough who spent their free time with us and really made this video the success it was meant to be. It was a very long, yet effortless day, considering the amount of fun and interaction that was had with us and our fans on set.”
The song itself, which was recorded at Side B Studios in Wapwallopen, is just a taste of what’s to come on their next album, the follow-up to 2017’s “Treason” EP.
“’Death Groove’ started off as a joke/faux title, but after finishing the lyrics to the song, it began to make sense with the lyrical content of the song, portraying a ‘dance of death’ with technology in the present day, if you will,” he explained.
“Over the years, we’ve certainly grown as a band. We’ve gone through such a huge experimental process; this next album will have something for everyone in it.”
A little over a month after the video shoot, the music video has debuted today on NEPA Scene, just one day before they open for Motionless In White at Levels Bar & Grill (519 Linden St., Scranton) with Traverse the Abyss. This anticipated homecoming show on Saturday, Dec. 22 is particularly special for MIW, as it’s their first club show in Scranton in nine years and has already sold out.
“It’s pretty exciting. Having the opportunity to play in front of a thousand-plus people is a rush just in thought, so we’re definitely really excited for this show to happen,” Vito enthused.
“We definitely respect them as far as what they’ve done with their career. They are definitely one of the hardest working bands out there today; there’s no denying that fact.”
Then it’s on to 2019, where the band can focus on finishing this album. While Vito sang on all four songs on “Treason,” this will be his first full-length album with Behind the Grey, who recorded their 2015 debut record, “Through the Grip of Tyrants,” with their first singer, Eric Katchmore. Unlike the music video, Vito hasn’t had trouble grabbing people’s attention from stages across the area, and this record is likely to turn even more heads away from their screens.
“We are very excited about getting these songs out there for everyone to hear,” he said.
“We’re not straying too far away from our original path. However, we have been trying out several new things to try and redefine our sound for this upcoming release.”
Check out a few behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot below:
