Swarm of Eyes Release Dark Christmas Carol, ‘Santa Claus is Coming’
“Santa Claus is Coming,” so you better beware. Don’t put out the cheap cookies and hang your stockings with care.
In what’s becoming a holiday tradition, Swarm of Eyes has released a dark, minor chord-laden cover of the classic Christmas carol, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” — the perfect, ominous accompaniment to power-elbowing your way through crowds this Black Friday. (Go ahead. You deserve that $20 toaster oven!)
The song, available on Bandcamp is a taste of things to come on the band’s upcoming EP, We Go to War with the Weapons We Have, which is scheduled for an early 2017 release. The band also put together a video for the single, featuring the work of 18 different artists — spanning the gamut from seasoned veterans to up-and-comers, each serving up a creepy Kris Kringle of their own demented imaginings.
Recording the song came together quickly. “A massive amount of credit goes to Derrik [Albertelli] for making a one-off comment I said into a reality,” said George O’Connor of his fellow Swarm of Eyes guitarist. “I floated the idea of doing a dark, minor-key version of ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ to him. He took the idea and came back with the chord structures and progressions. We got together and started messing around with the parts and arranging them together.”
The concept for the video matches the ominous tone of Swarm of Eyes’ rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Strapped for time and rather than throwing together a humdrum “video” with just the band’s logo and lyrics, the band enlisted the aid of 18 talented artists to offer their own renderings of sinister Santas. A mix of working professional comic and industrial artists alongside talented up-and-comers, the diverse range of contributors complement Swarm of Eyes’ creepy Christmas card to the metal world.
“After years of creating comics and going to conventions, I now know several talented artists. So, I threw it out to them and my other friends to draw their version of what a creepy Santa would look like,” said O’Connor, the author of several indie comic titles himself. “There were no rules, so they were all free to put their spin on the idea. What we got back was incredible. When someone watches the video, they’ll be able to see some fantastic art that fits the vibe of the song. And I’m thrilled to introduce these artists to everyone.”
This Christmas, You’ll Get “Nuttin'” and Like It!
Happy Festivus! In case you’re burned out on Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and are ready to go postal at the mere mention of “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime,” the jolly (not that) old elves in Swarm of Eyes have slapped together a holiday track, covering “Nuttin For Christmas” – featuring guest vocals on the intro by The O.G. L.O.G.A.N., a young metal lad. Consider this our gift to you… and the world! You’re welcome.
You can check out “Nuttin’ For Christmas” on Bandcamp, if you’d like a little something stronger with your eggnog (or soy nog, if eggs and dairy ain’t your thing). The guitars crunch. The vocals growl. And they even manage to sneak in a covert F-bomb or two. #SoMetal
And if you’re so inclined to give the gift of music to someone on your list or just kick over some coin to us because your heart grew three sizes today, please feel free to name your price. Or just listen to it for free. That’s okay. Really. It’s okay.
The song is just a taste of (non-holiday themed) things to come from Swarm of Eyes. They’re currently recording their second album, an EP, for release in 2016.
Thanks again and from the Swarm of Eyes family to yours, here’s hoping you all have a Happy Holiday and a great 2016!
Coming to a Table Near You: Swarm of Fries – The Menu
Inspired by Derrik’s recent pilgrimage to Richmond’s GWARbar (Pour a little out for Oderus Urungus. Rest in power, Dave Brockie!), the Swarm of Eyes guys had the brilliant idea to totally rip off the concept open an eatery of their own.
They considered it.
But then they lost the motivation to do so — especially since they’re going to be too busy playing a series of three gigs on their Octoburnt Tour and are preparing to record a brand new EP in November.
Before reality (and apathy) set in, the Eyes guys put together a menu of potentially palatable entrees, appetizers, and deserts, named after songs on their debut album, Designing the Dystopia, (that you can buy here!) . Take a peek at what could have been and just be grateful these guys are sticking to playing music. Bon appetite!
Amazeballz Appetizerz (with a “z”)
Punish the Artichoke Dipper
Behold a golden brown baked bread bowl fashioned into the shape of a bull and crammed with creamy spinach and artichoke dip. So good you’ll bellow for more!
Soup of My Last Salvation
Sometimes, there’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of soup. Let our seasonal selection of soups be the salvation for your dark, doomy, metal soul.
Nothing More I Can Eat: All-You-Can-Eat Options
Endless Ashes Smokey BBQ Spare Ribs
Meaty, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs, slathered in a rich, smokey honey BBQ sauce. Keep going back for more.
Journey to the Endless End of the Salad Bar
Stick to your diet with an endless array delectable of salad fixin’s. Except for celery. Celery is bullshit. And so is bleu cheese.
Til Death for Gravy Pasta Bar
Some people think gravy is brown. But if you’re a Swarm of Eye-talian, you know that “gravy” means a rich tomato sauce that perfectly clings to your pasta. Choose from Metal Marinara, Bad Ass Bolognese, or Ass-Kicking Alfredo sauces over your favorite variety of pasta. Load it onto your plate and go back for seconds or thirds!
Bitchin’ Big Bites
Beef of the Serpent
Sink your teeth into a half-pound burger covered with melted extra sharp cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, serpentine crispy French onions, and a garlic-aoli mayo. You’ll have sworn you sold your soul to eat something this damn good.
Served with your choice Swarm of Fries: curly fries, steak fries, shoestring fries, waffle fries, or crinkle-cut fries. Make it a real swarm of fries and just ask for us to put all the types of fries on your plate while you shovel this beastly burger into your gaping maw.
Humanemic Halibut
Caught fresh from the shores of New England, this flaky fish is served with a light, buttery dill sauce with sides of roasted potatoes and asparagus. It’s delicious. And brutal. Really brutal. We can’t stress that enough.
The Day the Chef Went Mad
Even we don’t know what the hell this is! Could it be Veal Marsala? Paella? Chicken Florentine? Meatloaf? Ask your server what our chef decided to throw together and take your chances on whether or not you want to eat it.
Tell Your Gob to Ready for More… Desert!
Warscone
An onslaught of a desert, this dense, buttery pastry is packed with blood-red raspberries and sprinkled with sugar — like the sweet, sweet spoils of war. We recommend pairing this with teas from our Warm of Eyes collection, featuring Metal Mint, Cataclysmic Chamomile. and Earl Grim black tea.
Enter the Circle Chocolate Lava Cake
Enter the circle. It’s made of chocolate and filled with even more chocolate — a deep, dark chocolate truffle filling that’s still warm. A beatdown for your belly, we suggest enjoying this culinary metal masterpiece with coffee from our Warm of Eyes assortment, featuring Humanemic Hazelnut (Yes. We know we’ve used “Humanemic” for our halibut. But it’s our record label, too. Deal with it.), Irish Irecreamable, and Shadows at Dusk Dark Roast.
Disappointed Swarm of Fries will not be sucking up space in a strip mall near you? Buck up, cupcake! The boys are cooking up a mess of tasty tracks for you to enjoy in 2016 (or sooner!) and will be serving up metal with a side of thrash and doom at an East Coast venue near you this October. Stay tuned for more!