Damien Done has premiered the video for “Inexorcisable,” the second single from the forthcoming Total Power album. Stream the song here.

Moyal shared the following thoughts about the song and its video:

“‘Inexorcisable’ is the first of two consecutive tracks on the album that deal with addiction. In this one, the main character can’t resist the call of the night, nor escape an endless cycle of bad decisions. He’d love to live a normal, healthy life, but simply isn’t equipped. It’s been too long, and whether it’s trauma, compulsion or self-loathing, he sees no way out, acknowledging in the song that he’d probably not take one if offered. The video follows our protagonist around for a day as he tends to his demons, and we see his outlook change as he treats them.  

“This is the first Damien Done song where the music was written by someone who’s… not me. Tyler, our lead guitarist, sent the opening part over and I just loved its Police-ness, so we developed it.

“Beyond his musical contributions, Tyler brought in his brother Matthew Scott Kane to work on drafting a screenplay for the video. Matthew is a writer in LA, having worked on several series (most recently a show called Hysteria! about the Satanic Panic of the ’80s) and Andy Westra, who directed two of our other videos over the years, brought the piece to life.” Damien Done is perhaps the most surprising output from Damien Moyal, a vocalist best known for fronting aggressive bands. Just last year Moyal formed the death metal band Ekstasis, which counts legendary drummer Fred Estby (Dismember/Carnage) among its ranks. Since the ’90s, he’s helmed several influential metallic hardcore bands, including Morning Again, Shai Hulud and Culture –- to say nothing of As Friends Rust, a hardcore punk band with a cult, but vast, global following. Damien Done sounds like none of those.

Here, Moyal brings the angst of his legacy to a near-grinding halt, instead plodding forward with measured restraint, revealing influences as disparate — and rarely conjoined — as gothic rock, new wave, disco and doom, with vocals that evoke comparisons to the sneering baritones of Billy Idol, Jim Morrison or Danzig.  Formed under Miami’s neon lights and reborn in the post-industrial wastelands of Detroit, Damien Done plays gloomy post-punk, weaving unnerving tales through a distinct and narrative croon. Damien Done has released a full-length album, multiple EPs and singles, and has played in both the U.S. and across Europe.

Total Power, Damien Done’s sophomore album, will be released on May 19 by Chicago’s Mind Over Matter Records. In stark contrast with 2020’s To Night EP — a full-band recording with a massive, live sound — Total Power volleys with ease between dark, goth-tinged rockers and minimal, electronic tracks; between densely-layered synths and brooding new wave. The result is dynamic and unfolding and finds Damien Done’s point of view fully realized, expressed boldly and with sophistication.

Total Power was mixed by James Paul Wisner (Paramore, 36 Crazyfists, Dashboard Confessional, Underoath, New Found Glory), and features a duet with La Femme Pendu, the songwriting moniker of actress Allison Scagliotti (The Vampire Diaries, Warehouse 13, One Tree Hill).

Pre-order Total Power here.

Photo by Nathaniel Shannon