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Jul 19, 2024 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Becky DiGiglio

San Diego-based band Drug Hunt make a heady and chaotic mix of garage psych, post punk, and noise, debuting in 2019 with their self-titled EP on Blind Owl Records. The band is led by childhood friends Rory Morison and Jason Meyers, who share guitarist and vocalist duties. After a number of lineup changes over the years, the rest of the band now includes Nick Sinutko on keys, Adam Baumhardt on bass, and Declan Halloran on drums.

Today, the band are back with their new full-length album Feast. They teased the record last month with their lead single, “Jungle,” and today they’re accompanying the full album release with a new video for one of the album’s highlights, “Kingdom,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Kingdom” highlights the band’s blistering riffs and incendiary songwriting. The track charges ahead with a driving bassline and wiry psych guitar lines, spiking the instrumentation with jagged melodies to match the sinister lyricism. Later it shifts into a crushing finale, layering on the bass-heavy riffs, searing distortion, and freewheeling guitar solos. The results feel akin to psychedelic and punk touchstones like Ty Segall or Osees, especially with the chant-like vocal intonations. Lyrically, the track touches on themes of hedonistic abuse and the impulse to hold on to power at all costs: “The kingdom it comes / It runs its course / Between the breath and out through the source / I taste it, I feel it / It courses through veins / Adrenal contrition / The whip and the chain.”

Rory Morison explains of the accompanying video, “Drug Hunt’s music video for ‘Kingdom,’ directed by Gray Morison, submerges viewers in a vivid world of nature, tribalism, hedonism, and power. Here at a lavish forest feast, a cult dressed in pink gowns worship their leader. The video begins with scenes of harmony and camaraderie, as cult members share food and drink, reveling in the abundance of their woodland banquet. Vibrant colors and joyful interactions create an idyllic atmosphere, drawing viewers into the seemingly utopian setting.

As the feast progresses, however, the atmosphere shifts dramatically. The initial sense of love and sharing gives way to greed and possessiveness. The once-united group starts to fracture, as their leader incites chaos and the allure of abundance breeds ownership and sparks conflict. The cult members, intoxicated by both the feast and their leader’s influence, begin to vie for power and resources. Tensions rise, and the peaceful gathering devolves into chaos and violence. The descent highlights the destructive nature of excess and the fragility of communal bonds when too much power is given to a single savior, leader, or dogma.

With stunning visuals and a tongue and cheek narrative, “Kingdom” captures the transformation from utopia to dystopia, feast to spoil. The video serves as a poignant commentary on the perils of excess, the dark side of human nature, and the danger/absurdity of blind devotion and unchecked power.

Check out the song and video below. Feast is out today via Bad Vibes Good Friends. Stream the album below.