FIRE AT THE PLANTATION HOUSE - Southampton Insurrection (Music Video Premiere)

Written by: The Administrator 

Here's a rare (but hopefully welcome) occurrence 'round these parts: a music video premiere! For our old-school readers who are perhaps a little skeptical of this more newfangled technology, consider this. It's kind of like a standard track premiere, but your eyeballs get a little piece of the action as well. 

Today's artist in question is the one-person Fire at the Plantation House. This progressive death metal project explicitly tackles conversations surrounding injustice and revolt, and the realities of contributing to efforts to resist systems of oppression while existing in a position of privilege. Make no mistake: this is overtly and unabashedly political stuff. Thematic content aside, the music itself is engaging and genuinely progressive, very willing to reject convention in favor of the truly unexpected. But please don't take this as mere promotional hyperbole--just glance at the band bio and you'll see mentions of death metal, bluegrass, neo-soul, and sacred choir alongside promises of memorable melodies and mosh-inducing riffs.

But enough preliminary blathering--let's cut to the chase, shall we? We're honored to present the endearingly homegrown video for title track and album opener "Southampton Insurrection." Check it out below! As always, we'll meet you on the other side.

---

​
​Thematically, the track paints a picture of Nat Turner's Rebellion, lyrically setting the stage for the album's overarching parallels between said rebellion and modern-day uprisings. It is no light subject matter, and the music portrays a multitude of emotions and aesthetics quite effectively. Beyond merely leaning into off-kilter territory, "Southampton Insurrection"--and, frankly, the entirety of this debut album--is profoundly weird. The eclectic and wholly unique conglomerate of sonic elements serves as a representation of the album's overall approach to genre. It pointedly defies pigeonholing. It is noisy, and jagged, and forceful, and soaring, and rough-edged, and lilting, and punchy. By consistently introducing new sounds and sights, Fire at the Plantation House maintains a hyper-dynamic approach to songwriting that is as intriguing as it is uncomfortable. 

The midsection of the song is built around a driving riff-centric death metal aggression, whereas the chaotic Act I leans  into both caustic noisy raucousness and a warbling clean vocal approach, while  the tail end features more melodic vocals riding alongside some soloing. Every moment feels a far cry from that which came before. There's a nauseating--and this I mean in the best sense of the word--push and pull between extremes, setting up a healthy sense of anticipation and unease that permeates the track. In short: for a 6 minute song there's a hell of a lot going on. I love that everything fits and serves the song without feeling unnecessarily crammed in. Everything feels relevant; there is no oddity for the sake of oddity.

And then, of course, there's the music video itself, which is just really fucking fun in its acceptance of good humored silliness. The editing is effective and often quite funny, the slice-of-life gags are refreshing. It's a really enjoyable watch, and illustrates the personality behind the project very well.

Says John Angel, Fire at the Plantation House's sole creator: "Southampton Insurrection" is the first and last thing I did for this album. The chorus for this track is the first bit of music I wrote for the record way back in 2019. I was walking around, thinking about how I wanted something that Howard Jones would sing, and working it out in my head. I got the finished masters in early January 2024 and realized I didn't have a video of any kind for the lead single! I shot the silliest thing I could pull off in a couple of days. I hope everyone enjoys this song and video as much as I enjoyed making them.

I, for one, have gleaned significant enjoyment from this track over the past week or so, and there's a lot more where this comes from. While "Southampton Insurrection" alone feels like a wild ride, trust me when I say it is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unexpected composition and arguably unhinged genre combinations. The entire album is a strange and engrossing experience that rewards repeat listens, and I'm excited to see it hit the reception upon its release this May.

In the meantime, please consider snagging a pre-order over on Bandcamp. In regards to album proceeds, John states the following: "100% of proceeds from sales of this record and related merch will go to the Feed the People Collective, a Black-led, grassroots mutual aid group focused on providing free meals and culinary knowhow to poor people in SF."

Fire at the Plantation House - Southampton Insurrection will be released May 3rd, 2024

---

Fire at the Plantation House can be found:
Official site
Bandcamp