Mysterious rock ‘n’ roll party monster Andrew W.K., the subject of some fascination around these parts, last surfaced when he released the ass-kicking 2018 album You’re Not Alone. Today, AWK has returned with a surging, fiery new single called “Babalon” and with the trippy, insane video he’s made for the track. Those of us who love to think hard about the whole Andrew W.K. project will have a lot to dig into here.

“Babalon” is a hard, punishing, operatic song that brings a bit of prog to W.K.’s thundering, processed riff-metal. Lyrically, W.K. calls out to ancient societies and deities. It’s all very cryptic and weird, but the song itself crushes without losing its catchiness. The song’s video, credited to director Phem C. Palmer, is a wild vision of bloody skulls, and it transforms the I Get Wet album cover into something hallucinatory and disquieting. It also opens with a disclaimer that Andrew W.K. “in no way endorses a belief in evil.” The whole thing reminds me a lot of the movie Mandy — a good thing, in my book.

In a press release, Michael R.C., “the project’s creative director,” has this to say:

With “Babalon,” we wanted the audience to slink back down Andrew’s tower and storm the gateway to the city of pyramids with him, or someone who looks like him. We had all been working really hard to lay thee gagging monster down, so it would dwell forever in the chasm of frivolous forming. All these images come from there, from where it’s going. That’s where we put Andrew…

Consciousness hasn’t opened reality, only nightmares. Zone-out now.

Watch it below.

“Babalon” is out now on Napalm Records.