As the darkness circles overhead, it’s never-ending
As I’m driven into the coming storm, the signal breaks
Then you come back to me in scattered gold, I am blinded
And I feel the distance fall away
The archangel Ariel, guardian of nature, spirit of the wild, is whispered to in moments of desperation, when the rivers run dry, when the forests burn, when the sky itself seems to hold its breath. But to pray to Ariel is to speak to the wind and hope it listens, to cast words into the void and expect an answer. The world does not tremble at incantations. Ariel, if they exist at all, does not intervene.
The trees do not regrow from supplication, nor does the poisoned earth cleanse itself through whispered pleas. There is no celestial hand poised to restore what we have sundered, no cosmic gardener waiting to tend the ruin. The illusion that salvation comes from elsewhere absolves us of our part in the destruction.
This is the world described in the powerful new single from The Horrors, Ariel, the fifth release from their upcoming album Night Life. While the band has never pigeonholed themselves in a particular sound, choosing instead to experiment and expand their repertoire, Ariel is particularly jarring with its forlorn, almost medieval vocals juxtaposed over a highly futuristic synth palette. In an album already bursting with excellence, this single and its beautiful accompanying video is an exceptional standout.
“Ariel is a particularly special track, and a group favourite,” says the band. “It’s probably unlike any song we’ve written before, and kind of marks the beginning of a new chapter. We are always looking to explore new sonic territories and find new ways for the band to sound, it’s probably what we enjoy most about being in The Horrors. Ariel was very much a studio creation…we put a distortion-heavy demo down at home and started moulding it into something more subtle at Holy Mountain with Yves. Amelia then added her world of chopped-up rhythms and vocal splices and it felt like we’d reached a new place. The Horrors of the future.”
The video for Ariel, directed by Sarah Piantadosi, is a cinematic triumph, a strangely intimate and poignant vision of Faris in a desolate wintry landscape, praying to an angelic vision, draped in silent cold, where dreams hover unseen and burdens press heavy beneath the sun. The weight of loss lingers, the fear of farewell creeping at the edges, until a fleeting warmth, a presence felt in copper light, dissolves the darkness. Ariel, distant yet near, a name called into the void, a hope unanswered. The storm gathers, the signal fades, but in the scattered gold of return, distance crumbles. Burning, turning, lost yet reaching…always for you.
We are the creators and the destroyers, the stewards and the squanderers. To look to Ariel is to look away from our own hands, the only ones capable of healing.
Watch the video for “Ariel” below:
Night Life is The Horrors’ first LP since 2017’s V and the 2021 EPs Lout and Against the Blade, marking the first time The Horrors step forward without their original lineup—absent are keyboardist Tom Furse and drummer Joe Spurgeon. In 2021, the Southend stalwarts announced their shift to a four-piece after Furse decided to step away, stating he’s “more of a maker than a performer,” leaving the rigors of touring behind.
Faris Badwan and Rhys Webb began crafting demos in Webb’s North London flat, the foundation of a record later shaped in Los Angeles with Yves Rothman, known for his work with Yves Tumor and Blondshell. Hayward’s guitar scrawled its final strokes back in London, with Kidd contributing from afar.
“The Night Life here is not the vim and vigour of pubs and clubs,” says the band. “It’s the thoughts that happen under the cover of darkness; the places your mind takes you when the rest of the world is asleep.”
The band’s sixth album showcases a refined roster: Faris Badwan’s brooding baritone still leads, with Rhys Webb’s bass rumbling beneath, while Joshua Hayward’s jagged guitar lines slice through. New blood comes from Amelia Kidd’s atmospheric keys and Jordan Cook, formerly of Telegram, on drums. Their sound, now sharper with experience, reflects both maturity and melancholy.
The Horrors hit the road in throughout Europe this spring, making stops throughout the UK, Spain, and Portugal. Don’t miss them!
- Thu 20th Mar – Banquet, Pryzm, Kingston (Instore)
- Fri 21st Mar – Rough Trade East, London (Instore)
- Sat 22nd Mar – Resident, Brighton (Instore)
- Sun 23rd Mar – Rough Trade, Bristol (Instore)
- Tue 25th Mar – Rough Trade Liverpool (Instore)
- Wed 26th Mar – Piccadilly, Night & Day Cafe, Manchester (Instore)
- Thu 27th Mar – Crash, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (Instore)
- 3rd April – Sala Capitol, Santiago de Compostela
- 5th April – Barcelona Psych Fest, Paral-lel 62, Barcelona
- 6th April – Sala Mon, Madrid
- 7th April – Sala Moon, Valencia
- 9th April – Hard Club, Porto
- 10th April – Republica Da Musica, Lisbon
- 24th/25th May – Dot To Dot Festival (Headline)
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