This should be the place and the hour
All the city sleeps without cares
No one else around and no shadows
Only my reflection seems to live
On the diamond of an abandoned baseball field, the cheerleaders are still dancing—though there’s no one left to cheer for. The bleachers groan beneath the weight of the undead, the air hums with the static of a vanished world, and the choreography becomes a ritual act of denial. This is the setting for Ask The Dust’s new video for “Crazy Dance of Death”—a gory, glamorous collision of horror cinema and post-punk theatricality directed by the band’s own Massimo Zompicchiatti.
As the story unfolds, the cheer squad—abandoned by their missing teammate and a visibly impatient coach—decides to perform anyway. Their synchronized moves quickly take on a macabre tone, transforming the halftime show into a danse macabre. The audience, a horde of ravenous zombies, surges forward, threatening to break the net that separates the living from the dead. What follows is a nightmarish metaphor for persistence in the face of collapse: even as civilization rots, the performance goes on.
“Maybe they keep dancing because it’s the only way they can prove they’re still alive,” Zompicchiatti explains. “Or maybe because pretending nothing has changed feels safer than facing the truth.”
Musically, “Crazy Dance of Death” is the fastest and most ferocious track in the band’s catalog, clocking in at 150 BPM. It opens with a retro synth sequence—nostalgic at first, like a lost fragment from an ‘80s VHS dream—but the warmth soon curdles into something ominous, setting the stage for the storm to follow. Anchored by melodic Sisters of Mercy-style basslines and punchy, distorted deathrock guitars, the song fuses post-punk revival energy with gothic rock intensity. The production showcases three distinct vocal textures: one filtered through a megaphone’s metallic bite, another soaked in reverb, and a chorus layered with rich octave effects. The result is both rhythmic and cinematic—an adrenaline rush underscored by existential dread.
Lyrically, “Crazy Dance of Death” reads like a confession from a restless soul trapped in an endless loop between love and doom. The song’s protagonist wanders through an empty city, searching for meaning and finding only the cruel indifference of nature. They plead for release from false promises and emotional illusions, yet remain caught in the rhythm of obsession—dancing alone at the edge of life and death. Each verse unfolds like a fever dream of desire and despair, a chase through the ruins of passion where every step feels both futile and fated.
Watch the video for “Crazy Dance of Death” below:
Formed in Italy, Ask The Dust forges a sound that blends post-punk revival with gothic rock’s theatrical gloom and deathrock’s haunted edge. The band blends aggressive rhythm sections, melodic basslines, and driving guitars with vocals that alternate between distortion and reverie. Their songs balance romance and ruin—documenting the fragile beauty of decay with cinematic precision.
Listen to “Crazy Dance of Death” below via Spotify:
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