Lowen release their new single ‘Waging War Against God’ and the video is as incredible as the song itself.
This is the third single from their forthcoming LP ‘Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran’. Out through Church Road Records on the 4th of October.
Waging War Against God is one of the legal terms used by the Iranian government to persecute and execute individuals who stand up to the regime.
This song explores the folly of tyranny. It asks: “why do we grasp at eternity when we know it will leave us behind?”.
It also highlights that time and history are so vast that attempts of ownership and control will ultimately be consigned to the grave of memory, and memory is soon butchered by time.
The recent race riots in the UK punctuate the difficulty that women of colour face inside and outside of their homelands. The head that bears the veil is heavy – be it due to the force of tyrannical religion, or the enmity of cultural division that does not permit tolerance of visible differences.
As someone who has grown up between two cultures struggling with oppression and racism, this song is a stand against the intolerance that has been ever present. It champions the strength of women, especially those who despite the threat of death have been carrying forward the Woman Life Freedom movement inside and outside of Iran.
This song embodies the longing for safety and the fight for freedom. The pomegranate is an ancient symbol that embodies fertility and abundance, but it is also the basis for the invention of the grenade. In the video it is shown as a synecdoche for the way that the bodies of women have been abused and dissected throughout history. There are also several alchemical Easter eggs for those who enjoy such symbolism. At the midpoint of the video, the narrative turns and the regenerative, divine strength of women and the power they command ultimately wins out against tyranny.
The video was an incredible collaborative effort with Topher OMeagher from Watchmaker studios, Lowen and Dinko Pehlic, a professional MMA fighter, coach and musician in the band Vehement, who kindly agreed to fight and judo throw me for several hours one sunny afternoon under the white cliffs of Dover.
