A hard-rocking band. Provocative imagery seemingly spliced together out of old horror movies and DIY collages of creepiness. The fury of a packed club. These are indeed familiar frames to find in a rock n’ roll music video, but as they’re constructed together in the new video for Makes My Blood Dance’s single “Communion,” they feel more than a little refreshing to see. “Communion” sees Makes My Blood Dance paying tribute to the chest-pounding classic rock aesthetic of yesteryear while continuing to advance their sound forward with outside influences I didn’t expect to hear (but nonetheless find very compelling to say the least).

Official Website: http://makesmyblooddance.com/

There’s a slight punk rock component to this band’s style of play that I honestly hadn’t noticed before coming across this song, and when though it’s more from the AFI/Misfits lane than it is the puritanical sounds of a Black Flag or even straightedge players like the iconic Minor Threat, it’s still quite significant in “Communion.” The way the video was shot actually borrows a lot from the old school punk concepts of the 80s than its polished cosmetics would at first have us believe, and when coupled with the soundtrack it makes the entire document feel just a bit more rebellious than it already would have been.

While they’re staying consistent as they design their proper sound for fans and newcomers to the music alike, “Communion” shows me that Makes My Blood Dance are interested in diversifying the right parts of their music – as long as it means sounding that much leaner. This is a fat-free group of rockers if I’ve ever come across one before, and although I’m hesitant to say their first LP will be a total breakthrough, it’s clear that if they stay connected with this present set of creative ideals, mainstream success will find them one way or another.

John McCall