Last May we already took a deep dive into DAMNED’s single and music video for “STAIN”, and at the end of that review we promised you that we would also take a look at their song and music video for “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan). So today we’re fulfilling that promise with you!
And not a moment too early, since later this year the band will be visiting Europe for the very first time for 6 shows in 6 countries – but we’ll talk about that more in a bit.
First, let’s take a look at the main attraction for today: “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan) was released as a music video on YouTube on January 31st of 2025, while the single as a whole came out on March 5, including the title song and an instrumental song named “濁” (Daku).
Just a little heads up: since the title of this song is quite long, especially with the romaji added behind it, I will avoid using it here and there and use some other hint that I am talking about the main song. Sorry for any confusion that may cause!
But, we have quite a bit to talk about with this release, so let’s dive right in, shall we?
Demon, come in the direction of the clapping hands
For the first time in DAMNED’s videography, we actually have the entire single in the YouTube part of the release, since the music video actually opens with the instrumental track “濁” (Daku). Lasting a mere 43 seconds with a symphonic influence that serves as a very good intro before Kou. and 酔花 (Suica)’s guitars, 咲薇 (Sakura)’s bass and Masaya’s drums kick in with the familiar power the band has shown us before. Followed by the mellow vocals of 一音 (Hitone) while an acoustic guitar played by 酔花 (Suica) supports him in the background.
In short, DAMNED have already shown us their most theatrical performance to date, at least instrumentally.
But, how do these two songs connect to each other? Even though the first one is a short instrumental piece, the title “濁” (Daku) translates to ‘voiced’, ‘uncleanliness’, ‘wrong’ or ‘impurity’ in English, while “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan) roughly translates to ‘obsessive values intersecting with insanity’. (So yes, the title is about as crazy in English as it is in Japanese!)
And while it initially seems that these two titles have nothing in common, the ‘uncleanliness’, ‘wrong’ and ‘impurity’ do return in the lyrics of the main song.
The lyrics of “STAIN” and “Thanatosis” had a melancholic, depressing tone. And this time it’s no different, since DAMNED are very consistent with their style. “STAIN” already showed a more submissive tone, and that same tone returns in this song as well, like for example: “If you hate me, do it gently. Like stroking me. Roll back your honesty a little.” and “The more unwavering someone is, the more unpleasant their illusions are.”. (In case you never noticed, the title of these reviews and the title for the section that actually talks about the release in detail are also lyrics from the song/single/album we’re talking about – this time too! Can you imagine how difficult it is to make a coherent story out of lyrics like this now?)
With the style 一音 (Hitone) tends to write his lyrics in, you’ve probably already guessed that it’s quite difficult to visualize a music video around them this time as well. While “STAIN” came relatively close to visualizing the lyrics, “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan) is much closer to the style of “Thanatosis”.
The lyrics are just as poetic as we’ve seen from DAMNED before, making use of the negative side of human emotions in a unique way, but without telling a story you can actually visualize. DAMNED’s lyrics tend to describe an emotional state rather than a movement, which also makes them hard to describe in a review like this.
The decor for this music video appears to be a warehouse or storage area, visible during different times of the day. In the background we can see wooden pallets, containers and other objects you’d expect in a location like this. In some shots we also get to see the trees surrounding the area and the ‘inside’ of the warehouse. (Does it count as an ‘inside’ if there is a roof, but no walls?) The more melodic vocals are mostly filmed during the day, while the heavier parts mainly take place at night, supported by green and red lights to cast an almost eerie glow on the members.
Like you’ve probably already suspected from my description a moment ago, with such a difficult to visualize-song we are almost guaranteed left with a ‘band performs song’-type of music video. And you would be correct! However, the band has created a very theatrical song with many different elements that actually distract viewers from this problem. It shows the members, highlights their strong parts within the song itself, and plays with light and darkness to give us a video that compliments the style of the instrumentals to the best of its ability.
And, while we normally see Kou. being credited for the composition and 一音 (Hitone) for the lyrics, this time we also see guitarist 酔花 (Suica) credited for the arranging of the song. If this combination means that we’ll get more theatrical songs like this one, I am eagerly awaiting their next work!
Conclusion
When the music video was first revealed on YouTube at the end of January, my initial response to “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan) was ‘damn…‘. Because not only did they turn up the visuals compared to “STAIN” and “Thanatosis”, they also went a far more theatrical route for the composition as a whole.
The band describes their style as a mix of metal, metalcore and the dark elegance of ヴィジュアル系 (Visual Kei), and that is exactly how can describe “酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan). While staying true to their ‘heavy nature’, DAMNED channeled the dark elegance of VK with this song, both instrumentally and visually.
If you enjoyed their previous works, it’s very likely that you’ll enjoy this one as well. Although, if you never heard the band’s music before and use this one as the start of your journey… You’re selling yourself short. DAMNED’s discography isn’t that big (yet), so it is worth it to experience their work so far in chronological order, finishing off with this single that might just be the new direction the group is going into.
But! In the introduction I mentioned the band coming to Europe for a short tour. In late November and early December of this year, DAMNED will be coming to Europe for a total of 6 shows in 6 countries for their EUROPE TOUR 2025 “JUKAI”.
We’ve already made a news post containing the dates and how to get tickets for you here, so please check that out for more info!
“酔狂と交わる強迫的価値観” (Suikyou to Majiwaru Kyouhaku Teki Katikan) is available as a music video on YouTube, but the single can also be streamed on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube music (and more), but you can also download it from the band’s Bandcamp page. We’ll leave you with the Spotify version here, but you can find the other links below!
More about DAMNED
         |  (Hitone)   |  |  (Suica) |
 (Sakura) |  |
雪 (Yuki) is the owner and driving force behind Arlequin.
She originally started the project in 2009 as a photographer under the name of Arlequin Photography, but developed an interest in journalism and translation ever since. Because of these interests interviews and reviews were added to the project, until it eventually hit the limits as a "photographer" in 2021, and Arlequin Magazine was added to the mix.
雪 (Yuki) is a native Dutch speaker with a graphic design degree, which means she is also the main person behind Arlequin Creations.
After all these years, she's still the one responsible for the interviews and most of the live photography you see here at Arlequin, but the majority of reviews and behind-the-scenes work is also done by her.
The reviews she writes are from the viewing point of an overseas fan, and thus written in English before being translated to Dutch, Spanish and Japanese. In the English versions she also tries to explain the meaning behind certain kanji or song titles to the readers, but what you don't see here is that these explanations are omitted in the Japanese versions in order to appeal to these readers more.
She speaks Dutch and English on a native level, but also understands Japanese and German.