Visual kei metalcore band DAMNED have dropped their latest music video, ‘Yuragu’, a track whose lyrics draw directly from the punishing world of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls. The video arrived on 1st June and is the band’s 7th official music video. The track is yet to land on streaming platforms.
Vocalist Hitone wrote the lyrics, taking inspiration from the game’s bleak, unforgiving atmosphere. Rather than putting his own feelings into the song, he wrote from the perspective of its characters. Speaking to Japanese visual kei publication VISUNAVI, he said:
“The lyrics for this song were inspired by the world of the game Dark Souls. It’s a game full of traps that kill you on your first try, where the enemies are incredibly strong and you die many times. The screen is always dark, but I really like that atmosphere and thought it would match this song. Actually, I’m not very good at putting my feelings into lyrics, so rather than writing my own feelings directly, I wrote it as if I were having the game’s characters speak for me. This song has a world view that is “self-deprecating” throughout.”
Hitone for VISUNAVI
That darkness carries into the music itself. ‘Yuragu’, meaning “to waver” in English, opens dark and gloomy as it builds towards the drop, before the second half leans into melodic vocals and a lighter, more hopeful sound.
Talking of the creation process for the song, guitarist and composer Kou. explained that he began with the vocal line before touching any instruments, the reverse of his usual process. He described the song as starting out unsettling and mysterious, and in the final chorus becoming grand and emotionally powerful.
The music video was shot in an abandoned botanical garden, and directed by FOTOLORE (Shiho Yanagimoto), who has previously worked with DAMNED, and other visual kei acts such as MAMA., DazzlingBAD, and more.
As well as this, the quintet have revealed new looks.
DAMNED are also due to play their biggest solo show to date. The band will perform at Spotify O-WEST, for their ARIADNE tour final, on June 16th. Holding a one-man at Spotify O-WEST within 3 years was a major goal for the band, and they’ve now made that dream a reality. Tickets are available now, with overseas fans able to purchase via eplus.
Additionally, back in April it was announced that the band would be heading out on their first Latin America tour, titled CITY OF GOTH. Starting on November 21st in São Paulo, Brazil, they will then head to Argentina, Chile, and Mexico. For more information, and tickets, visit RIT Agency’s official site.
Check out the video for ‘Yuragu’ below.
DAMNED
Yuragu
Release Date: 01/06/2026
Label: Independent
Stream: Spotify | Apple Music
