In Darkness a Reaction for Walk in Darkness’ “On The Road to Babylon”

“On The Road to Babylon” by Walk in Darkness presents itself as a track laden with the weight of ancient stories and timeless struggles. The song delves into the theme of a journey—perhaps not just a physical trek, but a metaphorical odyssey through the trials and tribulations of existence. As the melody unfolds, you can feel the echo of something deeper, something that resonates with the human condition.

Musically, the song delivers with an intensity that’s hard to ignore, but in a strangely slow and paced parlance. The instrumental layers build a haunting atmosphere, a sort of aural tapestry that feels as though it’s pulling you down into the very sands of time. The vocals, rich and commanding at times buy thing at others, guide you through this narrative, adding a sense of gravitas to the already layered but audibly intertwined and light instrumentation. There’s a melancholy here, a sense of loss or perhaps a search for meaning that’s both poignant and relatable.

But then, we come to the video. Here’s where things take a curious turn. The first thing you’ll notice is the freeze frame thumbnail grab, shown below. Clearly aimed to draw in the ass crowd.

The visuals, intended to accompany this slowly immersive track, fall flat in a way that’s almost startling. Even with the sexually attractive women and tease of breasts tempted throughout. It’s as if the video is trying to escape its purpose, presenting us with a barren landscape that does little to enhance the song’s underlying message. The imagery is dry, almost sterile—a stark contrast to the richness of the music. Watching it feels like traversing a desert, where the soul of the song is left parched under the unforgiving sun.

It’s a curious juxtaposition. The song itself seems to be calling out for a visual counterpart that matches its depth, its layered meanings, but instead, we’re given something that feels more like an afterthought. It’s almost as if the video was stripped of any emotion, leaving it to wander aimlessly like a mirage in the wasteland of its own creation.

In the end, “On The Road to Babylon” is a track that stands on its own, evoking emotions and thoughts about the journey we may undertake in life. Not sure as intended, but they’re evoked. The video, however, feels like a missed opportunity, a dry canvas that fails to capture the colors of the song’s rich narrative in spite of the beautiful and poignant choreography with attractive additions including the attractive band members. Perhaps the lesson here is that not every journey needs a map, and not every song needs a video—sometimes, the music is enough to carry us through the desert.

In the end, I really wanted to like this video more but I’m left with a bit of a head scratcher, it left me with a somewhat unsettled feeling about how exactly I did, or didn’t feel about this song.

Lyrics

Before the last leaves fall
Leave the crowd behind you
And, when we’re alone, watch me
You won't get any answers
Along the roads of the world, 
Only my body can make you a God
Come near,
Don’t look around you,
The world is changing, the world is imploding
To advancing global madness

Oh, we're back on the road to Babylon
We  have raised another Babylon
And once again we are awaiting trial
We laid the foundations in the depths of the earth
And stone by stone we rose  to the sky
Like Gods, like Gods
Now,  all things lapse,
Once again,
Only dreams remain
Like gardens suspended in the sky
Another Babylon
Oh, the circle closes once again

For  thousands and  thousands of years
We're still on the road, on the road to Babylon
On the wave of fading time
Like the smell of gardens by the side of the road

Just a drop of beauty left behind
From the flow of the tide that  rises and falls
Like  human madness
Come, come close to me
Before the last leaves fall
And, when we’re alone, touch me

Another world of bleak skies,
A suffering  trans-humanity
Like swarming  of metal bodies
Along the lines of  destiny
For  thousands and  thousands of years
We're still on the road, on the road to Babylon
On the wave of fading time
Like the smell of gardens, by the side of the road