Science Man – “Monarch Joy – Pt. 3 (The Laughing Hour)”
Buffalo hardcore punk act Science Man are capping off their ultra-busy and ultra-noisy 2025 with the visual release of “Monarch Joy – Pt. 3 (The Laughing Hour),” the final installment of their Monarch Joy album-accompanying short film series.
Featuring the songs “Puzzle Hoax,” “Lesser Species” and “The Laughing Hour,” the latest short soundtracks the conclusion of the abstract journey of our unnamed protagonist as they navigate a dark fantasy world inhabited with unexpected friends and dangerous foes.
Directors Lindsay Tripp and Science Man frontman John Toohill bring their Terry Gilliam-inspired vision to life using an impressive DIY combo of homemade costumes, papier-mâché masks, green screen, and stop-motion. Their art direction continues to stand out as unique and singular; building upon a surreal collage of landscapes and characters scrapbooked together with mismatched paper cut-outs and clippings, similar to the cover art of the Blood Brothers classic …Burn, Piano Island, Burn. Superimposed over these arresting visuals with the help of green screen movie magic are live-action actors donning elaborately-decorative masks and costumes that gives the feeling you’re watching a twisted storybook pop off the page. Tying all these elements together is the score of abrasive instrumentals and depraved howls of the Science Man himself who continues to push and blend hardcore punk with unconventional mediums and art.
Watch “Monarch Joy – Pt. 3 (The Laughing Hour)” below and catch parts one and two on YouTube in case you missed them. VHS tapes of the complete video series are also available for purchase on Bandcamp.
Science Man’s Monarch Joy is out now via Swimming Faith Records and available for streaming on all major platforms including Bandcamp, Apple Music and Spotify.
Categorised in: Buffalo, Watch This
This post was written by Matt Burgerhoff