“Sweat and Blood” sees We Kill Cowboys continue to experiment with genre, blending hard rock and heavy groove. Drummer Andrew Middelkoop in particular steals the show, displaying great speed whilst adding an impressive emotional depth through his rhythms, interspersed with wicked screams here and there.
The track tells the story of being trapped within your own mind, navigating the emotional turbulence of rumination, and the fight to regain a sense of self.
The track also comes with an accompanying music video, directed by Tithonia Roux, that complements its emotional intensity with subtle yet powerful visuals. While it appears simple at first, the use of colour—particularly a red tint that perhaps symbolises blood—reinforces the song’s themes.
Small, deliberate details, like the song’s title on a T-shirt, or the inclusion of smoke, further speak to themes of disassociation, and the search for one’s true identity.
