Japanese rock band DRUGS are embracing their darkest sound yet with "AKUMA" (悪魔, meaning "demon"), a new single that channels psychological horror through both its music and visuals.

The music video, released May 26, marks a tonal shift from DRUGS' previous work. While past releases incorporated dark themes with splashes of color, "AKUMA" strips away any visual comfort. Shot in washed-out colors with a VHS effect reminiscent of 1980s horror films, the video follows band members as they wrestle with inner demons—literally falling deeper into despair with no redemption in sight. Unlike the horror films it references, there's no happy ending here, only increasingly disturbing consequences.

Vocalist Tsuzuku delivers the haunting vocal performance, his voice trembling between defiant passages and moments where it breaks entirely, as if hope itself is dying mid-song. Guitarist TAIZO contributes a clean tone that sounds like a broken music box, while the track's unnervingly slow tempo amplifies the creepy atmosphere. The instrumental mirrors this descent, shifting between agonizing slowness and chaotic, heavy sections that erupt into animalistic screams—a sonic representation of warring personalities: the human clinging to hope versus the demon embodying darkness.

The accompanying promotional photos reinforce this narrative of despair. Band members appear as lifeless figures in haunting environments, visually cementing the song's exploration of internal struggle.

"AKUMA" arrives following DRUGS' April streaming release of the album D/D/D, showing the band returning quickly with new material. The single is available now across all major digital platforms including Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon Music.

With "AKUMA," DRUGS demonstrate their willingness to venture into genuinely unsettling territory—both musically and visually—refusing the comfort of resolution and forcing listeners to sit with the discomfort. It's the band at their most committed to their darkest vision.