Exclusive Premiere: Danielson Video for “Passing Through the Wall of Flame”
Photo of Will Oliver and Daniel Smith on the set of 'Electric Jesus' courtesy of the filmDanielson has released a new music video of for “Passing Through the Wall of Flame,” an original song from the 2021 comedy Electric Jesus, in conjunction with the double-album soundtrack’s recent release through Joyful Noise Recordings. The found-footage college video was made by artist Sidney Collins and produced by the film’s creators Chris White and Emily Reach White.
“This song plays an essential role in the film, scoring fictional Christian metal band 316’s visit to a preposterously terrifying Dallas rock club,” says director Chris White. “[Dainielson’s] Daniel Smith’s composition here captures the idea of innocence met with fierce, seething resistance…which beautifully sets up the film’s climax.”
In the funny and warm coming-of-age film, devout teen Erik (Andrew Eakle) wants nothing more than to “make Jesus famous” by running sound for the upstart Christian hair-metal band 316 in the summer of 1986. Encouraged by the band’s skeevy manager Skip Wick (The Office’s Brian Baumgartner), conservative Pastor Wember (Judd Nelson) and Wember’s runaway daughter Sarah (Shannon Hutchinson), the band hits the road in a beat-up van, playing a mix of churches, youth camps and—gasp—a bar. With original music from Danielson Famile’s Daniel Smith, the indie movie avoids any hint of preachiness as it captures the earnestness and naivety of youth and the struggles that slowly and thoroughly strip them away. It’s a loving and open-eyed lampoon of an often bizarre subculture that shaped so many of us, especially in the South. And the performances of its young actors help Electric Jesus connect with whatever constraints you had to push back against in those formative teen years.
The soundtrack is now available to stream.
Watch the premiere of the video below: