Alissa White-Gluz is wasting no time building momentum with her new project BLUE MEDUSA. Following the strong reception of the band’s debut single, “Checkmate,” the vocalist and creative force behind the project has now unveiled BLUE MEDUSA’s second offering, “Flying Monkey,” accompanied by an equally striking new music video.
Far from simply being a follow-up release, “Flying Monkey” arrives as an explosive, dark, layered, and emotionally charged statement that further cements BLUE MEDUSA as one of the most intriguing new names in modern heavy music.
Written as an intensely layered piece of symbolic self-expression, “Flying Monkey” is packed with hidden meanings, psychological allegory, and double entendres woven throughout both the song itself and its visual counterpart. According to the band, every creative detail — from wardrobe choices and props to the color palette and even the debris drifting through the air — was intentionally designed by White-Gluz to mirror the deeper themes embedded within the song’s lyrics and narrative.
Musically, the track showcases the individual strengths and collaborative chemistry within BLUE MEDUSA. The song’s instrumentation was composed by guitarist Dani Sophia, who shared insight into the creative process behind the track: “‘Flying Monkey’ was written in this really liminal space, this waiting area in-between chapters in my life, and the melodies reflect the themes of the nightmares I was having at the time. No matter where I was, I kept hearing an out-of-tune music box playing in the distance…
White-Gluz, who co-produced and arranged the track while also penning the lyrics and vocal melodies, added: “‘Flying Monkey’ is exactly the kind of music I want to be making. I am so inspired by Dani and Alyssa. This BLUE MEDUSA album is almost like writing my memoirs and I have loved every aspect of creating it.”
Meanwhile, guitarist Alyssa Day — who previously composed the instrumentation for the band’s breakout debut single “Checkmate” — delivers one of the song’s standout moments with a dynamic guitar solo. Reflecting on her contribution, she said: “The bridge section of ‘Flying Monkey’ gave me a fun space to stretch outside my usual harmonic comfort zone and play with some scales and sequences I don’t always reach for. It turned into this quirky, sassy, techy little solo that I genuinely love playing. We had a blast shooting the video too, and I’m really excited for everyone to finally see and hear this one.”
BLUE MEDUSA officially emerged this past March, debuting with the single “Checkmate” and featuring a lineup that includes Alyssa Day, Dani Sophia, and Alicia Vigil, with Delaney Jaster handling live drums. The project follows the release of White-Gluz’s solo track “The Room Where She Died,” which dropped just hours after a major turning point in her career.
That turning point came on November 23, 2025, when ARCH ENEMY announced that they had parted ways with White-Gluz, closing a significant chapter while simultaneously opening the door to what is now becoming one of the most intriguing new ventures in modern metal.
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