On Monday, January 19, 2026, The Black Crowes released their music video for “Profane Prophecy,” the first single from their upcoming 10th studio album, A Pound of Feathers (2026). First of all, the song is incredible! It’s gutsy and unapologetic rock ‘n’ roll, and lead vocalist Chris Robinson took insanity to a whole new level with his lyrics. Last week, when I saw the red devils from the initial music video preview, my first thought was, “this reminds of the Amorica era, specifically the Mushroom Party.” As more clips from the music video popped up, however, I was worried it was going to be one of those music videos with a random story that has nothing to with the song and the band is nowhere in sight. So, when I finally had a chance to watch the “Profane Prophecy” music video in all its glory, I was a bit relieved to see Chris and Rich Robinson appear alongside the red painted devils on screen.
Like the song itself, the music video is pure insanity and absolutely ridiculous, but in the best way possible. There’s not really a story to keep track of. It’s just a bunch of red painted devils causing chaos, a guy getting executed through an electric chair, and Rich stirring up a cauldron like an old-school monster horror film. The best part of the video, however, is when Rich finally gets his revenge on Chris by cutting his head off, with assistance from Chris’ wife, Camille. Actually, that might’ve been the only reason why Rich agreed to do the music video, in the first place, which who could blame him after all the sh*t Chris put him through?
As much as I love the Halloween vibes, I have one problem with the music video: none of the other band members are present in the music video. It’s just Chris and Rich playing along to the track, and that bothers me greatly because it’s supposed to be a music video for The Black Crowes, not The Chris and Rich Show! When the Robinson brothers reunited as The Black Crowes in 2019, it was weird because there were no other familiar band members with them. Then, they brought back bassist Sven Pipien for the Shake Your Money Maker 30th Anniversary Tour in 2021, and I was happy to see another familiar face in the band. I didn’t even mind when they brought on guitarist Nico Bereciartua to replace guitarist Isaiah Mitchell because he played with Rich in his solo projects, so I know the Robinson brothers trust him. But, when the promo photos for Happiness Bastards (2024) dropped and I saw that they only included the Robinson brothers, I got worried that this new era of The Black Crowes was turning into a bizarre solo project, rather than a band thing.
I get that The Black Crowes are Chris and Rich’s band, but I wish they’d share some of the spotlight with the rest of the current lineup. It doesn’t help that the previous music video they did, “Wanting and Waiting,” shows the entire band playing along to the track, not just Chris and Rich. I was hoping to see a similar thing for the “Profane Prophecy” music video, but that was not the case. Since the Shake Your Money Maker days, The Black Crowes have been no stranger to lineup changes, but this current era of the band makes me very worried about their future. I love that the Robinson brothers are getting along now because they deserve to be happy. But seeing just Chris and Rich in the “Profane Prophecy” music video gives off the impression that they’re the only reasons why the band is successful, which is far from the truth.
They think they can get away with running the band on their own and replacing members whenever they want, making the new guys sound like The Black Crowes. They got lucky in the past with guitarist Luther Dickinson and keyboardist Adam MacDougall, but it gets tiring seeing so many band members come and go. The classic lineup of the band consisted of Chris on lead vocals, Rich on guitars, Marc Ford on guitars, Ed Harsch on keyboards, Johnny Colt on bass guitar, and Steve Gorman on drums. They made three albums together: The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion (1992), Amorica (1994), and Three Snakes and One Charm (1996). A lot of diehard Black Crowes fans consider those records the best things the band ever did. Sure, there was that immediate spark when Ford and Harsch joined the band, but they had time to hone their craft and perfect their musical chemistry as a band. That’s why those three records are special! Familiarity is very important because that’s how bands gain their fans’ trust.
When I saw The Black Crowes live twice in 2024, the lineup consisted of Chris on lead vocals, Rich on guitars, Sven Pipien on bass guitar, Bereciartua on guitars, Erik Deutsch on keyboards, Cully Symington on drums, and Mackenzie Adams and Lesley Grant on backing vocals. Then, the band played at Texas Live!, supposedly a corporate gig, in Arlington, Texas in December 2025, and the lineup was mostly the same, except they had Mark “Muddy” Dutton playing bass guitar and there was no keyboard player. Even if it was a temporary arrangement, that freaked me out because as mentioned earlier, Pipien was the only other familiar face left in the band, besides the Robinson brothers, and he’s just as important as they are. “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution” would not sound the same without Pipien’s backing vocals.
If Deutsch and Pipien couldn’t perform because of conflicting schedules, there’s nothing the Robinson brothers could’ve done about that. Also, I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. There are times where it looks like the Robinson brothers fired certain people, but maybe they chose to quit on their own. We don’t know the full story, but that’s between the Robinson brothers. If possible, though, I want them to stick with a consistent lineup because I think it would really benefit The Black Crowes’ musicality, both live and in the studio. I think it would also benefit the Robinson brothers’ image as people. Think about all the crap Dave Mustaine gets for the rotating members in and out of Megadeth. It’s not good for his image, which is damaged enough, considering his grudge against Metallica.
I know the Robinson brothers take great pride in controlling everything, but I hope they’re aware that The Black Crowes’ success was a team effort. They couldn’t have done it on their own. Heck, the current live version of “She Talks to Angels” wouldn’t sound as good without Bereciartua’s gorgeous slide guitar parts. Is there some truth to Gorman saying the scariest scenario he ever encountered was when Chris and Rich got along because nothing could stop them? I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m still worried about what the Robinson brothers have in store next. Heck, considering the album cover for A Pound of Feathers shows only the Robinson brothers, that pretty much says it all. I’m still a fan of The Black Crowes and I’ll still attend their concerts whenever I can, but what kind of fan would I be if I thought everything they did and every decision they made was perfect? That’s boring, pathetic, and unrealistic.
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Comment below your thoughts on The Black Crowes’ “Profane Prophecy” music video!
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
That had a good amount of swagger. Let’s hope the Black Crowes can put any issues behind them and make music like this.
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Agreed!
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