Listen: The Black Angels’ Alex Maas Shows Dark Side of Christmas with “X MAAS (Take Me Away)”

The Black Angels’ Alex Maas has released a new song in recognition of the holiday season titled “X Maas (Take Me Away).” The song comes after a refocusing on Black Angels material following Maas’ solo debut, Luca, released in 2020.

“X Maas (Take Me Away)” is not a traditional Christmas song eschewing warm, chestnut-roasted lyrics for a rawer examination of feelings unreached by the glow of fairy string lights. The instrumentation opens with a dash of holiday cheer, however, Maas swiftly refocuses with stark and direct lyrics, crooning, “Bring me far away from here/ It must be that time of year/ So take me away, take me away.”

“I’ve never written a Christmas song. Christmas has a very dark side that not many people take into account,” revealed Maas in a press release. “The holidays are as painful as they are beautiful for most people. This song is for people who fall in love during Christmas and for those who want to escape completely from the holiday.”

Listen to Maas’ “X MAAS (Take Me Away)” below.