'American Horror Story: Cult' Opening Credits Are Deeply Disturbing

Black blood, clowns carrying a casket, and prominent political figures all somehow play into American Horror Story: Cult. The opening credits for Cult premiered on American Horror Story’s official Twitter account on Monday, less than two weeks before the season premiere on FX.

Rather than using the familiar, humming bass of seasons past, AHS has opted for a hauntingly upbeat song this season featuring trumpets and a circus-esque theme. As the trumpets trill out a creepy lullaby, images of faceless people donning Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton masks are joined by clowns crawling from coffins and bees scrambling in and out of honeycomb. This imagery is on point for what co-creator Ryan Murphy has been promising so far for this season, including a Presidential Election theme, political clowns, and plenty of references to the “hive mind” (bees, get it?) of cults and political factions.

Joining in on the expected themes are several shots of a person attempting to wash a dark liquid (blood, maybe) from their hands, an image that brings to mind Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth and her obsessive guilt over the regicide she and her husband committed. Another notable part of the opening focuses on a dead dog being held by a person in a gas mask and hazmat suit, both of them backed by a cheery merry-go-round.

The opening credits also give a full list of this season’s main players, which include Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Cheyenne Jackson, Billie Lourd, and Allison Pill.

American Horror Story: Cult premieres September 5.