Released: April 28, 2023
Spotlights seemingly arrived out of nowhere back in 2016, dropping a fully-formed debut and securing some pretty high-profile tours (supporting the likes of Deftones and Melvins) to boot. Yet, even with the near-universal acclaim from those in the know, the band still feels like something of a ‘best kept secret.’ Not that any of that has stopped the (now) Pittsburgh-based trio from forging ahead, quietly assembling an unassailable body of work where every release has thus far felt like a contender for the band’s best album to date.
In that regard, 2023’s Alchemy for the Dead predictably followed suit, adding yet another masterpiece to the Spotlights catalog. But heaping a pile of obligatory praise onto album number four almost undersells just how much growth Alchemy for the Dead represents. A big part of this evolution comes from the band’s newfound approach to dynamics. Instead of that trademark wall of sound dominating each song from start to finish, the band embraced the fine art of contrast, even going so far as to carve out a little space for (gasp) the vocals.
On previous releases, Mario and Sarah Quintero’s tandem singing often sat just below the surface, barely audible and practically indecipherable. The whole vocals-as-another-instrument thing certainly has its charm, but there were some super strong melodies and lyrics (the majority of Love & Decay comes to mind) that honestly deserved a little more prominence.
A number of tracks here open with Chris Enriquez’s outstanding drumming and Sarah Quintero’s thunderous bass, leaving that much more room for Mario Quintero to judiciously drop atmospheric embellishments and some refreshingly inspired lead playing. And thanks to the stellar production (handled by none other than Mr. Quintero himself), the vocals often soar above the mix.
That’s not to say this album rocks any less than the band’s prior work, because Alchemy for the Dead certainly features its fair share of tortured screams and punctuating yells. Additionally, those epic, prog-tinged arrangements that tended to dominate earlier efforts are largely dialed back. When the band does decide to stretch out a bit (as on the massive album-closing title track), the results feel that much more grand. If anything, the ‘less is more’ approach results in an album that hits that much harder.
The sequencing is also spot on. The album-opening “Beyond the Broken Sky” slowly unfolds into a haze of drums and distortion that sets a perfect tone. “The Alchemist” shifts gears with a lurching, almost trip-hop-inspired groove while “Sunset Burial” makes great use of vocal interplay and a quiet/loud arrangement.
The borderline anthemic “Algorithmic” and the meditative “Repeat the Silence” feature a couple of the band’s best-ever choruses. Meanwhile, “False Gods” pulls one of the album’s boldest moves by layering in a nod to The Stooges (via some brilliant saxophone work from Ben Opie). It’s a left-field moment, for sure, but it totally works within the context of the album.
“Ballad in the Mirror” floats in a haze of fuzz and reverb before giving way to “Crawling Toward the Light,” a driving, pulsing track that almost sounds like a lost Type O Negative b-side. The title track closes things out with a stripped-down acoustic intro that gradually builds to a final, crashing crescendo. It’s a more than fitting finale to this masterpiece of an album.
Lyrically, Alchemy for the Dead explores those time-honored (at least, as far as metal is concerned) themes of death and transformation. It’s not a concept album, per se, but there’s a consistency in tone that’s pretty undeniable. According to Quintero, each song approaches the topic of mortality from a different angle. Thematic cohesion is hardly new ground for Spotlights, but the universal subject matter coupled with the band’s strongest vocal work to date adds several points to the replayability factor.
Up until this point, I’d considered 2016’s Tidals the band’s finest hour. Alchemy for the Dead doesn’t just match that debut, it builds on it in every way. It’s focused, heavy, emotionally charged, and confidently executed. It’s also an eclectic batch of tunes that somehow also feels super cohesive. Spotlights has pretty much completely redrawn the boundaries of their sound here. This isn’t just Spotlights at the peak of their powers. It’s (at least, for my money) one of the best rock/metal releases of the decade. And that’s saying something for a band that’s quietly put out nothing but great albums for the past ten years.
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