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SPOTLIGHTS – Discerning Alchemy (making of Alchemy For The Dead)
Spotlights, the hypnotic trio featuring married couple Mario and Sarah Quintero with Chris Enriquez, release their new album, Alchemy For The Dead, on April 28 via Ipecac Recordings.
The album, written and recorded following the band’s move to Pittsburgh, finds the trio once again balancing the tightrope of light and dark, toying with sonic texture, and as Invisible Oranges described Spotlights’ unique “magic” that’s “flickering with unnamable emotionality.” Mario Quintero shares the band’s mindset while writing and recording Alchemy For The Dead: “Our focus when making this record was to not repeat ourselves. I think we achieved our goal. Though we’re proud of all our releases, making just another ‘Spotlights’ album wasn’t an option. Pushing our own boundaries while creating something cathartic, yet strangely suffocating, with new sounds and textures as well as more personal and self-reflective themes, this album feels like a new fork in the path for us. Hopefully the listeners will follow.”
Regarding the first single “Algorithmic”, Mario says: “For me, the song has a religious theme to it. It touches on the story of resurrection and afterlife in this one narrative, while wondering, does any of it really matter?” That narrative, one of death, the resistance and acceptance to one of life’s most secretive aspects, is a lyrical theme throughout Alchemy For The Dead.
Spotlights is Mario Quintero (guitar, vocals, keys), Sarah Quintero (bass, vocals) and Chris Enriquez (drums). The band has released three albums to date: Tidals (2016), Seismic (2018) and Love & Decay (2019). Consequence praised their “unique amalgam of sounds that is both heavy and heavenly,” Brooklyn Vegan said Spotlights “balances the pretty with metallic sludge,” and Invisible Oranges said they thrive “on the ambient and krautrock inspired edges of post-metal.” In the wake of their 2020 EP We Are All Atomic, Kerrang! observed, “That a band as heavy and romantic as Spotlights have become a fixture in the rock scene Is impressive; that they’ve done it in such a short period of time is tremendous.”
“In early 2022, John [Pope] approached us when we were opening for Cave In in Pittsburgh, with the idea of filming a ‘making of’ video,” explains Mario Quintero. “At the time, we weren’t really sure about having someone in our space while recording. Usually that process is very personal to us, and on top of that, our studio is tiny! But once we saw John’s work, and got a chance to sit down and hear his vision, we were 100% in. He’s an absolute master of his craft, and by himself, created a piece that we believe truly shows who we are as a band and as people, while also capturing our process. We’re so excited for people to see it! It’s a perfect companion to the album.”
Spotlights return to the road on April 26, kicking off their U.S. tour at Pittsburgh’s Club Café. The two-month trek also includes a stint on Ipecac’s Geek Show tour, joining labelmates Mr. Bungle and the Melvins from May 10 to May 24.
Make sure to check out the videos for “Sunset Burial”, a song Revolver described as “eerie, epic, and throttling,” as well as “Algorithmic”. Consequence said of the debut single: “The thick tones and melodic vocals invoke Nine Inch Nails and the densely mixed recordings of Failure, melding elements of industrial, sludge metal, and dark alt-rock.”
Spotlights also released the Seance EP, a five-song digital release featuring “Algorithmic” and “Sunset Burial” with three non-album bonus tracks: “Unalive,” “Should Time Stand Still” and “Your Morning Kill.” Check out the EP here: https://spotlights.lnk.to/Seance
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