Concert Review: Spotlights at Hotel Vegas, Austin: post-metal trio rock packed Austin club in support of new album ‘Alchemy For The Dead’.
Spotlights are one of the most dynamic and fascinating bands of the moment. Since their 2016 debut album Seismic, they have continually evolved, finding a sweet spot between metal, shoegaze, grunge and goth. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed, with artists like Mike Patton (the group are signed to his Ipecac label), Melvins (who they recently toured with) and Deftness’ Chino Moreno singing their praises.
Their success is due to the chemistry of husband/wife duo Mario Quintero (vocals and guitar) and Sarah Quintero (bass, backing vocals), who have a fantastic interplay, rounded out by propulsive drummer Chris Enriquez.
Their latest release, Alchemy For The Dead, is an exploration of mortality, and more prone to subtlety and atmospherics than past works, moving even further into darkwave territory (spiked with a touch of industrial). For those in attendance at Austin’s Hotel Vegas this Sunday, some may have wondered how the more subdued material would go down live vs. the band’s earlier, heavier work.
The answer was very damn well. Opening with new track The Alchemist, hallmarked by an ominous synth bleep approximating a distress signal, buried bass, delayed guitar and ethereal vocals. It cast a spell over the crowd, setting the tone for the evening.
Sunset Burial was a triumph in mood and cinematic flourishes, all haunting soundscapes and hushed vocals, before going into a My Bloody Valentine-esque freakout, with Mario’s singing backed up by Sarah’s cooing, whispered vocals. It was a haunting number, and a highlight of the night.
Algorithmic’s fuzzed out base conjured comparisons to Depeche Mode’s Useless, with slowly escalating tension, while False God featured Enriquez’s tribal beat amidst a start-stop rhythm and bombastic chorus.
While the majority of the set focused on the new album, the band dusted off a few tunes from past releases, with the industrial clang of Part IV and Part II from 2020’s We Are All Atomic EP full of churning grandeur, while the serpentine riff and off-kilter rhythms of Until The Bleeding Stops sounded like a lost 90’s alternative classic. At one point Quintero walked into the crowd, blasting out an acidic guitar solo.
One oof the most transcendent moments of the set came from Seismic track Learn To Breathe, the pummeling riff causing the crowd to nod and sway. Even a few passers-by at the entrance stopped to bang their head appreciatively.
One can only hope after such a killer 2023 album and tour that Spotlights get the, er, um, spotlight they deserve (sorry, I’m a sucker for puns), building on their past success. As they continue to shed stylistic skins to reach further artistic heights, they are well on their way.
Set List:
The Alchemist
Sunset Burial
Algorithmic
False Gods
Part 2
Learn To Breathe
Until The Bleeding Stops
Part 4
