Death Spells is alive. Death Spells is James Dewees and Frank Iero. Debut ‘Nothing Above, Nothing Below’ has been with the world a few weeks and now is the time that these packages of noise are given life through others. In the basement of a fairly standard bar, for the first time, Death Spells truly begins.
The duo chuck preconceptions out the door. If their album didn’t teach you that, their live show will. They’re silhouettes on vivid backdrops. The music rattles the room, vocals barely a muffled whisper. Tron-like cities, eighties exercise videos, coughed blood – Iero is whirling through the universe at high velocity at one point if you get the angle right.
It’s provocative, courting the line of love and hate almost demanding a reaction, uncaring to what side you fall because in every room, someone will get it. Dewees and Iero had eyes practically locked on each other for the first chunk, the audience an outside force, but bit by bit, Death Spells shift into place – which includes atop the crowd – and, bit by bit, it clicks – you see it happen in waves going back the tiny venue.
‘where are my fucking pills?’ is an assault, ‘hate unconditional’ twinkles deceptively before the room lurches in darkness and ‘fantastic bastards’ is a killer sing along and dance party against all odds. It’s a cacophony of electronics, yells and glitches; their first show in years is a sweaty, raging success.
This is Iero and Dewees at their most combative, a creative force that dares you to look.
Expect the unexpected. Death Spells will unsettle, they may even be a culture shock depending on your route to them, but whatever side of the line you fall, this is a show unlike any other. You will not forget this any time soon. [sc name=”stopper”]