‘A Band Called Death’ Review

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Back in the early 70s, before The Ramones and The Sex Pistols, there was a band comprised of three brothers based out of Detroit. This band was called Death, and while not many knew who they were back then, we now recognize them as pioneers of the punk rock movement. This documentary takes a look at the history of the band, but also shows us that truly powerful music always finds its way to the people it inspires.

Directed by  Mark Christopher Covino and Jeff Howlett, A Band Called Death can most easily be described as a two-part saga. The first half of the film looks at the band’s inception and the story behind the music created by David, Bobby, and Dannis Hackney. The latter half explores the surge in popularity of the band, decades after they pressed their first record.  

It’s this second part that makes this film so endearing and simply a joy to watch.  Much like last year’s Searching for Sugar Man, the story of Death is an inspirational one.  Thirty-five years after the brothers moved on to other jobs and musical endeavors, and many years after lead guitarist and song-writer David Hackney passed away, people start discovering Death through the Internet. What starts as a few record collectors tracking down some of the original 45s turns into a full blown record deal and tour.

Although most of what we see floating around the net is complete garbage, it’s so refreshing to see something like this take place.  It’s a testament to both the positive power of the web as well as the perseverance of great music, regardless of whether or not it’s been lost in time.

The story is told through a modern talking head style format, with animated photographs, archival footage, and plenty of interviews with the band and their family members.  This all worked adequately, however there isn’t much to discuss in the way of innovation or cinematography. There’s also occasional cutaways to more famous musicians like Alice Cooper and Henry Rollins (and Elijah Wood for some reason) giving their thoughts on the band.  These were sparse and felt slightly out of place. Adding in the celebs probably would have worked better if there was more of them, or if they omitted them altogether.

Like with many documentaries however, the story is paramount to the presentation, and the story of Death is one that’s both entertaining and bitter-sweet. It’s fantastic that we live in a time where these hidden gems can be uncovered using the internet, however it’s tragic that the creative force behind the band is not able to see his success. For music aficionados, A Band Called Death is not to be missed. In the pantheon of rock docs, this sits somewhere near the top, and we can only hope the film perpetuates interest in this band and for people to do their own digging for rare, lost talent.

A Band Called Death will be available on VOD and digital download May 24th so be sure to check it out.