SPELL

Vancouver heavy metal band SPELL today release the video for ‘Unquiet Graves’, taken from their fifth album Wretched Heart. Directed and animated by Caitlin Delaplace (@caitcryptid ), the clip is 100% hand-drawn animation and painstaking stop-motion — months of physical labour in an era of algorithmic shortcuts.

“Unquiet Graves is about being haunted by the spectres of loss” says bassist / vocalist Cam Mesmer. “We cannot escape the memories of that which we once loved. No matter what we do, they remain constantly around us, in places most familiar. You can try to silence them, but they’ll still be there waiting as soon as you open your eyes.

It was awesome collaborating with our dear friend Caitlin on this fun video! This is 100% hand-drawn animation & painstaking stop-motion. I know she worked on it for months. In a world overrun by garbage AI slop, we believe in the human value of art — created by and for humans, intentional in every detail, and a product of the physical and emotional labour of the artist! Every human can and should make art. The purpose of art is not perfection, but expression. We’re so honoured that Caitlin was inspired by our song to take the dive into making her first animation! Inspiring others to make art is the highest compliment I can imagine.”

Director Caitlin Delaplace adds “This was my first attempt at animation on this scale, so much of the process was learning by doing. I knew some of the fundamentals, but I had to figure out a lot through experimentation and trial and error. It was definitely a learning curve, but incredibly rewarding to see everything gradually come together. I’m very thankful to Cam and SPELL for trusting me with this project and giving me the opportunity to experiment creatively. Their friendship, encouragement, and trust throughout the process meant a great deal to me. There’s nothing I love more than creative collaboration with friends!”

#heavymetal #metal #stopmotion #animation #doom