A Band Called Death (2012) User Reviews

Death is just the beginning

[MassDistraction · 8/10 · 26 February 2014]

Stuck in the shadow of Searching for Sugar Man, this tale of an all-black protopunk band from Detroit hits many of the same notes, but plays its own tune. This is a film whose appeal may be more limited than Sugar Man due to the hard and raw style of the band in question, but the music unearthed is no less vital.

Death's story is told mostly from the perspective of Bobby and Dannis Hackney, the bassist/vocalist and drummer, respectively. They recount the birth of Death and walk you through some of the places of note. We're robbed of the opportunity to hear from who we learn is the driving force behind the band, guitarist David Hackney, who sadly passed away from lung cancer in 2000. He does make appearances in the movie in the form of audio recordings and you get a sense of the unique viewpoint that gave the band its vision through these recordings and his brothers' recollections.

It's that vision that shaped Death, and ultimately, limited their potential. Being steadfast about not changing the name of the band, David felt the name went with the concept he had for the band and, as such, he was resolute. Even when record mogul Clive Davis came knocking – loving the music but hating the name – David chose to pass the opportunity by rather than compromise. This, in a nutshell, is the answer to the great mystery of how they were deprived their stardom. Fortunately, the film has more to offer than that.

It's watching Bobby's sons, and the effect his early music has on them that provides the film with its heart and makes it more than a just sad story about how elusive fame may be. Their drive and determination to get their father's music out by-any-means-necessary is inspiring to watch. The excitement with which they recall finding out their dad is a rock pioneer is written all over their faces. Bobby had instilled in his sons a deep appreciation of music of all kinds, just like his father had done for him, and it turned out they appreciated his music most of all.

Sounding like Love, The Who, Buzzcocks, The Saints, The Damned and The Real Kids all playing with The Stooges' gear, it's easy to see why there was so much excitement for Death's recent rediscovery. Chance plays such a big part in any musical success, it's little wonder that so many great artists fall through the cracks. One supposes that with the success of Searching for Sugar Man, these documentaries attempting to right musical wrongs might become their own subgenre. If that's the case, you can count me as an early enthusiast. These stories speak to the longevity of art and the way it sits there patiently, waiting to be discovered and the magic that happens when you do. As Henry Rollins puts it, "It's one of those things that keeps you going to the record store hoping for another great story like that."

Fascinating account of a great lost group

[Red-Barracuda · 8/10 · 17 January 2014]

In recent years there seems to have been a cycle of music documentaries about musicians of whom success has eluded. In Anvil: the Story of Anvil we have a band who have had extremely limited success over a very long period, in Searching for Sugarman we have an artist who had extremely minor success and then disappeared only to be rediscovered a quarter of a century later to great acclaim and in 20 Feet from Stardom we have the story of singers whose work we hear everywhere but of whom remain unfairly obscure. A Band Called Death contains elements of all of these documentaries, except in this one the band didn't even release an album until 35 years after their initial demo.

Death were a Detroit proto-punk band. Not only that but they were an all-black proto-punk band, which makes them very unique. There were very few black musicians operating in this area of music back in the 70's. Its details like this that makes their story all the more unusual. Having heard their music, I have to say it was pretty good. Forget proto-punk, this stuff sounded more like post-punk. Its combination of aggression with tight highly skilled musicianship was certainly ahead of its time and sounds more like the more expansive alternative rock that followed in the wake of the punk years. I suppose, looking back on it, being so ahead of their time was one of the problems the band had in getting a record deal. Likewise, their name was a major handicap. Band leader David Hackney conceived of the name and insisted on it being retained at all costs. This of course led to the group losing the one record contract they were offered. It is testament to David's principles but it does seem like a self-defeating stance, as it's the music that counts most, the name is so much less important and we are left wondering what could have been. Of course, a name like 'Death' and music such as theirs is entirely in-step with today's contemporary alternative rock, which is why they were rediscovered to such fanfare. It's great to see them finally have their time in the sun.

The two surviving brothers are genuinely good blokes and we learn most of the story of the band from them. Their brother David died some time round about the year 2000 of lung cancer, so there is a bittersweet nature to the band's late acceptance and success. David was the main visionary of the band. He was a dreamer. It is sad that he never saw the band achieve its long-overdue success but until his dying day he always was convinced that one day people would come looking for their music. And he was proved correct. The film perhaps falls a bit short in detailing the Detroit rock scene of the time. It almost paints a picture where Death were the lone purveyors of this kind of confrontational rock music. This makes them seem more unique but it would have been good if the documentary at least acknowledged fellow Detroit pioneers such as The Stooges and The MC5. It would have put the band and Detroit itself into a bit more historical context. Also, it would have been interesting to know if they had a local following at the time and played any gigs. But, despite these minor issues, the film is still very successful because these guys were genuinely good and it's not a rose tinted spectacle affair. The film also functions as a mechanism for their music to reach an even wider audience and this in itself is a good enough reason for its existence. But the main thing is that now Death have been added to the rock family tree as an important precursor to punk and alternative rock. Even if, in the final analysis, none of that changes the fact that 'Death' is still a terrible name for a band

Great Documentary About an Awesome Lost Band

[Agent10 · 8/10 · 27 October 2021]

David, Bobby and Dannis Hackney are not legends in the world of punk rock, and it's a shame they are not a part of the punk rock lexicon. While they are not necessarily the progenitors of punk rock, they were raucous and loud enough to predate other well known bands like The Ramones, Iggy and the Stooges, Sex Pistols, The Damned and many, many others. It's unclear how influential they would have been, but it is clear they had a boat load of talent.

While one might think the story of a lost band would be the theme of the film, it actually turns out to be a story about family. The Hackney brothers stood together though a lot of problems, whether it was due to the strange dislike to their name, the racial politics of being a African American rock band in Detroit, the eventual pushback they got for morphing into a Christian rock band or just the division between the virtuoso guitarist David and his two more pragmatic brothers Bobby and Dannis. The family is front and center in the whole documentary, because it was ultimately a younger generation of Hackney's that helped the world discover their music.

You see, the three sons of Bobby Hackney helped bring the music to the masses, and now the band has a much bigger following than it ever had. It continues the element of how important family was to the band's dynamic, even after the loss of David Hackney in 2000.

The documentary wasn't able to follow the brothers post life after 2012, but they recorded another album and continue to bask in the positive fall out of the band's reemergence. Needless to say, this is a nice documentary about music, family and life.

"If you give them the title to our band, then you might as well give them everything else..."

[plasmic_steve · 10/10 · 29 May 2013]

Write this one up as fiction and no one would buy it. Three black brothers in Detroit back in the early seventies. Their parents come into a chunk of money and buy their music-loving kids the classic bass/guitar/drums rock configuration. David, the band's guitarist and de facto leader, decides that if he can play chords like Pete Townsend and solo like Jimi Hendrix, he'll be capable of making an all-powerful sound. And as with so much of what David proclaimed, he was right.

This movie feels like a pure rock and roll myth, and like all myths, it has its tragic act. The band called Death independently records an amazing album, but they never get the major push they were hoping for. Their extreme (at the time) name is a constant stumbling block. After a long string of rejections, Death hears word that Clive Davis might sign them - but only if they're willing to change their name. Brothers Bobby and Dannis are willing to make the change in a heartbeat, but David - an uncompromising visionary on every level - dismisses the idea without even a moment's consideration, seemingly dooming the band to permanent obscurity.

Eventually the other Hackney brothers move on without David, evolving their sound into a reggae act. In 2000, David ominously delivers their earlier recordings to his brother, telling him to keep them safe because "the world's going to come looking for the Death master tapes someday." He wasn't wrong on that one, either, or this movie wouldn't exist.

As a documentary, "A Band Called Death" is extremely well made. The Hackney brothers provide lively interviews, as do other family members and people connected with the band. Black and white photos from their well-documented studio sessions fill in the visual pieces that home video would handle in a more modern story. The film is paced well, and even though by its very existence you'll realize that the band and its music were ultimately vindicated, there are many nice surprises along the way.  If you're into music (especially hard rock, punk, hardcore, or thrash) and immersive documentaries like "The King of Kong" and "Capturing the Friedmans", you'll need to check this one out as soon as you have the chance.

What happens when you mix family, faith and punk rock

[bburns · 9/10 · 30 June 2013]

In the past few years, there have been very good documentaries on great musicians who just missed success. First came "The Devil and Daniel Johnston" about the mentally ill genius of the '80's alt-rock scene. Then "The Story of Anvil" about Canada's greatest forgotten metal band. Then there was last year's Oscar-winning "Searching for Sugarman" about Rodriguez, the '60's folk-pop singer who became an icon in South Africa, but nowhere else. And now there is "A Band Called Death" about an early punk band from Detroit that by rights should have gotten the same recognition as the Stooges or MC5.

Nominally, this is a film about punk rock, but really it's about family. That's because the original line-up of Death was three brothers: Dannis Hackney--a drummer into Alice Cooper; Bobby Hackney--the bassist/lead vocalist who grew up wanting to be like Paul McCartney; and the late David Hackney, a guitarist who successfully tried to create a playing style that was a cross between Pete Townshend and Jimi Hendrix. Dannis and Bobby still reminisce and tell stories about the early days as only family members can. The Hackney family is very close-knit and deeply religious, as well as musical.

It was David who came up with the name of the band and wrote all their songs--many of which had spiritual themes. And it was David who kept them from success during his lifetime. After they recorded their album, they shopped it to all the major labels. Clive Davis of Arista records was ready to sign them if they only changed the name of the group. David refused, and so the band went unsigned. After that, they moved to Vermont where the police would tear down their fliers under the mistaken idea that they were gang-related propaganda. When they did finally change their name, they were still hard-pressed to get gigs because of the religious content of their lyrics. So David left and moved back to Detroit where he developed twin addictions to alcohol and cigarettes, eventually dying of lung cancer in 2000. Meanwhile, Bobby and Dannis formed the reggae band Lambsbread, where religious lyrics are more acceptable.

Fast forward to 2008: Bobby's sons--Bobby Jr, Julian and Urian become aware of these MP3's online from an early hardcore punk band called Death. Already huge punk fans, they (separately) listen to what they think is the best rock music they've ever heard. And when the vocals come in, they realize they're listening to their dad and uncles. So they learn the songs themselves, and form a Death tribute band called Rough Francis. Which inspires Bobby Sr and Dannis to re-form Death with a new guitarist.

As I said in an earlier paragraph, this movie is not so much about the band Death, but the Hackney family. Their love and loyalty towards each other radiates off the screen. One of the main interviewees is their older brother Earl who was not part of the band. They cry when they talk about David. They laugh when they remember what they were like as kids. When their mother dies during filming, we in the audience are nearly as devastated as they are. The only change I would have liked to see would have been interview footage with David. But of course, that doesn't exist, so all we're left with is the awesome music he wrote.

Joy through disappointment and devotion

[kineticandroid · 25 May 2014]

There's an undercurrent of disappointment throughout the story of a band called Death. Misunderstood and marginalized in their time, they endured a lot of rejection and settled into lives that turned out differently than for what they had hoped. Then, after their music is rediscovered and shared, they reunite, but with a heavy heart knowing their visionary leader did not live to see the rebirth. And yet, through that malaise, the band's story is one of joy, familial devotion, and believing in something so strongly, it can't help but come true. It shows that powerful art can create double lives. It shows the unknown pleasures of digging into the past for the untold stories. And the songs? Dang man, these songs slay.

A Different Kind of Rockumentary about "Death." In More Ways Then One.

[LouAbbott · 6/10 · 24 December 2017]

"A Band Called Death" is a very different type of rockumentary. It's a film about close family ties, belief in God, staying true to oneself regardless if this determination leads to missed opportunities, and finally a redemption of sorts. It also IS about death (of the lead guitarist, bandleader, and songwriter) and concentrates on that more than anything else. The film celebrates the band's writing and sound, but there is not that much of their music included. Was "Death" musically way ahead of their time? To an extent yes. But a band named "The Stooges" came before them.

Family, Faith, Art, Spirit, Punk Rock

[Scott_Mercer · 10/10 · 22 October 2013]

A bittersweet tale involving the intensity of rock and roll of the wildest, most bracing sort, the vindication of art and the uncompromised vision of a dreamer, an artist like so many, who had to die before the world caught on to his genius.

A heartwarming tale of the strong bonds of family and the unknown surprises lurking in almost all of our pasts.

A film where the heroic role of the rescuers and redeemers is taken up by record collector nerds and glasses-wearing hipsters (YAY!)

A story that, like all the greatest documentaries, is true, but feels so much like a feel-good Hollywood fairy tale that you can't believe it all really happened. But it did.

This is really corny, but hey, when a film is this good, why not indulge in the oldest possible style of film hype: You'll Laugh! You'll Cry! You'll Cheer! Go See A Band Called Death! The Most Feelgood film of the year with the word death in the title!

If you like this, check out "Anvil! The Story of Anvil." Just as tearjerking and entertaining.

How many punk gems are still unreleased?

[Giz_Medium · 6/10 · 2 November 2020]

How many punk gems are still unreleased and almost unheard of these days ? this is the history of one of them, recorded in 1974 and released in 2009. The story is set as a biopic of the detroit band for the first half, and the story of the actual release of the record through record collectors & punk dj parties in california. the main lines of the story became somewhat famous, but the documentary goes beyond, including the turn to christian rock the band members took after being given a lot of problems for their names, including a vermont cop thinking their poster was one of a gang looking for recruits. There's an happy ending.

Sometimes, it sucks to be too far ahead of your time

[da_lowdown · 10/10 · 5 September 2014]

"What good will it do to gain the world and lose your soul?" (Mark 8:36)

At some point in our lives, most of us surrender our dreams to responsibilities of life. Family, mortgages, and the careers to sustain them. All these things of life. Some necessary. Some necessary evils. And all those unfulfilled dreams follow us to our graves. Let's face it, for most of us, it takes balls to follow your dreams, because it takes balls to fail big.

"Death", and its lead-man David Hackney, had the balls to follow their dreams. Bound by faith, family, and an unshakable confidence, they followed their dream despite the odds stacked against them. They weren't afraid to fail big. They knew that their music and their vision for the band had risks.

Listening to their music, it's evident that they were way ahead of their time, and yes, unfortunately, not what the mainstream audience expected. But still, they persisted past the rejections, disappointments and heartaches, buoyed by family loyalty and love of music.

The bright light shining through the disappointment and heartache, is the love of family. The the real core and power of this movie, is how your family's love and faith doesn't fail, even when everything else has.

Here's to the dreamers. Your dreams will be realized long after your departure. Your dreams will be your legacy and your loved ones the beneficiaries.

Rock on, all you misfits.

Death Surviver

[AfroPixFlix · 9/10 · 15 April 2014]

If, by the title, you suppose this is a documentary about sour grapes, i.e., some pre-Ramones, The Clash, or even The Sex Pistols punk band that never got its props, you're mistaken. There's not an iota of bitterness among these guys who stubbornly defied all odds, most of which were housed in their home town Motor City. I mean, what could have possessed three black teenage brothers to think they could form a prototype punk rock band just blocks away from Berry Gordy's mellow soul factory known as Hitsville USA? Having nothing more than British rock band singles, insurance-money instruments, and cloud formations to guide them, DEATH did it. (Note to my friendly reviewers: they weren't just the prototypical "black" punk rock group, but the forerunning "punk rock group" of any color...period.) But being so original, so very far ahead of the curve, came at a cost. Now therein lies the supremely inspirational message of "A Band Called Death" that anyone can leap into like a mosh pit. It took thirty-five years--35 friggin' years!--before surviving brothers Bobby and Dannis got their recognition. Sadly, David, the group's visionary, passed away years earlier, emotionally drained and physically terminal. Although only old tapes of David are featured in the film, his haunting presence throughout the film is undeniable. By the time you hear David's son share his emotions about hearing his deceased father's voice on a cult-hit record, you'll choke back tears. Even if you're not a punker, a funker, or a rocker, you owe it to yourself to check out this inspiring documentary. Dreams deferred don't always shrivel, sometimes they hibernate. So if you miss DEATH's story this time around, the group will wait, patiently, for as long as it takes. They're accustomed sleepers. But mark AfroPixFlix's words (and his nine forks of good judgment), you'll not long be able to escape DEATH's grip.

There is only ONE band named DEATH - This is NOT it.

[beefcakebuffstuddington · 1/10 · 11 October 2017]

The REAL band 'Death' need not be pointed out to those who KNOW. Chuck Schuldiner was a true hero and is sorely in need of a megalithic statue expressing his staggering contribution and services to the art of Heavy Metal.

This documentary, however well conceived will fall short of the superior story belonging to Chuck that is currently untold. ('Death By Metal' is the upcoming documentary looking to amend that gaping hole in history)

Death (87-98) is THE Death. - Everything else is mere novelty.

One of the Best Documentaries of All-Time

[joedoughrity · 10/10 · 17 February 2019]

This film is about more than music, Band names or 'firsts'. "A Band Called Death" is about FAMILY, FAITH and BROTHERHOOD. Loved every frame.

For the Whole World to See

[Screen_O_Genic · 9/10 · 8 December 2021]

A moving and rocking tribute to one of the pioneering Rock bands, "A Band Called Death" is a celebration of the power of family, brotherhood and great, timeless music. In early - 1970s Detroit three black brothers inspired by the Rock bands of their time decide to form a group where they eventually changed music forever. Jamming up a compelling mix of Hard Rock, Funk and Soul with a then unheard of sound called Punk the Hackney brothers raised up a storm infuriating neighbors and challenging the music establishment with their then controversial band name and music. This rockumentary features the band's origins growing up in a musical family and how they differed with the black community of the time with their choice of music. Their experience with tragedy at an early age and their disappointments with the setbacks they experienced brought the band to an end culminating with the death of one of the brothers. But fate and posterity have a funny way of meting out justice and through the surviving band members' children the group's music was rediscovered and released for a whole new generation and future ones to rock out to and enjoy. The documentary includes priceless footage and images of the stellar power trio in their prime and what followed and features interviews of the brothers and their family with individuals associated with their story. Henry Rollins, Kid Rock, Elijah Wood (!) and others add their appreciation of the seminal band. After listening to "...For the Whole World to See" for the first time I knew the band was special and they were an instant fave who I'm going to appreciate and enjoy for life. The band proved and showed with their music the warmth, power and energy that Rock's liberating force can bring and why it was and still is the greatest and most important genre in all of music. A tale of promise, tragedy and triumph "A Band Called Death" is a testament to the power of art and spirituality in overcoming the trials and tribulations of life and their deep and lasting effect in humanity as a whole.