Enter the Afterlife: WITCHZ Summons a Haunting Spectacle in LA
An arcane, brimstone-laced atmosphere enveloped the El Rey Theatre as WITCHZ delivered a haunting performance that was both visually hypnotic and instrumentally brooding. The Las Vegas artist has remained something of an enigma in the scene, his dark alternative soundscape pulling fans back for his second ever stop in Los Angeles, fittingly landing on a Friday the 13th.
The venue’s aesthetic perfectly matched the sound. Dim chandeliers and shadowed lighting flickered across the room while the silhouette of WITCHZ stood center stage in full display. Though the night had no official opener, the time between doors and the main set was far from idle. A red cloaked inquisitor known as The Other took the stage as the crowd trickled in. Fully masked and armed with a red-and-black DJ deck, the mysterious figure curated the preshow atmosphere. The wait music revealed the sonic influences that shape WITCHZ’s style, dipping into industrial and witchcore EDM while fluxing between macabre electronica and lighter house rhythms that kept the early crowd engaged.
There’s no way to fully do the visuals and lighting justice. The production team was firing on all cylinders from beginning to end. The show opened with a cosmic solar expansion visual timed perfectly for WITCHZ’s appearance, immediately setting the tone and energy for the night. The visual elements felt meticulously practiced, aligning seamlessly with the music and staging to create striking artistic moments. Visuals aside, the real question remained: how was the performance? Simply put, WITCHZ delivered a dark alternative fever dream, and then some.
Opening with fan favourite ‘Charmer’, the dark western-tinged track set the mood before bleeding into ‘Kill My Vibe’, a brooding industrial EDM piece. The energy continued with ‘The Wikked’, a haunting techno-infused track that turned the crowd into a bouncing sea while skulls and gothic imagery blasted across the visuals. Across the 25-song setlist, the show maintained a steady cadence of brooding alternative cuts fused with high-energy witchcore electronics.
Standout moments included ‘The Collapsed’, a nu-metal-meets-dark-western fusion that culminates in a crushing breakdown matching the song’s brooding lyrics. His acoustic cover of ‘Wicked Game’ introduced a more intimate moment in the set, which flowed into ‘MIA’, deepening the show’s sense of yearning atmosphere.
The back-to-back run of ‘THE ALGORITHM’, ‘Killem’ and ‘The Eye’ delivered a full sensory assault, pairing electronic intensity with overwhelming visuals. Near the finale, WITCHZ performed his popular cover of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, showcasing grunge-laden vocals layered over his signature haunting soundscape. ‘Floods’ followed with metalcore elements and a heavy breakdown that became one of the night’s most explosive moments.
The show closed with ‘Bring Me to Life’, WITCHZ’s soaring grunge vocals echoing through the theatre as the solar expansion visuals returned in a full-circle motif, bringing the night to a dramatic close.
The ENTER AFTERLIFE tour feels cinematic in scope. Haunting vocals, grunge textures and dark alternative soundscapes collide to create an experience that feels entirely its own. Visually intricate, gothic and firing on all cylinders, it’s a show that truly has to be witnessed to be understood. Crossover and enter the afterlife when WITCHZ arrives on his next world tour stop.