Death Spells initially received a DIY, regional release in 2018, with the band's friend putting out the 10-song album via his label, Whelmed Records. Word about the young band began to grow out of the Southwest with fans and friends sharing the songs and "Drag Me Into The Woods" video via social media, eventually tipping off a handful of in-the-know writers and musicians. Stereogum proclaimed it as one of the "Top 50 Records of 2018," New Noise dubbed it a "sonic adventure," and Heavy Blog Is Heavy/Arctic Drones' writer David Zeidler saying, " a little-known indie band from Arizona being touted as the next big thing by respected musicians isn't something I'm likely to gloss over lightly... I was sufficiently impressed, but it wasn't until the band released the first single from Death Spells, 'Arrows'... that I fully realized how exciting and potentially important this band could be." Thrice's Riley Breckenridge said he "literally had goosebumps for a majority of my first listen" and Lamb of God's Randy Blythe offered, "listening from top-to-bottom will take you on a trance-inducing journey."
