Deadstar Assembly- Unsaved

Artist: Deadstar Assmebly
CD Title: Unsaved
Label: The A-Label
Reviewer: Richard Edge
Date: 7-30-06

Deadstar Assembly hail from sunny South Florida, but their disposition would appear to be anything but sunny. There must be something about all that sun in Florida that breeds bands that lean towards the darker side. Think back to the 1980s and the waves of Death Metal bands emanating from the Florida scene – not exactly happy music for happy people. Maybe it’s now the turn of industrial goth metal, for that is what DSA are indeed excellent purveyors of.

“Unsaved” is their second album release, and this, together with high profile support tours with the likes of Ministry, looks set to propel them firmly into the alternative mainstream.

The album itself is a slick blend of all the major scene names. It’s hard to listen to without drawing instant parallels with Marilyn Manson and HIM, indeed DSA come across as an effortless, slick blend of the two. Not to say this is anything particularly negative – after all look at the success of those particular bands.

There is the requisite guitar riff-age and drum battery, but there is a strand of real melodic content sewn through the album, with the vocals leaning towards to melodic rather than the aggressive at times. This is especially evident on the ballad-esque tones of “And Ashes Will Fall”. Fans of the more metallic end of the industrial sound will enjoy the riff-erama of “Dejected”

Although they appear to have a band member with electronic duties, the synth sounds are rather in the background, which musically would be the main criticism.

Sure to be a major new force on the industro-goth scene, Deadstar Assembly – the new Marilyn Manson?