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01. Explode |
Verdict: 8
Deathstars - The Perfect Cult Review
The original gloomy bands like The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division and Bauhaus had left the stage paved for new styles of bands. A different breed of cynical pitch black bands that weaved all sorts of explicit, wicked, sick and disturbing elements into their their stage personas as well as their music.
Along came bands like NIN, Marilyn Manson, White Zombie, Gothminister and of course Deathstars. Despite what the casual listener might believe this Swedish band has been around well over a decade and simply can't be reduced to a cheep Marlyn Manson clone or a copy of Gothminister or Rammstein for that part.
Deathstars has been here all the time lurking in the shadows just out of sight.
In 2006 Deathstars released an album really setting them apart from anything that was around at the time. Termination Bliss was packed with stunning songs and wicked lyrics. The four opening tracks are all just classic, judge for yourself:
- Tongues
- Blitzkrieg
- Motherzone
- Cyanide
Some three years later, 2009, it was time for Night Electric Night and yet again Deathstars delivered exactly what could be expected, all killer songs and nothing even remotely like a filler. At the time for the release of Night Electric Night the band was extremely confident in their own capability and was convinced that the world lay at their feet. Who wouldn't be when they had an album like Night Electric Night to back their humble expectations.
- Chertograd
- Night Electric Night
- Death Dies Hard
- Mark of The Gun
Now it's been five year since Deathstars has released any new material, with exception of the new track "Metal" that was included on "The Greatest Hits on Earth" some three years back.They have toured extensively on their own as well as with Rammstein. The expectations are high, could Deathstars meet the two previous efforts with The Perfect Cult?
Well the album opens up with four tracks that all are more melodic, lesser riff-oriented giving a lot of room for the singing effort of Mr Bernadotte. Rather than being a sequel for the seasoned fan the album opens up for the new listener, showcasing Deathstars. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it's not that exiting either. "All The Devil's Toys" and "Ghost Reviver" are better than the two opening tracks and it is with the title track "The Perfect Cult" the album really kicks into overdrive and the lyrics of the chorus really sums up everything that the band is about:
"Support
The King of Betrayal and Lust
Lord of Nothing but Dust
Die in the Gutter and Dirt
We're The Perfect Cult
The Perfect Cult"
From here on out "The Perfect Cult" really is everything you could expect from Deathstars. The band displays a greater variety to the compositions, the arrangements are fantastic and they simply are sinister as hell.
A track like "Bodies" that introduces synthesizers to create a ever more evil sound, hell yeah!
"Asphalt Wings" that has a little melody box carefully introducing the song just as sensitive as Norman Bates would wake his mother one rainy morning at Bates Motel...
"Track, Crash & Prevail" open up sounding a bit like James Bond on crack, complete with a string ensemble and lyrics oh so evil, diamonds that turn into pitch black coal. What could be more suitable, life form a Deathstars perspective.
Amputate you heart and replace it with prosthetic, I know you feel it, you want it more! Classy lyrics fill the later part of of The Perfect Cult indeed!
To sum things up the album is more like a huge kettle filled with cooking tar rather than a nuclear explosion. Lesser aggression and more foul black expressions than we expected of Deathstars. But hey, it's a different kind of the same so we are all in on the scheme of turning Earth into a dark sinister eurotopia.
Hell Deathstars!
The Band has released two videos were they talk about The Perfect cult and walk you though it song by song.
Check it out below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG5Q98X7TWI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvchkBS2V7g