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Artist: DEADSTAR ASSEMBLY
Album: Coat Of Arms
Year: 2010
Many people know Deadstar Assembly for their kickass 'Send Me An Angel' cover, but of course there is much more to tell about them. Deadstar Assembly was formed in 2001 as a five piece, and released two studio albums before this 'Coat Of Arms' release. They did many shows in the United States, sharing the stages with bands such as Wednesday 13 and The Birthday Massacre. 'Coat Of Arms' is this band's third studio album, released by Spiralchords, and comes with 12 tracks.
After the title track slash intro, the album kicks off with 'Arm And A Leg'. It is built on a spine of bashing drums and thrashy riffing, decorated with recogniseable vocal lines and welladded keylines. It's a powerful track, yet gentle and accessable. 'F.Y.G.' is a powerful midtempo electro metal based track. It comes with straight forward drumming and riffing, nearly catchy vocal lines and wave influenced keylines. 'The Darkest Star' comes up next. It's a very decent industrial metal track, with both soft and hard edges, and probably the best samples/keylines of the album. Overall the song is accessable and easy listening, though it is blessed with a certain amount of power, making it my favorite track on the release. 'Shadows' comes with tight riffing and programming, subtile added samples and nicely floating vocal lines, all wrapped together in an electro metal attitude. The little wave influenced bridge is essentially wellplaced. 'We Fade Forever' is more atmospheric based, bringing you back to the more old school times of electro metal without leaving the modern attitude of this release. It's probably the most accessable and "radio friendly" song, coming with gentle drumming, nearly sing-a-long vocal lines and decent riffing and keylines. 'Already Dead' comes with a wave spine of electronic sampling and wellfitting drumming. The riffing is simple but straight to the point, and the rawish vocal lines fit the song surprisingly well. 'Blood Bags' follows. It comes with more than decent electro samples, bashing though gentle drumming and recogniseable riffing and vocals. It's the shortest song if you leave out the intro. 'Breathe For Me' can be seen as the ballad of the release, coming with piano sounds and clean vocal lines. The very gentle drumming and welladded samples and riffing (with special mentioning of the guitar solos) contribute to the atmosphere of the track. 'Rise Again' comes with a catchy midtempo rhytm, accompanied by atmospheric riffing and vocal lines and essential sampling. Again one of the more accessable songs. 'In Secrecy' opens with powerful dark riffing, but evolves into an accessable midtempo industrial metal track when the programming and vocal lines kick in. The experimental use of the riffing all over the song is the most essential thing to mention. 'Curtains' is the final song on the album already. It's a powerfully bashing industrial metal track, coming with tight powerful riffing and drumming, accompanied by wellfitting vocal lines and electro/wave influenced keylines.
With 'Coat Of Arms', Deadstar Assembly delivers a more than decent and diverse album. With influences heading from cyberpunk to thrash metal and from wave to electro and industrial metal, this album doesn't get bored a single second. Songs like 'The Darkest Star', 'Breathe For Me' and 'Curtains' even have their own identity. To keep it short - 'Coat Of Arms' is a release that shows no weak points overall and proves to be the best Deadstar Assembly studio album up to date. Go and get it right away!
Vote: 94 / 100
Review by: Gerardo
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1. Coat Of Arms
2. Arm And A Leg
3. F.Y.G.
4. The Darkest Star
5. Shadows
6. We Fade Forever
7. Already Dead
8. Blood Bags
9. Breathe For Me
10. Rise Again
11. In Secrecy
12. Curtains
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