Customer Reviews

Storm

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Assemblage 23 has come a long way since its inception, pulling itself up from trying to land songs like Graverobber on samplers to becoming one of the most renowned acts in EBM. The reason A23 has managed to do it has been the quality of the sounds used as a mouthpiece for the band, and because the albums maintain a level one expects from a mainstay in their listening rotation. The full releases have been phenomenal, with pieces like Failure deservedly pushing the act into the spotlight and giving them a worldwide audience, and piece like Contempt and Defiance (not to forget the tracks from Addendum) adding so many quality pieces. The sound of the albums, the way they flow and the lyrical mastery; its all evolved as the act has come into its own. And the effort, of course, revolves around Tom Shear.

I really can't say enough about the material that Tom Shears release, nor can I hype him as much as he merits. He really has worked wonders with A23, remixing countless tracks from the likes of Pain Station (that Slaughterhouse mix off of Cold is WELL worth obtaining), Covenant, God Module and so many others, and he has also helped engineer wonders when it comes to the likes of Lost Signal (their album Catharsis is another gem that everyone desperately needs). With regard to his work with A23, Shear's crafted droves of quality EBM beatwork, keeping the motions moving to an almost always danceable beat, and he's done it while becoming really versed when in the art of introspection. That's possibly what I like about his work the most, because he gives his audience portions of his life that feel and hurt and that help him connect with others. In the past he's wielded the double-edged blade of sorrow with the death of his father, the hate that comes with betrayal and with simply wanting to connect, and he's laid it out on track after track. And that formulates an impressive resume, to be sure.

On Storm, I found beats that I have come to expect from A23, and I found quite a few tracks I responded to immediately. I'm partial to the song Human, because Shear's vocal blend seamlessly with the beat and because I enjoy the concept of the song itself. "If imperfection is the lens that sees me through, don't be surprised if someday soon that lens stares back at you." Yeah, that's good stuff. Skin is also a great track, with both a mix of vocals that modify a bit from the last and with an energetic beat, plus an affirming message that shays to be who you are. "Shed your skin, be who you arm, unencumbered by the weight of hiding every little scar." Yeah, that's the good stuff as well. Skipping around for room, there's also the track Complacent that caught my audio attention, with the stuff that I disagree with a lot of people about because I really think this type of track is what helps Shear shine. It still has an electronic beat but the it slows a little more that "danceable," giving it some energy but also crafting more melodic skies, and its accented with vocals that seem flawless in that setting. "Sweet denial, take your leave, you must have others to deceive." Yeah, that makes me a happy auditory camper. The last one I want to note is the song 30kft, a departure from the norm and a rather sad song that is perhaps the best one of the album. It takes place as an occupant is informed that his plane is going down and is simply trying to call his wife and tell her everything he's feeling. It has such an eerie feeling to it, one that really makes a person tear up when you think about what's going on, and it has this attractive sadness that really made me attach to it. "I'm sorry most of all I won't be there when you grow old, to be there by your side and keep you warm when you are cold." Its really sad when you feel the painting, and something I find myself really moved by.

And this tiny track listing is, by no means, a highlighted pack of what the album is. Like I said, there's quite a bit of pleasure to be derived from the album. There's the singles that the album spawned, Let the Wind Erase Me and Ground, and a lot of other goodies. If you find you like this you'll also want to pick up the two aforementioned singles, because both have extra tracks on them not contained on the album as well. Yummy.

By far one of the best electronic albums that I've bought in a long time. Not to mention this album has one of the coolest, most original songs ever--30KFT. There aren't any songs on this album that I don't like. Tom Shear is a terrific songwriter, his melodies are exquisite, and his vocals are dark and moody. Complacent is my favorite song because it reminds me a lot of 80's Depeche Mode. I love the overall melancholy feel that the album puts out, though it's full of energy and has plenty of dance beats. Fans of Neuroticfish, Covenant, Angels and Agony, Imperative Reaction, and any 80's synth rock will definately like this album. Do yourself a favor and just buy it, you won't be disappointed.

It may sound a little fanboy-ish, but this Tom Sheer effort has become the standard by which all other music of this genre should be compared. More than two years after the release of this incredible disc, I still find myself listening to it on a regular basis. This is raw, emotional, powerful, and above all, FUN to listen to. Tom Sheer's career as Assemblage 23 shows a definitive progression... from the growling, angry, disgust found on his first album "Contempt" on up through "Storm", which is far more positive and upbeat. But don't get me wrong... we're not talking about fields of daisies and cute fluffy bunnies; not at all. Still, "Storm" shows a man who has come to terms with himself and his life and knows that he is in a better place now.

That's a lot to take away from a synthpop-electronica album, isn't it? Of course it's just my opinion, but I can really feel the emotion behind these songs. Sheer is a man who clearly puts his heart and his everything into his music, and that has never been more clearly represented than on this album. The content of every song is profound, thought-provoking, deep, and meaningful. This isn't silly junk about unrequited love, or formulaic warblings about dislike of government, or any other garbage found in most music today and in the last decade. This is REAL. This is about a man who has faced many challenges and has overcome them, and the result is this inspirational and uplifting disc that makes you start dancing and never stop. And it'll make you cry, too... the final track, 30Kft, is Assembage 23's most heart-wrenching emotional song since "Disappoint" from the album "Failure". Truly, few musicians can adequately capture such a vast range of emotions and feelings in their work.

Every track is well-crafted, every song catchy. I bought this album the week it came out in 2004, and it is one of two albums (Killing Joke's self-titled 2004 release being the other) that I rank as some of the best music ever produced. When I speak of the bar being raised, it's because I look at the depth and content of this album in comparison to VNV Nation's formulaic "Matter + Form" and Covenant's vastly subpar "Skyshaper", bands that were once formidable staples of this genre, and I cringe. How can these other former giants fall from grace in such a way when ONE MAN, Tom Sheer, can single-handedly make a disc this good? It all sounds so silly for me to praise this album so much, but it's true.

If you're reading this review, there is absolutely no reason why you should not buy this disc. This is THE standard for electronic music. Just be warned: once you hear the vast superiority of the musicianship found on this album, it may be very hard for you to accept subpar offerings from other bands in this category. Assemblage 23 will never get the accolades it deserves because the world is too busy digesting mindless tripe from whiney Coldplay or crunching on their bubble gum while listening to Jessica Simpson. It's a shame, because "Storm" is so far superior in every single way. Well done, Mr. Sheer!

I laugh at the many modern "stars" who try to uplift us with their pop foolishness. Do you HEAR ME?! I LAUGH AT YOU!!

This album is awesome. The lyrics are heartfelt, the beats cold, fast, and euphoric. It's uplifting as hell, too- it seems to raise your consciousness to a higher level.

I'm fairly new to Tom Shear work, i will admit. But in comparison to other EBM Acts this is really good, and in comparison to electronica as a whole this is AWESOME.
It might seem risky, but do yourself the favor of buying this album. It's "legit".

I've read reviews of this album in which the reviewer complains that the songs all seem too similar. It's true that it appears Mr. Shear has found a groove with this album, and he settles into that groove nicely for the length of the work. The lyrics are easily on par with Tom's other works, reflecting a depth of thought and emotion not common to the EBM genre. And EBM is what this is: the stomping beats (and the occasional "oonz oonz") and the lighting-fast synths certianly make this body want to move. Tom Shear found a great style for this album, and he sticks with it, to a very successful end.

The only weak track on this album is "You Haven't Earned It," and the only reason I consider it a weak track is its lack of meaning. "Infinte" is a lyrically beautiful ode to the majesty of the universe, "Ground" is an emotionally-charged appeal for mental peace, and every other song carries some weight behind it except for "You Haven't Earned It." Granted, it's a nice song, and the style fits into Tom's style on this album, but a send-up of misbehaving musical artists just doesn't fit.

The one song that breaks this delicious mold is "30Kft." This song is a heart-wrenching answering-machine message from a man whose plane is about to go down. It's slow, intense, and superbly sorrowful. I have to work myself up emotionally every time I prepare to listen to it.

This album is Assemblage 23's best work, a logical continuation from "Contempt," "Failure," and "Defiance." With Mr. Shear's music's steady progression in dancability, musical complexity, and emotional power, I simply cannot wait for more new material from him.

You should buy this album without a doubt.

This is an extremely tough album to review. The songs, taken individually, are generally excellent, and Tom Shear deserves recognition for the work he has done. However the problem lies in the fact that the album has a number of flaws and in its totality does not warrant a perfect rating.

Nearly every song on the album is very good if not better. "Skin" is truly wonderful both musically and lyrically, speaking of freeing oneself for the encumbrance of conforming to the views of others. "30k ft" is my favortie track, stepping away fromt he dance format of the rest of the album. The concept of a man calling his wife from a doomed airplane to say his last goodbye is original and he executes it perfectly in a manner that is touching as well as impactful. He really needed to make 1-2 other offbeat tracks to break the album up, and it's even worse than this was stuck at the end where it couldn't effectively create some space between dance tracks.

Aside form those 2 excellent songs there are 5-6 more really good ones. "Human", "Regret", "Apart" and "You Haven't Earned It" are all strong futurepop efforts with solid, though unspectacular, lyrics. The latter is an important message when so many modern people think they are the center of the universe and deserving of praise without having paid their due. Still lyrically it feels like a really under-developed version of the Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby"; Then again, no one can compete with old-school Morrissey on a content basis. The 2 singles "Let the Wind Erase Me" and "Ground" are nice as well. The only issue I have with them is that they follow the "Here's How You Make a FuturePop Hit Single" template too closely. Good songs, but there's a spark missing. I guess that's my biggest complaint with this album overall; He's found a formula and he almost never deviates from it. The structure is the same throughout. The vocal delivery never alters and it grates on you after a while. Even the lyrics are presented in similar fashion and deal with similar themes.

Only a couple of songs actually get on my nerves. The tiresome "Complacent" sounds, well, complacent; Maybe that's a clever trick but it just feels like he was out of the will to make this song. The flat, drawn out vocals take any impact out of the message. "Infinite" is perhaps OK (some reviewers have specifically praised it) but I thought that most of us had pretty much run through the whole concept of an infinite universe and our tiny spot in it by the time we were 12; It blew me away back then but I've since dealt with it.

All in all, an album filled with great songs but lacking that certain something that would make it a classic. I've heard it probably 30 times in total by now. It's got enough great tracks to keep me coming back. The wacky thing is this... I'm always very happy when I take the CD out too. Something about it bugs me when taken all at once. Except for "30k ft" he fails to make this feel real and passionate the way older songs like "Disappoint" felt. The lyrics and messages are intelligent but strangely dull; It seems like any smart person would have already thought of everything presented here, again with the exception of the brilliant, naked emotion of "30k ft". I mean hey, I'm giving it 5 stars. I love it, but the detractors do have a point... something's just off with this.

Maybe there's a bigger point here regarding futurepop in general. 'Storm' clearly fits well right in line with the current form of futurepop (VNV, Apop, Covenant, etc.). And this is a nearly perfect execution of the genre. Yet I, and some others, seem less than dazzled. Hmmm. Ronan Harris, on the VNV Nation DVD, states that electro industrial tends to shift about every 5 yeras or so. The VNV based futurepop style has dominates the scene for about 5 years. Are we done with this sound? Is 'Storm' the tail end of a moment that we need to let go of? Maybe so.

You know, after "Defiance" I figured Tom Shear is hard pressed to do better. So I put the CD in the CD-Rom drive and Holy Sh#t!

I don't even really know where to begin. This album is incredible for any fan of electro-ebm style music. But for me as an artist it's nothing short of inspiring. I'll always have a soft spot for older tracks off Defiance, Failure and Addendum but this is a real progression.

From the opening killer cut "Human" to the haunting "30K" this CD gives me goosbumps and makes me want to reach for the f#$kin' sky. In the end, I'm left going "Damn, is it over already?"
It's tough to pick out my favorite cuts but I think right now they are "Human", "Ground" "Let the Wind Erase Me" and hell I don't know...the whole thing.

Right up there with Leaether Strip, VNV Nation and Razed in Black. Tom Shear once again proves that not only can he not write a bad song, but he continues to progress.

Ihave to say it was a eye opener, I love Funker-vogt....etc
I had to listen to this cd over and over!! All the songs are strong. There are no bad songs on this cd period!!!!! See for yourself!!!

Daniel

Not much else to say here that hasn't already been said by other reviewers. This is an excellent album, and if you're lookig for a great follow-up to Failure, I highly recommend it. Amazingly, some of the tracks are uplifting, instead of the normally dark and depressing that industrial/EBM is known for, which, in my opinion, is a great change of pace. The best track is by far 'Ground'. I am absolutely in love with this song, and simply cannot get enough of it. Human, Skin, and Consequence are excellent as well. If anything, you should at least go to iTunes, and isten to the tracks mentioned (especially Ground, and iTunes allows you to change your settings to listen to the entire track before you buy) to see if Storm is what you're looking for. Enjoy!

As i wrote , this is his finest effort to date. it was clear that the man has a talent for EBM/Electro music with his first album , and he kept on getting better with each new album. If you like your "electro" dark ( vnv nation , funker vogt , icon of coil and etc ... ) this one will surely please you. Tracks like "human" , "complacent" , and "let the wind erase me" are simply superb.