Deathstars - Finally come to London

****1/2

Storming the capital!!!

Deathstars ****1/2 finally they are playing in London, after the show has been postponed a few times. So I have waited quite a while to finally catch the Death Glam / Industrial Metal legends in London again. The Swedish band from Stromstad are now on the fifth studio album 'Everything destroys You', which really is catipulting them back into most Metal / Goth fans CD collection. What I like the most about the Deathstars performance is that they are as good and intense as they where when they first came out in the early 2000's, while at the same time having an edgy taste of fun and the bizarre.

What I always loved about the Deathstars was singer Whiplasher's messy andromedus presence, you never know what he is going to say... and Yes! he did surprise some of the photographers in the pit with sexual and fun innuendo's. He is not afraid to say things other singers might be in 2023 scared to say, he knows if your at a Deathstars show that you are accepting of the camp gay vibe to them. Yes! Deathstars really break down the gender barriers, but they can still be heavy as F**K. I love a band thart can wear make-up and a dress, while they are playng heavy riffage.

I have to say if you think you don't know the Deathstars you are wrong, if you been to any Goth / Alternative club all around the World... you have heard their music blasting out. From the infamous 'Cyanide', that they play near the end of their set... to killer dancefloor killers like 'Blitzkreig', 'Metal' and 'Synthetic Generation'. Newer songs like 'Midnight Party' and 'Everything destroys You' are not quite yet up with these songs, but I think with time that they will grow in stature. The band have had a few line-up changes of the year, and it is great that they have him back in the band over the last five years... and he looks great in a dress. So people might call his look transgender, I just call it amazing.

I have to say my favourite songs in the bands set are 'Tongues' and 'The Greatest fight on Earth', they always have great lights for these tracks which both come from what I call their most succesful album 'Termination Bliss'. I remember when they used to wear green shirts for this record that they all wore, I have one of these somewhere. They later changed these to black, and their image got a slightly different edge from there on. I think these two tracks have such a dark twisted impacet, and I think that is why they are my personal favourite. Their set goes by far too quickly, and this is because they have so many great songs. I always thought they should be bigger than they actually are, maybe some of the gender stuff does not appeal to everyone... but I have respect for them for staying true to themselves.

I saw the band support Rammstein one time at the London, o2 Arena, whcih was an incredible set. And I really think that their set at the London, Scala was close to this. I think Deathstars are back at their best, and with people wanting the bands back from the 90's and early 2000's... I think you will be hearing a lot more from them in the future. Because I think Deathstars is a band that is really speaking to me again, and I will go back to their albums before, and listen and enjoy them again. And I look forward to seeing them again, next time they are at a venue I can get to.

Review and Photos by Dan Devour

Deathstars - Setlist
--------------------------------
Night electric Night
Between volumes and Voids
All the Devil's Toys
Ghost Reviver
Midnight Party
Tongues
The Greatest fight on Earth 
Death dies Hard
This Is 
New dead Nation
Fire Galore
Metal
Synthetic Generation
Everything destroys You
Blood stains Blondes
Chertograd
-----------------
Blizkrieg
Cyanide

Check Out! the Video for 'Midnight Party' Below...