DEATHSTARS & MORTIIS
VOODOO LOUNGE, DUBLIN
11/04/2007
When Deathstars were announced to play Dublin, I was pretty keen to see them due to their brilliant Goth metal sound along with their intriguing and original look but whenever Mortiis was announced to support, it was a must see Scandinavian double header.
Mortiis, although collectively involving the four members of the band, is in fact just the lead singer. His previous position as bassist for black metal legends Emperor has rubbed off on his music. But the Norwegian, who has been working under the pseudonym for over ten years, has created an irresistible industrial metal sound that derives more influences from the likes of Nine Inch Nails and Alice Cooper than his previous venture. Personified by his haunting graphic mask, he could be dropped into the Slipknot and Mushroomhead field but his whole persona emits a different type of originality and through this he's gained a cult following throughout the world.
Making his first ever visit to Ireland, many there were surely in attendance to see him alone and they definitely weren't disappointed. Performing without his iconic mask, we were able to see the man behind it for the first time and ultimately it gave him more leverage to exhibit his highly fuelled set. Opening with the second song of his most recent release, The Grudge, Way Too Wicked, was a fantastic way to start. His thrashing about of the microphone stand and perfect movements on stage demonstrated his comfort on his Irish debut and the crowd made him feel more than welcome. Among his set were songs from The Grudge including the fantastic dance infused Gibber as well as the albums second single, Decadent and Desperate. Although many songs lacked the CD's machine made samples, the raw guitars made up for anything lost and added a more natural sound to the performance.
Peppered in his set were three or four new songs which all entailed unique moments that will make them substantial features to the new album. Nearing the end of his set, Mortiis looked as if he could've spent the following hour performing however sadly he was only a special guest and that left a limited slot. As well as old favourite Parasite God, The Smell Of Rain from the album of the same name closed his set and what really should have been the night's headliner. 9/10
Deathstars, a five-piece from Sweden, have gathered much success in Britain and Ireland due to their most recent release, Termination Bliss, and the positive publicity of Metal Hammer magazine. Although being in the limelight only a short while they've gained many significant support slots for the likes of Lacuna Coil and Cradle of Filth, which has ultimately led to their own European headline tours. Their fusion of Goth, synth and metal appeals to many different types of fans which was evident in the large crowd for their first Irish appearance.Their stage theatrics as well as typically cheesey Irish jokes that only a Mr Leprechaun was on the guest list, are slightly desperate but it won over the crowd and set their foundations in the country.
The majority of their set came from the aforementioned album Termination Bliss where songs like Tongues, Blitzkrieg Boom, Cyanide and The Last Ammunition were played as well as songs from previous release Synthetic Generation. Lead singer Whiplasher Bernadotte epitomised both sleaze and camp with his tri-colour boa around his neck and general European sexual ramblings however his personality suited the band and it worked well. The diversity of his voice needs to be defiantly credited though as it never faltered once. Although their set was perfectly fine it never hit any real moments but I think Mortiis had stole all them when Deathstars were applying their glitter and make up. 7/10
