8

Lackluster and much less mean in real life!

Scuzz's cover-boys, the Deathstars, are over here and trying to bring their own brand of metal to Leeds. Leeds is an odd venue. Leeds University doesn't really have any large venues. In fact, Leeds is quite well known for not having any large venues at all. It seems odd to see your work's cafeteria changed into a frenzied circle pit. the sound and lighting is excellent though and it puts many other venues to shame.

The band look a lot less threatening in real life than they do on their videos. The crowd isn't too big either and the opening riffs do little to get the bodies moving. "Motherzone" makes an appearance with an interesting little anecdote being as its mother's day today. Still, it doe's little to impress the crowd, which I find quite odd. The sound is good, the band are tight and it's not as if they are no-namers.

Perhaps it's the excess synth and the fact that both the quieter and higher pitched vocals don't come through so well. Despite the band's attempts something feels a little too flat. The crowd is being unfair I feel but the band does sound a little flat, especially when "Cyanide" comes along. Finally our mean looking lead singer dones his famous Nazi hat and gets with the marching. "Tongues" sounds excellent however and the lead singer's vocals seem to carry very well. It's just a pity the backing ones seem to fade, along with the bands overall flair. There's a little bit of passion missing here.

"Blitzkrieg Boom" finishes off the set nicely. There are a few heckles that carry over a little too much for my liking. Perhaps the bands reliance on Synth and special effects is something that isn't to their favour in a live setting? Rammstein have their pyrotechnics and Marilyn Manson has his depravity. I suspect the Deathstars need something too?