#See the difference is Starset has LORE.

[beyondthetemples-ooc]

Ha, I think I deluded myself a little.

After Starset made my #1 Band on last year's Spotify Wrapped, I was like, "That's probably because I had concerts to prepare for."

They had a playlist that was for the IMMERSION tour, and I listened to that thing for approximately 40 hours a week. I wanted to know EVERY WORD at the show! Then it turned out they played songs that weren't on the playlist (TELEKINETIC and Frequency I think?), of which I knew pieces of the refrains from hearing once or twice on Pandora, I have a pretty long and accurate memory for music, but I didn't learn the lyrics until before the SECOND demonstration last year in August. :P

Anyway, after the shows, I thought about it and I was like, I love Starset and I love them dearly, but I wonder what other band would take its place. It'd be funny if it wasn't Evanescence, my actual Favorite Band of nearly two decades! What would my favorites list look like when I'm out of a Starset hyperfixation?

Would it be mostly Rock still or more heavy on the symphonic metal? What does a year where I'm not listening to Starset constantly look like?

I'm probably not going to find out this year.

Because every time Starset drops a new song, I listen to it approximately 80 times in three days to memorize it and then intermittently listen to it in the following weeks to refresh my memory. (And also just because they're BANGERS.)

They've dropped two new songs this year already.

And they're on my rotation for walks/exercise/etc. because it's such energetic music.

I am definitely NOT going to find out what happens when Starset isn't my Top Band this year. lD;;;

[kickedin17]

Body reveal I guess (I am so swagless <3) but guess whoooo met Starset and got to have Mr. Bustin Dates sign my books while we talked for like 5 seconds about the food truck. Gweh

I've mentioned like a billion times even though this is a tøp blog starset is my favorite band ever, I've been a fan since Transmissions dropped and as of now they're the only band I've gotten to see live twice bc they actually tour to my state (very different concerts and experiences though which is also really cool). Dustin sounded INCREDIBLE the setlist was absolutely incredible. Fucking. Starlight acoustic live. Hi. Fucking. It Has Begun. Acoustic. The vocals. Howling at the moon. I think I also like TokSik now which is a big deal for me. I didn't get videos bc I was a 2 apples tall guy in a sea of 6feeters but oughhhhh. Vibes were overall so good. I only talked to other people briefly (including a very nice guy who waited and watched out for me while I was getting a boot taken off my car bc a separate business decided to boot like 30 people for not seeing a teeny singular sign which has turned into a whole other Situation, please let the Situations stop) but everyone seemed really cool. S/o to the person in full blue metallic face paint I respect your craft and your vision

Anyway really really good I'm so happy I decided to go (I'd been kind of on the fence tbh because I'm. Not lovingggggg the current era for a couple reasons but I'm glad I sucked it up bc this was so catered to longtime fans and was good and ruled). I love my silly ohio concept bands with homoerotic subtext in them fronted by Some Guy and so much lore they have to make books about it

[the-demi-jedi]

Hey there my fellow Starset cryptids, since I finally have a decent phone with a decent camera, enjoy some front-row pics from the Prague demonstration!

Some highlights under the cut

- I'm writing this at like 1:20 AM from a nonstop KFC where I'm camping until my train home arrives. There are creepy people here so I just pretend I don't exist. (Post has been revised and edited at home)

- It was SO FUNNY since there was some kind of graduation party in a different part of the venue, so you just had those hardcore rock people with BMIs on their heads AND very formal people in crisp, fancy suits and dresses basically side by side

- Dustin was funny as fuck during the VIP session

- Dustin: "Any song request?" Audience: "Let it die!" Dustin: "Let it Die? You want Let it Die? Okay! Here's Echo!"

- "Now we're gonna play a really deep-cut song. A real obscure one. A lot of you probably haven't heard it." Proceeds to play My Demons

- We're apparently getting TWO new novels in the foreseeable future. Big news for Starset lore rats such as myself.

- Spent like $150 on merch. Don't judge my financial decisions.

- Update: creepy people are going away. Thank fucking god.

- The guitarists of Smash into Pieces (the support band) got so lost in the sauce they almost kicked out my teeth twice and narrowly avoided at least three serious injuries.

- I don't actively listen to SiP, but their set was pretty amazing

- But NOTHING is as amazing as Starset. It's unbelievable what they can do with a tiny venue with limited space. That feeling when the demonstration starts to feel more like a theatre / musical is impeccable (hence it's called a "demonstration" instead of just "concert" or "show", to include all those aspects).

- At least one guy decided to ditch the aforementioned graduation party and showed up to see Starset, in his suit and all. Legend.

- Silly me took a small sightseeing tour in Prague before the show, so I already had like 16,000 steps in my legs when I got there and could barely stand by the end.

- Big thanks to my great friend & her GF who made the experience even more enjoyable

- After the show, we managed to meet Cory Juba (the newest touring member of the band). He's SO nice and humble and he seemed genuinely overjoyed when we told him we loved the show & his performance. Very open to taking pictures and even hugging.

- The only slight negative was the security staff who acted like major dickheads most of the time. Like, I get it, it's your job, but still, JFC. A big FUCK YOU goes to them.

- Overall 10/10 experience. Absolutely worth the time, money and energy.

[mattbflatt-loves-starset]

STARSET and The Right Way to Start an Album

Have you ever listened to a newly released album by your favorite artist, and right after hearing the first song, you can’t help but think “Hot damn, this is gonna be amazing”? That’s because the first song in an album is incredibly significant to drawing an audience in and establishing the tone of what’s to come. If you do it the right way, people will keep listening, vehemently searching for more. Cinematic rock band STARSET has this alluring motion down to a science, while also deviating from the norm ever so slightly. Each of their albums starts with a small, prologue-type song, followed by a track that purely and unequivocally kicks ass. If you don’t feel even the slightest shift in emotion after hearing the start of a STARSET album, then to quote one of my favorite childhood youtubers: “Brush yourself off man, because you are dead.” -videogamedunky Super Mario Odyssey (dunkview), 2017.

In chronological order of release, the very beginning of STARSET’s saga begins with their album Transmissions, and both the prologue track “First Light” and their first full track “Down With The Fallen” released with the album back in 2014. The prologue has a very intense electronic track, with harsh percussion, spoken lines distorted by a radio filter, and a small string orchestra infused with a drum kit forcing the intensity to grow over time. As the texture of the music thickens, our narrator enters and begins talking to the listener, as if they’re revealing a plan. My personal favorite line from this sequence is “Once you had the power to affect monumental change, would you let fear consume? Or would you overcome?” 

STARSET – First Light Lyrics 

First Light 

The prologue ends with a segue straight into “Down With The Fallen”, in which the listener hears only the pulse of a heartbeat monitor and the first melodic idea of the first full track. Within only a minute and 24 seconds, the dark and pervading sinister tone is set, the album begins, and you realize the most striking thing about this group’s music… they’re telling a story.

Starset - Down With the Fallen (audio) 

Following the timeline, the next album to release is Vessels, which came out in early 2017. The first two tracks of this album are the prologue “The Order” and the song “Satellite”, which follow the same formula as Transmissions, but with a much different execution. There are no words in the prologue at all, and no words are needed. In fact, there is only one musical idea that is developed throughout the entire thing. It begins with what sounds like a solo cello, playing a descending minor third. This is repeated over and over again, and the texture thickens in a haunting manner. Muffled radios play in the background, more strings come in which introduce harmonizing parts, the electronic ambience grows, and the volume continues to crescendo into this horror film-esque high string tremolo, which then suddenly drops the listener into “Satellite”. 

The Order 

The first full track of this album has a much different tone than the prologue, moving into a much more up-beat love-themed rock song. It sounds incredible, and the creative decision here is very smart. The music of this album hides the subliminal themes within lyrics and background lore, a nice contrast to how on-the-nose Transmissions is.

Starset - Satellite (Official Audio) 

And finally, their most recent album, DIVISIONS, went back to the blunt storytelling of Transmissions, executed in a way that shows how much they’ve grown as a group. The prologue “A Brief History of the Future” hits hard with machinery, an officer of sorts yelling inaudible things, and then eventually, a narrator. This narrator is much different than the narrators that have said things on previous albums, as his voice is very clear, and his message is jarring. He tells of what society has crumbled into, and how he seeks “to know the truth” of what the real world is and how technology has controlled mankind (trying not to spoil anything here haha). There’s less of a build up during this prologue, and more of a progression, with a story that hooks the listener instantly. It’s clear that the focus of this prologue is the narrative STARSET has been developing over the years, and given how this album pans out, this is both appropriate and a very smart creative decision.

STARSET – A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE 

STARSET - A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FUTURE (Official Audio) 

The first full track DIVISIONS is “MANIFEST”, which is one of the dopest names ever for a rock song. What’s unique about this album is that there is no segue between the prologue and the first track, which is unlike the first two albums. The prologue in this album is much more conclusive, and gives a statement that allows the first track to stand on its own. “MANIFEST”, being one of the most popular tracks on DIVISIONS, goes VERY HARD, with some of the coolest guitar and high string parts I’ve ever heard in a rock song. Lead singer Dustin Bates’s voice shines well on this song, especially during the section right before the final chorus of the song, called the bridge. This section is the crowning jewel of this song, as Dustin’s high full voice singing combined with the INSANE kit part of STARSET drummer Adam Gilbert makes for such an angry, but passion-fueled part of the song. I have isolated this section and listened to it repeatedly many more times than I can count, it is THAT GOOD.

STARSET - MANIFEST (Official Music Video) 

STARSET is one of the best rock bands that are writing and touring today, and the way they start their albums is unlike any other band I’ve ever listened to. The future of this band is bright, and as an avid fan, I cannot WAIT to see what the future holds.

-Mattbflatt

UPDATE: STARSET’s newest album HORIZONS has just been teased! The album was revealed last night and their newest singles “THE BREACH” and “INFECTED” are now available! Take a listen!

STARSET - THE BREACH (Official Music Video) 

STARSET - INFECTED 

STARSET’s Youtube Channel: starsetonline 

Sources/Links (In Order Used):

https://genius.com/Starset-first-light-lyrics 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW3Zn4c9pVY 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tW_FkaXeSwc 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlE1srK-Pp0 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCbdQNGBw9E 

https://genius.com/Starset-a-brief-history-of-the-future-lyrics 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXng1JE9dmk 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-sjOGAQQzA 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkbUMQ4-88 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pggN6f4h4So 

[noctiferous-fr]

Lair Review for @starsetfr  

(A Part of my Apparel for Reviews System) 

Under a cut because I wrote a lot lol. 

Starset Lair Link

Right off the bat, I absolutely adore the way you’ve set up the tab description! I honestly might use that concept because my main tab is currently all dedicated to who is on what page instead of like the main clan aesthetic. Your lore sounds really cool too! I love the vibe of a vacation town omg that’s so cute.

I really like your bio setups! They’re very simplistic but the information is all easily accessible. The inclusion of the lil emojis in Threadfin’s bio made me smile – they are so adorable. The aesthetic of the first page is so nice and I love the mixtures of blues and browns. I like this little family unit of Threadfin / Tetra and their kids. And wow! Owen looks fantastic, and I love the little “drippy eyes��.” Comment in her bio lol.

Betta’s colors are so pleasing to look at. I love the mixture of the bright colors and the way his apparel matches and compliments his accent.  It’s amazing how you’ve managed to give all these first page dragons a ‘watery’ aesthetic while still managing to make them all look like individuals.

Sardonyx’s colors and apparel are all so pleasing to look at, and his accent is such a perfect match that it took me a while to notice it. I love how the spine in the accent is matched with the rusted metal of his apparel. His lore was very interesting and led me to go and check out Galford.

Omg Galford…. I love him. His lore is so interesting and I am smitten with this angsty, bitter old man. The line at the end about him noticing that the town became a tourist destination made me chuckle. I legit just can’t get over exactly how much I love him.

I’m always here for purple dragons, and Tendril is just gorgeous. I especially love the layering of the daredevil cover and the linen head wrap. It’s just such a good look. The brightness of plum alloy against his more dark tone is so eye-catching… We love to see it. The way the black fabric of the white raven armor covers up a good portion of the bright plum also just looks really neat and I love it. Plum Ghost is just barely noticeable and I really adore the way it peeks out from beneath the head coverings.

Sunshine looks so bright and cheerfully and I feel like I love her. The concept of a shell shop is so stinkin’ cute omg, and I adore her cute lil accent and the shells it gives her. The few pieces of apparel on her look great too, and I love that you’ve left most of her naked so that her accent can shine.

Thulian caught my eye immediately with her purple and green color scheme and I really love her lore. She makes me feel sad for her and she sounds so sweet :( . I always love seeing that accent because my custom progen also wears it! Funnily enough, my progen actually used to be a tree before she was transformed into a dragon by a ‘strange mage’ (well, he used to be a mystery, and then he turned up and everyone realized he was a bit of a dork). I feel like the two of them would get along.

Ohohohooh…. Hollow has such a perfect aesthetic I have chills. I love them. I adore the way their brown / earthy tones are being ‘taken over’ by his icy apparel. All in all it just looks fantastic.

Evika’s apparel is so cool and from the small amount of lore she has I already love her. I actually really love how her apparel doesn’t match her colors and instead adds an entirely new element. The Thresher Flatfins are such a neat apparel item that I haven’t used yet but Evika looks stunning in it. I love the purple tones on her apparel and just her entire look…

Yaeshaun’s wings are the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life. For lots of colors I dislike Iri/Shim but Cyan Shimmer is an absolute stunner. I adore the brightness of them contrasted with his monotone prim and tert. The way the roundhorns match the bright cyan colors is just amazing. His outfit really fits his role too, which is something I personally struggle with in my own lair! Overall just a gorgeous lil man.

Bet you’d never imagined that a shadow lair would immediately gravitate towards Penumbra, huh? She’s so gorgeous that I am almost speechless. I love the mixture of apparel that you’ve used and the layering. It creates such an amazing aesthetic and really just solidifies her shadow-y aesthetic. I was shocked to see her bio say her role is a healer but I really love that! What a great contrast between her look and her lore, and I’d love to know more about her :D

From Penumbra directly to Canidae we go! Gosh, I adore when people mix colors from different sections of the color wheel and I especially love the mix of greens and golds that she has. Peacock Capsule is absolutely gorgeous and I love how you can see it peeking out from under her clothes. Spruce Trail really compliments it well and stops her golden aesthetic from becoming overpowering. I love that all of her apparel is gold-based and contrasts against her secondary / tertiary, and the way you’ve added the obsidian roundhorns to compliment the black candles is masterful.

When I saw Ahkalone I immediately remembered Galford’s lore and clicked on him so fast. His colors and apparel? Fantastic. Love it all. Now onto the lore… oh gosh… I love this story and I’m so invested in them lol. When I read about the ring in Galford’s bio I didn’t expect to get to know who it theoretically belonged to but then I did and my appreciated for Canidae just went through the roof. Ahkalone sounds like such a cool character that I’d love to hate in a way lol.

Trenchdust’s entire aesthetic and overall look? Top tier. Also I love the little bit in his bio lol it’s so relatable for when I’m trying to nail down and character’s role or what they do. The way the ghost hands peek out from under the feathered wing and are only really visible where they are reaching out beyond him is also just awesome looking and something I don’t think I’ve seen done before.

No dragon with orchid or mint will go uncomplimented in my presence! Alaurun is an absolute stunner. I love all of her colors and the way her genes work with them. The learned sage apparel matched with the main mint color so well and gives her such an otherworldly aesthetic.

*deep breath* LUCKY is FANTASTIC. I love me some spirals, and I love the rot look she has going on. She sounds like such a diva and I absolutely love it. Her apparel is so well layered and really adds to her look along with her genes. Just overall such a great looking dragon.

Discordium is stunning and that’s all there is to it. I love the way wine tapir looks and it was honestly shocking to me that he wasn’t an xxy dragon! His colors match so well together and I just love his apparel. The pinks all tie together and he looks so good. His lore is really cool too! I’m all about things like that and he seems so interesting!