Prior to starting Assemblage 23, Shear experimented with music under the name "Man on a Stage", beginning in the early 1980s. Most of Shear's music at this point was instrumental, as he lacked the confidence to sing; the quality of the music itself was highly questionable by his own admission. Shear eventually began to add vocals to his music; at the same time, Shear was also playing bass in a punk band called the "Advocates".
Assemblage 23 got its start in 1988, when at a "Depeche Mode" concert, founder Tom Shear heard the opening DJ spinning industrial dance music. Prior to hearing this type of music, Shear had been creating primarily synthpop and post-punk type music.
Hearing industrial music for the first time proved to be something of an epiphany for Shear, as he had finally found a form of music that combined the electronic sounds he loved from his synth-pop background with the heavier, darker aggression punk represented. Even so, the project was more of a hobby for Shear at this point; it took until 1998 for Assemblage 23 to gather enough positive acclaim to attract the attention of record labels.
Shear signed a deal in 1999 with the Canadian label Gashed! for a full-length album, "Contempt" (released in November 1999). A second album, "Failure", followed in March 2001 and was released by Gashed! in North America and Accession Records in Europe. A single from "Failure", "Disappoint", was released on Accession in October 2001. The song dealt with Shear's sense of loss after his father's suicide on October 28, 1999.
After falling out with Gashed Records following "Failure", Shear signed with US label Metropolis Records later in 2001; Metropolis re-released "Contempt" and "Failure" that November. A remix release, "Addendum", was also released in November only on Accession. By this point, Assemblage 23 had become fairly popular within the ebm genre.
The third studio album, "Defiance", was released in October 2002 on Metropolis and Accession, preceded by the single "Document" in September. October 2004 saw the release of a fourth album, "Storm"; two singles were taken from the album, "Let the Wind Erase Me" in August and "Ground" in November.
Almost three years later, in March 2007, Assemblage 23 returned with a new single, "Binary", which debuted at #21 on the Billboard US singles chart. This was followed by the album "Meta" in April.
In September of that year Shear released "Early, Rare, & Unreleased [1988-1998]", which is a limited edition collection of A23 tracks taken from the years 1988 - 1998, on his own label 23db records. This was followed in February of 2009 by a second collection "Early, Rare, & Unreleased: Volume Two", which was also limited to 1000 copies.
Late 2009 saw the release of "Compass". Both regular and deluxe limited 2CD editions were released in October 2009, preceeded in September by the single "Spark".
The latest album "Bruise" was released on June 12, 2012. It is also available in both regular and 2CD versions.
Shear also has a side-project, "nerve filter", which has been running alongside Assemblage 23 since 1995. However, no more albums will be released since the project is now open for remixes only.
Official website: www.assemblage23.com
Ghosts
Assemblage 23 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Adrift like snowfall from winter skies
Aimless parades of burning ambivalence
Selling false hope in certainty's guise
Living and breathing in sorrow's colossus
The teeming masses await a reply
Hoping for something that tastes of deliverance
Are we just living ghosts
Waiting to be freed?
Stuck at a tipping point
We never dare exceed
And what if no one comes
To liberate our souls?
And all of this is all there is
To make us whole?
Hidden meanings extracted from vagaries
Fruitless missives predicting an end
Mere conjecture impersonates prophesy
Finding doom in every change of the wind
Inside a culture of spiritual violence
Demons singing like creatures of light
Smiling faces awash in hypocrisy
Vending salvation that no one invites
Are we just living ghosts
Waiting to be freed?
Stuck at a tipping point
We never dare exceed
And what if no one comes
To liberate our souls?
And all of this is all there is
To make us whole?
A thousand questions in search of an answer
Seeking a meaning in creation's design
A futile wish for an order in randomness
A certain outcome to which we're resigned
Reaching skyward in hope of protection
Leading the weak to the feet of the strong
Unanswered prayers suggest the conclusion
That all we think we know is probably wrong
Are we just living ghosts
Waiting to be freed?
Stuck at a tipping point
We never dare exceed
And what if no one comes
To liberate our souls?
And all of this is all there is
To make us whole?
The lyrics of Assemblage 23's song "Ghosts" speaks to the feelings of being lost, overwhelmed, and uncertain in a world that appears directionless and full of conflicting messages. The opening line, "A thousand footsteps without direction," suggests the emptiness and aimlessness that often accompanies a search for meaning and direction. The chorus repeats the question "Are we just living ghosts waiting to be freed?" which speaks to the feelings of being trapped and unable to move forward or find satisfaction in life. The references to false hope and spiritual violence suggest a world where people are searching for answers but are being sold empty promises and dangerous ideologies. The line "All we think we know is probably wrong" adds a sense of uncertainty and confusion that reinforces the themes of the song.
Overall, "Ghosts" is a song about the struggle for meaning and direction in a world that often feels chaotic and directionless. The lyrics speak to the feelings of being stuck, overwhelmed, and uncertain, and suggest that the answers we are searching for may not be easily found. The chorus serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, and the risks of remaining trapped in a state of aimlessness and uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
A thousand footsteps without direction
Lost and wandering aimlessly without purpose
Adrift like snowfall from winter skies
Feeling disconnected and separate from the world around us
Aimless parades of burning ambivalence
Directionless and contradictory actions that offer false hope
Selling false hope in certainty's guise
Offering solutions that appear certain but ultimately prove hollow
Living and breathing in sorrow's colossus
Existing in a world of deep sadness and pain
The teeming masses await a reply
People desperately seek answers to alleviate their suffering
Hoping for something that tastes of deliverance
Longing for a sense of rescue or salvation in their lives
Waiting for answers to fall from the sky
Passively waiting for solutions to come without taking action
Hidden meanings extracted from vagaries
Interpreting obscure and unclear information to find significance
Fruitless missives predicting an end
Predictions of doom that ultimately lead nowhere
Mere conjecture impersonates prophesy
Speculation is seen as prophecy with no basis in reality
Finding doom in every change of the wind
Viewing any change or shift as a negative threat
Inside a culture of spiritual violence
Living in a society that uses religion to control and oppress
Demons singing like creatures of light
People and institutions that claim virtuousness but act otherwise
Smiling faces awash in hypocrisy
People who are insincere in their intentions despite appearing friendly
Vending salvation that no one invites
Pushing religious or ideological solutions that no one desires or welcomes
A thousand questions in search of an answer
Endlessly seeking solutions to the mysteries of the world
Seeking a meaning in creation's design
Trying to discern a purpose or intention behind the existence of the world
A futile wish for an order in randomness
Hoping for logic and structure where none exists
A certain outcome to which we're resigned
Accepting a predetermined fate rather than fighting for change
Reaching skyward in hope of protection
Looking to a higher power or authority to safeguard us
Leading the weak to the feet of the strong
The people with the most power exploiting those who are vulnerable
Unanswered prayers suggest the conclusion
When our pleas go unheard, we must accept that our notions of divinity may be flawed
That all we think we know is probably wrong
We must accept that our preconceptions may be faulty and that we don't have all the answers
Are we just living ghosts
Are we just going through the motions without truly living?
Waiting to be freed?
Hoping for some kind of release or liberation from our current circumstances
Stuck at a tipping point
Feeling unable to move forward despite being at a critical juncture
We never dare exceed
We fail to take the risks necessary to push beyond our limitations
And what if no one comes
What if we don't get the help we're waiting for?
To liberate our souls?
To free us from the internal struggles that weigh us down
And all of this is all there is
Perhaps there is no deeper meaning to our existence
To make us whole?
Maybe there is no answer that can bring us true fulfillment or wholeness
Contributed by Mia A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.