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
Opened
Assemblage 23 Lyrics
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I'll never see things quite the same
All that I knew was misconception
But all of that's about to change
I opened my eyes today
The world looked so bright and strange
Now I see with clarity
If trust is merely for convenience
Does it mean anything at all?
Your change of character makes no sense
Your bitter actions make you small
I opened my eyes today
The world looked so bright and strange
Now I see with clarity
I won't be your casualty
Greed is the hunger deep inside you
You're burning bridges left and right
I won't allow you to treat upon me
I won't go down without a fight
I opened my eyes today
The world looked so bright and strange
Now I see with clarity
I won't be your casualty
The lyrics of Assemblage 23's "Opened" tell a story of someone who has had their perception of the world and the people in it altered. They no longer see things in the same way that they once did and have come to realize that what they thought they knew to be true was all a misconception. The lyrics evoke a sense of disillusionment with the idea of trust and make the point that trust cannot be taken for granted, but must be earned.
The song seems to be directed towards someone who has betrayed the singer's trust, causing them to question whether trust has any real meaning if it can be so easily discarded for convenience. The second half of the song takes a more confrontational tone, with the singer standing up for themselves and refusing to be a victim of the other person's greed and selfishness.
Overall, the lyrics of "Opened" are about self-empowerment and the courage to see things as they really are, rather than as we would like them to be. The song encourages listeners to stand up for themselves and to take control of their own lives, rather than letting others dictate their path.
Line by Line Meaning
This day has altered my perception
Today brought about a significant change in my point of view
I'll never see things quite the same
My perspective has been irrevocably changed
All that I knew was misconception
Everything I believed was based on erroneous notions
But all of that's about to change
I'm now poised to rise above my previous misunderstandings
I opened my eyes today
I became cognizant of the new reality
The world looked so bright and strange
The world appeared refreshingly different to me
Now I see with clarity
Now my vision is crystal clear
I won't be your casualty
I refuse to be a victim of your actions
If trust is merely for convenience
Does trusting someone only when it suits them have any real value?
Does it mean anything at all?
Is there any true significance to such an insincere gesture?
Your change of character makes no sense
Your unexplained behavior is incomprehensible
Your bitter actions make you small
Your spiteful deeds only belittle you in my eyes
Greed is the hunger deep inside you
You're driven by an insatiable desire for more
You're burning bridges left and right
Your actions are leading to the destruction of relationships
I won't allow you to treat upon me
I refuse to be manipulated or taken advantage of
I won't go down without a fight
I'm willing to stand up for myself and defend my principles
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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