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
truth
Assemblage 23 Lyrics
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What once stood proud and graceful is languishing
And the midday sun beats down from above like a giant fist
That evaporates the veracity from within our midst
Don't speak of truth in times like these
The concept's riddled with disease
Deny the sights your eyes have seen
The truth is like a painting that time defaced
A monument to beauty left in disgrace
And the faded flower that our eyes yet devoured is in decline
What once was as pure as an infant's embrace has become maligned
Don't speak of truth in times like these
The concept's riddled with disease
Deny the sights your eyes have seen
This is the new reality
The truth is like a lantern in heavy winds
What once shone like a beacon is growing dim
And the flickering flame dies out in the rain of perfect lies
Silver threads of smoke float upward into the sky
Don't speak of truth in times like these
The concept's riddled with disease
Deny the sights your eyes have seen
This is the new reality
Assemblage 23's "Truth" is a poignant reflection on the nature of truth and how it can be warped by the circumstances of the times in which we live. The use of metaphors throughout the song offer a deeper layer of interpretation as the lyrics compare truth to a dancer with shattered limbs, a painting that time has defaced, and a lantern that grows dim. The midday sun is described as a "giant fist" that evaporates honesty from within our midst, suggesting that the truth is fragile and can be easily destroyed by external forces. The idea that truth is "riddled with disease" is particularly striking, for it suggests that the truth can be infected with lies and misconceptions, rendering it sickly and weak.
The repetition of the line "don't speak of truth in times like these" is a poignant indictment of the current state of public discourse where truth is often dismissed, and lies are treated as valid opinions. The line "this is the new reality" serves to confirm this sense of despair, suggesting that what was once considered real and true has now been overshadowed by a world of deception and falsehoods.
Overall, Assemblage 23's "Truth" is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of truth and how our perception of it can be shaped by external factors. The lyrics are beautifully crafted, using powerful imagery to convey a sense of melancholy and despair about the state of the world and the fragile nature of truth.
Line by Line Meaning
The truth is like a dancer with shattered limbs
The truth is fragile and broken, struggling to remain standing
What once stood proud and graceful is languishing
The truth has lost its dignity and is suffering
And the midday sun beats down from above like a giant fist
The oppressive reality is crushing and suffocating
That evaporates the veracity from within our midst
The truth is disappearing before our very eyes
Don't speak of truth in times like these
In this world, it's dangerous to speak the truth
The concept's riddled with disease
The idea of truth is contaminated and corrupted
Deny the sights your eyes have seen
Ignore the evidence that contradicts the lies being told
This is the new reality
The reality we live in is full of false narratives and deception
The truth is like a painting that time defaced
The truth has been marred and disfigured over time
A monument to beauty left in disgrace
What was once revered and respected is now shameful and disgraceful
And the faded flower that our eyes yet devoured is in decline
Our perception of the truth is losing its vibrancy and vitality
What once was as pure as an infant's embrace has become maligned
The truth that was once innocent and untouched is now criticized and vilified
The truth is like a lantern in heavy winds
The truth is flickering and struggling to stay alive
What once shone like a beacon is growing dim
The once-powerful truth is losing its strength and impact
And the flickering flame dies out in the rain of perfect lies
The truth is extinguished by the deluge of lies that surround it
Silver threads of smoke float upward into the sky
The remnants of the truth disappear into thin air
Don't speak of truth in times like these
Talking about the truth is too risky in this environment
The concept's riddled with disease
The truth is infected with falsehood and misrepresentation
Deny the sights your eyes have seen
Pretend not to see the truth right in front of you
This is the new reality
This is the world we live in, where lies reign supreme.
Contributed by Brody A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.