Tracks:
- Opened
- Drive
- Blindhammer
- Cocoon
- Document
- Fallen Down
- Horizon
- Light
- Maps of Reality
- Lullaby
Tom Shear began constructing music at home under the moniker Man On A Stage in the late 1980's. Most of the music was very simplistic and poorly constructed, with no vocals at first but as time went on they occurred more often. While working on Man On A Stage, Tom Shear also was playing bass live for a punk-influenced band collectively known as the Advocates. In 1988 at a Depeche Mode concert, Assemblage 23 was born. Tom was amazed by the industrial dance music that the opening DJ was spinning. His love of the electronic synth-pop sounds mixed with heavier darker aggression proved to be an turning point for him. The name Assemblage 23 has no meaning. Tom liked the idea of combining a name with numbers because it lent itself well to logo design, and had a nice phonetic ring.
While in college, in addition to working on Assemblage 23, Tom also collaborated with, Mike Ukstins and Matt Guenette on a synth-pop project, Procession. The band didn’t last, but it provided Tom with performance experience and practice. At first, Assemblage 23 was more of a hobby for Tom rather than a permanent project. He occasionally sent out demos, but when there was no interest in the band, Tom reverted back to making music for fun and his friends. In 1992, he self-released a collection of songs called Wires. Several radio stations began playing the new act, and magazines such as Industrial Nation began to show interest. But it was a side project of Tom’s called Nerve Filter that helped Assemblage 23 get needed recognition. On a whim, Tom sent copies of Assemblage 23 and Nerve Filter to Peter Stone of Xorcist, who handed them over to Don Blanchard of the now defunct 21st Circuitry Records. However, Blanchard’s interest was not in Assemblage 23, but in Nerve Filter.
A few Assemblage 23 tracks were later released. Arts Industria released the first ‘official’ Assemblage 23 song "Graverobber" on their Construction No. 009 compilation. Several more times Tom sent out demos to various labels, and even though he was frustrated by the lack of interest, he still wrote more Assemblage 23 songs. Finally in 1998, the Canadian label, Gashed Records signed Assemblage 23 and in 1999 released their first album, Contempt. Comprised of polished melodies, heavy beats and a mechanical roughness, Contempt won dance floor acclaim with originality and timeliness in a genre dominated at the time by electro and goth bands. Two years after the groundbreaking release of Contempt, Assemblage 23 stepped into the spotlight once more with Failure. Failure marked a turning point for Assemblage 23, noticeably, the album was more polished and refined than is predecessor. Loaded with EBM dance floor hits, the album utilizes themes of loss and desperation to create an ever moving and flowing piece of sonic artistry.
After a falling out with Gashed Records, Assemblage 23 signed with Metropolis Records in 2001, re-releasing the Contempt and Failure albums. With only those two albums, Contempt and Failure, Assemblage 23 became one of the biggest names in industrial and EBM music today. To further the American electro act’s success, a third album, Defiance, was completed for October 2002. Defiance pushes Assemblage 23's sound to the limits of only the imagination. Signature melody constructions, driving rhythms, non-stop beats, and highly emotional and personal lyrics make Defiance a logical follow-up to the widely reveled Failure . Defiance is sure to send Assemblage 23's status to legendary for not only does it keep with the sound fans have come to know and love but incorporates fresh new elements and structure as well. Catch the buzz before it catches you.