Since 1999, Asmodeus X has been storming the base with their unique sound. Based in Houston, Texas, Paul Fredric and Marshall (originally members of 90’s Goth band, Morphine Angel) set out to uncover new musical directions with a project that fuses electronic beats and metaphysical themes,-a hybrid of ancient teachings and esoteric schools of thought, combined with futuristic and modern soundscapes. From the beginning of their journey in 1999, the sound of Asmodeus X is at once difficult to pigeon-hole or contain, drawing inspiration from many influential styles of music, including those that span the gamut from old-school Goth, euphoric Trance, Experimental Noise and Electronic Body Music, to popularized labels such as ‘Futurepop’, along with Kraftwerk-esque and Industrial influences that could best be described as “DBM”: —Daemonic Body Music. Early performances earned Asmodeus X a Houston Press Critic’s Choice Award for “Best New Industrial Act”, and in the millennial year, 2000, allowed for further crystallization of their sound through live performances including The Annual Houston Vampire Ball at Numbers Nightclub, along with a plethora of live shows throughout Texas with such acts as Snog, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Attrition, Diva Destruction, Psyclon Nine,The Last Dance, Cesium 137, Sunshine Blind, The Cruxshadows, Android Lust, The Machine in The Garden, Seraphim Shock, Ctrl, and Houston synthpop artists, Provision. The “Asmodeian sound” is an eclectic one. From their neo-classical/minimalist beginnings with the instrumental “Cult of the Nassarene E.P.”, to Fritz Lang- Theremin-laced symphonics apparent on the early “Nova Futura” singles, they have traversed styles while always maintaining an undeniable essential quality; that is immediately recognizable,darkly compelling, hypnotic, inspiring and self-reflexive. 2002 marked the debut of the power-driven and ‘survivalist’ themed “Wolf Age”, an album that is at once epic as it is controversial. The usage of minimalist synths and guitar-driven tracks along with Theremin instrumentations, viking horns and neo-folk, rock-stylings, formed a heavy homage to frozen Norse Lands and images of Babylon —an ongoing acknowledgement of Man’s eternal “existential” struggle with himself. Additionally, the album delved deep into the urban technocracy of future worlds yet to be imagined, -a testament to the trying times of a ‘sleeping’ society, and an offering of hope through the strangled cry of self-liberation. As Wolf Age undeniably championed these themes, it was also symbolic of the trials and tribulations of that year, where former guitarist Frank G. Lesikar passed away soon after, and the alchemical combinations of Asmo’s sound were splintered, resulting in a total re-configuration and new direction for the band. The introduction of percussionist, Joel313, marked an “illustrious new dawn” for Asmodeus X in the summer of 2003. The re-created 3 piece were now unified in a powerful combination of synthesized soundscapes and vocoder-effects, drawing heavily on a rich tapestry of EBM and trance influences, yet never surrendering the recognizable essence, that at once has become known as “The Asmodeian sound”. With these fruitful beginnings, the band released a 2nd album through independent label Latex Records (based in Atlanta), and currently are working on their 3rd album “Sanctuary”, to be released through Kreislauf Records in 2006. The album Morningstar goes further down the rabbit hole than Wolf Age, in its central theme: “Lucifer Morningstar: The first among equals and the bearer of light. The Promethean story of a fall from grace, a struggle for identity, and the emergence of self-aware being. For this effort Asmodeus X is delving deep into the spheres of ebm, darkwave, and trance. A wholly synthetic effort drawing on analogue, digital and vintage synths, electronic percussion, vocoders, etc., Morningstar seeks to explore the seductively forbidden side of the human psyche - that which empowers us to create the very process of creation. “ An album at once unique and striking, Morningstar has become critically acclaimed in its complex orchestrations of intelligent lyrics and hypnotic beats. Thematically, Asmodeus X continues to court the far-out trenches of time and space, deepening their own evolution and development as a band, continuously pushing the boundaries of our social fabric, with intelligence and tenacity. Refusing to subscribe to popularized expectations of specific genres of music, Asmodeus X continues to execute songs that have always been simply described as, “Asmodeus X”. “It’s not what you have, it’s how you use it”, could be a valuable lesson learned when one experiences their sound, and as the creative flow continues to evolve, so the journey continues, for Asmodeus X. |
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