Album Review: Starset – “Divisions”

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Starset is about to drop another masterpiece on us called Divisions, due out on the 13th of September.

This is their 3rd album behind 2014’s Transmissions and 2017’s Vessel’s.

Starset tell amazing stories throughout their songs. They have an amazing, yet unique sound. Dustin Bates takes you on a journey through the album, making you more and more intrigued as to what is going to happen on the journey Starset takes you on.

The first track, A Brief History of the Future sets the tone of the album. Gives you a preview of the story behind the album. The first song, and single, MANIFEST starts off a bit low and soft, then Dustin screams MANIFEST and the music punches you in the chest. It’s a great song to kick the album off with. Echo takes you on a journey through the “narrators” eyes of what’s going on in his thoughts about missing somebody and only hearing his thoughts echo in his mind. And now, they just released their 2nd single, Where The Sky Ends, which is yet, not surprising, a great song. It’s heavy, yet emotional. Perfect Machine describes somebody who is wanting to create a machine, but with a heart and soul. The “creator” asks somebody to “lay your heart into my perfect machine”. There’s some vocal effects that sound great in this song to give it a feel of hearing the machine.  With Telekinetic, it takes on the feel that you’re apart of the machine and wanting to know the thoughts of the others around you. There is a part in this song that Dustin screams and it’s amazing. You can feel the emotion in it and it makes the song even better. Stratosphere takes you on a journey. The song feels like you’re flying through the air as you searching for somebody. There is a great instrumental breakdown that gives you the feeling of taking you higher and higher. Faultline has an upbeat feeling to it as if you’re making progress in what you’re searching for. Dustins vocals are great in this song (they are never bad…just to clarify)! This track definitely has you nodding your head and smiling as you listen to it. Solstice is a memory of when the narrator remembers the times before technology took over. Then goes into the present, as technology has taken over everything. The narrator gives a warning to seemingly themselves saying, “don’t let me let the dark take over”. The song Trials describes that the trials they are going through make them who they are. The real question is, is it the technology speaking or the people resisting?? Waking Up is a track that has you thinking you “wake up” as a program in a machine. It’s a deep song when you really listen to the lyrics. The song is a fight from the “person” not wanting to wake up and be a simulation, they want to be real. Other Worlds Than These has a great beat to it. It has an exploring feel to it as the narrator tells you that there are other worlds they have seen and that who they are talking to needs to open their eyes and see. The last track, Diving Bell, is an exploratory song. The “Diving Bell” is a transport. And the narrator must go alone and explore. They tell somebody to wait for them there because there’s no room in it for them. It’s a song of hope. A song we need.

The album has a feel of a world torn by technology that has taken over in a war for human consciousness and soul with those obeying it, and those who are fighting hard against it. This album is an epic masterpiece. From the first track to the last, you are taken on a story and you don’t skip a single track. Starset never disappoints! A must have album for 2019…and beyond!

You can catch their demonstrations, as their concerts are called starting on the 13th of September. This is a band you don’t want to miss live, trust me!!

September Tour Dates:

Sept. 13 — Cincinnati, Ohio
Sept. 14 — Pittsburgh, Penn.
Sept. 15 — Reading, Penn.
Sept. 17 — Silver Springs, Md.
Sept. 18 — Norfolk, Va.
Sept. 20 — Charlotte, N.C.
Sept. 21 — Charlestone, S.C.
Sept. 22 — Atlanta, Ga.
Sept. 24 — Baton Rouge, La.
Sept. 25 — Houston, Texas
Sept. 27 — San Antonio, Texas
Sept. 28 — Dallas, Texas
Sept. 29 — Oklahoma City, Ok.

 

Track List:

1. A Brief History of the Future
2. MANIFEST
3. Echo
4. Where The Sky End
5. Perfect Machine
6. Telekinetic
7. Stratosphere
8. Faultline
9. Solstice
10. Trials
11. Waking Up
12. Other Worlds Than These
13. Diving Bells