September 1999
Weird Science
Formed by Cher's son and clad in daft costumes, DEADSY's master plan is a
suitably deranged one: to mix sick death metal with Duran Duran...
In ‘Mansion World’, a stand-out track on ‘Commencement’, the forthcoming
album from LA's Deadsy, singer/guitarist P Exeter Blue tells of the perils of
unimaginable wealth. Blue knows what he's talking about: he lives in a palatial
Malibu mansion belonging to his mother, Cher.
With Mom off headlining
the enormodomes of the world, Blue -- real name Elijah Blue Allman (his father
is erstwhile Allman Brothers frontman Gregg Allman) -- is sprawled out in the
stately living room, alongside Deadsy keyboardist Dr Nner (alias Renn Hawkey).
The two -- who have known each other since they were 15, having attended a
private boarding school together -- admit having grandiose aspirations.
"We're aiming as high as we possibly can, and our new album is just the
starting point," Elijah modestly begins. "We're trying to create this
American superlative that infiltrates the entire sound and vision of pop
culture. I set out to this when I was 19. I told myself that I've got to go out
and do something with my life. I've been an incredibly blessed human being, and
I think that I'm doing what I should be doing."
Deadsy's startling
fusion of techno-pop and metal has been the toast of the LA rock underground for
three years. Coal Chamber and Orgy (whose singer, Jay Gordon, was Elijah's
one-time bassist) have both lavished praise on Deadsy, with Elijah performing on
their respective ‘Chamber Music’ and ‘Candyass’ albums.
As could be expected of someone who was given his first guitar by Kiss' Gene
Simmons (his Mom's boyfriend at the time), Elijah's band consists of four
costumed characters: The Earnest Professor (Elijah), the Dandy Of Leisure
(drummer Alec Puro), the Great Beast (bassist Craig Riker) and the Good Doctor (Renn).
Their self-titled debut album appeared with little fanfare in 1997, but Deadsy
have since let it go out of print. ‘Commencement’, which Elijah insists is
their first proper album is released in the U.S. this month.
Despite employing what
Elijah describes as “the world's heaviest, sickest death metal chords”,
Deadsy's sound also blatantly harks back to the early '80s new romanticism of
Japan and Duran Duran. The prospective first single ‘She Likes Big Words’,
in particular, sounds more like a previously undiscovered Duran track than a
mere tribute. Ex-Duran bassist John Taylor appears on the [track], while Elijah
claims that Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes loves the song.
"What better era is there to take from?!" exclaims Elijah. "I
love that shit."