Metal Riot

The Wild Girl of Champagne with Fanfare by Sean Yseult

Scott Edwards Gallery is pleased to present “Sean Yseult – Soirée D’Evolution: Tableaux Vivants et Nature Mortes.” This Exhibition features the most recent work of Sean Yseult (former White Zombie bassist) based on a sordid secret society soiree in 1873 and the elaborate living pictures & still lifes staged as part of their lavish parties. Opening Reception will be held Saturday April 18, 7pm-12am.

As soon as I read the above in my email I had to reach out to my friend Sean Yseult to see what she had been bubbling in her ever boiling cauldron of creativity. We spoke not only about some amazing new news for White Zombie fans but also of her new band Star & Dagger‘s next move as well as absinthe, feral girls who drink blood,  Tableaux Vivants and so much more!

For this epic read see BELOW.

“Keep truth in your head/get back from the floor…find your peace”.

It’s crazy listening to the DIVEST set from just after 9/11 which was just posted as name your price on Bandcamp HERE. It’s raw and real. This was one of the most intense performances of my life and was from before my old band I sang for changed our name to Divest and worked with Dr. Know from Bad Brains. About a year before we started the album Ghost Town Reckoning. We were still called Bleed Theory at the time of this live set.

We had a song called “Valley” that said ,”The streets are now empty even when full. A token of appreciation from zero tolerance. It’s a no legged dance but truth is the ship’s fuckin’ sinking. So leave us be, we’ll prove there’s more than your inefficiency.”  

Those words really hit me today listening to this thinking of how 9/11 was avoidable and how Bush and Cheney fucked up so much. I get goosebumps recalling the feeling of performing for the New Yorkers that week, just two weeks after the attacks. People were so glad to be back out and hearing rock n roll, participating in celebrating life together.  Dave She Wolf (aka Donna Lupe) guested on “The Hollow Point” and now plays guitar in Star And Dagger (with Sean Yseult of White Zombie notoriety).

Nate Kelley (of Shabutie/ early- Coheed And Cambria fame) was our bassist in DIVEST/Bleed Theory at the time and had this to say about the show:

 The mood was still pretty surreal; the buildings had only gone down two weeks before. We put a lot of heart into this one. There are points where the performance is in danger of careening off the tracks, but we ended super-strong. One of the best ever, especially tracks 6 and 7 (dig the no-count entrance into “Atlas”).

Zac Shaw (now of Dead Unicorn) was on drums for this show.

Cover design by Matt Goldpaugh of Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones.

Star & Dagger have released a rocking new live video!

S&D is the new blues-rock/sludge/retro band featuring alumni of White Zombie, Cycle Sluts from Hell and Eagles of Death Metal. They have released a new video for their song “Freak Train”. The video shows the band in their live element and was shot on their recent 2013 UK tour.

Star & Dagger are shown in the video doing what they do best, getting down and dirty with their inspired, riff-centric no bullshit rock.

The video was shot entirely with GoPro cameras by Chris Lee, and edited by Todd Perley, MeowMeow Productions. Featuring: Sean Yseult, Von Hesseling, Dava She Wolf, Dave Catching & Gene Trautmann.

Click HERE to ride the “Freak Train”, baby!

Superb sludge n’ rollers Star & Dagger have just announced a new venture and dropped news of an upcoming UK tour!

From the band’s FACEBOOK: “STAR & DAGGER has joined forces with ROCKY ROAD TOURING! April UK tour dates with SUPAGROUP, will be posted here soon!”

Star & Dagger is a bluesy new metal band featuring past-members of White Zombie, Cycle Sluts From Hell and Queens Of The Stone Age.

2011 has been a truly intense and progressive time for metal, punk and hard rock across the continuum. Let’s start being thankful early, and working on our New Year’s Eve hangover really early, by hearing from some of our favorite bands about what made 2011 FREAKIN’ RULE (or suck if you are Jason Christopher or Ari – with maybe the funniest quotes).

Bad Brains, Taproot, Star & Dagger (ex-White Zombie/Cycle Sluts From Hell), The Resurrection Sorrow, Stone Sour/Black President, MonstrO, Wisdom In Chains, Antidote 8, PUi, Nothing But Wolves, Demilitia (ex-Kittie), Tainted Entertainment, Birdhand, Destrophy, The Compulsions, Design The Skyline, Jungle Rot, Blackguard, Painmask, Three, Nightmares For A Week, Ross the Boss band/Ivory Night, Within The Ruins, The Empire Shall Fall (ex-Killswitch Engage) and Now There Is Only A Signal have all contributed.

To read their thoughts on 2011 click here.

Star & Dagger is the new low end riff outlet for bassist Sean Yseult of White Zombie fame. More devil/less disco, the band combine bluesy, sludgy riffing to rival Kyuss with psychedelic feedback plus the crooning vocals of Von Hesseling. Rounded out by Donna She Wolf (Cycle Sluts From Hell) and Dustin Crops, plus live guitar beefage from Dave Catching (Eagles Of Death Metal), Star & Dagger are set to kill. They even cover “Out Of Focus” by Blue Cheer!

An upcoming show with Helmet and a 3 song 12″ is due out on Last Hurrah Records featuring material tracked in Joshua Tree with Ethan Allen and songs produced by (and featuring a cameo from) White Zombie guitarist J. Yuenger. A full length “Tomorrowland Blues” is also in the works. Lindsey Kuhn will be doing the album art for Star & Dagger’s first release.

You can hear “In My Blood” and “Used to me” (not on 12″) streaming on their Facebook. (Band photo by Leslie Van Stelten).