Die Symphony

St.Louis synthrockers Die Symphony is the baby of brothers Christian DeVein (vocals) and Kelly DeVein (guitars), their debut "Foundations of Malice" came out in 97 and the follow up "Codependence Day" in 99, for the work on their 3rd album "The Everlasting Shame" the band took 4 years to complete a strong and uplifting music adventure.
They sneak around in the same neighborhood as industrial rockers Orgy with some visits in the glam school of rock where also Kill Hannah generates their music, I think this synthrock is irresistable with a charming combination of melodic pop and synthesizer beats.
I heard the first single "International Girl" at mp3.com while the site still existed and I immediately had to get a copy of the album, now with the result in my hands I can only come to the conclusion that it´s an everlasting shame if you won´t check out this lovely album.
The first 3 songs including "International Girl" has great hitpotential, track no:2 "Ugly Like Me" is even better than the opening track which usually is the best song on the album and the next one titled "Runaway" is really catchy and a possible single candidate for sure.
But I like the more special side of the band with some new romantic style to it more with songs like "Candles for Jessica"(gorgeous epic stuff), "Say Hello"(mystical ancient vibes) and the East Orient smelling "My Disease"!
Want some Glam in your life to shine up things a little?!......Die Symphony is here for you! - Kaj

I slipped The Everlasting Shame into the player on my computer and began to work. At some point, I realized that I had listened to the disk several times (maybe this says something about my work habits, as well). Die Symphony’s first disk since 1999’s Codependence Day is smooth and compact. Though listed as “industrial metal” on a variety of Web sites (at this writing, the band rides high on the MP3.com charts), the local foursome is much smoother than what you would expect for that genre, with hooks and lyrics that verge on a pop sensibility that should get them far.

The first single, “International Girl,” starts off the album and sets the pace for the 10 songs that follow. The song features Christian DeVein’s expansive vocals over a wave of guitars provided by his brother, Kelly. The brothers write all the songs, and they do an admirable job of tapping into the emotions that are the fuel of rock songs. The themes running through this disc (and, probably, recorded history) are of loss, the voids they leave, and escape. The DeVeins show a depth to their writing that starts to overstep the genre, but eventually broadens their version of it. Especially nice is the song “Candles for Jessica,” which talks about the devastation of a life’s landscape with the loss of a person. The DeVeins never give enough detail as to who Jessica is or where she went, but the vocals and the somber playing beautifully convey the sense of loss.

The Everlasting Shame flows perfectly through its 11 tracks and 37:34 minutes. The sound, like the sentiments, is very consistent. If any problem is to be found, it is in the slight variation of the songs. You notice this when “My Disease” comes on and an Ofra Haza–like sample plays behind Christian DeVein’s vocals. It is jarring, after 10 tracks, to hear somebody else’s voice in the mix, but also welcome: the effect works. I will happily listen to this CD in heavy rotation, but hope that the DeVein brothers let their imaginations go even further on the next disc.
- Jim Dunn

What you should know: You might remember hearing music from Die Symphony a couple years ago when their self-released five-song EP, Codependence Day, was blowing up all over specialty radio. Well, they've got a new album that's being talked about by more than a handful of A&R weasels right now and we wanted to share one of the new songs with you. This four-piece St. Louis band has already conquered the Midwest club circuit with their amazing live performances (complete with PYRO!) and they're looking to come to your town to play low-dough shows and summer/fall festivals. - Mike Savage

Die, Die, Darling: With the self-made five-song EP "Codependence Day", Die Symphony is building a solid fan base in its hometown of St. Louis, MO. The act is built around brothers Christian and Kelly DeVein (who are joined by musicians Jared Oliver and JMe), who write and produce material that combines aggressive, industrial-edged rock with pure pop hooks. It's easy to envision a thumpy cut like "My Love" (which the act is working as a single) in either a modern rock or dance-club context, while the slower, more guitar-driven "Burning has undeniable head-banger leanings.

Die Symphony's infectious sound is deservedly catching on with a handful of local radio stations. "My Love" is in full rotation on the St. Louis outlets KPNT (where it's frequently among the station's top five most requested cuts) and KNSX, as well as on KFMZ Columbia, MO. The track is also getting specialty airplay on KAEP Spokane, WA.; WLUM Milwaukee; WQLZ Springfield, IL; and KZRQ Springfield, MO.

The DeVein brothers are also successfully working the Internet, getting airplay for "My Love" on the Web stations 3WK and 93X. Once you hear the disc, you'll want to see this promising new act live. Luckily, it's playing clubs in and around the St. Louis area quite often. It was recently on the same bill as Lit, Econoline Crush, and Citizen King during KPNT's PointFest 11 festival. Catch this band now ... before the major-label rush. - Larry Flick

Pulsating cyber-rhythms and intense soundscapes propel "I Don't Mind," from St, Louis visionaries Die Symphony. Underground influences and a penchant for electronic production have made DS a local favorite on both the college music scene and the home stage. "I Don't Mind" captures the angst and shock of the techno/industrial universe without sacrificing melody, hooks or musicality (Tool meets NIN). In the world slowly being dominated by the pseudo-industrial revolution, Die Symphony's blend of influences and hard-edged rock will find a place on playlists for some time to come. - -

The brainchild of techno/industrial vets Kelly and Christian DeVein, this St. Louis band's release has garnered attention from both Billboard and R&R and it is clear why. It's a catchy, accessible blend of Modern Rock and post-Reznor audio histrionics, which is, more and more, a radio-friendly thing these days. Above all Christian's vocals have just the right texture and attack for this kind of music. The overall bite of this release left an impression on us.
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Ready For Takeoff: Die Symphony

Unsigned St. Louis-based hard rock group Die Symphony's long-term plan is finally paying in dividends. The quartet, a fixture in the River City for nearly three years, last week saw their song "My Love" - taken from their five-song EP, Codependence Day - officially added by hometown Alternative KPNT (The Point). That's on top of airplay in Columbia MO, home to the University of Missouri. Look for other Alternative and Active Rock stations to add it soon.

Formed in the fall of 1996 and comprising Jared Oliver, JMe and brothers Kelly and Christian DeVein, the group regularly draws over 500 to their shows, and they've opened for some of the biggest names in alternative and rock. In addition to Codependence Day, the group self-released the album Foundations of Malice in 1997.

Kelly DeVein comments, "Once we started getting airplay in Columbia, the phones started ringing again. After The Point added us, the phones exploded, and we're getting all kinds of calls."
- Steve Wonsiewicz

St. Louis locals Die Symphony get off on the right foot with "I Don't Mind," having developed a rather large fan base thanks to support from a handful of key radio stations. One of those stations just happened to be their hometown Alternative outlet, KPNT, which thought Die Symphony was so cool that they placed them on their PointFest bill opening for Hole and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The group received official adds at several stations, including KQRX Odessa and KFMZ Columbia MO, after the programming staffs heard them on a VA CD - Buzz Fitzgerald

Codependence Day is solid guitar industrial that reminds me a lot of Diatribe in their more melodic moments. The vocals of Christian DeVein are a good lead for the rest of the band, and they play on a decent counter-melody theory. My favorite songs are "Just Paranoid" and "I Don't Mind", which have more lyrical and musical emotions than the rest of the tracks. The enhanced CD program for the computer shows some movies of their more recent concert appearances, and proves to be a good representation of the group's live talents. There is a shot of a kid in a Korn t-shirt going absolutely bonkers over them though, and I'm not quite sure how to take that. This EP wet my appetite enough to look forward to a new full-length from them. - Mike Learned

After Die Symphony’s performance at Pop’s for the release of their second CD, The Everlasting Shame, I realized it would have been a shame to miss this concert. Anyone who has not seen this local goth/rock band perform is certainly missing out on something really good.

Soon after the two openers, Die Symphony hit the stage to a roar of applause and beautiful, longhaired women in the audience who were banging their heads along with the music. The guitar sound was hard-hitting and distorted right from the get-go; right away, I noticed that the band didn’t actually have a bass player on stage. There were two guitar players, a vocalist, and a drummer; all other sounds were sampled. If anything, the great concert can be remembered for the visual antics of the two brothers. Both singer Christian DeVein and guitarist Kelly DeVein had non-stop energy from the start to the end. Kelly looked a bit like a character from a comic book that night and it was impossible to stop watching him. He was all over the stage, mouthing the words to the songs and doing a variety of movements with his guitar that seemed to keep the audience’s applause at a high level. Christian had a strong presence, as well, and managed to sing well despite never standing still for a moment. The devastatingly heavy guitar sound fueled the crowd. That, along with the brothers’ antics, lent the feel of a stadium show to a medium-sized venue. The show was impressive from start to finish.
By the time the band had finished, the audience had been given a reason to celebrate. It’s great that we have bands like this in St. Louis and it shows that, with groups like Die Symphony, our music scene is far from dead. - John Kujawski