Review
Review
Starfish Assault – A Soul Exposed (Single Review)
Today’s review will centre around a track that promises to cut deep, being raw, heavy and unapologetically personal. It’s a track by the artist Thomas Dinnobl, who used to tear up stages with the ska-punk powerhouse Jesus Christ Smokes Holy Gasoline. He now channels his energy and artistry into the raw, relentless force known as ‘Starfish Assault’, the credited artist to this track. He blends punishing riffs with haunting melodies, being a trailblazer and forging a new path in metalcore, driven by passion, grit, and a taste for chaos.
His newest single, ‘A Soul Exposed’, is wrapped in crushing riffs, haunting melodies and powerful breakdowns. It’s about stripping back the layers, confronting shadows, and leaving nothing hidden. The track aims to delve into themes of vulnerability and self-reflection, merging raw emotion with melodic elements.
The instrumentation is accentuated with the depth of the lyrics, posing introspective questions about opening your heart and soul, exploring inner fears and truths about how exposed your inner self can be. With a compelling mixture of depth, metacognition and fiery instrumentation, let’s listen to the track.
The track definitely hooks you in within the first few seconds, with its thunderous drum pattern and mastering. The track oozes strength and a strength that can not only be written about but felt through the passion emanating from each note of the electric guitars and the vocalist itself. The vocalist glides through various questions, with the motif of the guitars and drums accompanying each stanza.
I think the drum patterns are extremely complex and unique, giving the listener a treat and a break from the typical structure of a rock song itself. It has a hook and a chorus, which can help connect audiences who are not familiar with the format of metal songs, but honestly, I think it pales in comparison to the musical variability and competency in the pre-chorus segments.
It’s extremely compelling and sucks me in as a listener. The potency of this song is something that cannot be denied, and is a hallmark of musical universality- the hallmark of a truly proficient artist.
Score/Excellent: ‘A Soul Exposed’ is a wonderful song that will definitely not bore you, presenting to you a piece that is filled with sheer emotion, intensity and high potency. It’s dark, but stylistically warranted. It is also amazingly mastered.
[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]
Starfish Assault Gives a Masterclass in Modern Metal with New Single
Hailing from Austria, Starfish Assault is a band that embraces heavy metal and manages to deliver it with a unique approach in a track that may be so contemporary, yet never sound biased. That’s right, that’s one of the band’s feats in their latest single.
We’re talking about “A Soul Exposed,” which features outstanding guitar work. The riffs are well-crafted, with modern and dynamic tones, and a consistent rhythm section. The aggressive vocals bring the sound closer to modern thrash, but the band feels more like alternative metal. The lyrics delve into themes of vulnerability and self-reflection.
Press Biography
Starfish Assault is the current project of Austrian musician Thomas Dinnobl. After 15 years fronting the ska-punk powerhouse Jesus Christ Smokes Holy Gasoline — with performances at major festivals such as Nova Rock, Frequency Festival and Donauinselfest — he now channels that energy into a heavier, atmospheric metalcore sound.
In the last decade Thomas has drawn strong influence from bands like Killswitch Engage, Architects and Tesseract, shaping his vision of metalcore as the perfect fusion of brachial riffs and soaring harmonic choruses. Combined with his experimental side project zavs (whose video Deshperat won the audience award at Vienna Underground Video Festival), these influences give Starfish Assault a sound that is both aggressive and melodic, chaotic and deeply personal.