– 2 0 0 3 ) ▁ ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁have ▁known ▁each ▁other ▁from ▁child hood ▁after ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁Str öm stad . ▁The ▁members ▁have ▁considered ▁Death st ars ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁met am orph osed ▁version ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁founded ▁black ▁metal ▁act , ▁S word master , ▁featuring ▁former ▁Dis section ▁drum mer ▁Ole ▁Ö h man ▁(" B one ▁W . a ▁Machine ") ▁and ▁guitar ist ▁Emil ▁N ö dt ve id t ▁(" N ight m are ▁Indust ries "). ▁Night m are ▁Indust ries ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁brother ▁of ▁Dis section ' s ▁late ▁Jon ▁N ö dt ve id t . ▁Death st ars ▁is ▁front ed ▁by ▁Andreas ▁Berg h ▁(" W hi pl ash er ▁Bern ad otte ") ▁and ▁saw ▁Erik ▁Hal v ors en ▁(" Be ast ▁X ▁Electric ") ▁on ▁guitar . ▁The ▁band ▁took ▁on ▁both ▁a ▁radical ▁image ▁and ▁change ▁in ▁musical ▁direction ▁for ▁the ▁album ▁Syn th etic ▁Generation . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Night m are ▁Indust ries ▁in ▁an ▁interview , ▁the ▁name ▁" De ath st ars " ▁itself ▁was ▁never ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁Death ▁Star ▁in ▁Star ▁Wars , ▁but ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁supposed ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁am alg am ation ▁of ▁" De ath ▁Metal " ▁and ▁" St ars ." ▁They ▁c ite ▁bands ▁such ▁as ▁K iss ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁insp iration , ▁and ▁have ▁recently ▁been ▁compared ▁to ▁R