The mighty Ancient Empire has returned to
deliver their third effort of high-charged, molten metal! The band has decided
that each album cover has to be cooler than the last, resulting in yet another
thematically thrilling release. Ignore the awesome aesthetics, and you’re left
with an equally exhilarating effort. For those new to the band, they offer some
of the most energetic and inspired heavy/speed/USPM around. Truthfully, there’s
a pretty fine line between all three of those subgenres at times, so throw
Ancient Empire into any one of them you want. The end result is the same:
absolutely killer heavy metal!
If there is one legitimate criticism of the
band, it would be that not every song is necessarily distinctive. It’s conceptually
reminiscent of the “Painkiller” problem: when the music moves at 100% for 45+
minutes, it becomes more difficult to digest (of course, in Priest’s case,
their songwriting is just on another level compared to anyone that tried to
emulate them). Back to Ancient Empire though: it is hard to fault their musical
approach. They overload on double bass and speedy riffs that hit hard. But “The
Tower” isn’t just fast; it’s crushing too!
The band is surprisingly heavy, and this trait
blends well with Joe Liszt’s vocals. He has enough talent to compete with
melodic singers, but also has a slightly rougher edge to his voice that allows
him to sound far more at home on this more aggressive type of metal. Even on a
slow burning effort, such as “The Curse”, the riffs just stampede the listener
with their power. He is particularly commanding in sections where he is singing just a bit slower than the galloping pace that the rest of the instruments move at. The result is a truly epic sound!
Ancient Empire tends to have subtler use of
melody than many similar bands. It isn’t absent altogether, but the focus on
riffs means that each song isn’t overflowing with harmonized leads. Nevertheless,
the band has no shortage of guitar solos, and the occasional lead to finish off
a riff or vocal line. Despite the overflow of riffs, there is plenty of room
for the bass to shine, with the low end providing a surprising amount of melody
at times.
With their third album, Ancient Empire has
picked up exactly where they left off. They have begun to craft a really solid
career, and while I wouldn’t consider any of their records amongst my
favourites, they are consistently enjoyable. They are similar to bands like
Tankard where you could put any song or album on at random and be satisfied.
For some reason, not many people seem to have caught onto them despite being on
one of metal’s best labels (Stormspell Records), but it’s hard to see any metal
fan disliking this band. “The Tower” is as good of a place to start as any, so
start stretching your neck, and warming up your vocal cords!
Highlights
"The Tower"
"In The Land of the Damned"
"Yesterday's Hero"
Final Rating
4.25/5 or 85%.
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